Pokémon: Trainer Paul

The second round of battles concluded, with Lucas and Barry effortlessly securing their victories.

All the winning trainers gathered for a detailed registration of their information. Once completed, the screen displayed their avatars instead of numbers, and opponents were quickly matched.

Lucas and Barry were paired against two unfamiliar men dressed in black and white suits with sunglasses.

Paul and Conway, on the other hand, seemed to have a knack for encountering female trainers. Their next opponents included one female trainer and another whose avatar stood out—a man with a dark green hat, long black hair, and a strikingly handsome face.

At that moment, Paul felt a gaze on him. Turning to look, he found it was his opponent for tomorrow, whose appearance resembled that of a bard.

Their eyes met. The man smiled gently and nodded in acknowledgment.

Nando.

As Paul returned the gesture with a polite nod, a name inexplicably surfaced in his mind.

Nando—trainer, contest coordinator, bard, and a shared rival of Ash and Dawn in the anime.

Most of his Pokémon excelled in performances, particularly those involving song and dance. In the anime, his signature Pokémon were Roserade and Kricketune.

"Do you know that person? Any detailed information?"

After they left, Conway took the initiative to ask.

As a tactician, Conway believed in planning before action. Using information to gain an edge was a sign of wisdom.

"I know a bit. Trainer, coordinator, bard—those are his roles. Most of his Pokémon likely specialized in moves related to song and dance, with expertise in Bug and Grass types." Paul replied curtly, summarizing the key points.

Although Nando owned Pokémon of other types, Paul wasn't familiar with them and chose not to elaborate.

"Song and dance, huh? Got it." Conway mused. "Song likely refers to moves like Sing, Grass Whistle, or Bug Buzz. Dance could mean Swords Dance, Petal Dance, or Quiver Dance. He sounds like a formidable opponent."

In real battles, moves like Sing and Grass Whistle could be even harder to counter than Hypnosis. While Hypnosis could be broken with certain abilities, sound-based moves often proved more challenging to nullify, especially below the Elite tier.

Of course, speed and strong willpower could also help avoid their effects.

"My Heracross knows Sleep Talk, and Lickilicky has Screech. They should handle this just fine. What about your next Pokémon?"

Since they were teaming up, coordination was necessary.

"I'll use Dewott." Paul replied.

...

Under the starlit sky outside the Casual Town, Paul was busy training his Pokémon.

"Vulpix, Flamethrower!"

"Turtwig, Energy Ball!"

"Ursaring, Focus Blast!"

From three directions, Vulpix, Turtwig, and Ursaring launched their respective attacks at the Dewott in the center.

"Cha-cha!"

Dewott observed the incoming moves and quickly used Air Slash to intercept the Energy Ball, causing it to explode mid-air.

Boom!

Next, Dewott swung its two blades, unleashing Shell Blade to slice through both Flamethrower and Focus Blast, splitting them in half.

"Increase power and speed. Continue." Paul instructed calmly, arms crossed.

"Vul~"

"Twig~"

"Ursa~"

The three Pokémon responded enthusiastically, resuming their attacks on Dewott.

Though Dewott valiantly defended itself, the relentless onslaught eventually left it battered. However, its hands holding the scalchops never trembled.

"Change the strategy. Turtwig, charge up for Solar Beam." Paul ordered.

Dewott crouched slightly, lowering its center of gravity as its focus intensified. It understood the final round of training was at hand.

"Twig~"

Since it was nighttime, Turtwig used a pseudo-Sunny Day to speed up the Solar Beam charge.

Within seconds, energy began to gather in Turtwig's mouth.

"Vulpix, Fire Blast! Ursaring, Hyper Beam!"

The two Pokémon, already prepared, launched their attacks simultaneously with Turtwig.

Three powerful moves converged, all aimed at Dewott.

This time, even with Swords Dance, Dewott couldn't hope to block such overwhelming force.

"Cha~!"

Unfazed, Dewott shifted its stance, placing one blade to its side in a draw-slash position.

Just as the attacks were about to hit, Dewott spun its body, slashing horizontally in a dazzling arc.

Slash!

In the pitch-black night, the strike created a radiant glow that split through the three incoming attacks.

Time seemed to freeze as the three moves halted mid-air before shattering into fragments.

Boom!

The resulting explosion filled the area with smoke and dust.

"Cha~!"

When the smoke cleared, Dewott stood at the epicenter of the blast, its body scorched. A gust of wind passed, and it collapsed to the ground.

"Twig~"

"Vul~"

"Ursa~"

The three Pokémon rushed over to check on Dewott, knowing that they would even struggle to endure such an assault after half a day of training.

"What are you crowding around for? Step aside." Paul scolded.

He retrieved some Berries and a Potion from his bag to treat Dewott's injuries. Then, looking up at the trio, he said, "Continue training. Vulpix performed well today, so it gets a reward—extra training. You two will attack it with any ranged moves. Vulpix can dodge but cannot use Quick Attack."

"??"

Vulpix froze, its expression was blank.

Why?

If it performed poorly, it got extra training. If it performed averagely, it got extra training. Even if it excelled, it still got extra training as a reward.

Is this how you treat a lady?!

"Ursa~"

"Hang in there, little fox. Train hard and evolve soon!" Ursaring encouraged.

"Vul~"

Vulpix nodded reluctantly, determined to push through the training.

"Twig~"

Though… it's not like Vulpix can evolve on its own…

Turtwig whispered, recalling that Vulpix needed a Fire Stone to evolve into Ninetales.

"Vul?!"

Vulpix's face fell, realizing its evolution was entirely in Paul's hands.

As the night deepened, Paul returned his Pokémon to their Poké Balls, leaving only Vulpix outside.

"Do you want to evolve?" he asked on their way back.

"Vul~"

Vulpix nodded eagerly, its large eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"When you meet the standards, I'll let you evolve." Paul replied.

For Pokémon requiring evolution stones, as long as their bodies were fully developed and out of their juvenile phase, evolving early wouldn't cause any developmental issues.

However, Paul had his own criteria.

"Vul~"

Vulpix's face fell again.

Paul's criteria included mastering Solar Beam, Flash Fire, stamina, and strength—each requiring considerable time and effort to achieve.

Still, Vulpix quickly regained its determination.

Work hard! Train harder!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want to access advance chapters, please visit: patreon.com / PMadz_23