After recalling Geodude, Yong walked over to Art. Looking at the boy, whose earlier confidence and smile had vanished, he nodded to Qingcao.
Qingcao immediately nodded back and called out,
"Exeggcute and Geodude are both unable to battle, so the winner is Gym Leader Shiyan Yong!"
At Qingcao's announcement, Art looked even more dejected.
Yong patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't be discouraged. Frogadier and Exeggcute are both quite strong, but you haven't fully brought out their potential!"
"Would you like to hear my advice?"
Yong looked Art in the eye.
Moved by the sincerity and solemnity in his gaze, the boy nodded instinctively.
Good. He wasn't being deliberately arrogant.
Yong nodded with a satisfied smile and began,
"Frogadier has good physical and special attack power, as well as speed. Its jumping ability is excellent, but you should remember that Frogadier is a Pokémon with its own built-in defenses! You should build around Quick Attack and pair it with suitable close-range attacks. With its Frubbles, combining speed and footwork will let you firmly control the initiative in battle! Mix ranged and close-range attacks with nimble movement, and you'll be able to attack when you advance and defend when you retreat!"
Art's expression shifted repeatedly as he studied the young man standing before him.
Yong smiled and continued,
"Although Exeggcute has the Psychic type, its defense exceeds its attack power at this stage. Grass-type Pokémon generally have stronger support capabilities, too. They can control the field and wear opponents down... With Frogadier as your main attacker, let Exeggcute focus on developing its field-control abilities. Build around a stall strategy and combine that with its recovery abilities, and you'll be better equipped to handle challenges. What do you think?"
"Of course, every Trainer has their own philosophy and training methods. It all