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Pikachu and Charmeleon were panicking.
Looking at Evan's blue eyes, the two Pokémon trembled.
At this moment, Gardevoir and the others noticed something was amiss.
They rushed over one after another.
When they saw Evan turning back, they were just as frightened.
Why was Evan back?
They were just waiting in the yard, ready to leave.
But now, Evan had returned?
Was their plan discovered so quickly?
Looking at his Pokémon, Evan stroked his chin.
"Tell me, did you backstab me?"
"What are you planning to do with my ID card and Trainer's certificate?"
Observing the Pokémon in front of him, Evan quickly put two and two together.
They must be up to something he wasn't aware of.
Otherwise, why would they be so eager to grab his ID card before leaving?
Even Gallade had brought out the small bag Evan had given it earlier.
It was obvious—they wanted to go out.
Just like Gardevoir had suggested before—taking them out to hunt wild Pokémon.
But judging from their current behavior, this didn't seem like a simple hunting trip.
Evan's expression turned suspicious.
"You're carrying your Poké Balls, right, Gallade?"
Gardevoir and Gallade exchanged a glance.
For a moment, they didn't know what to say.
This... was unexpected.
Evan's sharp gaze landed on Pikachu.
"Tell me, what are you planning to do with my Trainer's certificate and ID card?"
"If you don't talk, you'll be sleeping in the orchard tonight."
His calm threat sent Pikachu into a frenzy. It confessed everything in a panic.
"Pika pika!!!"
Listening to Pikachu's explanation, Gardevoir and Gallade were speechless.
Did Pikachu really sell them out so easily?
After hearing the whole story, Evan's expression grew strange.
"So, Gardevoir, this was your idea?"
Evan stopped questioning Pikachu and turned to Gardevoir.
"Yes, it was me!" Gardevoir admitted confidently.
"As our master, you need to take charge."
"I'm telling you, Master, you can't keep slacking off."
"I planned for you to become an Elite and then aim for the championship."
"Finally, you'd be crowned the Champion!"
Stop pretending—this was Gardevoir's big reveal.
"I want you to become an Elite."
Evan was taken aback by Gardevoir's bold statement.
"An Elite?"
"What kind of Elite?"
"You can't even beat me, yet you want to become an Elite?"
"That's really something."
Evan couldn't help but complain.
A Pokémon that couldn't even defeat its own trainer aiming for an Elite title? Absurd.
Hearing Evan's remarks, Gardevoir and Gallade rolled their eyes.
It wasn't that they couldn't beat him.
Didn't he realize how absurdly powerful he was?
A mythical beast in human form—that's what Evan was!
Beating him wasn't just difficult; it was unthinkable.
Gardevoir and Gallade, connected to Evan's Psychic powers, fully understood the extent of his abilities.
"Alright!" Evan relented.
"I'm too lazy to press further."
"If you're set on challenging gyms, go ahead."
"But as for becoming an Elite, forget it."
"I don't have time to be an Elite."
"Do you know how much work it takes to be one?"
"Besides, do you think you can even reach the semi-finals with your current strength?"
"I'm not underestimating you, but it's the reality."
He pointed at his team one by one.
"You've got Gallade and Gardevoir, sure, but what about Pikachu?"
"Peak level? Pikachu?"
"And Charmeleon is still advanced-level."
"Even if you manage to earn eight Badges, how far can you go?"
"Are you planning to rely on Gallade and Gardevoir to carry a 2-on-6 battle all the way to the top 16?"
"Then, the Pokémon we'll face will all be Elite level."
"It's a nightmare out there!"
"You don't have the strength to handle that yet."
"Those trainers have some powerful trump cards up their sleeves."
"In other words, after reaching the top 16, you might even have to face championship-level Pokémon."
"And then... well, there's Violet."
"She is the hottest contender for the championship this year."
"You can't beat her."
Evan's tone was brutally honest. He didn't hesitate to spell out the harsh reality.
There was no chance of victory, no matter how optimistic they were.
Evan himself knew how strong Violet was, especially as a participant in this year's National Champion Competition.
The strength of Pokémon often escalated as the competition progressed, and Evan had already invested in training his team and enhancing their capabilities.
But even with his Pokémon improving, reaching Elite level by the time of the competition, it still wouldn't be enough.
"Do you think the level of difficulty is a joke?"
"If it were next year, maybe there'd be a chance."
"But for this year? Forget it."
"Focus on making progress and earning Pokédollars."
In China, most Rookie Trainers trained locally until their strength was solid, then ventured abroad to compete in novice-level tournaments. They'd return with trophies and then aim for higher accolades like the top 64 in national tournaments.
It was similar to how sports worked. Even if you excelled abroad, local competition was another beast entirely.
China's Trainer pool was incredibly dense with talent.
This wasn't some Rookie battle.
If it had been a pure Rookie competition, Evan would have taken his team to dominate easily.
But such competitions barely garnered attention anymore, akin to grassroots efforts that lacked prestige.
The sheer talent within China was overwhelming.
If Elite positions weren't limited to four, China could easily produce hundreds of Elite Trainers on demand.
"Elite Trainer?" Evan mused. "That's almost commonplace here."
If Evan wanted, he could apply to be an Elite Trainer now. But he saw no point.
"You can challenge gyms, sure," he told his team.
"But forget about becoming an Elite for now."
"It's a waste of time. You're not ready."
"If you really want to aim for Elite-level battles, wait until Violet earns that title. Then, maybe we'll challenge her every day for practice."
Evan waved his hand dismissively.
"Alright," he said. "Just go and get it done."
"Bring me the Badge when you're finished."
"As I said, I'm not competing in this year's national competition."
"If you want to participate, wait until next year."
"Of course, there's a condition for that."
"Your strength must reach championship level first."
Evan was about to head upstairs when he paused, turning back to Pikachu and Charmeleon.
"And remember," he said sharply, "don't lose my ID card and certificate."