Beyond that, Peter also planned to fully develop Indeedee.
There was an old saying: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never lose a hundred battles.
As a seasoned Pokémon enthusiast, Peter knew Gardenia's lineup like the back of his hand.
In most cases, Trainers who specialize in a single type always prepare unique countermeasures to offset their own weaknesses.
And in Gardenia's team, the truly troublesome Pokémon was her ace—Roserade.
The Grass + Poison typing was particularly effective against Dolliv, and when combined with Poison-type status conditions and Grass-type recovery, even Lopunny could be dragged into a war of attrition.
That meant Peter needed two layers of preparation.
On one hand, he continued Grass-type counter-training for Lopunny and Dolliv.
On the other—Indeedee.
Psychic-types naturally suppressed Poison-types, and thanks to its Ability, Indeedee also boasted excellent accuracy against high-speed opponents.
Coupled with Peter's unconventional tactical designs, Indeedee might very well become the key piece in this Gym battle.
…
He brought Indeedee into the adjacent simulated training chamber.
[Ding! Match complete. Over-level battle target: Lv.22 Sprigatito!]
"…Huh?!"
Peter froze for a moment.
This was his first-ever battle against a Pokémon from the Paldea region—and not just any Pokémon, but one of Paldea's starter trio.
Its final evolution, Meowscarada, had once exploded in popularity when Pokémon Scarlet & Violet first released.
A youthful, energetic silhouette appeared on the opposite side. The girl casually tossed a Poké Ball.
"Go, Sprigatito—take this win!"
Peter didn't hesitate either.
"Indeedee, battle ready!"
He quickly checked the Ability and relaxed slightly.
Good—Overgrow.
If it had been the Hidden Ability Protean, allowing it to switch into a Dark-type and completely negate Psychic moves, things would have gotten messy.
Overgrow: When HP is low, Grass-type moves gain a 50% power boost.
Protean: Changes the user's type to match its move once per battle.
"Sprigatito, use Hone Claws!"
Hone Claws sharpened its claws, raising Attack and Accuracy by one stage each.
Peter narrowed his eyes and issued his command almost instantly.
"Use Psychic!"
"Ee~!"
Indeedee let out a soft cry, lifting its hands.
No visible phenomenon appeared—but in the next instant, an invisible psychic shockwave slammed straight into Sprigatito.
Boom—!
Caught off guard, Sprigatito was sent tumbling across the floor.
Thanks to its level advantage, the damage wasn't catastrophic. With a nimble roll, it sprang back to its feet.
"Don't give it room to breathe—Psychic again!"
"Keep moving and use Hone Claws again!"
The girl clearly had a plan. Sprigatito danced around the battlefield with agile footwork, avoiding vital points and barely tanking another Psychic hit.
"Meow…"
Sprigatito crouched low, breathing heavily.
Indeedee's attacks were clearly starting to overwhelm it.
"If you don't go on the offensive," Peter smiled faintly,
"you're going to lose on the next hit."
After several days of focused training, Indeedee's Special Attack had already climbed to 130, and its level was steadily rising.
If not for Sprigatito's decent Special Defense—and its evasive positioning—it would have gone down already.
"Your Indeedee is strong!" the girl admitted.
"But Sprigatito and I won't give up that easily! Quick Attack—continuous dash!"
Whoosh—whoosh!
White streaks trailed behind Sprigatito as it burst forward in rapid flashes, closing the distance in an instant.
"Disarming Voice. Finish it."
Disarming Voice—a Fairy-type special move, base power 40.
A sound-based attack that never misses.
Peter had discovered it by accident while training Indeedee's Hyper Voice, and it was the perfect counter against agile opponents like Sprigatito.
"Ee~…"
Indeedee hummed softly, releasing a wave of enchanting sound that flooded the battlefield.
Already weakened, Sprigatito staggered as the soundwaves struck, its movements noticeably slowing.
"Don't panic—use Fake Tears to counter the sound!"
Fake Tears: Pretends to cry, sharply lowering the opponent's Special Defense.
"Meow—!"
Sprigatito's pitiful cry intertwined with the Disarming Voice, strangely reducing the damage it took, while also disrupting Indeedee's rhythm.
"…Interesting."
Peter's eyes lit up.
The tactic reminded him of how he'd once used Sweet Scent to blunt an opponent's offense—different methods, same core idea.
"But…" Peter smiled, glancing at the faint lavender glow spreading beneath Indeedee's feet,
"if you can't get close, you can't beat Indeedee."
A dreamy field was quietly expanding around Indeedee.
"Heh. In that case—Sprigatito, keep your distance and Hone Claws again!"
The girl sounded confident. After stacking Hone Claws three times, she clearly believed she could end the fight in one decisive blow.
Even though Sprigatito was on its last legs, it shouldn't have been able to survive another Disarming Voice.
"…Next move is Sucker Punch, right?"
Peter's calm voice suddenly rang out.
The girl froze mid-command.
"You—how did you—"
"A bit too obvious."
Peter cut in smoothly.
"But unfortunately, that move won't work. Indeedee—Disarming Voice!"
"Don't bluff! Sprigatito—Sucker Punch, now!"
"Meow—!!"
The instant Indeedee began to vocalize, Sprigatito roared and turned into a streak of shadow, lunging forward at terrifying speed!
But—as if it had seen the future—
Indeedee shifted its body by half a step, letting the claws slash harmlessly past.
BOOM—!
The soundwave struck Sprigatito square in the abdomen, smashing it into the ground.
Instant knockout.
[Ding! Over-level battle victory achieved. Gained Universal Talent Points ×5!]
"…How… how is that possible?!"
The girl stared in disbelief.
She had stacked Hone Claws three times—Accuracy up three stages.
How could Sucker Punch still miss?
Sucker Punch was a Dark-type priority physical move with base power 70.
It struck first if the opponent used an attacking move—but failed completely if the target didn't.
That had been her final trump card.
Double super-effective damage. Triple Attack boost.
It should have been a guaranteed reversal.
But—
She was still one step too late.
"My Indeedee's Ability is Psychic Surge," Peter said calmly, answering her confusion.
Psychic Surge:
Creates Psychic Terrain for five turns. Psychic-type moves gain a 30% power boost, and the user gains complete awareness of opponents' movements—negating priority moves.
Indeedee hadn't mastered the Ability yet, but after some time on the field, it could still form a small Psychic Terrain.
Just enough to dodge the killing blow.
"I see…" The girl smiled.
"What's your name? Let's battle again sometime."
"Peter."
"I'm Nemona. Nice to meet you, Peter~"
With that, her figure dissolved into the Dream Space.
…
An opponent from Paldea…
And a starter, no less.
Peter exhaled slowly.
The world was getting bigger—and far more interesting.
--------------
📢 Bonus Chapter Notice
Thank you for your support!
✨ 2 extra chapter will be released for every review.
✨ 2 extra chapter will also be released for every 50 Power Stones received during that week.
Support the Story and Read 40+ Chapters early on P@treon:👉[email protected]/MPHFics