"Misty..." Ash said, perplexed by something the staff had mentioned earlier. He settled down to rest and looked at her.
"What did the staff mean when they said the gym master would send out Pokémon of the same level to battle?"
"Eh? You don't know?" Misty responded, eyes wide with surprise. After all, Ash was supposed to be familiar with Trainer levels by now. He had reached the Poké Ball level when he received a reward in Viridian City.
"I mean, I understand the distinctions between Pokémon levels and Trainer levels, but I don't really know how they relate to each other..." Ash rubbed his head sheepishly.
"That's understandable; you've only recently become a trainer. But surely you learned about this in school..." Misty said, still a bit unsure, as such information is indeed taught in school.
"Well..." Ash looked a little embarrassed and grinned mischievously,
"I haven't actually been to school. I've mostly learned at Professor Oak's laboratory, and I've attended a few summer camps and activities."
Misty was taken aback; she hadn't expected Ash to be mostly self-taught. She was also impressed by his strength, considering that he had learned so much without formal schooling.
Was it purely Professor Oak's instruction, or did Ash have a natural gift for training Pokémon?
However, she chose not to dwell on these thoughts and quickly explained the connection between Trainer levels and Pokémon levels to Ash.
Trainer levels are divided into six categories:
Beginner, Intermediate, Poké Ball, Expert/Great-ball, Ace/Ultra-ball, and Master-ball.
The Beginner and Intermediate levels are quite similar, as the Beginner level is often the initial stage for many trainers. Most trainers fall within the Intermediate category.
The next classification is the Poké Ball level, comprising trainers who are emerging and usually capable of earning eight badges to challenge the League.
Above that is the Expert level—these trainers are typically the top contenders in League competitions, showing exceptional skill.
Ace level trainers are nearly at the ceiling of ordinary trainers.
Their abilities far surpass those of the average trainer, with strength that even matches some gym leaders. After becoming an Ace trainer, one is almost equivalent to an Elite Four backup.
Finally, the Master level is reserved for the Elite Four and Champions. Trainers at this stage have reached the pinnacle within a region and can even rival top trainers worldwide.
This classification of Trainer levels determines the support provided by the League; the higher the level, the greater the subsidies.
As such, high-level trainers don't need to worry about feeding their Pokémon and can devote resources to capturing more for training.
Next comes the Pokémon classification. Pokémon levels are divided into ten categories and two theoretical levels.
The ten normal levels are Starter level, Normal level, Bronze level, Silver level, Gym level, League level, Elite level, Champion level, Hall level, and Epic level—these are the ten.
Based on Ash's understanding, these levels align with those presented in the games: Starter level corresponds to levels 1-10, Normal level to levels 11-20, and so forth, culminating at level 100.
From Professor Oak, Ash learned that there exist two theoretical levels discussed among trainers: levels that transcend the Vibranium level and an unreachable realm above legends.
Misty's explanation helped clarify Ash's understanding, however, as he reevaluated how the levels in the games connected to reality.
The Starter level should span levels 1-9, and the Normal level would cover levels 10-19, remaining consistent until reaching the League level—no longer 50-59, but purportedly 50-54 for League Pokémon, while Elite level Pokémon should range from 55-59.
According to Misty, the gap between League and Elite level Pokémon isn't significant.
While this was merely Ash's interpretation, it seemed clearer and more manageable. The correspondence between Trainer and Pokémon levels became clearer for him as well.
- Pokémon levels corresponding to the Beginner level and Intermediate level are the Starter and Normal levels.
- The Pokémon level for a Poké Ball level Trainer is the Bronze level.
- The Expert/Great-ball level Trainer corresponds to the Silver-level, while the Ace/Ultra-ball level is represented by the Gym and League levels.
- Finally, the Master level is connected to the Elite, Champion, and even higher levels of Hall and Epic.
The complexity of these classifications made Ash feel a bit overwhelmed, but it was because of this structure that trainers could be better assessed, allowing for more effective organization in the League.
"So... levels above 70 belong to the Champion category, and levels higher than 80 indicate the Vibranium level..." Ash pondered thoughtfully.
Referring to the game context, he recalled that Lance's Pokémon in Mt. Silver were typically at the Vibranium level.
And legendary levels likely start at 90 or above, entering the domain of gods... potentially level 100 or even more?
Shaking his head to dispel these thoughts, Ash reminded himself that the strongest Pokémon he had at the moment was only at the Normal level.
He still had a long way to go before reaching the legendary status or even the elite capabilities.
Remaining seated quietly in the waiting area, Ash glanced around. Time passed, and the three trainers who had been waiting with him were called to the battle hall.
New trainers continued to arrive, keeping the waiting group stable at about five, excluding Misty.
Ash checked the time; it was just past nine o'clock, approaching ten. His wait had stretched nearly forty minutes.
He realized that managing a gym must be a challenging task, given the number of challengers that had to be accommodated.
"Ding ding ding..." The notification bell rang through the hall, refreshing Ash's spirits as he recognized the sound.
"Mr. Ash, your challenge is next. Please proceed to the battle hall," the staff's voice echoed over the intercom.
"Let's go!" Ash exclaimed, rising to his feet and waving to Misty, who was playing nearby, and to Pikachu.
"Pika!" Pikachu jumped from Misty's lap onto Ash's shoulder, and Misty joined them as they made their way toward the battle hall.
_______________
Adios