One advantage of staying at the Petalburg Gym is that it provided Terrance with a large training area right outside the gym, offering ample space for him to train his Pokémon.
However, although he was staying at Petalburg Gym, to restore Pokémon's fatigue, compared to Terrance doing it himself, it was still faster to go to the Pokémon Center.
Hearing that Terrance was going to participate in the Pokémon Contest, May and Max became interested in the contest. After some pestering, Norman agreed to let their mother Caroline take them to watch the Petalburg Contest in Petalburg City.
During this period, Terrance didn't bother Norman, who had Gym Leader duties, and he also had to prepare for the Pokémon Contest. However, the two children, May and Max kept coming to watch Terrance's training.
"Mismagius, are you ready?"
"Mm-hmm," Mismagius nodded.
May and Max looked on eagerly, curious about the surprise Terrance had for them. Moments later, their mouths were agape as they found themselves in a forest, surrounded by countless glowing cocoons and immersed in an endless sea of white light.
"This is..."
They stood in shock. Wasn't this the same scene they saw in Petalburg Woods earlier?
Now it was happening right in front of their eyes again?!
Next, the birth of Dustox and Beautifly unfolded exactly as they had seen before. This time, however, May and Max were in the center of the evolution, making it visually more stunning and much more impressive than watching from a distance.
"What's happening..." They regained their composure only to find themselves back in the Petalburg Gym with no trace of the forest or moths or butterflies.
Terrance had a smile on his face. From their expressions, it was clear that the Mismagius's Illusion skill was a success, perfectly recreating the scene they had seen before. The setting of an illusion skill varies in complexity—merely simulating a very simple static image is the easiest and can be done by any Pokémon that knows Illusion skill.
More challenging is creating a dynamic illusion, such as simulating a flood, adding tremors to make the scene shake, giving those experiencing the illusion a feeling similar to an earthquake.
An even higher level would be adding sound to the illusion.
As for the finer details such as subtle movements and smells, it depends on the Pokémon's energy control. There are very few Pokémon that can achieve this level, let alone the one Mismagius demonstrated this time.
Recreating the process of countless Wurmple evolving into a butterfly, considering the number of changes and details involved, is incredibly difficult. Not only the sheer number, but even the evolution of a single Wurmple tests a Pokémon's energy control. With hundreds of Beautifly and Dustox fluttering together, if Mismagius hadn't had a certain skill, there would have been collisions long ago. The fact that even May and Max, who had experienced the real scene, were captivated by this makes it even more outstanding.
"Very good... but not enough," Terrance thought to himself.
******
Petalburg City, Pokémon Center.
After training his Pokémon, Terrance came here to restore their stamina. But his timing was perfect as the center was crowded with Trainers gathered around a large screen, watching a live broadcast.
"It's Sidney...It's Sidney!!"
Many Trainers cheered. Sidney was currently one of the Hoenn Elite Four, a Dark-type Trainer!
At the same time, he's the only Hoenn Elite Four member from a purely civilian background.
It is said that Sidney used to be a delinquent, but a life-changing event set him on the path of becoming a Trainer. Despite many doubting him, he went on to win The Ever Grande Conference and secure a spot in the Champion League. After years of hard work, he stabilized his battle ranking in the top four for three years, eventually securing his position as an Elite Four member.! [*Champion League is the common word for all regional leagues. This should be the Hoenn League.]
"Has the first half of the Champion League ended?! Which Trainer made it through?"
Someone in the know said, "Steven Stone, heir to the Devon Corporation..."
"What a strong background..."
Terrance looked over and paused. Indeed, it was Steven on the stage.
"He's come this far already..." Terrance sighed.
As the announcer introduced the backgrounds of both sides, the Pokémon Center erupted in noise again, with Sidney's supporters cheering the loudest.
After all, Sidney's background resonates more with these Trainers, and as a current Elite Four member, he has gained many supporters. In contrast, Steven is less known to the public.
"When did this Steven qualify for the Champion League? I know the winners of the recent Ever Grande Conferences, and he's not one of them!"
"Did he use his background to get in through the back door... That's despicable!"
"Hey, are you joking? A Trainer who went undefeated in the first half of the Champion League needs to use the back door?"
"Undefeated?! How-How is that even possible?"
Every Champion League contestant was nearly at conference-winning caliber, and he is undefeated in such a competition with so many experts?
"I expect Steven to win. It's said that he won The Ever Grande Conference at just 12 years old, and now in his early twenties, he's aiming for the Elite Four's position....It seems like he's already determined to win. This is his first time participating in the Champion League, and he's had the qualification for a long time but hasn't used it until now. Unless he's very confident, he wouldn't have come to participate."
"I still feel Sidney will win..."
"Me too..."
"Well... Even so, all the current Elite Four members were almost undefeated in the first half of the Champion League, and they ranked at the top in terms of points."
As the live broadcast was about to start, Trainers shared their views, mostly supporting the seasoned Elite Four Sidney, with few favoring Steven.
"I believe in Steven." A discordant voice came from the crowd.
Everyone looked over to see a Trainer with light brown hair, who analyzed the situation for a while and concluded that Steven had an 80% chance of winning.
Everyone shook their heads, clearly not taking Terrance's opinion seriously. Terrance didn't mind, smiling as he watched. Among the crowd, he was likely the only one who had interacted with Steven and had a direct understanding of his strength.
He was also familiar with the Hoenn Elite Four's data and had watched countless battle videos. His analysis wasn't just random guesswork, but a comprehensive estimate from the battle class of Crown Academy. Although it cannot be taken as the actual result, it has a very high reference value.
"The battle begins...Both side's Pokémon are..."
"Mightyena and Skarmory?!"
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From the Pokémon sent out, the background of both sides can be seen. However, sending out a Mightyena, such a common Pokémon, as the opening Pokémon makes it no wonder Sidney is considered to come from a humble background. Mightyena... This is almost the most common Pokémon in Hoenn, and almost any Trainer has the possibility of capturing one.
Could it be...does Sidney's Mightyena have something special about it?
As everyone watched, Sidney's Mightyena indeed proved to be very strong, with speed almost like a blur. At the start of the clash, Steven attempted to change the battlefield into a danger zone of toxic swamp and hidden spikes, but Mightyena's roar nullified it. This roar was so powerful that even the spectators in front of their screen could feel its majesty, causing Skarmory to be intimidated back into its Poké Ball and Steven's Shiny Metagross to appear.
In the broadcast, everyone saw Steven smile and issue a command: Meteor Mash.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom!
In an instant, the stage exploded, leaving a large crater. Sidney and Mightyena watched the floating Metagross with trepidation, their hearts sinking.
After the battle.
Everyone stared at the result in disbelief, speechless for a long time. Elite Four Sidney, with six Pokémon, only managed to defeat three of Steven's. Steven's single Metagross, like a towering mountain, forced Sidney to use up four Pokémon, including his ace, to wear it down in a battle of attrition.
It was the first time Steven's Shiny Metagross appeared in an official tournament. In previous tournaments, he had only used his other main Pokémon and still demonstrated the power to rival an Elite Four, achieving an undefeated record in the first half of the tournament... Until the Shiny Metagross officially appeared in the second half of the Elite Four matches, everyone realized how terrifying Steven was.
"This Metagross... its strength is terrifying. Even the main ace of an Elite Four has a hard time against it—"
"Yeah... just like the super-strong Dragonite of Indigo League's new Elite Four Champion Lance, it single-handedly crushed more than half of an Elite Four's team. This, this..."
At the Petalburg City Pokémon Center, Trainers watching the match gaped, unable to understand how a Trainer around their age could be this powerful. Although Sidney currently ranks last in points among the Elite Four... still, it's the Elite Four, yet he was defeated so easily. Who exactly is this Steven?
Here, the only one not too surprised by the result was Terrance, although he still underestimated Steven's Metagross. The strength Steven showed in front of Terrance was far from the level displayed in the Elite Four matches.
Additionally... the Elite Four matches in the Champion League differ from those in the League Conference. The battle rules are further relaxed there. Compared to the performance-oriented battles in conferences and Gyms, the Elite Four matches are more like "real combat." Although the injuries of the Pokémon were blurred by the camera software during the broadcast, some blood stains could still be seen on them. Each Pokémon fights with all its might, and recovery after such a battle will likely take more than just a short period of healing. It's no wonder the Elite Four matches are spaced out; such intense battles, if held frequently, would be overwhelming even for the Elite Four.
After all, the position of the Elite Four is one that countless people would fight for tooth and nail. Naturally, they give it their all. Moreover, the responsibilities of the Elite Four are heavy, and without strength, one shouldn't even dream of taking on the role!
"Hey... where did that person go?!" Inside the Pokémon Center, someone finally came to their senses and remembered the guy who had predicted Steven's high win rate—Terrance. They looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen.
After retrieving his Poké Balls from Nurse Joy, Terrance returned to Petalburg Gym.
Watching Steven's match, he realized that if Steven's Metagross could continue to be this powerful in upcoming battles, it would undoubtedly pose a significant threat to the other Elite Four members. With a single Pokémon able to crush half the opponent's team, even if Steven's other Pokémon are on par with the opposition, he'd still have an unbeatable advantage.
"Lance is the same…" Terrance furrowed his brow, thinking of other regional Champions. They all had one thing in common.
They each had a Pokémon whose strength surpassed that of other competitors, capable of serving as a pillar throughout the entire battle. At their level, the Pokémon they train are all at a similar standard, and their command skills are nearly on par. To stand out and become the Elite Four Champion, it seems that the only way to truly overwhelm all opponents is by nurturing a Pokémon that is a genuine ace.
Moreover, Terrance overheard a nearly erroneous statement from some Trainers' discussions…
They regarded the Elite Four as a measure of strength, even detailing this definition down to the Pokémon themselves, which left Terrance somewhat taken aback.
Elite Four... it's merely a title for four positions offered by the local league. Summarizing the Elite Four with strength alone is quite absurd.
However, one thing is correct: the Elite Four are very strong. Each of their main Pokémon would take an ordinary Trainer a lifetime to nurture, not to mention having an entire team of such powerful Pokémon and even an ace Pokémon surpassing their main ones.
Reaching the Elite Four level is difficult. A Trainer needs to stand out in the annual League Conference and then survive the real, non-performance-like real battles in the Champion League. Only after going through this baptism can they achieve the status of Elite Four.
What caught Terrance's attention is that he lacked a truly ace Pokémon that could represent his identity.
Generally, a Trainer's strongest Pokémon is usually their Starter Pokémon, but Terrance's situation is unique. Beautifly's potential is insufficient, so it can barely serve as one of his main Pokémon. Moreover, Terrance hasn't yet gathered six Pokémon, making it impossible to distinguish between main and secondary Pokémon. Currently, all five of his Pokémon can be considered his main force, but none have the decisive power to gain an overwhelming advantage in battle.
With each stage of their growth, Terrance's strongest Pokémon shifted from Beautifly to Mismagius and Altaria. Along with the unpredictable Castform and the soon-to-evolve Growlithe, there really isn't a single Pokémon that stands out by growing stronger at a pace that the others can't match.
Altaria couldn't, Mismagius couldn't, and Castform and Growlithe probably couldn't either.
They were all growing stronger, but none could leave the others far behind in terms of growth speed…
This was what frustrated Terrance, but it also meant there wouldn't be a polarization of strength within his team.
Back at Petalburg Gym, Terrance fell into deep thought. He decided this couldn't go on. Balance is good, but there must also be standout strengths. Only with a sharp edge could his Pokémon team wield their power to the fullest, just like those Elite Four Champions. So…
In terms of future achievements, which of these Pokémon could first stand out on its own?
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