As a Gym specializing in Normal Types, Petalburg Gym has a unique perspective on how to nurture Normal Type Pokémon. Additionally, if there's a major difference between Normal Type Pokémon and those of other types, it is that Normal Type Pokémon have a slightly better adaptability to moves from other types, preventing them from being heavily biased toward any single type.
Opportunities to visit Petalburg Gym are rare. Terrance has the chance to witness Mr. Norman's training methods and growth plans for Normal Type Pokémon, which opened his eyes. However, the ways Trainers nurture Pokémon are incredibly diverse. There is no single best method, only the one most suited to each individual. Generally, each method has its pros and cons. Terrance couldn't completely follow Mr. Norman's nurturing methods as he didn't have the same circumstances, but he could still absorb some of the strong points that he could accept and implement.
Mr. Norman's method of nurturing Normal Type Pokémon is like a complete system of tree, while Terrance could only extract a single branch to aid in nurturing his Castform.
***
"Still wrong!"
A low shout dispelled Mismagius' illusion. Terrance looked at it and pointed out the flaw in its woven illusion.
Terrance took a deep breath. The advantage of illusion skills is significant, but the weakness is also obvious. For example, he knew clearly that Mismagius would use illusions, so with Terrance's deliberate mental emphasis, he easily broke free.
Mismagius might be able to use its illusion skills to surprise and defeat much stronger opponents, but if someone figures out the trick and targets it deliberately, even weaker enemies could turn the tables on it.
While helping Mismagius prepare for Pokémon Contest's first round of the performance, Terrance also began to plan about Mismagius' future growth path.
Having known early on about Misdreavus' talent for illusion skills, they put in a lot of effort until it evolved into Mismagius. To date, through evolution, Mismagius' mastery of illusion skills was no less than that of the "Illusion Masters" in Crown Academy's "Haunted House," reaching the pinnacle of ordinary Ghost Type Pokémon's illusion skills.
When it comes to playing with illusion skills, it's hard to find anyone better than Terrance's Mismagius. However, in Crown Academy, the Ghost Type Pokémon that have lived for decades or even centuries and play with illusions might not be much stronger than Mismagius, but they are almost at the same level, meaning there are many at Mismagius' level in the Haunted House.
It's like a bottleneck. It seems these Ghost Type Pokémon's mastery of illusion skills can only reach this extent.
Misdreavus is like a young apprentice who, with exceptional talent, learned the illusion skills created by the "Illusion Master" Ghost-type Pokémon, and after evolving, it reached their level but didn't progress beyond that.
There was no student surpassing the master; their understanding of illusion skills remained at the same level.
At first, Mismagius had a lot of room for improvement. Terrance kept letting it learn the illusion skills from those Ghost Type Pokémon in Crown Academy, but after Mismagius evolved and caught up in skill level, there wasn't much left to learn, and its path to becoming stronger became unclear.
Illusion skills refer to a type of mental attack, using one's strong mental power to disrupt the opponent's mind, causing them to experience abnormal sensory perceptions and fall into a world of illusions.
Hearing, touch, and sight are the three fundamental elements of illusion skills. Refining these details and adding dynamic aspects is all that Mismagius can currently achieve, which is also the pinnacle for most Ghost-type Pokémon. This requires extensive experience and talent, as well as precise control of energy. Achieving this level already seems quite remarkable.
But Terrance knows that it's not enough. While this level may suffice against most trainers, it's not enough to stand out and can easily be countered.
Otherwise, illusion skills would have long become the mainstream in Ghost Type Pokémon training, and other moves wouldn't be as prominent.
Most Ghost Type Pokémon create illusions by leveraging the enemy's vision. If the opponent closes their eyes, the illusion becomes ineffective, but Mismagius doesn't have this issue; after evolving, it can cause mental confusion in its opponents with strange chants, making it harder to guard against than visual illusions.
"If Mismagius can continue to enhance its energy control and use Lucky Chant to increase the success rate of illusion skills, it could elevate the Ghost Type Pokémon's illusion abilities to the peak. However, the finer the energy control, the harder it is to master, making later improvements extremely challenging."
"So, although I can help Mismagius reach the peak that the 'Haunted House' veterans achieved, to surpass them, we must further innovate rather than just copy blindly!"
"Every time Mismagius casts an illusion on the opponent, it uses the current battlefield as a prototype to simulate the battle's trajectory, misleading the opponent into making wrong moves. This is an excellent use of illusion skills and can be very effective if done correctly. However, since these illusions are created on the spot, they have many flaws. Strong wills or various wake-up methods used by Trainers can cause Mismagius' illusion skill to fail."
"Moreover, if Mismagius' unique methods become widely known, defending against its illusion skill will become even easier."
Terrance realized that, even though Mismagius is very talented, its illusions are crafted specifically for each battle. It's like a great writer; given a year, they might create a masterpiece, but given a day, while the work might still be excellent, it wouldn't compare to something refined over a longer period through multiple inspirations. Even if it happens, it's a rare occurrence.
From this point, Terrance extended his thinking. While Mismagius is like a great writer, a single battle provides too few opportunities for it to truly shine. Moreover, if others know its identity, their expectations for it will be high. At that time, creating a work of this level...will definitely not be satisfactory.
So!
"Even if others are very cautious in defending against illusion skills, if Mismagius can create a highly refined illusion, an Illusionary Space so stable that the opponent cannot find a way to break it, no matter what method they try, then even if they are aware of the trick, they can't escape. How wonderful would that be?" Terrance laughed.
Spending a year perfecting the Illusionary Space, not tailored for a specific battle but as a pure illusion skill perfected to the peak, where the enemy can't find any flaw, it would be far more reliable than constructing illusions on the spot.
"I remember there's a move called 'Flash,' similar to Solar Flare in the Dragon Ball, which can affect the opponent to some extent." With this thought, Terrance had a direction.
Misdreavus could learn this move, but performing it perfectly wouldn't be easy. However, what if it was used as an illusion skill?
Mismagius isn't good at the Flash move, but it's great at constructing illusions. If it could create a perfect, stable 'Flash Illusion,' it could achieve the same effect. Moreover, the Flash move affects a wide area, blinding everyone, including the user. But with illusion skill, only the opponent is affected. Compared to simulating battle scenarios, this move is not only more ruthless but also more effective at delaying!
"Light can be used, and so can darkness. Trapping the opponent in endless darkness, causing panic, can achieve the same effect."
"Additionally, this illusion skill is versatile. It can be used in any scenario at any time, and Mismagius can practice and refine it without time constraints, patching any flaws."
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