Nidoran's defeat was understandable, really. After gaining the Mew gene, Carbink's Psychic and Fairy-type energy had increased enormously, and its moves had grown much more powerful. Although Nidoran had trained for a long time, the improvements had mostly been to his physical conditioning. His mastery of moves was nowhere near Carbink's. With that gap widening, how could Nidoran possibly beat a Carbink with the Mew gene?
The one who truly surprised Chu Xin, however, was Slowpoke. Slowpoke was far more intelligent than he had imagined, actually devising battle tactics all on its own. Whether fighting Carbink or Nidoran, Slowpoke had relied on its own tactical planning to defeat opponents despite its weaker strength.
Slowpoke's tactics were remarkably effective. If Slowpoke became a Trainer, it would surely make an excellent one.
Nidoran's results in the team tournament only meant that his teammates had grown too quickly, not that his hard work had been fruitless. After all, every Pokémon Chu Xin had caught had potential, each one a one-in-ten-thousand find. Even Slowpoke and Carbink had potential far beyond that of ordinary Pokémon. In the second string, Nidoran was actually the one with the more ordinary talent.
With the results settled, Nidoran was deeply dejected. As his Trainer, Chu Xin could only counsel him personally, helping him open up and stop dwelling on those negative feelings.
Chu Xin was an expert at giving pep talks. Not only did he comfort Nidoran himself, but he also brought over Kaka and Electrike, two senior teammates, to give Nidoran guidance and tell him about their past misfortunes. Compared with Nidoran's troubles, what Kaka and Electrike had experienced was truly miserable.
Before becoming Chu Xin's Pokémon, Kaka had been a Farfetch'd on the verge of ending up as an ingredient on someone's dinner table. Electrike, on the