Kashiwagi had a long list of moves he wanted Porygon to learn.
Among them, Trick Room was undoubtedly one of the most vital. It could effectively compensate for the generally low-speed tier of his current team.
In the context of the games, Trick Room is rarely seen in Singles compared to Doubles.
Setting up the room, switching out the setter, and bringing in a sweeper to launch an attack takes time—a process that feels far too sluggish for the fast-paced rhythm of a 3v3 Singles match.
If an opponent predicts your play, that setup window is more than enough time for them to set up their own sweeps and bulldoze your entire team.
Furthermore, priority moves ignore speed tiers entirely.
Sometimes, even after setting up Trick Room, you still don't have the "advantage of first move", and the opponent will still strike first.
Ultimately, in 3v3 game logic, Trick Room teams are notoriously difficult to pilot.
...
However, the anime world was a different story.
There were so many more variables to consider.
For one, there was no "four-move limit".
Additionally, Gym challenges and League Tournaments in the Hoenn region often featured Double Battles, not to mention full 6v6 Single Battles.
In this world, the stage for Trick Room was much broader than in the games.
Porygon could also learn a wide variety of offensive moves, allowing it to transition seamlessly between a dedicated "Room Setter" and an "Attacker".
After all, Porygon2's Special Attack wasn't exactly top-tier, but it certainly wasn't low either.
"It learns Hyper Beam after evolving... so for now: Trick Room, Psychic, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Hidden Power...Eh.. No Nasty Plot? "
"I guess Porygon and Porygon2 can't learn that yet."
Kashiwagi flipped through Porygon's move pool data, itching to command it in a real Pokémon battle.
And its opponent was, naturally, Chansey.
When it came to bulk and sustain, if Chansey claimed to be second best, no one would dare claim first.
She was the perfect sparring partner.
"Psybeam!"
Kashiwagi stood to Porygon's side so the digital Pokémon could see him, then pointed toward Chansey.
"Pah-ree!"
Porygon's leg segments wobbled as rings of blue light pulsed across its body.
The energy converged at its tail, forming a bright spark. With a flick of its tail, the beam shot toward Chansey!
The erratic, dazzling multi-colored beam sliced through the air, but failed to hit the nimble Chansey.
With a light sidestep, she let the Psybeam crash harmlessly into the ground.
Snap!
The psychic energy detonated, kicking up a thin veil of dust.
Porygon froze, visibly stunned.
"Don't be surprised. Chansey is an expert at dodging; it's her specialty."
Kashiwagi patted its head, signaling for it to stay calm.
"Pah-ree!"
Porygon responded softly.
...
The most delightful thing was that Porygon's actual demeanor wasn't as odd or monotonous as Kashiwagi had feared.
The Pokédex described it as only capable of basic actions based on its programming—a purely man-made existence.
On paper, it sounded like a cold, mechanical computer system.
But in person, Kashiwagi found it almost indistinguishable from a normal Pokémon.
At the very least, its expressions of "joy" and "surprise" seemed perfectly natural.
"Again!'
"Use Signal Beam!"
Kashiwagi commanded.
Porygon raised its tail once more, firing a vibrant green beam at Chansey.
Whoosh—Bang!
The beam missed again, easily evaded by the latter.
Porygon froze a second time.
Suddenly, without waiting for a command, it fired another Signal Beam.
It seemed a competitive spark had been ignited—a "there's no way I'm missing this" kind of determination.
Kashiwagi silently noted this natural emotional flare-up but called for a halt.
"It's normal to miss from over ten meters away. She's already prepared; she's watching the direction of your tail to dodge. Of course it won't hit."
He turned Porygon's face toward his, looking into those blank, digital eyes.
"How do you hit such a flexible opponent?"
"Simple—be even more flexible than her. Move! Get to a spot where she can't react in time, then fire."
"Pah-ree~"
Porygon nodded, as if having a sudden epiphany.
As a man-made Pokémon, one of its greatest advantages was its ability to comprehend human language far beyond that of other species.
Unlike when Kashiwagi first met Aron, where they spent all day trying to guess what the other was thinking.
That had been a real headache.
"Charge at her! Agility!"
Kashiwagi ordered.
"Pah-ree!"
Porygon's leg segments blurred as it suddenly surged toward Chansey with remarkable speed.
The creature could float even without using Magnet Rise.
When it moved, it relied on an unconsciously active "Magnetic Levitation System".
Dr. Akihabara had mentioned that this feature was modeled after Magnemite.
Of course, while it could fly, it couldn't naturally negate Ground-type energy. If it really wanted to avoid Ground moves, it still needed to rely on the actual move Magnet Rise.
"Lucky!"
Chansey wasn't startled by Porygon's sudden burst of speed, but her expression grew serious.
Her eyes locked onto the approaching Porygon, patiently observing its movements and the sway of its tail.
"Circle around her front!" Kashiwagi's voice rang out.
Porygon's body stuttered for a fraction of a second before it veered off, attempting to arc around to Chansey's back.
However, Chansey's dynamic vision and reaction time were elite. No matter how Porygon circled, it couldn't get behind her.
Porygon's flight speed increased instinctively.
Frustration.
Yet another natural emotion bubbling to the surface.
Unfortunately, even with the speed boost, Porygon was still staring at Chansey's face.
"Stop!"
Kashiwagi's shout caused Porygon to freeze its movement, but like a car slamming on its brakes on a highway, momentum carried it an extra half-circle before it came to a dead stop.
At that moment, something interesting happened.
Chansey had stopped her rotation the instant she heard Kashiwagi's voice, but Porygon's momentum had carried it past her, finally giving it a clear view of Chansey's back.
"Now! Psybeam!"
"Pah-ree!"
Porygon cocked its tail and fired a prismatic beam forward!
Zzzzz—
A piercing sound filled the air.
But just as it was about to strike, a translucent glass barrier shimmered into existence on Chansey's back.
The beam hit the barrier, its power instantly halved.
By the time the energy reached Chansey, it was little more than a tickle.
Light Screen.
A miraculous wall that effectively dampens Special Attacks.
The system within Porygon rapidly pulled this data from its internal library, providing the answer.
"Fast reactions! I'd expect nothing less from you, Chansey."
Kashiwagi walked over, praising the quick-witted Pokémon.
Even when her own Trainer set a little trap for her, she could react instantly and adapt her strategy.
These were the fruits of daily, unrelenting effort.
"Lucky~"
Chansey rubbed her hands together sheepishly, looking at Porygon with a hint of apology.
Personally, she preferred to "go easy" on new teammates, letting them land a few hits to build their confidence.
Unfortunately, her Trainer was strictly against that.
So, it had to be this way.
Porygon stared blankly at Chansey for a moment, then a look of pure admiration flickered in its eyes.