Teams and the Future

Teams and the Future

The next day, Su Tingxi was already waiting early at the entrance to the Pokémon Battle Center. When he saw Lu Ze and Sui Yan slowly approaching from afar, a heartfelt smile appeared on his face.

Lu Ze looked at Su Tingxi in surprise and asked,

"Why did you get here so early? You must have been waiting a long time."

"No, I just got here too."

"Alright, then let's wait a bit for Tang Yunqin. She should be here soon."

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Sui Yan felt a little awkward. Su Tingxi's smile and gentle way of speaking gave him the impression of a refined young lady?

"Sorry, I'm late."

Tang Yunqin got out of the car and stuck out her tongue apologetically.

"It's fine. Let's go in."

The four of them headed toward the training rooms. After assigning training tasks to their respective Pokémon, Lu Ze called everyone over to sit together.

"Come on, let's talk. Which university do you want to apply to? I'll go first. My goal is Shangqing."

Sui Yan immediately said, "I'm going with Lu Ze."

Tang Yunqin raised her hand. "Me too."

Su Tingxi smiled and said,

"I'd originally planned to choose between Jing University and Shangqing. Since you're all going to Shangqing, I'll go too."

"Alright, then Shangqing is everyone's goal, right?"

"Mhm." ×3

"Then here's the question. Everyone's Written Trial scores are fine, and as long as we don't mess up in the Martial Trial, that'll be fine too. So now we need to consider what happens after enrollment."

Lu Ze spoke seriously to the three of them. There was no major issue with the Written Trial. Su Tingxi had always ranked first at school, and he had also placed first in the school's last mock exam. Since the papers were the same, he could even be called the top student in the entire city.

Sui Yan and Tang Yunqin were also well-known academic standouts, frequent members of the city's top ten. Although Lu Ze had crammed a great deal, he had only ranked in the twenties in the last exam. After all this extra studying, he felt much more confident about the Written Trial.

There was even less need to mention the Martial Trial. Given the strength of their Pokémon and more than two months left to improve, there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

Then Lu Ze explained the interschool competitions after enrollment to Su Tingxi and Tang Yunqin, telling them what Lu Ba had said.

"I know a little about that, but there's a problem with my team. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get my second Pokémon, so I haven't paid much attention to it."

Su Tingxi frowned slightly.

Lu Ze asked curiously, "What problem does your team have?"

"My dream is to become Dragon Nation's new generation Champion, so I hope my entire team can be Dragon type. It's been my dream since I was little. But many Dragon-type Pokémon are Pseudo-legendaries. My dad had to ask a lot of people before he managed to get this Dratini for me."

After hearing that, Lu Ze relaxed. It was not a major problem. They could put it off for now and solve it together later.

After all, Lance came from a Dragon-type family and still ended up earning the title of Doduo.

When Sui Yan saw Lu Ze turn toward him, he took the initiative to speak.

"I want to become the founder of a new generation of Sunny Teams, so I also hope my team can focus more on Fire type Pokémon. A Sunny Team."

"Mhm. What about you, Tang Yunqin?"

"I don't have any grand ambitions. My family wants me to become a Coordinator like them, but I like Ice type Pokémon. They're all so pretty, so I hope my entire team can be Ice type."

Tang Yunqin spoke with stars in her eyes.

Lu Ze had a bit of a headache. Sui Yan's Sunny Team was manageable, since it had all kinds of strategies and variations. Tang Yunqin's case was much more troublesome. Ice type had many weaknesses, and most Ice-type Pokémon were relatively frail. An all-Ice team would not be particularly strong, though it would not be too much of a problem if she mainly focused on being a Coordinator.

As for Su Tingxi, while an all-Dragon team would struggle against Ice and Fairy types, the powerful natural talent of Dragon-type Pokémon meant the team would still be very formidable once it took shape.

"Let's start with Sui Yan. The core of a Sunny Team, Torkoal, is already in place. You also have Growlithe, which will become the physical attacker Arcanine after evolving. What you lack now are special attackers, coverage, and support."

"The first candidate for a special attacker is Volcarona. Its advantages are its ability to Sweep after Quiver Dance and Fiery Dance, along with coverage from Bug- and Psychic-type moves. Its disadvantage is taking quadruple damage from Rock type moves, but it's just too rare."

"The second candidate is Camerupt. Whether it's its Ability before evolving or Solid Rock and Anger Point after evolving, they're all good Abilities. Its Rock- and Ground-type move coverage can counter other Sunny Teams."

"The third candidate is Chandelure. Its Special Attack is ridiculously high, though it's a bit slow. It's immune to both Normal and Fighting types."

"Then there are Ninetales, Charizard, Flareon, and the like. They're all good choices."

Since Mega Evolution did not exist yet at this point in time, Lu Ze did not strongly recommend Charizard. Old Charizard was the one true god of Sunny Teams! (Voice cracking!)

"For coverage, Venusaur is the top recommendation. With Chlorophyll, its Speed doubles under Sunny Day. Solar Beam can be fired instantly, Growth doubles both Attack stat and Special Attack, and Synthesis recovers two-thirds of its maximum HP instead of half. It can also strike the Ground and Rock types on Sandstorm Teams."

"My second recommendation is Exeggutor. Although it has even broader coverage than Venusaur, its Speed is a major weakness. Then there's the Conkeldurr I told you about last time. They're all good Pokémon for expanding your coverage."

"For support, Whimsicott is the top recommendation. Its Prankster Ability speeds up the use of status moves. It can also restore Sunny Day, and it can quickly use restrictive moves like Stun Spore, Poison Powder, and Cotton Spore. Its movepool is pretty broad too, so it suits a Sunny Team very well."

Su Tingxi raised his hand like an obedient child beside them and asked,

"Um, does it still count as a Sunny Team if it doesn't use Fire-type moves?"

Seeing the curious looks in Su Tingxi's and Tang Yunqin's eyes, Lu Ze explained,

"What's wrong with calling a team centered around Sunny Day a Sunny Team? Besides, don't you think a Sunny Team built like this has more room for error and stronger combat power than a normal Sunny Team?"

Su Tingxi and Tang Yunqin nodded in agreement.

Lu Ze continued.

"Of course, you can take it a step further. Add a Coalossal, have Whimsicott set up Trick Room first, then let Coalossal dish out brutal damage."

After listening carefully, Sui Yan said, "Got it. I'll try my best to look for them according to your suggestions."

"Yeah. Of course, if you encounter a Pokémon you really like, don't pass it up. Team compositions are dead, but Pokémon are alive."

"Alright."

After finishing with Sui Yan, Lu Ze turned to Tang Yunqin.

"For you, Snow doesn't provide any especially good bonuses, so let's ignore Snow for now. I'll tell you about some strong Ice-type Pokémon, and you can choose from there."

Tang Yunqin rested her chin on her hands, smiled sweetly at Lu Ze, and agreed.

"Okay."

"Let's not talk about Feebas. One Ice-type Pokémon I recommend is Cloyster. I call Cloyster the Dragon-Slayer Shell, because Ice type deals double damage to Dragon type. Many Dragon-type Pokémon are either Flying Dragons or Ground Dragons, which means they take quadruple damage. Also, apart from Hydreigon, most Dragon types are physical attackers. Cloyster's high Defense stat makes it the greatest nemesis of Dragon types."

As he spoke, Lu Ze glanced at Su Tingxi, who wanted to build a Dragon-type team.

Su Tingxi understood what Lu Ze meant and helplessly rubbed the bridge of his nose with a bitter smile.

Seeing Su Tingxi's expression, Lu Ze chuckled and turned back to Tang Yunqin.

"That's for physical attackers. Another physical attacker is Ice Darmanitan. It has a high Attack stat and decent Speed. More importantly, it can learn Fire- and Fighting-type moves. Dragon-Slayer Shell has Shell Smash for boosting, while Ice Darmanitan has Belly Drum."

(Ice Darmanitan is Darmanitan from Galar. In this world, it's called Ice Darmanitan or Darmanitan—Iceland Form.)

"Then there are Sneasel and Beartic. Sneasel has high Attack and great Speed, but it's too frail. Beartic isn't frail, but it's far too slow."

"As for special attackers, they're easier to choose. Ice Ninetales, Vanilluxe, Glaceon, and Froslass are all good. You can catch any of them if you come across them."

"Finally, there are some bulkier Ice types. Lapras has high resistances, and Mamoswine with Thick Fat also has very high resistances. It can even learn the amazing move Freeze-Dry, so it's another excellent choice."

"Um, Lu Ze, my second Pokémon might be an Alolan Vulpix. My mom has already prepared one for me. It's the child of her Ice Ninetales, but it's still an Egg. Mom said she'd give it to me after the National College Entrance Examination."

Tang Yunqin spoke to Lu Ze apologetically. If Lu Ze had not mentioned Ice Ninetales, she really would have forgotten that she had an Alolan Vulpix Egg.

"It's fine. Why are you apologizing for that? But it would be better to hatch the Alolan Vulpix now and start raising it. If you wait until after the National College Entrance Examination to hatch it, there'll be too little time to train it, and it won't have much combat power."

"Alright, I'll tell my mom when I get back."

"Mhm, good. Next up is you, Student Su Tingxi."

Lu Ze turned toward Su Tingxi and said with a slightly mischievous grin,

"How about you? Has your family prepared any Pokémon for you?"

Su Tingxi smiled bitterly.

"I think I heard my dad mention it once. His friend's Hydreigon had a child, and he was planning to ask for it for me. But the timing is still uncertain, so I don't know whether I'll have it after enrollment."

"Man, kids from rich families really are different."

Lu Ze sighed and pretended to look disappointed as he teased Su Tingxi.

"Um, how about this? I'll cover the Energy Cubes for your Pokémon. The Energy Cubes I have are better than the ones sold outside. They're A-grade."

Su Tingxi looked weakly at everyone else.

"Well, ours are too."

Sui Yan took out his Energy Cube box and opened it for Su Tingxi to see.

"That's right, mine too. Lu Ze taught us."

Tang Yunqin said proudly as well.

"Wait, Lu Ze, you have the formula for A-grade Energy Cubes? You must be from a wealthy family too, right?"

Su Tingxi looked at Lu Ze in surprise. In many families, even B+-grade Energy Cube formulas were closely guarded secrets. For someone like Lu Ze to teach A-grade Energy Cubes to others, his family had to be no less wealthy than Su Tingxi's.

"Ha ha, not at all. My family is just an ordinary family. Since I was exposed to it from a young age, I improved the Energy Cube formula. I got lucky, and the improvement worked. It became A-grade."

"That's amazing. My dad also improved an A-grade Energy Cube formula when he was young. He said he could brag about it for the rest of his life. Things like that really require the right time and place."

Su Tingxi looked at Lu Ze with admiration.

"Ha ha, it wasn't that big a deal. Let me continue talking about how to build your team."

Lu Ze scratched his head awkwardly and quickly changed the subject.

"Mhm, okay."

Su Tingxi sat properly and prepared to listen carefully to Lu Ze.

"There isn't much to say about Dragon types. Any Pseudo-legendary is useful. The key is to add a Kingdra to the team to guard against Dragon-Slayer Shell or Weavile. But Ice types also have an amazing move called Freeze-Dry, which also deals high damage to Kingdra."

"There's no way around it. Ice types are the father of Dragon types. You can't avoid this problem if you want to build a Dragon Team. Since you already have Deino as your second Pokémon, I recommend Altaria for your third. Ice type still deals quadruple damage to it, but with its high Defense stat and Cotton Guard, it can withstand more hits."

Lu Ze spread his hands helplessly. There was no way around it. A pure Dragon Team would suffer terribly against Ice and Fairy types.

"It's fine. I realized that when I first had the idea of building a Dragon Team."

"Alright."

Sui Yan asked Lu Ze, "What about you? What kind of team do you want to build?"

Lu Ze said somewhat blankly, "I don't know either. But the team I want most is probably a Legendary Pokémon team."

Tang Yunqin smacked Lu Ze. "Speak properly."

"Ha ha, I'll just add Pokémon I like to my team when I meet them. There's no particular team I especially want to build."

Lu Ze laughed. Pulling that little prank made him very happy.

"Alright, I've finished explaining team building to you. Now it's time to start our training. A good Trainer can't do without good physical fitness."

Lu Ze smiled as he pushed Sui Yan and Su Tingxi off to run. Sui Yan asked indignantly,

"What about you? Why aren't you training?"

"I'm a Breeder, not a Trainer. Having a brain is enough for me."

Lu Ze said with a grin.

"I'm a Coordinator. That's not what I train."

Tang Yunqin poked her head out and stabbed Sui Yan in the chest once more.

Sui Yan had no choice but to drag the bewildered Su Tingxi off to exercise with him.

Lu Ze had only been talking, anyway. Breeders also needed good physical fitness. Lu Ze walked over to the training equipment and silently began doing planks while thinking about his next Pokémon.

The day passed quickly, and before they knew it, night had arrived. The four parted ways at the entrance to the Pokémon Battle Center.

Lu Ze suggested, "The Pokémon have been training for so long. How about we go out and have fun together tomorrow, and let them relax a little too?"

Sui Yan: "No problem."

Tang Yunqin: "Sure."

Su Tingxi: "Let's go barbecue in the mountains tomorrow. I'll prepare everything. You just need to meet up tomorrow."

Lu Ze: "Okay, then we'll leave it to you."

Sui Yan: "Then I'll prepare the drinks tomorrow."

Lu Ze: "Alright, then I'll do the grilling."

Tang Yunqin said helplessly, "You've taken all the jobs already. I guess I can only be responsible for eating."

The four of them burst into laughter. After saying goodbye to one another, they each went home.

When Lu Ze returned home, Lu Ba and Lu Ma were watching television in the living room. When they saw him return, they said,

"You're back~ Have you eaten?"

"I ate already, Mom."

"Mhm."

Lu Ma responded and continued watching television.

"Oh, right. I called your Grandpa today. He was very happy when he heard that you wanted to apply to Shangqing. He said that if you get in, he'll prepare a Present for you. He said it's a very rare Pokémon."

As though he had suddenly remembered, Lu Ba turned to Lu Ze and said,

"Grandpa called? Then if I get into Shangqing, our whole family will be going back, right?"

Lu Ze asked excitedly.

"That's right."

"That's great! I haven't seen Grandpa in so long."

Lu Ze laughed excitedly.