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Besides Torterra, Paul also had various other Pokémon. Last night, Gary and Ash spent the entire evening reviewing data, with Paul being the most scrutinized individual. In addition to Paul, there were other powerful Trainers, such as a person named Kouhei from Sinnoh, who also possessed strong Pokémon.
Kouhei's greatest asset wasn't his Pokémon but his intellect. It was said that he was highly adept at gathering information and could devise comprehensive counter-strategies based on existing data. Coupled with his formidable Pokémon, he was also a strong contender for the championship at this Indigo Plateau Conference.
By morning, Gary had listed almost all the key individuals they had researched the previous night. And, surprisingly, there were quite a few.
Ash even spotted an unexpected competitor on the list.
"Giselle? That girl from the Pokémon Academy? She's actually participating in the Indigo Plateau Conference?!" Upon hearing the name, Misty thought for a while before finally retrieving it from her memory.
They had only met Giselle once, but the girl had left a deep impression on them. On one hand, it was because she was beautiful enough; on the other hand, her arrogant and overbearing personality made them remember her profoundly.
"I remember Giselle did say she was going to participate in the Indigo Plateau Conference back then. I didn't expect her to actually come... But her strength seems pretty average, doesn't it?" Brock said with a slightly strange expression.
To be honest, he barely remembered what level the Pokémon Giselle sent out back then was. He only remembered Giselle being easily defeated by Ash.
And at that time, Ash had only been out for a few days and hadn't even obtained his third badge.
Giselle's strength was probably only slightly stronger than a novice Trainer. For her to participate in the Indigo Plateau Conference now, wasn't she just asking to be defeated? This year's Indigo Plateau Conference was not like previous ones!
Unless Giselle could achieve rapid growth like Ash in just a few months, she would only be going through the motions at the Indigo Plateau Conference.
"Giselle, she probably didn't come to the Indigo Plateau Conference by collecting Gym badges, did she?" Misty thought of the special entry slots at the Pokémon Academy and asked Ash.
Ash nodded: "The data says she's participating directly in the Indigo Plateau Conference through a special slot from the academy. However, she also passed the first preliminary match, and her Pokémon seem to be of Superior Level."
Superior Level is actually quite good. To have Superior Level Pokémon in half a year is enough to prove Giselle's talent is not weak. If she were to become a proper Trainer, she still has the potential to succeed in the future.
But if she continues to waste her life in that academy, then she would truly be squandering her talent.
"Which group is Giselle in?"
"My group."
Misty & Brock: ... This unlucky kid. It was bad enough that she was taught a lesson by Ash at the academy back then, but now she's even in the same group as Ash.
Although members of the same group aren't guaranteed to face each other, there is a possibility, and the possibility increases the further they advance. So, Giselle's luck is really a bit poor.
"It seems the matches have already started. Today there are matches for Paul and Kouhei, let's go watch." Ash glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already past nine-thirty after breakfast, and the matches had long begun.
However, the two contestants they were interested in hadn't started their matches yet. Paul's was at eleven in the morning, and Kouhei's was around one in the afternoon.
Going now would be just right.
"Alright, we'll go after washing the dishes." Brock nodded, then started collecting the dishes. Gary and Misty also quickly helped.
They hadn't helped with breakfast, so they couldn't possibly let Ash and Brock do all the plate collecting and dishwashing, could they?
The dishes Brock was collecting were directly snatched by Gary. Brock and Ash exchanged glances, both smiling helplessly.
Although young master Gary was pampered at home, he was undeniably good to his friends. He never freeloaded and would always return any favors in other ways. This was largely due to Professor Oak's upbringing.
As for Gary's parents... those two were cooped up in the research lab all day. In over a decade, Ash had seen them no more than three times. Gary might have seen them more often, but it was still limited. So, Gary's education relied entirely on Professor Oak.
To be able to raise Gary while also managing his doctoral research, and ensure he had no major flaws apart from a slight arrogance, Professor Oak truly embodied the phrase 'having three heads and six arms'.
After washing the dishes, everyone headed to the preliminary grounds next to the Indigo Stadium.
The four preliminary fields surrounded the Indigo Stadium, and each field's spectator stands had a special viewing area set up for distinguished guests, such as the Elite Four and the League President.
Cynthia and Lance's arrival yesterday also caused quite a stir. Apart from Ash's match, everyone's attention was focused on Cynthia and Lance.
In terms of fame, they were equivalent to the world's top superstars, the kind whose appearance could draw countless cheers and screams.
If it weren't for security, the moment they arrived at the Indigo Plateau Conference, the entire event would likely have descended into chaos without even needing to be held.
This was also the purpose of setting up special viewing areas: not for differential treatment, but to allow honored guests to watch the matches peacefully, without being bothered by the surrounding noise.
If they were to watch the matches from the regular stands, then there would be no need to hold the matches; everyone would just crowd around Lance and Cynthia.
Even so, Cynthia and Lance's arrival on that day attracted the attention of the vast majority of spectators. The stands of the field they went to watch were completely packed, with not even standing room available.
And the field they went to was Ash's match field. At that time, if Misty and the others hadn't had family tickets as contestants, even they probably wouldn't have had seats. After all, the previous tickets could be used across all four fields, meaning spectators could move around to watch battles on any of the four fields, as long as they bought a preliminary ticket.
This was also to allow spectators to freely watch the battles of their favorite Trainers. If they were restricted to a single field, tickets would likely be hard to sell even on the day of the match, because who would know who would be battling on their assigned field?
Many people are fans of specific contestants and come specifically to see them, such as Ash's fans.
At Ash's field, only during Ash's matches did ninety percent of the people focus their attention on him. At other times, everyone went to see Cynthia's stunning beauty and Lance's... advertising cape.
Today, neither Cynthia nor Lance appeared, and Ash also didn't have a match. The excitement of the Indigo Plateau Conference was not as high as yesterday. However, there were still popular contestants competing today: Paul from the Sinnoh region and Kouhei.
The organizers weren't fools; they wouldn't schedule all popular contestants on the same day, otherwise, the attendance for the following days would be worrisome.
The Indigo Plateau Conference is only held for a limited time. During the event, sales of merchandise, Pokémon food, drinks, items, and so on, represent a significant income. Therefore, the organizers naturally stagger the matches of popular contestants.
The only well-known competitors in today's matches were Paul in the morning and Kouhei at noon. However, their popularity was still somewhat less than Ash's.
They are indeed powerful Trainers, but Ash, in just half a year, could already contend with an Elite. They, on the other hand, could only achieve the level of defeating ordinary Gym Leaders.
In terms of strength, they couldn't compare to Ash; in terms of age, they were older than Ash. Their overall level was quite far from Ash's, but they were also the most hopeful individuals in this Indigo Plateau Conference to defeat Ash. After all, apart from a few individual contestants, anyone else who encountered Ash, even if it was Ash's second team of Pokémon, would be easily defeated.
Ash and his group arrived at the rock field. The number of spectators around was less than half of what it was during Ash's previous match, but everyone was focused on the ongoing battle, so they didn't notice Ash and the others' arrival.
The current match involved two Superior-level (Beginner) Pokémon engaged in a rather clumsy fight. For Ash, this level of battle was no longer particularly captivating.
Time passed by, minute by minute, and finally, it was Paul's turn to enter the arena.
Paul slowly walked out from the competitor's area, still wearing his blue long-sleeved jacket and a small backpack. His face was expressionless, making him appear quite cool.
His opponent was a beautiful girl with a resolute expression, appearing to be sixteen or seventeen years old. Her name was A-Xiu, a Trainer who had been traveling for nearly two years. She was almost among the oldest group of participants in this batch, just barely meeting the age requirements to compete.
Due to her age, Ash and Gary also paid close attention to her information. They found that she really only had age as an advantage... After nearly two years of travel, her strongest Pokémon was only Professional Level. What specific Professional Level was unknown, but it definitely wouldn't exceed Professional (Advanced), unless she was hiding her true strength.
For a Trainer who had traveled for two years, this was considered below-average. It was unclear whether it was due to the girl's lack of training talent or the Pokémon's lack of talent.
If it were in the past, she might have had hopes of reaching the top three in the Indigo Plateau Conference, but now... she might as well just give up and go to sleep.
Not to mention, her first opponent was Paul, which was truly unlucky for her.
The match began, and Paul's first Pokémon was Chimchar!
This was one of the Starter Pokémon from the Sinnoh region, but Paul's Pokémon hadn't even evolved. To bring out a Pokémon of this caliber in a League tournament was truly puzzling, even illogical.
"What's wrong with this guy? Didn't they say he was an Elite from the Sinnoh region? An Elite from Sinnoh who's only at ninety percent capacity?"
"Chimchar... Good heavens, is he not taking his opponent seriously? How is this any different from someone in Kanto bringing out a Charmander to battle in a league?"
"Although I can't tell the level of that Chimchar, if that guy's level exceeds Superior, I'll eat my hat!"
"..."
Paul's use of Chimchar sparked heated discussion and controversy among the onlookers. Using a Pokémon that hadn't even undergone its first evolution in a League match, unless it was specifically raised with an Everstone, it simply meant he didn't want to win.
Starter Pokémon usually evolve for the first time at the Advanced Level. If a Pokémon hasn't even undergone its first evolution, then no matter how high its level, it generally won't exceed Advanced Level. This means that Chimchar, at most, would only be at Advanced (Peak).
A Pokémon of this level entering battle, isn't it just asking to be defeated?
In reality, this example cannot be applied to all Pokémon. For instance, Ash's Bulbasaur, even without evolving, once reached Superior Level (Intermediate).
However, cases like Bulbasaur are ultimately a minority of a minority. This Chimchar is not like Bulbasaur.
[Species: Chimchar]
[Gender: Male]
[Attribute: Fire]
[Level: Advanced (Beginner)]
[Ability: Blaze (Super)]
[Skills: Ember, Flamethrower, Flame Wheel, Fire Spin...]
[Six-Dimensional Stats: Physical Attack C–A (S) Special Attack C (A) Defense B (B) Special Defense B (B) Stamina A (S) Speed A (S)]
Chimchar's data appeared before Ash's eyes. Even with Ash's extensive knowledge, he couldn't help but show a look of shock when he saw Chimchar's data.
Triple S-rank... This was the first time he had seen a Triple S-rank Pokémon other than his own. Legendary Pokémon don't count.
Even Lance's Dragonite didn't have Triple S-rank potential, but rather Double S-rank. Triple S-rank Pokémon are even rarer than Legendary Pokémon. Don't let his possession of so many powerful Pokémon fool you; it's largely due to his overflowing luck.
Additionally, many of his Pokémon were raised from lower potential. The only naturally Triple S-rank ones were Charmander, Riolu, and Ralts.
Now, there's only one more, Venusaur. The rest of his Pokémon mostly have single or double S-rank potential.
Potential doesn't represent everything, but strong potential not only allows a Pokémon to have a higher Upper limit, but also reduces the bottlenecks encountered when leveling up.
This latter situation was something Ash discovered after a period of exploration. For example, Charizard and Gardevoir, not only are their levels high, but they also have to train their ability values to the limit of their current level before they can advance.
Theoretically, their progress should be slower than other Pokémon, yet their levels are getting further and further ahead of other Pokémon...
People always say that even if a Pokémon's talent is mediocre, it can still create miracles through its bond with its Trainer. But they never considered that exceptionally talented Pokémon can also create even more brilliant miracles through their bond with their Trainer.
As the saying goes, if a genius works harder than you, why shouldn't he be stronger than you?