Let you make a game, what the hell is Pokemon?.

Chapter 268 The Continuation of Exploration in the Frontier Zone, Ling Feng's Departure!
But Cynthia opened her mouth, and in the end, she said nothing.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Wataru was controlling his Charizard, engaging in tedious but necessary leveling up in a high-level area deep within Victory Road.

Charizard wiped out a group of Skarmory with a single breath of fire, and its experience points slowly increased.

The feeling of suffocation lingered in his heart; he could never forget the figure of that white demon and the words "test qualification."

This was the first time he had ever felt this way since becoming the champion of the Kanto region, yet he had to admit that he was indeed no match for his opponent.

—That's not a trainer, it's a Pokémon! A Pokémon comes to challenge me and then complains that I'm weak? That's a bit too absurd!

Just then, he saw a message notification from Cynthia.

Upon opening it, the content was quite simple.

"In my first battle in the Frontier, I was defeated by a kid who used Entei in a doubles match with a Pokémon named Volcanion. He stole my weather right from the start and then KO'd me. The second playthrough is much tougher. Let's learn from each other."

Watari's lips twitched uncontrollably.

It turns out I wasn't the only one who got a lesson from a formidable opponent...
I had hoped that I could temporarily avoid facing the White Demon, but it seems that her situation isn't much better.

As the saying goes, "I feel relieved when I see my brothers are not doing well."

He suddenly felt that what he had experienced was... not so unbearable?
A peculiar sense of shared misfortune eased Du's inner gloom.

He temporarily stopped leveling up, returned to a safe area, and started his live stream.

Seeing the comments section still discussing his previous humiliating defeat, Du cleared his throat.

"Ahem, breaking news. Cynthia Champion also encountered... well... a little accident in her first match against the Frontier."

He tried to keep his tone calm.

"It was basically a case of a seemingly harmless kid using a combination of Entei and another Pokémon that appeared to be a legendary Pokémon to wipe out the doubles team right from the start. The weather was stolen by the opponent, and then they were wiped out."

He briefly described the process.

The live chat exploded again:
[There are such things as pioneer zones?]

[Damn it, if I had known about this kind of show, I wouldn't have watched the streamer level up here. I feel like I missed out on a fortune.]

[My heart aches for Na-jie for a second]

[Are you feeling any better, Du Bao?]

[Everyone on the second playthrough is a monster!]

Du looked at the comments and nodded: "It seems everyone has felt it, the difficulty of the second playthrough is indeed more frightening than the first playthrough."

He changed the subject, his eyes sharpening again.

"But more importantly, the information provided by Cynthia, and my recent encounter with that white humanoid Pokémon... I have a new idea."

He pulled up a key screenshot from the previous battle replay on the screen—that blurry but imposing white figure.

"It roams the Hoenn region, and its behavior doesn't seem to be consistent. When Cynthia encountered it, it just observed for a moment and then left; but here, it took the initiative to challenge me, and even seemed to think I was too weak."

At this point, Watari's lips twitched involuntarily.

Du analyzed the differences between the two.

"But I still don't know why he chose to challenge me instead of Cynthia... Maybe it's because Cynthia hadn't become the champion in the game when they met, and he only wants to challenge the strong?"

Du Guan dropped the screenshot, his brow furrowed, and began to continue his analysis, muttering to himself.

"That being said, fighting it head-on is definitely not going to work. Its power level is questionable... We have to use some other methods."

He looked at the camera as if he were organizing his thoughts.

"The primary goal is to find a way to resist or avoid its Psychic and Ghost-type attacks. Dark-types are immune to Psychic attacks, Ghost-types are immune to Normal and Fighting attacks, and Steel-types have good resistance to both of these types..."

"I need to expand my team for my second playthrough, and these attributes might be a good direction for team adjustments."

He paused, then continued to think.

"Or... find a way to surpass its speed? To end the battle or control it before it can even make a move?"

“But it seems that the battle with him is real-time, not the regular turn-based system in games, which means it will be more difficult to surpass his speed…” He shook his head, rejecting the idea.

Do you have any Pokémon recommendations?

The comments section was also buzzing with discussion:

[Dark type! The previous Tyranitar!]

[Steel-type is also good, Bosscodora!]

Speed? Are there any Pokémon faster than it?

[I feel like joint defense is more reliable...]

[The prop seems questionable; this skill seems to be outside the rules...]

Watari looked at the suggestions in the comments but didn't make a decision immediately.

These are just preliminary ideas.

The most important thing now is to improve our core strength! Level, skills, and items are all indispensable.

His fighting spirit was rekindled.

Leveling up can't stop; you also need to explore places that might hold powerful items or clues.

As for that white guy... hopefully it won't come to test me again until I'm ready, otherwise I really can't handle it.
With this thought in mind, he controlled Charizard and charged once again into the more dangerous area deep within the Champion Road.

Meanwhile, inside the Battle Factory, Cynthia stared at the words "Battle lost" on the screen, then looked at her empty arena and the little boy skipping away opposite her, and remained silent for several seconds.

The live stream chat was filled with comforting comments:

[Don't cry, streamer]

[The mythical beast kid is too ruthless]

[We'll get our revenge next time!]

[The development zone is full of traps... I want to go back to the countryside.]

Finally, she let out a soft breath and gave the camera a bitter smile that was tinged with helplessness and self-deprecation.

Underestimating your opponent... that's a huge mistake.

It seems that in the second playthrough, no opponent can be underestimated.

Battle Frontier... it's definitely a challenging place.

She admitted her mistake; the pride of being a champion prevented her from making excuses. But this lesson did remind her of what kind of game she was actually playing.

Ashida's words, "I forgot to explain," made her realize something.

The rules of the Battle Frontier are not as simple as they seem.

She walked to the Battle Factory's rest area, not immediately starting another battle, but instead carefully studying the facility's rules displayed on the wall. She began reading through the Battle Factory's doubles rules meticulously, not overlooking any clauses that could potentially influence the battle. At the same time, she proactively approached the NPC staff and other trainers waiting for their challenges, pressing the interaction button.

"Excuse me, besides that little kid from earlier, are there any other special opponents in this battle factory? What are the characteristics of their Pokémon or tactics?"

And then he actually got some answers from these NPCs and learned some things about the Battle Frontier.

Special NPC characters like those mentioned earlier don't appear every time; they spawn randomly. Once Cynthia defeats them, the rewards will be even greater, so the risks and opportunities still coexist.

That said, the core of this crushing defeat was that the weather was instantly seized by the opponent.

She began to reflect on the problems with her rain team tactics in doubles situations.
Even if the opponent is not a legendary Pokémon, if the opponent also has the means to change the weather, such as Hippowdon carrying a sandstorm or Abomasnow, wouldn't your core tactics be in trouble?
With this in mind, she needs a more robust defensive system, perhaps by adding a Pokémon that can provide a Light Screen or Reflect, such as Starmie. If the weather is taken away, she can establish a barrier at the start of the game, buying time for subsequent actions.
Alternatively, you could prepare a countermeasure against the weather, such as bringing another Pokémon that can change the weather, or having a move that can remove the weather.
Her brain was working at lightning speed.

Despite the crushing defeat, Cynthia still has confidence in her main team.

Lucky Kappa, Swampert...
These are all partners she has carefully nurtured along the way, and they may well be no match for those two Pokémon.

The problem lies in tactical choices and underestimating the enemy, not in the fact that the partners themselves are not strong enough.

She decided to continue using the team, but she had to completely change the mindset of not caring about opponents just because they looked weak.

After regrouping, Cynthia once again stepped into the Battle Factory's battle entrance.

This time, the opponent I was matched with was a middle-aged man who looked very composed and was wearing hiking gear.

The comments section started to get serious: "[This should be normal now, right?]"

[Keep it up, streamer!]

[Take it one step at a time!]

Cynthia's eyes were focused; this time, she wasn't careless at all.

Instead of the Rainy Day combo that prioritizes extreme offense, she opted for Swampert, known for its durability and wide coverage, and Victini, which provides defensive support.

The battle began, and Cynthia's commands were clear and steady: "Victini, Light Screen! Swampert, Protect!"

First, establish a defense! Victini's body shimmered with light, and a transparent energy wall rose up in its own half of the field, greatly reducing the damage from the first round of special attack moves of the opponent's two Pokémon.

Swampert successfully blocked the opponent's attack with its protective shield.

Next, Cynthia made full use of the duration of Light Screen and Swampert's durability advantage.

"Swamp Monster, earthquake!"

"Victini, Flame Jet!"
This time, she didn't rush things. Instead, she played it safe and steady, using the light wall to wear down her opponent's stamina and skills, and seizing opportunities to widen her advantage when her opponent made mistakes.

Finally, before the light screen disappeared, Swampert finished off the opponent's last Pokémon with a powerful Ice Punch.

Although the match wasn't particularly fast, victory came because we firmly controlled the rhythm of the game!
This time, the comments section was filled with cheers:
【pretty!】

[This is the true skill of a champion streamer!]

[We won! We won! Check out the rewards!]

Meanwhile, in Cerulean City.

Ling Feng watched as the dark red system notification slowly faded away.

SS-rank mission... that level doesn't sound simple.

Spirit World Turmoil
Something big is about to happen in Gengar's and Chandelure's hometown. You should go check it out yourself.

He turned to look at Gengar, who was huddled in the corner. Its scarlet eyes still held unease, and it would occasionally glance at the oppressively gloomy sky outside the window.

The weather changes and Gengar's unusual behavior are clearly signs of the so-called upheaval in the spirit world.

“Gengar,” he walked over to Gengar, squatted down, and patted its head.

"Would you like to come back to your hometown with me?"

Gengar suddenly raised its head, its scarlet eyes filled with disbelief.

It stretched out its paw, pointed to itself, then to Ling Feng, and finally to the gloomy sky outside the window, which symbolized the direction of the spirit world, and uttered a confused syllable.

—Brother, is it true?

That place looks really off now, and you still want to go there on your own initiative??
"What are you afraid of? Wasn't that place much more dangerous than the Spirit Realm before?"

Ling Feng shrugged.

"Go see what's wrong with your house, and while you're at it, see if there's any way to resolve this problem."

He didn't mention the mission, and Gengar probably wouldn't understand anyway.
Upon hearing this, Gengar hesitated for a moment, his expression becoming somewhat complicated. He had indeed been away from the Spirit World for a long time, and it would be a lie to say he didn't want to go back and visit, after all, he had grown up in that place.

But the unease he felt was indeed warning him not to go back.

He glanced at Ling Feng's expression, then finally sighed deeply and nodded.

Never mind, let's just go back then.

It's not good for me to keep feeling uncomfortable like this.

"Okay." Ling Feng smiled and looked towards the living room. "Let's go out. The crystal chandelier is working well."

Almost the instant he finished speaking, a ghostly blue flame silently ignited in the shadows of the corner of the living room, and the body of the Crystal Chandelier Spirit, composed of a black candlestick and a ghostly blue flame, quietly emerged.

"We're going to the spirit world, do you want to come?"

Ling Feng asked directly.

The candlelight in the crystal chandelier flickered more violently for a moment, as if expressing excitement.

Its cold, fiery eyes turned to Gengar, then to Lingfeng, its flames flickering up and down, its attitude as clear as could be.

Compared to Gengar, he didn't seem to have much of a reaction to the so-called changes in the spirit world, and now he seemed quite happy to hear that he was going back to his hometown.

"Alright, it's settled then." Ling Feng made the decision. Bringing these two native inhabitants of the spirit world along would at least save a lot of trouble in terms of finding their way and communicating.

But a new question immediately arose – where is the spirit world?
His knowledge of the spirit world was limited to the origins of Gengar and Chandelure, and some scattered information he found online.

He immediately returned to his study, turned on his computer, and began searching.

Keywords such as "spirit world entrance" and "how to enter the spirit world" bring up a wide variety of information.

After filtering out the obviously unreliable information, Ling Feng finally found some relatively credible official or semi-official information.

In summary, he understood several key points:

First, the spirit world does not have only one entrance; it has passages all over the world.

Secondly, a pass is required to enter the spirit world.

This pass immediately caught Ling Feng's attention.

He clicked on the relevant link and discovered that it was an entry permit issued by the Special Space Administration Bureau under the Elf League. The application requirements were extremely stringent, requiring a thorough background check, proof of ability, special guarantees, and often a clear and legitimate reason for entry.

The approval process is extremely long; it's said that it can take at least a year and a half to be completed.

This makes things a bit complicated.
(End of this chapter)