Hearing Xinhai's answer, Brawly did not respond right away.
He propped his chin on one hand, his gaze resting on the cup of tea steaming faintly on the table, as though carefully considering Xinhai's words.
After a moment, he nodded lightly.
"Your plan is sound, and the direction is right." His tone was calm and unhurried, as though he had weighed every word before speaking. "But training at only three Gyms still won't give you enough battle experience."
Brawly set down his teacup and met Xinhai's eyes.
"I've seen your Blaziken, Gardevoir, and Eevee. Their potential is all quite good. But reaching Gym level within four or five months will still be very difficult."
"We all know the requirements for reaching Gym level. Pokémon need consistent training and battles. They need to fight opponents of different Types and styles, keep learning and improving from them, find their own path, and only then reach Gym level."
"That's right. You're absolutely correct."
Xinhai did not argue. He merely nodded, somewhat troubled.
He knew that as well. It was also the greatest uncertainty in his plan—there were ultimately limited ways for him to find high-quality battles.
Seeing his worried expression, Brawly's lips suddenly curved into a meaningful smile.
"Actually, Dewford Gym can give you a Gym Special Training Slot."
Xinhai paused slightly, confusion appearing in his eyes. "A Gym Special Training Slot? What's that?"
Brawly leaned back in his chair with a smile, folding his hands over his stomach as he explained, "Before every Ever Grande Conference, the major Gyms offer special training support to Trainers they think highly of, helping them advance further in the conference."
"However, training focused on a single Type has its limitations. So later, the eight major Gyms discussed it and decided to grant several Trainers they were