After having lunch with Alex Baxter, Ethan Black took Cacnea to the university gym.
Currently, Cacnea knew seven moves: Poison Sting, Leer, Absorb, Ingrain, Synthesis, Pin Missile, and Magical Leaf.
As for move mastery, Ethan Black felt Cacnea was already well-prepared, so he decided to focus on strengthening its capabilities in real combat.
Although lunch had just ended, the gym was still full of students training with their Pokémon.
"You're Ethan Black!"
Just as Ethan Black entered, he was stopped by a burly trainer.
"Mm? Do I know you?" Ethan Black asked, looking at him curiously. He didn't remember him.
"My name's Kyle Miller, I was your opponent in the semifinals of the University Tournament."
Seeing Ethan Black's expression, Kyle Miller's lip twitched. So only the winners are remembered?
"Ah! You're the trainer with the Scyther!"
Hearing that, Ethan Black immediately remembered the two strong Scyther he had faced in the semifinals.
"Heh, that's right!"
"Are you here to train in the gym? How about a battle against my new Pokémon?"
Kyle Miller held a Pokéball and looked at him challengingly. He clearly wanted revenge.
"Alright, although the Pokémon I brought was just recently caught," Ethan Black replied, thinking Kyle Miller would be a good rival.
"What a coincidence! Mine's new too!" said Kyle Miller with a smile, throwing his Pokéball.
A blue figure appeared: it looked like a large beetle with a thick horn on its forehead, a dark blue shell covering its body, wings on its back, and strong front legs like a rhinoceros beetle. It also had spikes on its wrists and thighs.
It was Heracross, the so-called "King of Bugs," a Bug/Fighting type!
"Wow! So you brought a Heracross. Looks like you specialize in Bug types," commented Ethan Black, somewhat surprised, as he released Cacnea onto the battlefield.
"I have no choice; I only know how to raise Bug-type Pokémon. I'm not like you, Professor Harris's assistant," Kyle Miller replied somewhat sarcastically.
Ethan Black rolled his eyes. With those powerful Scyther, Kyle Miller clearly had resources and probably came from a family specialized in Bug types.
Both trainers went to the battlefield. After paying the usage fee, the referee took their place and signaled the start.
"Let's go! Heracross, attack!" Kyle Miller was first to give orders, sending Heracross straight at Cacnea to use its powerful Fighting-type moves.
"Cacnea, use Poison Sting!" ordered Ethan Black, trying to stop Heracross's advance with long-range attacks.
Cacnea's strategy was exactly that: attack from a distance. Without the support of sandstorm weather and its special ability, it had to keep its distance and avoid close contact with Heracross.
Boom boom boom!
Purple bursts of energy shot out like lasers, hitting Heracross's shell hard.
Although it slowed Heracross slightly, it wasn't enough to stop it. After taking several hits, it charged Fighting-type energy in its hands, destroyed the poisoned needles with a single strike, and quickly closed in on Cacnea.
But Cacnea had already moved to a safe distance and launched another round of attacks, precisely executing Ethan Black's harassment strategy.
"Hey hey hey! Don't you have the courage to fight head-on?" protested Kyle Miller, seeing Heracross chasing Cacnea in vain.
"That's nonsense! You have to use the Pokémon's strengths! Do you really think it makes sense for a Cacnea to fight a Heracross in close combat?" Ethan Black replied, rolling his eyes.
In the middle of their conversation, Heracross let out a roar of pain. A purple light ran through its body, and its face showed suffering.
"Finally poisoned?"
Ethan Black was excited. This was the key to his strategy: the poisoning effect of Poison Sting. Now that Heracross was poisoned, half the victory was already secured!
It was only a matter of buying time, and Heracross would eventually succumb to the poison.
"You're so sneaky!" Kyle Miller complained, then surprised Ethan Black by withdrawing Heracross.
At this point, the battle was practically over.
Then, Kyle Miller took several bottles from his backpack and gave one to Heracross to drink.
As soon as he did, the poison disappeared. Ethan Black was somewhat surprised: Kyle Miller clearly knew what he was doing with Bug-type Pokémon... he even carried antidotes.
"Heh, my Pokémon may not be as strong as yours, but when it comes to survival in the wild, I'm an expert!" said Kyle Miller proudly, noticing Ethan Black's surprise.
"Survival in the wild?" Ethan Black repeated, suddenly serious.
This reminded him of something: the test to become an Advanced-level Trainer is precisely a survival evaluation in the wild. Not only do trainers need strong Pokémon, but they also must possess certain skills to survive on their own.
After all, in this world there are Secret Kingdoms that represent potential dangers.
Advanced-level trainers also serve a function similar to a civil militia. If one day there is an invasion of Pokémon from a Secret Kingdom, they have the duty to protect the citizens.
And in a Pokémon battle, the trainer is always the weakest link. If the trainer falls, the battle is lost, no matter how strong the Pokémon is.
That's why anyone aspiring to be an Advanced-level Trainer must have a Pokémon capable of acting as the core of personal defense.
(End of chapter)