Bottom-tier trainers in the Pokémon world

As he spoke, Xia Yan took out a large pile of Poké Balls.

In addition to the three Aggrons, there are two other near-Elite Four level Pokémon, as well as a total of 64 Gym Leader level Pokémon.

"So many?" Joanna looked on in astonishment.

Given Xia Yan's current status, the Pokémon she personally oversees must be at least Gym Leader level or higher, and there are so many of them!

"Be a little more careful when you attack the two near-Champion level ones. The rest are all Gym Leader level. Try to use your connections to sell them through different channels. I believe this shouldn't be too difficult for you."

“Two near-superstars…” Joanna smacked her lips.

Xia Yan continued:

"Keep the money for me. You should know about the thing I asked the shop manager to do before. Please keep an eye out and collect as much information as possible. The money will be deducted from here."

“I understand,” Joanna nodded.

"And these too."

Xia Yan took out six more Poké Balls.

Just by looking at the quality of the Poké Balls, Joanna knew that these six Pokémon were no ordinary creatures.

It's a trainer's Pokémon!

"Find someone to remove their venom sacs. Remember, you must find someone you completely trust. If you can't, you know what to do." Xia Yan's expression was serious as he said this.

Joanna felt a chill run down her spine.

"These......"

“Five near-Elite Four members and one Gym Leader,” Xia Yan said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Joanna's eyes widened involuntarily.

Five?

"Who exactly did you kill?"

"You want to know?" Xia Yan looked at her with a slightly teasing expression.

Joanna's expression froze slightly, and she didn't say anything more.

...

...

three days later.

Natsuhiko once again arrived in Konoha City in the Kanto region.

He stepped off the plane, holding his hat in his hand.

I took a deep breath of the warm air, which carried a hint of the salty smell of the sea.

Compared to Sinnoh, which is located near the north, Vermilion City, situated in the southern part of the Kanto region and facing the sea, undoubtedly has a much warmer climate.

"Xia Yan, so actually, the Ugly Fish can evolve not only through external things like 'beautiful scales,' but also by improving its own 'beauty level' based on its own perception of beauty?"

A soft voice came from behind him.

Looking back.

She was a beautiful woman wearing a long black dress, with her soft, long golden hair flowing in the warm breeze.

Cynthia.

Upon learning that Cynthia and the others were also going to attend Sakuragi's award ceremony, Natsuhiko decisively chose to hitch a ride on the private jet.

Xia Yan is currently facing a rather awkward situation.

Most of his spirits can fly.

Among them are aircraft such as the Pokekis and Latios.

Not long ago, it even captured the powerful pseudo-legendary Pokémon Hydreigon.

If you go out to a place where there are no people, that's fine.

For creatures like Togekiss, which are designed to burrow into cities, and Latios, which is too conspicuous, Natsuhiko the Three-Headed Dragon is not yet prepared to use his true identity to carry them.

In the end, his main flying Pokémon when he went out was still Noivern.

So when he heard that Cynthia and the others were going to take a private jet, Xia Yan rushed over to meet them and they arrived in Konoha City together.

“Yes, that’s how it works in theory.” Xia Yan smiled. “After all, most of the Milotic that have been discovered so far live alone. So how can they evolve if they can’t obtain ‘Beautiful Scales’?”

Upon hearing this, Cynthia showed a thoughtful expression.

"Moreover, in my opinion, Milotic that evolves through its own internal changes should be stronger than Milotic born from external objects such as 'beautiful scales,' with higher potential and upper limit. Of course, this is just my speculation, and there is not enough theory and data to prove it at present."

"It seems I'll have to wait a little longer," Cynthia said softly, smoothing her wind-blown hair.

"Not necessarily. You can try raising an ugly fish right now."

“Hmm…” Cynthia hesitated.

It's obvious that she's suffering from decision paralysis again.

"Judging from your current team composition, Gastrodon can already fulfill the role of a special tank very well. I suggest choosing 'Competitive' for Milotic, so finding an excellent Feebas with the 'Hardness' ability would be the most suitable," Xia Yan gave his advice.

Milotic, with its "competitive" trait, is trained using a special offensive approach.

“But Glaceon and Togekiss…” Cynthia was still a little hesitant.

Glaceon and Togekiss, which evolves from Glaceon, are both special attack-oriented Pokémon.

"I think the biggest advantage of Glaceon is against specific Pokémon, such as Dragon, Flying and Grass types."

If Togekiss evolves into Togekiss, its primary role will undoubtedly be that of a controller.

While Milotic's Special Attack isn't as strong as Glaceon's, its Special Defense makes it a Pokémon that excels at sustained damage output and is better suited for prolonged battles. Furthermore, it's more agile and faster, so there's no conflict in roles between Milotic and Glaceon.

It can definitely serve as a second special attacker and is also suitable for targeting Pokémon that are weak to Water-type Pokémon.

For example, Milotic is the best choice when dealing with large leaves.

Of course, Xia Yan didn't say it so clearly; he believed that Cynthia understood what he meant.

"Well......"

Cynthia nodded slowly, repeating Xia Yan's words in her mind, while also planning her own team of Pokémon.

Players like Cynthia and Lance are now consciously starting to cultivate the core of their teams and the composition of their lineups.

Xia Yan doesn't know how strong Cynthia is right now.

However, the number of main Pokémon she and Wataru trained was undoubtedly much greater than his. Although this increased the team's margin for error, a person's energy is ultimately limited. The more energy is spread out, the more difficult it is to train each individual to its full potential.

Presumably, many of their Pokémon have already reached the level of near-Elite Four.

However, not all main Pokémon possess such strength.

"Hehe—what are you two little guys talking about? The car's here, we should go."

At that moment, Dr. Yamanashi, dressed in a neat blue suit, carrying a briefcase, and with his hair combed meticulously, walked over and said with a smile.

Standing next to Dr. Yamanashi was a tall, thin, and relatively younger-looking middle-aged man.

Dr. Kongmu.

He was one of Professor Oak's most outstanding students, and his main research focus was on the breeding habits of Pokémon.

The "Egg Group" project was first proposed by Dr. Kuki.

The proposal of a research topic does not mean that only one researcher will study it.

This is similar to some of the scientific research problems in Xia Yan's previous life; scientists all over the world are trying to decipher these problems.

However, a suggestion from Xia Yan, whether intentional or unintentional, led Dr. Yamanashi to a breakthrough in his research, interrupting his original plan to travel to the Pokémon world.

After that, for reasons unknown, the two decided to work together on this research.

So, after Sakuragi, Professor Yamanashi, and Professor Oak, Xia Yan met another remarkable professor of Pokémon studies.

The relationship between Dr. Yamanashi and Dr. Kuroki is somewhat similar to that between Sakuragi and Natsuhiko.

He is both a teacher and a friend.

The four boarded a special car sent by the Alliance and headed to Sakuragi's Research Institute in Konoha City.

This newly built "Sakuragi Lab" looks even more impressive than the "Eevee Evolution Lab" that Xia Yan had visited before.

In addition to Sakuragi's investiture ceremony and an academic conference covering most of the entire Pokémon world that will be held at the same time, the research institute has been decorated in an exceptionally lavish manner.

On the lawn outside the institute, you can see many PhDs and researchers gathered in twos and threes, talking about something.

Just speaking of the atmosphere alone.

This was definitely the grandest gathering in the entire Pokémon research community in recent years.

Every researcher feels proud to receive an invitation.

Of course, you can attend even without an invitation.

For example, Xia Yan didn't receive any invitation.

But he was invited by Sakuragi himself by phone.

As soon as I got off the bus.

"Dr. Yamanashi, Dr. Kuangmu!"

Having already received the news, Sakuragi took the initiative to greet him.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Sakuragi's gaze finally fell on Natsuhiko and Cynthia.

The smile on his face widened even more.

"Xia Yan, Shirona, you've arrived."

"Mr. Sakuragi." The two nodded in greeting at the same time.

Cynthia knew Natsuhiko's identity, so she wasn't surprised by Sakuragi's enthusiasm.

After greeting Sakuragi, Dr. Yamanashi and Dr. Sora went to meet some old friends.

"Follow me."