Capítulo 239: Ace and Main force
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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