Ritchie hurriedly recalled Murkrow, his expression turning grave as he declared:
"You're definitely not a farmer!"
Their last few exchanges might have looked like simple shifts between offense and defense, but the details had revealed a great deal.
He had confirmed that Yushu was definitely stronger than him.
And he had even pretended to be a newbie to trick him. How devious.
He was clearly an expert, yet he insisted on acting as though he knew nothing. What was that if not entrapment?
"Uh... I actually was a Trainer for a while before," Yushu said, a little embarrassed.
"I knew it! Yushu, you've competed in a League Conference before, haven't you?"
Ritchie thought he had seen through everything.
"...I have."
Yushu answered honestly.
He had been eliminated in the first round, but he had indeed competed.
"Then that settles it!"
Ritchie took a deep breath.
It all made sense now.
Only Trainers who had competed in a League Conference would possess battle awareness and tactical proficiency at this level.
Every Trainer who could go further in a League Conference was a veteran of countless battles.
And Yushu was clearly one of them.
"Moo..." (Getting knocked out in the first round makes you an expert too? So we were this amazing all along?)
"Roar..." (Could you stop undermining him? Can't you let the kid keep a little of his fantasy?)
"Murkrow, come back."
Ritchie recalled Murkrow, then sent out his second Pokémon.
"Go, Sudowoodo!"
A brown Pokémon appeared on the field.
It resembled a tree, with a thick, trunk-shaped body and branchlike arms.
Standing motionless, it looked just like a real tree.
[Pokémon: Sudowoodo] [Type: Rock] [Ability: Sturdy] [Level: Late Advanced Stage] [Moves: Rock Throw, Rock Tomb, Hammer Arm, Wood Hammer, Copycat, Double-Edge...] [Condition: Healthy, full of fighting spirit.]
Sudowoodo, as its name suggested, was a Pokémon that resembled a tree, but it was actually a Rock-type.
Many uninformed Trainers mistook Sudowoodo for a Grass-type when they first encountered one, then sent out Fire-type or Flying-type Pokémon to attack it, only to be caught off guard by Rock-type moves.
"Staraptor, can you keep going?"
Yushu looked at Staraptor in the air.
After one battle, its stamina should have been somewhat depleted. Perhaps it was time to switch it out for a rest.
"Star!"
Staraptor shook out its feathers, full of vigor.
The previous battle had only been a warm-up to it. Its fighting spirit had only just been ignited.
That had been nothing! It could take on ten more!
"All right, let's keep going."
Yushu looked at the opposing Sudowoodo.
Rock against Flying put Staraptor at a type disadvantage. He couldn't be careless.
On the other side, Ritchie called out:
"Sudowoodo, use Rock Tomb!"
"Suudo!" Sudowoodo raised both arms. Huge rocks appeared in the air, forming a ring as they tried to seal off Staraptor's escape routes.
"Staraptor, climb fast!"
Staraptor shot upward, breaking out of the encirclement before the boulders closed in.
"Rock Slide!"
Sudowoodo attacked again, sending more rocks raining down toward Staraptor.
"Dodge it!"
Yushu continued using the divine skill.
Staraptor twisted nimbly in the air, weaving back and forth between the rocks.
Of all martial arts, only speed was unbeatable!
It could even dodge Discharge!
Was Staraptor really this good?
Yushu had already been ready to have Staraptor tank the hits, only for it to dodge every last one.
"Then use Wing Attack!"
Staraptor dived, its wings glowing white as it slashed toward Sudowoodo.
"Hammer Arm!"
Sudowoodo swung its thick arm, smashing it down against Staraptor's Wing Attack.
Wing Attack and Hammer Arm collided, but it was Staraptor that was knocked backward through the air.
"This... looks like a bit too much to overpower. Staraptor, how about switching out for Torterra?"
Yushu frowned.
Fighting against a type disadvantage really was difficult. Torterra was a Grass-type and had an advantage against Rock-types.
Torterra raised its head.
Hm? Was it its turn to go in?
"Star!" (What do you mean, switch out? Watch me!)
Staraptor had known Yushu was an unreliable Trainer.
He wanted to switch Pokémon at the crucial moment. He had no sporting spirit at all!
It could still grind on!
Staraptor dived again, even faster than before.
"Sudowoodo, it's coming! This time it's Aerial Ace! Use Double-Edge!"
Ritchie saw through Staraptor's intended attack.
So this guy talked about switching Pokémon while actually letting his Pokémon attack on its own.
No martial honor!
"Suudo!" (Come on! I'm ready!)
A layer of white light shone around Sudowoodo's body as it charged toward Staraptor.
"Star!" (Who said I was ready for you?!)
Yet at the instant they were about to collide, Staraptor's flight path suddenly veered sharply left.
It hadn't slowed down before turning.
It had changed direction at the top speed of its dive. Its entire body tilted nearly sixty degrees, its wings practically brushing past Sudowoodo's body.
"What?!"
Ritchie's eyes widened.
Changing direction at the highest speed of a dive?
That required incredibly precise control over its body!
Immediately afterward, Staraptor changed direction again and rushed to Sudowoodo's side.
Close Combat!
Fighting-type energy erupted at point-blank range, pouring entirely into Sudowoodo.
Sudowoodo had yet to recover from Double-Edge and had no time to make any defensive move, taking the entire combo head-on.
After finishing the combo, Staraptor rose into the air and looked at Yushu with utter smugness.
Who said a type disadvantage made a battle unwinnable? With flashy enough execution, there was no opponent it couldn't fight!
This was called skill, Trainer!
Looking at the battered Sudowoodo, Yushu indicated that he knew the answer to this one.
"Go, Staraptor! Air Slash!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Several blades of air whistled forth, and Sudowoodo could no longer hold on,
successfully finishing Sudowoodo off.
"Come back, Sudowoodo. You did well."
Ritchie silently recalled Sudowoodo, a complicated expression crossing his face.
As expected of a strong Trainer who had competed in a League Conference. Even his Pokémon could adapt on the fly.
That battle had been highly artistic.
"Next up, then, is my last Pokémon."
Ritchie took his last Poké Ball and threw it.
"Go, Bibarel!"
White light flashed, and a powerfully built beaver Pokémon appeared on the field.
Its body was brown with a creamy-white belly, and it had a broad, flat tail. Its two large front teeth gleamed in the sunlight.
[Pokémon: Bibarel] [Type: Normal + Water] [Ability: Simple] [Level: Late Advanced Stage] [Moves: Headbutt, Hyper Fang, Defense Curl, Rollout, Swords Dance, Dig, Aqua Tail...]
Yushu was slightly taken aback.
Bibarel?
He had thought Ritchie's last Pokémon would be a mainstay such as a Starter Pokémon. He hadn't expected a Bibarel.
Seemingly noticing Yushu's gaze, Ritchie gave a wry smile and said:
"I'm from an ordinary family. We couldn't afford Starter Pokémon or anything like that. I actually caught Bibarel while fishing by the river back home."
"It was still just a Bidoof then. It bit the hook and wouldn't let go. After I pulled it up, it kept following me and wouldn't leave."
"It was only after I got it that I officially started traveling. Along the way, I caught Murkrow and Sudowoodo..."
Yushu fell silent for a moment.
In this world, not every family could afford a Starter Pokémon.
For many more people, if they wanted to set out on the path of a Trainer, they could only find a way on their own.
Some became Bug Catchers, catching their first Pokémon in the wild.
Some inherited one from their parents, relatives, or friends, while others.
Others, like Ritchie, relied on luck to catch a Pokémon willing to follow them.
Such people were often more resilient than those who started from a higher position, and cherished everything they had even more.