The first Pokémon Cheren sent out was his Herdier, one of his main Pokémon.
Although Xia You had said he had his own arrangements and would choose Pokémon to suit the lineup himself, Cheren still had to give it his all against an opponent like him.
Even so, as a new Gym Leader who had previously worked at the school and had yet to venture out into the world and begin traveling, Cheren genuinely did not have any particularly powerful Pokémon at present.
That also made him somewhat uneasy.
After all, knowing that the man before him possessed strength and standing he could only look up to, battling him with a Pokémon like this seemed... somewhat disrespectful.
But these were the only Pokémon he had.
Leaving aside Cheren's complicated feelings, Xia You really did not give it much thought after Herdier took the field. He simply looked the Pokémon up and down a few times.
In fact, Herdier's pre-evolved form, Lillipup, could often be seen in the wild, but sightings of Herdier were relatively rare.
Perhaps this kind of Pokémon simply was not suited to living in the wild.
In appearance, Herdier had a doglike body, its design perhaps drawing from Yorkshire Terriers and sheepdogs. It was medium-sized, and although its face had thick, long fur resembling a beard and hair, and it looked somewhat cumbersome, its eyes were bright and alert. Its thick coat could also provide good protection against damage in battle.
In terms of habits, Herdier was also very intelligent and relatively approachable. Just like a real dog, it loyally followed its Trainer's instructions.
It was said to have lived alongside humans for a very long time, so long that even ancient murals depicted its likeness. Some also believed it was the first Pokémon to become humanity's