Natsuhiko had always been curious about what kind of person Uncle Liu was in this world.
Was it Uncle Liu who wore a glacier mask, intending to find Celebi to resurrect his two lost Lapras?
Or was it the "Winter Uncle Liu" who, searching for herbs with Piloswine, was accidentally frozen and felt abandoned?
He couldn't be sure.
But one thing was certain: if it was the glacier-masked Uncle Liu, he would definitely crush Agatha, and if it was "Winter Uncle Liu," it would be hard to say who was stronger.
But regardless of who he was, it was evident that Uncle Liu had a deep bond with his Pokémon.
Although he was the Ice-type Elite, with a cold exterior, he actually harbored a fiery passion for Pokémon inside.
In this world, the bond and trust between Pokémon and Trainer can indeed change a lot in certain aspects.
For example, the bond between Dan Emperor and Charizard, Hilona and Garchomp, and even Little Idiot and Greninja...
As long as you treat Pokémon sincerely, they will surely respond in kind.
Trainers and Pokémon are not in a master-tool relationship; instead, they are partners on equal footing.
"Ssss-beee—"
"Kee-shee—"
Beedrill and Abra were leaning on the window, gazing at the field where two Elite Four members were about to battle.
Natsuhiko stood beside them, his eyes gleaming.
Not long ago, he had witnessed the strength of Reserve Elite Four Tom Rokicki.
But that was just the reserves.
Now, he was about to witness a real battle between two real Elite Four, and veterans at that.
...
...
The cheers from the audience grew louder and fiercer as Uncle Liu and Agatha simultaneously threw their Pokeballs.
Red light flashed, and the cheers surged like waves, one higher than the last.
A pure white Dewgong, without a single flaw and with a confident look, appeared before Uncle Liu.
On the other side, a small, cute Misdreavus with a mischievous twinkle in its eyes emerged.
Dewgong VS Misdreavus.
Neither Uncle Liu nor Agatha started with their strongest Pokémon.
"Is this an opening probe?"
Yes.
In an exhibition match, there's no need to go all out immediately. It's possible that the whole battle might go on without them using their ace Pokémon.
Natsuhiko analyzed the match-up between the two Pokémon on the field, deducing potential tactics and strategies the trainers might employ based on his knowledge.
His experience mostly came from the games, after all.
"Dewgong with the Thick Fat trait and Misdreavus with Levitate—neither has a clear advantage in terms of type or trait."
"Who do you think will win the first round?"
Hilona's clear, cold voice reached his ears, though he hadn't noticed when she arrived by his side.
Natsuhiko glanced at her, catching sight of the half of her face not hidden by her long hair, as flawless as white jade.
A bit lost, he hesitated, "Hard to say. It depends on their tactics. If I had to guess... I think both Pokémon may leave the field simultaneously."
"Oh? Why?"
Flint also stood up, walked to the glass, and asked curiously.
"If it were me, I'd have Misdreavus use Ghost Fire right away, and Uncle Liu would predict Agatha's plan and set up Mysterious Guardian as a defense..."
Indeed.
In the field, the slightly faster Misdreavus indeed launched a strange green fireball at Dewgong straight away.
Dewgong, however, seemed to have anticipated this, promptly setting up a Mysterious Guardian.
Seeing this, Flint and Hilona looked at Natsuhiko in amazement.
Was it a wild guess?
Or...
Natsuhiko didn't notice their gazes, shaking his head.
He stated directly, "Misdreavus is slightly weaker overall, but now both Pokémon are sure to leave the field at the same time."
"Why?"
Clearly, Misdreavus was the weaker one, yet why would they both leave the field together?
Couldn't Dewgong win?
But Natsuhiko had a completely different thought process.
He truly put himself in Agatha and Uncle Liu's shoes to consider the problem, drawing from years of battle experience and the use of unconventional tactics with every Pokémon.
Aside from some unique cultivation methods in the Pokémon Realm, like Uncle Liu's Swinub or Agatha's Ghost Legion...
In essence, battles between Pokémon of the same level don't avoid the strategies from the games.
For instance, right now.
As the battle heated up, the gap in power between the two Pokémon slowly became evident.
But the next second, the smile on Agatha's face directly changed the current situation.
"Misdreavus, Black Gaze."
As expected.
Natsuhiko thought to himself.
"The next step is Song of Destruction," Natsuhiko said.
"Song of Destruction..." Flint and Hilona were taken aback.
They knew full well what it meant when Song of Destruction was unleashed, and Dewgong had already been caught by Black Gaze.
Natsuhiko had seen Agatha's Gengar use Black Gaze a few days ago, and she seemed very enthusiastic about the technique.
So it wasn't possible for Misdreavus not to know it.
The combination of Black Gaze + Song of Destruction to trap a tank or healer, or break a Baton Pass team—Natsuhiko was all too familiar with this tactic.
Misdreavus had once been popular in the games for this, but was later replaced by Lapras, Moon Eevee, and Jynx.
If your speed wasn't faster, opening an Illusion Space could really force a one-for-one trade, and without stamina, you could even use Pain Split to forcibly extend the fight.
And once Song of Destruction was played, whether Misdreavus lost its fighting capability no longer mattered.
Misdreavus was just too tricky, especially when there's no limit on technique count, making it very easy to drag Uncle Liu's Dewgong down.
Just as Natsuhiko said, Agatha's next command for Misdreavus was indeed Song of Destruction.
However, to Flint and Hilona, the situation was different.
"You..." Flint opened his mouth, and Hilona's eyes were shining brightly.
Natsuhiko could actually synchronize with the Elite Four's strategies?
Seeing their expressions, Natsuhiko smiled wryly.
This isn't really a strategy, you know?
It's just a dirty tactic.
Didn't you see Uncle Liu collect Dewgong without any change in expression?
He had definitely guessed what Agatha would do when she summoned Misdreavus.
"As a Trainer, memorizing every technique each Pokémon can learn is fundamental, right? It's taught in Pokemon School," Natsuhiko explained.
"That's easy to say, but..."
Could anyone really remember it all and apply it in battle?
"As expected of a Researcher." But Hilona provided the answer for Natsuhiko.
Upon hearing this, Flint suddenly understood.
When put this way, it all made sense instantly.
Natsuhiko glanced at the two of them and didn't offer any further explanation.
He had some thoughts on why he didn't hide his predictions for the battle.
Despite getting along well with Flint and Hilona now, their relationship was just a brief acquaintance. Once they left the Kanto Region, they might forget all about him in a few days.
After all, it was just a few meetings.
This was fine, and Natsuhiko didn't mind.
But once he decided to leave Goldenrod City or even the Kanto Region, his mindset changed.
It's not that he hoped to get anything out of them, but perhaps this "acquaintance" could be maintained.
This would help him handle some sensitive or tricky issues.
Like obtaining the Intermediate quality Dark Stone this time.
Showing it off himself would surely attract attention, but if Flint brought it out, it would be much less conspicuous.
This was naturally a good opportunity to deepen their impression of him.
————
An additional chapter for reaching 500 monthly votes~~ Can I take a break with just three updates tomorrow?