Having completed his physical examination, spent another afternoon training with his Fennekin and .
Finneon Winning a battle isn't just about one Pokémon; cultivating their teamwork is also essential.
After all, the mainstream battle format in Hoenn is double battle, where one or two trainers send out two Pokémon to fight against the opponent's other two. A team loses when all of its Pokémon are eliminated.
2-on-2, 4-on-4, and 64-on-64 are the official matches and the most common formats in Gym battles.
Currently, Link only has two Pokémon that can't form a cohesive team. To win, he must ensure they understand each other perfectly and cultivate excellent teamwork and a strong bond.
And the result…
"Fennekin~"
"Eek~"
Watching Finneon carry Fennekin across the sea and underwater, the latter using "Psychic" to help Fennekin fly through the air.
In just one afternoon, the two little ones have become quite familiar and close.
Finneon is gentle and likable, easily fitting into any team.
As evening approached, Link checked out of his dormitory and textbooks at the Pokémon Center and boarded the Wind Rider, bound for Rustboro City on the Hoenn continent.
He had originally planned to study in his room until night and then take a nap, but upon noticing that the Wind Rider also had a battle area for passengers and even double battles in the evening, he immediately changed his mind. He decided to give his Pokémon a chance to battle and practice before arriving in Rustboro City.
The Win driver's battle area was located near the upper-level pool area. Since it was on a ship, moves that could damage the hull, such as "Earthquake," were prohibited.
The small battle area for passengers was 20x30 cm, with a 10-meter diameter pool in the center, providing a suitable space for Water-type Pokémon.
After registering, Link and the red fox perched on his shoulder watched from the sidelines for a long time, concluding that everyone was a complete novice.
Among the tourists, there were probably no serious trainers; most simply sent out their Pokémon and let them use their STAB moves. The most skilled might give commands like "dodge quickly" or "now," or perhaps choose a type-advantageous move after determining the opponent's Pokémon's type.
Before transmigrating, Link had always assumed everyone in this world was an expert in battle—after spending over ten years with a Pokémon, wouldn't they know its moves and abilities?
But after transmigrating, he discovered that the profession of "trainer" wasn't like the "beast tamer" in fantasy novels, a core part of this world's logic.
While Pokémon battles were highly popular, being a trainer wasn't any more prestigious than other professions, and not everyone understood battles.
Take Earth, for example: the World Cup, held every four years, is popular worldwide, but how many people in real life actually choose to become players or play a game after work?
"Change moves are strong, and coordinated defense and switching are crucial. Who understands that?
" "I just love watching tense, exciting melee battles, and the high-octane clashes of powerful moves between different Pokémon.
" "Status changes and status moves are all shady tactics, are they even interesting?"
"They lack the spirit of a trainer."
This might sound absurd, but it reflects the thoughts of the vast majority of viewers.
Experts see the intricacies, but most laymen just enjoy the spectacle.
The prevalence of singles battles, and the high profile of Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions, has pushed individual heroism to its extreme.
There might even be instances of trainers being asked to throw battles to make the show more exciting for the audience—didn't Master, the Galar Champion for 18 consecutive years, retire because he refused the League Chairman's invitation to throw a match?
The involvement of capital might influence trainers' inclinations to some extent…
but that has nothing to do with Link. For him, preventing his opponent from battling is the greatest respect.
Pokémon battles are brutal; only one side can smile.
Not long after—
"Mr. Kobayashi from Twilight Town and Mr. Yusuke from Blackrock City, please prepare yourselves in the Trainer Area."
Hearing the announcement over the loudspeaker, Link felt inexplicably targeted.
Why was it Kobayashi when it came to him, but everyone else's full name instead of Yusuke?
"Fennekin, let's go, let's experience a low-intensity battle."
"Fennekin~"
Before the battle began, Link had already given Fennekin and Finneon some pointers, believing that their first battle would be a memorable one.
After standing in the Trainer Area, he noticed that his opponent looked like a mountain man, and a bad feeling crept into his heart.
Blackrock City's Gym was a Rock-type Gym, and the locals were probably more skilled with Rock-type Pokémon, which would be effective against Fennekin...
Sure enough, after the referee from the Wind Rider announced the start of the battle, the Pokémon his opponent sent out put him at a disadvantage.
"Go, Charizard and Bebop!"
The two Pokémon sent out by Link were quite different. One, Charizard, resembled a four-legged mineral with a head that looked like burning red coal. The other, a goofy-looking beaver, had huge incisors and a tail almost as big as its body.
The former was Rock/Fire type, the latter Normal/Water type.
This didn't make a cohesive team!
"Fennekin, Finneon, prepare for battle."
Fennekin was positioned near the edge of Link's half of the arena, while Finneon was placed in the central swimming pool.
As the referee fired the starting gun and both Pokémon took their positions, the battle in Fennekin's Pokémon career officially began—
"Bebop, Swords Dance first! Charizard against Fennekin, Ancient Power!"
Hearing the opposing trainer's instructions, Link knew that this Bebop must have the "Simple" ability, which doubled its power level.
He didn't know how this ability worked in the real world, but he couldn't stand by and watch his opponent strengthen it.
Therefore, the choice of moves was obvious.
"Let the piranha 'do it again,' and the fire fox, maintaining its 'psychic' ability, leaps into the water."
The Finneon takes longer than its life to pronounce both names, so Link had instructed it before the battle that any move the Wave Finneon could use was an instruction, even without its name.
Therefore, the moment it received its trainer's instruction, it released a psychic wave that encouraged its opponent, its flippers flailing with a smile.
The simple-minded piranha was immediately affected, blindly waving its tail in a "Swords Dance."
At the same time, a series of coal cannonballs condensed above the coal truck and fired at the Fennekin. The fire fox, agile and accelerated by its psychic abilities, achieved a trajectory impossible under inertia, exceeding the coal truck's prediction before leaping into the water.
The Wave Finneon was already there waiting for it.
Ride on!
Fox-Pig One!
In a battle where taking even one attack would render the Fennekin unable to fight, using a teammate as a meat shield was a logical choice!
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(End of Chapter)