After a brief moment of thought, several Water-type Pokémon flashed through Cynthia's mind.
These Pokémon normally wouldn't catch her attention much, and she rarely saw trainers using them.
But in light of the experience and insights she'd just gained, Cynthia decided she'd need to pay more attention to these uncommonly seen Pokémon from now on.
With that thought, she shook her head slightly.
After watching this streamer called "Passerby" complete the entire gym challenge, the biggest impact on her wasn't just these realizations. More importantly, it gave her direct insight into the key to conquering the Flying-type Gym.
It was lucky she'd watched "Passerby's" Flying-type Gym challenge video before attempting it herself.
Otherwise, she had to admit, whether it was the opening Swellow with its Guts ability carrying a Flame Orb, or the incredibly tanky Gliscor with its infinite loop of Substitute, Toxic Orb, and Protect, or that Altaria that gained Fairy typing after Mega Evolution and could completely nullify Dragon-type moves...
If she hadn't known about these in advance, she would have likely stumbled right away, or at least needed to challenge the gym several times before succeeding.
However, now that there was no information gap and she'd learned about the Flying-type Gym's situation beforehand, after brief consideration, a challenge strategy immediately formed in Cynthia's mind.
When she arrived at Fortree City, she didn't even head straight to the Flying-type Gym. Instead, following what she'd just seen in the video, she first went to the nearby bridge to obtain the device for detecting invisible Pokémon, then drove away the Kecleon blocking the gym entrance before finally entering to challenge it.
Even the gym's internal mechanisms, she breezed through easily using information from the video, defeating numerous NPCs before arriving at Gym Leader Winona to begin her Flying-type Gym battle.
The battle that followed, while still challenging, went surprisingly smoothly.
Against the Swellow with its Guts ability, Cynthia led with Rotom, then immediately switched it out for Pelipper.
This brought out rainy weather while tanking a Brave Bird attack from Swellow that barely made a dent.
The purpose of this switch was naturally to bait out Swellow's Brave Bird, making it lose some HP from recoil damage to set up for taking it down in one hit later.
Then, as the new turn began, Winona predictably chose a different type of move this time, using Facade.
This was a Normal-type move with only 60 base power, but it doubled under status conditions.
Combined with the Flame Orb's burn damage, even Pelipper, known for its bulk, had its HP bar instantly emptied.
However, Cynthia's objective had already been achieved. She immediately switched in Ludicolo, whose Swift Swim ability was boosted by the rain, allowing a single Surf to eliminate all of Swellow's remaining HP precisely.
Without that earlier Brave Bird recoil damage, this would have been impossible.
It would have left Swellow with a sliver of HP, allowing it to take down Ludicolo with Brave Bird, which was super effective against Grass types.
Next up was Gliscor.
Honestly, Cynthia was somewhat familiar with this Pokémon.
Many Poison-type and Ground-type trainers would choose to raise one as their team's defensive tank against super-effective moves.
But their move configurations obviously weren't as ridiculously broken as Winona's in-game version. Typically, they'd have some offensive capability mixed in.
The way Winona's Gliscor in the video used Substitute plus Toxic Orb to trigger its Poison Heal ability, then used Protect in an infinite loop to wear down opponents, honestly amazed Cynthia.
This was the first time she'd seen such a logical yet utterly devious tactic...
However, with advanced knowledge, countering it was quite simple. Gliscor wasn't particularly fast, so Ludicolo used Teeter Dance, inflicting it with confusion, which then triggered and made it attack itself.
What followed were two consecutive Surfs that, with super-effective damage, successfully took down Gliscor.
By this point, the battle's outcome was already clear.
Sceptile didn't even deliberately conserve its condition. After Ludicolo fell, it Mega Evolved early and, relying on its tremendous offensive power, used Leaf Storm and Dragon Pulse to successfully sweep through the other two Pokémon.
It was finally brought down by a Dragon Pulse when it encountered Mega Altaria.
Before falling, it still managed to take away a quarter of Altaria's HP with Leaf Blade. After all, Altaria had decent bulk, and Grass-type moves barely affected it.
However, that quarter of HP no longer mattered for the battle's outcome, because Cynthia had already figured out how to handle Altaria. She sent out Kingdra directly.
After evolution, Altaria did indeed use its Fairy typing to successfully avoid its Dragon-type weakness.
However, the other fatal weakness of Dragon types, Ice, still remained unresolved!
Kingdra, relying on its excellent durability, tanked a Dragon Pulse from Altaria, then a super-effective Ice Fang directly took away the opponent's remaining third of HP.
Honestly, if Dragon-type Pokémon didn't resist Water-type moves, a single Brine would have dealt even more damage.
With Mega Altaria's defeat came Cynthia's final victory in this battle.
At this moment, listening to the victory music and looking at the dialogue box that popped up on screen, Cynthia couldn't help but feel a strange sensation rising in her heart.
Since becoming Champion, she'd always been the one guiding others, showing the way for confused up-and-comers.
She couldn't remember how long it had been since she'd learned something from someone else.
Yet after watching this video today, just this Flying-type Gym battle alone had made things so much easier for her.
This feeling... was actually quite nostalgic.
Beyond that, she also felt her control over her current team was becoming increasingly fluid.
When building her rain team, her decision to include several additional Pokémon to broaden type coverage was clearly the right call...
Meanwhile, as the battle ended, Winona, across from her, moved.
"A heart-pounding match." Winona stepped forward, her voice crisp and clear as she handed the Feather Badge and a TM containing Aerial Ace directly to Cynthia.
"Your command artistry has given your Pokémon wings to touch the sky... Truly beautiful."
In front of her computer screen, the corners of Cynthia's lips curved up slightly into a smile.
This feeling of strategizing within the game's rules, constructing tactics, and achieving victory... was a completely different experience from her real battles as Champion, but it was equally captivating.
However, the serenity this victory brought her didn't last long.
As she left Fortree City and continued forward on her journey, a sudden commotion ahead caught her attention.
After a brief screen lag, an elderly woman came stumbling over, looking quite anxious:
"Please, trainer! Team Aqua... they've stolen our important package and headed toward Mt. Pyre!"
Mt. Pyre?
Cynthia immediately caught this key term. This seemed to be a dormant volcano in the Hoenn region, but her impression of it wasn't particularly deep. So this volcano was right next to Fortree City?
And why was Team Aqua out stealing things again?
Last time they met, Team Aqua had stolen submarine blueprints from the museum. This time, they'd come to rob an old woman?
Was she overthinking this, or was this just a routine side quest? Either way, since the plot had literally presented itself to her, there was no reason not to go.
"Leave it to me."
She clicked the confirmation option, said goodbye to the old woman, opened the map to locate Mt. Pyre's direction, and began heading that way.
Along the route, there were quite a few trainers blocking the path for challenges. But for Cynthia now, given her team's strength, these trainers posed no difficulty whatsoever. They merely became experience packs for her to grow stronger.
As Cynthia approached Mt. Pyre, dense raindrops began falling from the gloomy sky. For some reason, she suddenly became acutely aware that something felt off about the atmosphere, as if a major battle was brewing...
This feeling only left her heart with a vague sense of unease.
...
Mt. Pyre was located in the mist below and to the left of Lilycove City. After using Surf, Cynthia easily reached it.
However, upon entering this map area, she discovered that Mt. Pyre was divided into two distinct zones.
The mountain's interior seemed to be a place dedicated to laying Pokémon to rest, while outside the mountain, at the mountain's peak, was the volcano that had been dormant for who knows how long and would never erupt again.
Cynthia chose not to venture deep into that Pokémon resting place. Instead, she directly exited from the left side and entered onto Mt. Pyre's mountain body.
As soon as she emerged, she noticed that dense raindrops continued falling from the sky.
This immediately caught her attention, making her ponder a new question.
This game's weather system seemed remarkably realistic. In that case, would battles conducted under these conditions count as having continuous rain coverage?
Experience told her there would definitely be battles ahead to help her verify this. She directly switched Ludicolo up front as her lead Pokémon.
Sure enough, Cynthia hadn't traveled far before stairs leading up the mountain appeared before her.
A Team Aqua NPC instantly noticed her and came jogging over, triggering a battle!
[Who are you? We've got important business here. I'd advise you to get lost!]
With rousing music, the battle interface instantly refreshed onto the screen.
The moment Ludicolo appeared, in the pixel art style graphics, the originally overcast sky was suddenly covered by a deeper blue. Huge pixel raindrops went "pitter-patter" as they fell, instantly blanketing the entire battlefield view.
The rainy weather was indeed in effect!
Moreover, it seemed even more obvious and intense compared to the rain brought by Pelipper's ability earlier.
And naturally, the first to benefit from this state was Ludicolo!
It seemed infused with countless power in the rain, its body surrounded by a faint blue glow. Swift Swim activated!
Its speed instantly doubled under the rain's blessing!
...
With this continuous rain coverage throughout the route, what followed became Ludicolo's personal show.
The Team Aqua members they encountered sent out Zubat, Carvanha, and other Water-type Pokémon that often hadn't even had time to make a move before Ludicolo's Energy Ball came howling in to knock them out in one hit.
Battle victory notifications rang out one after another, the entire process flowing so smoothly it was almost jaw-dropping.
Cynthia found she didn't even need to think much.
She only needed simple operations: click Energy Ball when seeing Water-type Pokémon, click Surf when seeing other types, and Ludicolo could clear the field with overwhelming speed.
She didn't even need to consider sending out any of her other Pokémon.
For some reason, she actually detected a hint of exhilaration in this experience, though she couldn't quite describe what this feeling was.
If she had experience playing other games, she'd probably understand this was the thrill known as "mowing the lawn."
After steamrolling her way through, Cynthia finally reached the halfway point up Mt. Pyre.
This volcano, covered in gray rocks, exuded an atmosphere of solemnity and sorrow. Gray tombstones stood everywhere, and the background music had become deep and slow.
The mountain stairs stretched straight upward, but were scattered with even more Team Aqua members. However, none of them could stop Ludicolo, which was nearly invincible in the rain.
Five minutes later, after clearing out the last batch of Team Aqua NPCs, Cynthia finally reached the summit.
Here, this story arc seemed to finally reach its climax.
A woman wearing a Team Aqua uniform stood with her back to her before her were two grief-stricken elderly people: the guardians of Mt. Pyre.
"Heh heh heh... The secret treasure that can expand the ocean, the Blue Orb, is finally in hand! The age of the ocean is about to arrive!"
The woman laughed triumphantly.
"Stop!" Cynthia's cool voice interrupted her wild joy.
The woman turned around, her face wearing a villain's inherent arrogance. "Oh? Another trainer coming to interfere? Let me show you Team Aqua's power! Go, Sharpedo!"
[Team Aqua Admin Shelly challenges you!]
Battle commenced once again!
The environment was still the rainy weather Cynthia controlled, while her opponent was a level 55 Sharpedo, completely different in power from the other Team Aqua grunts.
"Ludicolo, I'm counting on you again. Use Energy Ball!"
Cynthia ordered without hesitation.
Under Swift Swim's extreme speed, Ludicolo's form almost became a green-blue afterimage.
Shelly's Sharpedo opened its gaping maw, its ferocious pixel effects just beginning to appear, when the green Energy Ball condensed in Ludicolo's hands had already shot out precisely!
The Energy Ball hit perfectly! Super effective! Sharpedo's HP bar instantly evaporated!
"What?!" Shelly seemed greatly shocked and immediately sent out another Pokémon.
A Crobat, Flying and Poison type, perfectly countering Ludicolo!
"No chance. Ludicolo, Surf!"
Under the rain's absolute speed priority, before Crobat's wings could even begin glowing purple with Zen Headbutt's super effective, dazzling brilliance hammering into Sharpedo, Crobat let out a wail and lost its ability to battle.
Shelly was forced to send out another Pokémon, Golbat, but the outcome was beyond doubt. Before the swift Ludicolo, any Pokémon without sufficient bulk could only be crushed.
Under the rain's boost, the battle had essentially ended the moment it began.
Of course, without the rain, if Cynthia had sent out Pelipper first, the effect would actually have been the same.
Just as Cynthia defeated Shelly and prepared to retrieve the orb, another rough voice rang out.
"Hmph, Team Aqua is still so pathetic! Can't even beat a kid!"
A Team Magma admin wearing their uniform emerged from the shadows on the other side, leading a group of subordinates.
"The Red Orb that can expand the land... will surely belong to us, Team Magma!"
In a cutscene sequence, NPCs from both organizations swarmed forward, surrounding Cynthia.
The two villain organizations began arguing and confronting each other, but ultimately, each carrying their reluctance and scheming, departed from the summit with one orb each.
As for Cynthia, the protagonist, because there were simply too many grunts blocking the way on both sides, she was unable to intercept either party.
After a hard-fought battle, the empty summit was finally left with only Cynthia and the elderly couple.
"Th... Thank you so much, young trainer."
The old man walked forward shakily. Despite the orbs being stolen, his eyes were still full of gratitude.
"Although we couldn't stop them, your courage is admirable. Please come here, we have something we'd like to give you."
The old man handed a seemingly unremarkable stone to Cynthia. "Please keep this safe. It may guide your path in the future."
Cynthia accepted the stone, and an enlarged icon immediately appeared before her eyes, allowing her to examine it carefully.
The stone's surface was pitted and uneven, yet for some reason it gave her a sense of familiarity.
The game notification popped up at this moment. [Congratulations, player! You have obtained the special item "Meteorite"!]
[Description: A mysterious meteorite that fell from who knows where. No one knows what purpose it serves, but it seems to contain an incredible power within.]
So this was a meteorite from space?
Cynthia was already used to these riddle-like effect descriptions. But since the system had classified it as a key item, this thing might play a crucial role in the upcoming plot.
However, that sense of familiarity... she couldn't quite recall where it came from at the moment.
Also, she had previously obtained a somewhat similar meteorite from Team Magma.
Between these two... was there some kind of connection?
After finishing her thoughts, she directly stored them in her bag.
Speaking of which, in the recent plot, Team Magma and Team Aqua had each seized one orb.
According to the old man, those two orbs possessed some incredible power capable of changing everything.
But the specific effects remained unknown.
In the dense rain, Cynthia realized that something major was about to happen next, and the schemes and plans that Team Aqua and Team Magma were brewing... were about to be revealed.
Just as she was about to leave and continue her journey, her gaze was drawn to an ancient tombstone in the center of the summit.
On the pixel screen, there seemed to be a blurry, distorted purple mist-like soul trembling slightly.
"Is that... Spiritomb?"
Cynthia recognized that presence.
As a trainer who had raised Spiritomb, she was naturally very familiar with this Pokémon's various forms.
She controlled her character to approach and tried pressing the interact button, only to discover this purple soul couldn't be interacted with at all. Instead, as she drew near, it directly disappeared.
Given this game's "nature," this shouldn't just be a meaningless decoration. It must hide some content behind it, just that she couldn't trigger it yet.
At this moment, she stood at the peak of Mt. Pyre, the rain gradually ceasing as the battle ended.
Another cutscene began playing. The vast ocean below spread out before her eyes, and in the distance, countless lava flows were churning.
The theft of the two orbs meant an even greater crisis was brewing.
"...Meteorite... Spiritomb... orbs..." Cynthia murmured softly, opening the game map.
"The next destination is Mossdeep City."
As her words fell, the rain cleared and the sky brightened. A ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating her path forward.
Cynthia continued on her journey.
At the same time, a message suddenly popped up in her upper right corner.
[Electric-Type Is The Best: Sister Cynthia, you're finally back!!]
[Electric-Type Is The Best: Sister Cynthia, didn't you just log on ten minutes ago?? How did you already beat the Flying Gym! Wait for me!! QAQ]
Cynthia paused for a moment and opened the progress leaderboard, discovering she had returned to first place.
"Electric-Type Is The Best" game progress was still stuck at the Flying-type Gym challenge. Her expression immediately became somewhat complicated.
This kid...
Really has been stuck on this challenge for quite a while...
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