Satoru and his friends arrived at the Pokémon training facility called RiNG.
This facility was newly built to accommodate the development of trainers and the rapid expansion of team sizes.
Teams could book facilities at a cheaper rate, but as students, they also enjoyed a discount, so the price wasn't too expensive.
As for why they weren't at school... an analogy might help.
It's like students saving seats in public places like libraries or classrooms; problems sometimes arise.
For example, someone might just leave their bag in a training room or on a field to claim it.
In such cases, rather than wasting time and energy arguing, most people choose to go to a training gym.
This world was very realistic. Satoru had learned that even though trading Pokémon was officially banned, it likely still happened in the shadows, with even students potentially involved.
Frankly, he couldn't accept that.
The three of them arrived at a small training room, where Froakie and Piplup were facing off.
"Piplup, Water Gun..."
Takamatsu Tomori gave the command timidly, trying her best to convey her intention.
"Pocha~" At Tomori's command, a jet of water shot from Piplup's beak.
Its gaze sharpened, releasing its full power.
But to Satoru and Froakie, the Water Gun that Piplup released was incredibly weak.
"Quick Attack!"
Froakie instantly became a blur, dodging the Water Gun and charging towards Piplup. Its speed was so great that Piplup had no way to avoid it.
"Pocha~~~"
Thud. Piplup was hit, sent flying like a ball into the wall at the edge of the field. Upon impact, its body trembled for a moment before it slid limply to the ground.
So weak...
Satoru and Froakie stood there, stunned and motionless. Tomori quickly ran over to help Piplup up, while Anon sat leisurely sipping juice, lost in a fantasy of their three-person team receiving widespread acclaim.
The battle had made Satoru realize a few problems.
The main one was presence!
If it were him, he would have shouted, "Piplup, use Water Gun!"
He'd use the trainer skill "Loud Yell" to lower the opponent's Special Attack by one stage.
And if you were in sync with your Pokémon, it would respond in kind, and the move's power would increase.
Oh... wait, the opponent is a Piplup. I shouldn't use Loud Yell.
Piplup's ability is 'Competitive'.
Competitive: When a stat is lowered by an opponent, its Special Attack is sharply raised (by 2 stages).
Among starters, this was already quite powerful. Compared to the lackluster abilities of its fellow Sinnoh starters, Torterra and Infernape, it was much better.
A special attacker with Competitive is just too good.
Especially in Scarlet and Violet, when its ability was changed from Defiant to Competitive, the entertainment value shot up.
Defiant: When a stat is lowered by an opponent, its Attack is sharply raised.
There must be a Piplup fan at Game Freak!
As for Froakie...
My Froakie... does that mean it has a blank ability until it evolves into Greninja?
Satoru couldn't help but hug his Froakie, feeling a pang of sadness. Having a blank ability in the early stages was a huge disadvantage.
"Kero?"
Not understanding its trainer's thoughts, Froakie gently touched Satoru's forehead with its small, milky-white hand.
However, Satoru thought, right now they needed to comfort the other two—Tomori and Piplup.
A blank ability wasn't the issue. The key was improving their strength. As long as the power gap was large enough, it could make up for the lack of an ability.
Satoru walked over to Tomori.
By now, Piplup was back on its feet, embarrassed by its defeat.
"Pocha..."
"...I'm sorry, it's all my fault," Tomori said, her head hung low, looking completely dejected.
Watching them, they looked like two penguins having a conversation.
"For now, let's just focus on getting stronger. Piplup hasn't lost its ability to battle, it's just too early for it to fight Froakie. Tomori, you can start by training with Anon's Eevee."
"It's a good chance for you to build up your confidence."
Satoru thought for a moment and gave his advice. Tomori nodded vigorously, a slight blush on her face as she agreed.
"Okay!"
Does Satoru think my Eevee and I are weak?
"Ahem!"
Anon, who was drinking her juice, couldn't help but choke a little.
But she had to admit, it was the most logical judgment. So, Anon reluctantly put down her juice and stood up.
The two began their special training.
Meanwhile, Satoru was thinking about how to effectively use his Pokémon's unique characteristics in battle.
He had to think according to the logic of this world.
Froakie emits bubbles from its chest and back, protecting its skin with a fine foam. It can use these elastic bubbles to block attacks and reduce damage.
Using a Pokémon's unique traits in battle was also important.
So, the first thing he needed to know was the extent of these traits.
Satoru put Froakie down, his expression somewhat excited.
"Froakie, use Bubble on me."
"Kero?"
[Host, have you finally gone crazy like me? ╭(′▽)╭(′▽)╯]
...
After a long period of special training, evening began to fall.
Tomori was finally able to command her Pokémon properly, to the point where her Piplup could hold its own against Froakie.
But she was exhausted, sitting on the ground with Piplup, looking completely drained. It was incredibly difficult for an introvert to do this.
"You've worked hard. That's enough for today."
"Tomori, you really pushed yourself today, and you and Piplup have gotten much stronger."
A cheerful smile appeared on Satoru's lips as he extended a hand to her. In the warmth of his smile, Tomori felt her heart race and her cheeks grow hot as she took his hand.
"...Thank you, Sato...ru."
He's so radiant.
The introverted Tomori instinctively lowered her head, trying to steady her heart as he pulled her up.
"Kerokero╭(●｀?'●)╯"
"Pocha pocha"
Froakie and Piplup high-fived each other, happily hanging out together.
This made Anon feel completely ignored. Plus, there was a strange LOVELOVE atmosphere in the air, even though she was the one who was here first.
"Have you guys forgotten something more important?"
Anon moved in front of the two, her face showing a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Huh?" ×2
"The team. Tomo-chan, have you decided to join our team?"
Speaking of this, Anon's voice held a bit of anticipation.
She looked at Tomori with a burning gaze, wanting to know her thoughts.
"For a lifetime..."
Tomori lowered her head but mustered her courage, looking at the two of them. She paused, her throat a bit dry.
"Will you battle Pokémon with me for a lifetime?"
It felt like she was getting clingy, but Satoru didn't even think about it.
A lifetime of Pokémon battles? Isn't that easy?
Satoru clenched his fist and made a firm declaration.
"No problem, but we're not going to lose!"
-------
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