Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

[Mental Strength] trait?

What are the characteristics of [flake powder]?

Three common possibilities were instantly ruled out in my mind, because none of them were things that Nianmeilong could do.

If she could do that, she would be called Capo Sticky.

So there's only one possibility: this isn't Golem, but... Zoroark!

……

But how could it be Zoroark?

As a star in the Sichuan-Chongqing region, Xia Shen's Pokémon are quite famous in this area.

Especially those Pokémon unique to the ancient East Blue region, Zoroark is naturally one of them.

The examiner, who was from Chongqing, also knew about this.

What surprised him, of course, was that Zoroark, who usually had the Ghost attribute, was immune to the normal attribute [High Five].

Instead, why would Xia Shen use this spirit, which seems to be at most at the third stage of professional level?

Three precious roster spots, and one of them wasted?

But if you call it a waste... Zoroark actually seems quite useful.

At least... the initiative in the situation is now in Xia Shen's hands.

…………

Xia Shen and Zoroark were not about to sit idly by and wait for Zhan Wulang's surprise attack.

[Seclusion] There's no way Zoroark could ever learn that in his lifetime. The power-up move he used at the start was naturally... Meditation!

The enhanced orange glow surrounding "Soul Dragon" left Zhanwulang somewhat bewildered.

The examiner knew that this Goodra was a transformation of Zoroark, but Hitmonlee didn't.

He stared blankly at Nianmeilong, who was completely unaffected by his surprise high-five, and fell into deep self-doubt.

Goodra...can it really be a Ghost-type?

"Sticky Dragon, Superpower!"

Wow, even supernatural powers have appeared! Is this Sticky Dragon legal or not?

"War Dancer, unleash your furious attacks!"

As Zhanwulang was still wondering, the timely command from the temporary trainer came from behind him.

Zhanwulang felt relieved. Although he guessed that the Pokémon might be Ghost-type, he didn't dare to actually fight it based on that idea.

Now, with the trainer's guidance, he didn't hesitate to flip his body again, spinning in place to unleash Dark-type moves, wildly swinging and hitting.

For the warrior, attacking in this posture not only allows for a faster attack frequency, but also enables him to strike the enemy with his legs, which are thicker and more powerful than his arms.

Just as he was dancing upside down, the supernatural power centered on "Sticky Dragon" and shooting straight ahead struck him even faster.

Chapter 220 Hmph, trying to escape? Fierce Meteor Shower!

Although the invisible supernatural power slightly slowed down Zhanbulang's attack, his legs, which were spinning like helicopter propellers, still struck "Sticky Dragon".

Although the fourth-dan professional warrior, Senburou, is slightly stronger than Zoroark.

However, Zoroark, with the added benefit of meditation, still gained a slight advantage in this clash.

The combined effect of supernatural power and the counter-damage from the frenzied swings caused both elves to grunt and take two steps back.

The injured "Sticky Dragon" finally revealed her true form: a slender, humanoid fox demon with a vengeful shadow on her head and flowing purple hair...

Zoroark!

This predictable result did not affect the examiner at all. He simply calmly instructed, "War Dancer, continue your wild dance and strikes."

He showed no fear in the face of the two sprites' clash.

If they continue fighting like this, the one who falls first will most likely be their own Zhanwulang.

But the examiner didn't care.

He hoped that in their close combat, Senburou could exhaust Zoroark's stamina as much as possible.

This elf's ability to transform is too annoying. If she keeps appearing in later battles, it will greatly affect my decision-making.

……

For example, if you switch in a Goodra, do you use Fighting-type moves or not?

No need. Although it ensures the accuracy of the moves, the damage from non-superior attacks on the tanky Goodra is practically negligible.

But if we use Fighting-type moves, what if this Goodra is actually Zoroark in disguise?

Examiners dislike psychological games that appear to be rock-paper-scissors but are actually a contest of trainers' skills.

Rather than guessing later, he preferred to deal with this annoying elf at all costs.

Zhanwulang, I'm very sorry, but you are the price to pay...

The examiner silently apologized in his heart.

He was actually quite heartbroken. This was a perfect turnaround fighter, capable of intimidation and surprise attacks with high-fives. Except for not being able to turn back quickly, it was almost comparable to the Blazing Roaring Tiger.

However, as long as that annoying fellow can be dealt with, this price is not unacceptable.

Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise.

The initial meditation buff, while enhancing Zoroark's damage output, also made Xia Shen reluctant to recall the newly buffed Zoroark.

The examiner's lips curled into a smile.

Great, let's slowly swap them with my Senbuki...

But before the smile could last even a second, Xia Shen did something that puzzled him and made him very uncomfortable.

Zoroark used Shadow Sneak Attack, completing his preemptive attack before his Dance of Fury was finished.

Xia Shen actually took back Zoroark!

…………

What do you mean?

Are you just going to throw away the meditation session you secured at the start?

The examiner was stumped by Xia Shen again.

Since the start of the battle, Xia Shen's every key choice has been unexpected yet perfectly timed to make him extremely uncomfortable.

Zoroark, who is not very strong, transformed into a Goodra to trick Zoroark into a high-five attack...

He decisively recalled Zoroark, who had just completed his meditation enhancement...

Every choice seems to be a losing proposition, but upon closer examination, the one who loses the most is yourself.

He suddenly realized a profound truth.

In competitive games, you don't necessarily have to be the strongest; you just need to make your opponent suffer more than you do.

This is probably what they mean by the "starvation strategy"...

If Xia Shen knew that the examiner could imagine so much, he would definitely be both amused and exasperated.

What kind of hunger strike is this...?

In the game, if things go wrong, I'll run away even if my Pokémon has just Dynamaxed for one turn.

Not to mention the benefits of a short meditation session.

What does this even mean?

Similarly, Xia Shen was well aware of the examiner's little scheme.

Zoroark played a crucial role in this battle.

She may not appear on the field, but as long as the opponent knows that they have this elf in their back row, they will be plunged into endless suspicion.

Back on the field, it switched with Zoroark, and the Pokémon that appeared on the battlefield the next moment was... Garchomp.

Switching to Garchomp will not only make it easier for Xia Shen to control the situation on the field.

Moreover, the next time they switch to Nyanko-sensei, their opponents will have to consider this question.

Is the Pokémon in front of me a Goodra or a Zoroark?

…………

However, the examiners have no time to think about these things right now.

The most important thing right now is how to deal with this Garchomp's relentless, storm-like attacks.

As soon as Garchomp appeared, a deep green Dragon-type energy condensed on the bony toes of its hands, which was one of its most frequently used moves, Dragon Claw.

Garchomp has almost no moves that can counter Hitmonchan.

But it's okay if you don't know how.

Garchomp, having been refined by both Dragonite Crystal and Dragonite Slab, possesses a high purity of Dragon-type energy.

Even a Champion-level Dragon-type Pokémon would have to call him "Big Brother."

And with the added blessing of that top-grade dragon tooth...

The power boost of Garchomp's Dragon Claw attack is now far more than just 1.5 times.

Xia Shen tested it on the move testing machine. It was a Dark-type move called [Crunch] with the same power in the game but without any attribute bonus.

Garchomp dealt [3251] damage, which is slightly lower than Crunch, a common non-Dark-type Pokémon at level 5.

And the dragon claw, without the enhancement of powerful energy... deals a staggering [7463] damage!

It's about 2.3 times the original amount!

Although this was done while carrying a top-tier Dragon Fang.

But ignoring Dragon Fang, Garchomp's Dragon-type moves have a power boost of nearly 1.8 times!