You're not allowed to play Pokémon!

Chapter 241 I am now incredibly strong, the other seven dojos are no match for me!

ten minutes later.

With the help of the agility of the Giant Electric Seagull, which constantly harassed the opponent, Qingyu ultimately won the challenge with ease.

"I lost……"

Kato shook his head helplessly, decisively admitting his defeat.

It's such a pity. I was hoping there would be a chance to break through the Sunshine Dojo and make myself look good at school...

Unexpectedly, Teacher Yu's backup plan was Electric Seagull, and the two Pokémon he had already chosen were helpless against it.

The crocodile couldn't hit it, and the Crimson Knight's moves were also difficult to lock onto the Giant Electric Swallow that was flying continuously with the tailwind. The entire match could only be described as torture.

If it weren't for Shunfeng disappearing, and him getting slightly hit by a mental shock as a last "placebo," Kato's mentality would probably have collapsed a bit.

However, through this match, he quickly discovered his weaknesses again.

Krookodile's close-range moves alone are clearly insufficient, and in actual battles, it will likely be easily toyed with by Flying-type Pokémon, just like it did today.

Therefore, it is necessary to add some moves like Rock Blockade and Rock Slide that can hit opponents at a distance, which can also fill the gaps in one's attack range.

It's true that Ground-type moves can't hit Flying-type Pokémon, but they can generally learn Rock-type moves, especially effective against Bird-type Pokémon.

So that's what Teacher Yu meant by "filling in the gaps"!
Following this line of thought, Kato quickly realized that he seemed to have discovered a treasure he had previously overlooked—

If you encounter a matchup with a disadvantageous attribute like this in a battle, suddenly pulling out a move that counters your opponent could very well yield surprising results!

Moreover, this method applies to any Pokémon, because there shouldn't be any Pokémon in this world that is completely uncounterable. As long as a Pokémon has a weakness, it can be exploited!

Teacher Yu, I understand!

Having gained something, Kato quickly shook off the gloom on his face and looked at Aoba with passionate eyes again.

"Teacher Yu, thank you for your guidance!"

"I'll be back next week for the challenge, and I look forward to your guidance next time!"

Can losing to Teacher Yu really be called losing? Every match is a high-quality lesson, and how much you learn depends entirely on your own understanding.

At least in terms of comprehension, Kato felt that he wasn't too bad.

After a few more attempts and learning the basics of battle, I'll be completely transformed and will definitely be able to clear the Sunny Gym!
"Wait, I didn't say your challenge was over, did I?"

After hearing Kato's words, Aoba quickly smiled.

"Although we didn't win this challenge, there are other ways to take the gym exam besides winning."

"From the battle just now, I can feel your hard work this week, Kato. The viewers in the live stream should also be able to feel your improvement in strength."

"That's truly an impressive improvement. If I had to rate your performance in this match..."

"Probably 70 points, at least a passing grade."

Thump thump thump——

Kato, who had just managed to comfort himself, was suddenly stunned, and for a moment even his breath caught in his throat for a few seconds.

Teacher Yu actually praised me? And...

Does this mean I've already gained Mr. Yu's approval?

Great!
Soon, under Kato's expectant gaze, Aoba spoke again:
"So, this dojo assessment—"

"You, pass!"

[Wow, to be honest, this is really inspiring. The guy who was the most pathetic in last week's gym challenge actually passed it this week! Other students in Padia, try your best and don't let us viewers down!]

[Gaining Teacher Yu's approval, is that something you can achieve just by working hard...? But it seems he really did achieve it through hard work, brothers, let's drink this bowl of toxic chicken soup!]

【Don't go. Judging from Teacher Yu's style, the next challenger will be unlocking the second stage soon. Let's wait and see...】

So, was Kato's spinning move just now really just a fluke?

[Even Teacher Yu personally verified it, how could it be fake?]

Aoba also glanced up and saw the discussion about the comments on Rotom's phone.

However, he didn't actually care about that.

Every move you make in a Pokémon battle is essentially a reflection of your skill level.

Kato himself may not have realized it, but he has indeed undergone a complete transformation after a week of hard work, and may even be able to unconsciously find the optimal solution.

If one can continue to consolidate this understanding, gradually transforming those occasional flashes of inspiration into instinct, and maintaining rational thinking throughout battles...

Who knows, he might at least become an elite trainer in the future.

Therefore, it deserves encouragement.

Guiding each challenger onto the right path is also part of the gym leader's responsibility.

Aoba firmly believed this today as well. When Kato received the round badge from Aoba's hand, he was so excited that he could hardly speak.

The Sunny Gym's emblem design is largely inspired by the "Mega Stone," a special item unique to the Hoenn and Kalos regions, which has the powerful effect of stimulating the life potential of certain Pokémon and breaking through their own evolutionary limitations.

I believe that Teacher Yu's choice of evolution stones must have had a deeper meaning.

I understand!
He must hope that we challengers who succeed can, like Mega Evolved Pokémon, constantly break through our own limits and showcase our talents...

That's right, it's just a Sunshine Badge. Don't let yourself go just because you've cleared the Sunshine Gym. There are still many more challenges waiting for you!

"I understand your teachings, Teacher Yu!"

Gazing at Kato, who had suddenly become so excited that his eyes seemed to be spitting fire, Aoba couldn't help but tilt his head and slowly typed out a question mark.

Is this kid imagining something again?

……

"Heh, heh heh heh!"

Walking along the small path, Kato couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

Occasionally, when he encounters students coming to challenge the Sunshine Dojo on the street, whether he knows them or not, he will deliberately greet them, and then "casually" open his palm to reveal the dojo badge he is tightly clutching, followed by a bright smile.

"How did you know I beat the Sunny Gym?"

???

"No way, how could Teacher Yu let you pass? Are you sure there's no mistake?"

"Holy shit, no, you fucking deserve to die!"

"Who asked you? Get out, get out, get out!"

Then, amidst the complex gazes of countless students, some filled with envy and others with shock, Kato strode towards Tokioka City with his head held high, like a victorious rooster returning home.

Even though he had walked this road many times, Kato unexpectedly got lost today. After circling around Tsukidai City several times, he finally managed to get back to the student dormitory before nightfall.

Upon returning to Orange Academy, the first thing Kato did was—

I opened the school's internal forum homepage and posted a thread there:
"This is my first time challenging the Sunny Dojo, and Ms. Yu gave me this purple badge. What does it mean?"

【Who asked you? 】

[Dude, how did you get lost in cybernetic territory here?]

[You think you're so tough just because you have a gym badge? Let's see you in the final rounds of the Champion Road tournament!]

After trying every way he could think of to show off, Kato lay in bed, listening to the constant notifications of replies to his posts on his phone, and suddenly felt a magical sense of unreality.

Never has there been such a wonderful day!
Not only did he completely wash away the shame of being humiliated in front of countless viewers in the live broadcast room last week, he also became the first "lucky one" to pass the gym assessment this week.

I really am the chosen one!
"If I can even beat the Sunshine Dojo, who else can win the championship if I don't?"

"I'm incredibly strong now, the other seven dojos are no match for me!"

"I'll challenge the Round Model Dojo next to the school tomorrow. I feel like I can challenge all the dojos in one go!"

With the constant notification sounds in his ears as soothing music, Kato slept well tonight.

……

In the following days, Sunshine Gym, just like the previous week, welcomed a large number of challengers.

With Kato, the first student to clear the level, as a reference, all the students at Orange Academy immediately shared their own interpretations.

The school forum quickly spawned thousands of posts discussing how to pass this week's assessment.

[I never expected Kato's understanding to be so advanced! The Ground + Evil + Provocation Crocodile seems to be the answer for this version!]

[He's immune to Whimsicott's interference, can even taunt the opponent, and his Ground-type moves are immune to Electric-type moves that charge up with Pelipper. If he adds Rock Slide, wouldn't he be invincible?]

【So here's the problem: a week seems like too little time to capture and evolve the Black-eyed Crocodile…】

[Damn it, but it seems to make sense. We don't have that much time to train a Pokémon every week. If we had that kind of skill, we'd be elite trainers by now!]

Is it possible that Kato just got lucky...?

[Impossible, absolutely impossible! There's no way such a coincidence could happen. If it were true, this kid's luck would be unbelievable!]

However, although they couldn't learn the trick of the crocodile, many students still came up with a series of alternatives.

Use a Dark-type Taunt Pokémon to defeat Whimsicott, then switch in a Ground-type Pokémon in sync. It would be even better if you could learn a move that counters Electric-type Boulder.

Over the course of four weekdays, Qingyu witnessed dozens of challengers using the same tactics...

While it does have some merits, it still doesn't have a good solution against the incredibly fast-moving Giant Electric Seagull when it's in the wind.

It was at this moment that a challenger appeared in front of Qingyu, immediately catching his eye.

(End of this chapter)