"Bzzt~Bzzt~"
With Monferno knocked to the ground, Elekid crouched before it, lightly tapping the monkey's head repeatedly.
Kid, if you want to win, you need real strength.
Evolving? What's the point of that?
Still ended up flat on the ground, didn't you?
"Raaaaaah!"
Monferno was furious, attempted to retaliate.
Smack!
Elekid struck it with a clean blow, knocking it unconscious. It smugly flicked its hand before strutting back to Paul, completely ignoring the fainted Monferno.
"Monferno is unable to battle! Elekid wins! This match goes to Paul!"
Barry declared.
"Well done, Monferno. You gave it your best!"
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Lucas recalled Monferno into its Poké Ball.
"You did pretty well…" Paul remarked.
"Bzzt~!"
Elekid immediately puffed out its chest and raised its head proudly, its expression saying, I'm the best!
Paul glanced at Elekid and added, "Pretty well, but your moves were excessive. Seems like you've got plenty of energy left. Your reward? Double training."
Elekid: "???"
Why does doing well mean more training?
Are you holding a grudge against me?!
Elekid squinted suspiciously at Paul, but Paul completely ignored it.
Nearby, Turtwig widened its eyes, clearly taken back.
"Bzzt~"
Shrugging, Elekid casually draped an arm around Turtwig's neck, launching into tales of its glorious battles with Paul and painting a bright picture of their future victories, all in an attempt to strengthen their bond.
Elekid wasn't worried about Turtwig evolving into Grotle and taking its "big brother" spot.
Turtwig didn't seem interested in the position anyway. Elekid simply wanted to foster camaraderie among teammates—friends were always useful, after all.
In a team, being strong is just one aspect. To be the boss, you need influence.
Without respect from your peers, how can you even dream of leading?
If a newcomer dared to challenge its position, Elekid thought smugly, I'll just call my squad.
If nothing else, I've got numbers!
"Ah, as expected of you Paul—you're so tough to beat. I'll work harder on my training and come up with better strategies. Next time, I'll definitely defeat you!" Lucas declared with renewed determination.
"Your Elekid is terrifying. Without Monferno's Blaze ability, their strength would've been evenly matched at best. I'll catch up to you Paul, and then surpass you."
Hearing this, Barry who had been spectating, finally realized just how vast the gap was between Paul's Pokémon and his own.
Fortunately, the journey was just a beginning. With enough effort, catching up wasn't impossible.
"Bzzzt~"
Elekid, leaning against Turtwig, openly displayed its disdain. That little penguin and pony of yours? What could they possibly do?
"We'll see." Paul replied nonchalantly.
For him, the stronger the opponent, the stronger he would become. Weak opponents weren't even worth his time.
"I'm off to heal my Pokémon and stock up on supplies. See you around." Lucas said, taking his leave.
"I've got training to do too. Otherwise, I'll lose to Lucas today, someone else tomorrow, and eventually, I'll have no one left to battle!" Barry declared seriously.
"Next time, Paul. I'll beat you for sure!"
As Lucas disappeared into the distance, Barry turned back to find Paul paying him no attention. Frustrated, he stomped off.
Paul, however, wasn't bothered. Initially, he'd taken an interest in Barry, thinking that since this world wasn't just like the anime, and with Lucas already on his journey, Barry starting early and adopting some game-like traits would make him formidable.
But the results?
The greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment.
Apart from saying a few sarcastic words when he's in a good mood, Paul couldn't be bothered with a weakling.
That was just how Paul was—brutally pragmatic.
After everyone left, Paul led his Pokémon into the Pokémon Center and used the communications terminal to call the daycare.
Soon, Reggie's face appeared on the screen.
"Hey, Paul! Looks like you've made it to Eterna City. Did you get the gift I sent?" Reggie asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Yes, I got it. Thanks, big brother." Paul replied sincerely.
"Glad you liked it! Make sure to carry it when you're ready for Mega Evolution in the future!" Reggie grinned.
"I'm also trying to collect Mega Stones through my connections, but it's tough. I can't guarantee I'll find the ones your Pokémon needs."
"No worries, just do your best. Those stones are rare and hard to come by."
Mega Stones were highly sought after by both trainers and collectors, making them invaluable.
"Got it. So, are you ready to send over your Pokémon?" Reggie asked, giving a thumbs-up.
After taking out three Poké Balls from his pocket, Paul used the teleportation device to send them one by one.
"I've received them. Anything else to note for their training?" Reggie asked.
"For Ursaring, aside from the usual, focus on teaching it to use Flame Orb to burn itself. I sent the Flame Orb with it. Make sure it learns moves like Taunt, Endure, and Stomping Tantrum. For the rest, I trust your judgment."
"For Gible, prioritize future-proof moves like Draco Meteor, Dragon Tail, Stone Edge, and Earthquake. Most importantly, teach it Dragon Dance. The rest is up to you."
Paul's plans for their move sets were well thought out. Ursaring would focus on aggressive strategies, taunting opponents into battles of brute force.
As for Gible? If it didn't learn Dragon Dance, it'd be a wasted opportunity in Paul's eyes.
"Quite the list! Dragon Dance is going to be a challenge… Anything else?" Reggie asked, jotting everything down.
Paul thought for a moment before adding, "Gible's ability is Rough Skin, but it's not controlling it well. Help it learn to manage that. Maybe try incorporating it into the new training method you're developing with Drapion—it might help."
"Alright, I've got it. Leave it to me to take care of everything."
After committing Paul's words to memory, Reggie said, "While you're traveling out there, don't just focus on your Pokémon. Make sure to take care of yourself too."
As someone who had been through it all before, Reggie deeply understood the hardships of traveling and knew Paul's personality all too well.
Paul would rather meticulously prepare food for his Pokémon than spend time making a decent meal for himself.
"I will. You take care of yourself too, big brother."
Paul nodded slightly before ending the call.
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