After the battle ended.
The videos of the fight between the Second University Team and the Reserve Team were quickly sent back to the Pokémon University of Ironvale City.
In a classroom, the battle video was being projected on the large screen.
"This is...?"
"Our substitute team was defeated by the reserve team!"
Seeing this scene, the only female member of the university team, Emily Collins, stuck her tongue out in surprise and commented, "This Ethan Black... it seems even I underestimated him!"
The university team captain, Daniel Harper, stared at Ethan Black on the screen. After a few seconds, he inhaled deeply and said, "Emily, let's start the analysis."
Upon hearing the captain, Emily Collins immediately nodded, jumped down from the desk, and ran to the computer to start operating it.
"Pay close attention to this battle, especially that Ethan Black. Watch his small movements."
The other five members also nodded, though still showing expressions of astonishment. After all, when they had faced the Second Team in practice battles, they had crushed them easily. But this time... why was it the other way around?
Was this year's substitute team too weak? Or was the reserve team too strong?
Soon, under Emily Collins' operations, the video began playing again.
"Why?"
"Ethan Black was clearly prepared, so why did he let the sandstorm hit the defensive barrier?"
After watching the video again, one team member expressed his doubt.
Hearing him, Captain Daniel Harper nodded slightly, then walked to the computer, replaying the scene in which Ethan Black touched the defensive barrier.
"This Ethan Black did it intentionally. If I'm not mistaken, what he wanted was to measure the thickness of the defensive barrier."
"Moreover, he may have also wanted to create an illusion for that fool Jason. And the facts prove that that big guy fell into the trap, leaving his team's defense completely exposed!"
Saying this, Daniel Harper clicked his tongue and murmured to himself: "What a sly fox!"
Either way, whether it was Sandslash's instant Sandstorm defense or his spin to stop Magmar, both demonstrated the impressive strength of that Pokémon.
"This Ethan Black is really strong. He not only excels in training his Pokémon, he also has first-class command skills!"
"Although the other four are a bit below. While their Pokémon are well-trained, their responsiveness and strategy still leave much to be desired."
After watching the full video, the group discussed the performance of all five, and undoubtedly, Ethan Black received the highest praise.
At the same time, they were also surprised. According to records, Ethan Black came from a rather ordinary background, and his results on the university entrance exam had been terribly low.
But now, he seemed like a completely different person. This level of vision and command ability was not something a common rookie could possess.
...
At the same time.
In the university conference room, the director and several professors were also watching the battle video.
Seeing that the reserve team had defeated the substitute team, everyone was astonished.
Then, they began to discuss and evaluate the battle and Ethan Black's performance.
"With this, this young university team has passed the test successfully. And I propose that Ethan Black be appointed captain of the Third University Team."
At the end of the meeting, the director shared his opinion with those present.
Upon hearing the director, some professors changed their expressions. They thought it would be more prudent to make Lucas Silver or Marcus Foster the captain, as they came from influential families and had more leadership skills than Ethan Black.
But Ethan Black's performance this time had been simply outstanding. In comparison, both Lucas Silver and Marcus Foster, despite their lineage, had not been up to the task.
"Alright, then it's decided."
"If there are no objections, we can send the university team resources immediately."
"After all, next semester the National University Tournament will take place. We have to prepare well. If we manage to defeat the Pokémon University of Duskwell City and the Capital Academy, it would be excellent!"
Seeing that no one opposed, the director closed the decision.
...
At the university team headquarters, inside the Secret Kingdom.
"Ahem, this time you did a good job. But you also made many mistakes during the battle."
In a classroom, Captain Jason Brooks was giving a lesson to Ethan Black and the other four. Speaking about the morning battle, he even blushed a little. It had been an enormous embarrassment!
"Captain Jason, please guide us," said Marcus Foster, suppressing a laugh.
Seeing this, Jason Brooks' face darkened, and after clearing his throat, he didn't know how to start.
"Chloe, you give the lesson," he said after a few moments, red as a tomato, and hurriedly pushed her forward while he sat at the back of the classroom with a defeated look.
"Alright, alright, I'll give this lesson," said Chloe Wells, smiling.
"Although you defeated Jason's team, don't get overconfident."
"In fact, what they were trying to make you understand was the importance of defensive barriers, and more broadly, the role of the trainer in a battle."
"If this had been a real battle, five against five, you wouldn't have had any chance against them."
Hearing Chloe Wells, everyone immediately became serious.
"It's true! If it were a direct fight, you would have been defeated more times than you could count!" grumbled Jason Brooks, clearly upset. His plan was to end the fight quickly, but he ended up losing miserably.
"After all, losing a battle only means defeat. But in the wild, losing means death," continued Chloe Wells.
The five nodded seriously. Although they were talking about the battle, it was clear the lessons also applied to survival in nature.
"That's why, in a team, the most important thing is the defensive core."
"When I talk about a defensive core, I mean the role within a formation."
"Like Jason's team Mr. Mime or Ethan's Sandslash Sandstorm, both can be considered defensive cores."
"However, Sandslash is not a traditional defender. The Sandstorm can block explosive attacks, but it's ineffective against continuous damage like a sandstorm."
"The same applies to Onix. Although it has a defensive role, under a sandstorm tactic it cannot fulfill its function well."
"Therefore, your next training goal is clear: each of you must develop a defensive core and, based on your Pokémon, form a complete team."
(End of chapter)