Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

If the first subscription exceeds the target by 100, I'll add an extra chapter!

A 100 RMB reward will also result in an extra chapter (this is RMB, not Qidian coins ('?') otherwise I might die of exhaustion).

Monthly pass... uh, I've never known what monthly pass is for, but I'll give the monthly pass some face.

One extra chapter for 200 monthly votes? That should be about right, right?

Although I have no more drafts saved up, I still have my liver!

That seems to be all. See you tomorrow at noon!

Lastly, I hope everyone can support this book on Qidian.

After all, if the grades are too poor, even pirate websites might not bother to steal them.

Dear readers, you wouldn't have wanted this book to perform this poorly, would you?

Off to write some more, bye~

====================

# Foot of the mountain

====================

## Chapter 73 There's something wrong with your stubbornness!

Inside the classroom.

Zhou Yuanyuan, always eager to know more, quickly approached Xia Shen as soon as he returned to his seat. "What was your special reward?"

"He said he'd teach my Garchomp the Dragon Dance," Xia Shen joked.

Zhou Yuanyuan immediately looked at him like he was an idiot.

……

Legend has it that the ancestor of all Garchomps was a Garchomp whose strength rivaled that of legendary Pokémon.

Because you offended Arceus, you were cursed by the creator god—your descendants will never dance with dragons again.

Although the origin is unknown, it at least provides a reason why Garchomp cannot use Dragon Dance.

In short, it's common knowledge that the Garchomp family doesn't know Dragon Dance.

Xia Shen had indeed asked the principal this question with a sliver of hope, only to be met with the same look from Zhou Yuanyuan.

Xia Shen was still muttering to himself, "Didn't you say you'd teach me skills and guarantee I'd learn them all...?"

……

"So what exactly is the reward?" Zhou Yuanyuan pressed for details.

Xia Shen answered honestly, "He said he would find me a professional 9th ​​dan trainer for one-on-one guidance."

Zhou Yuanyuan was speechless. "Can you be serious for once? At least make up something plausible!"

"Fine, don't believe me then." Xia Shen sighed helplessly. Why is it that no one believes him when he tells the truth?

Seeing Xia Shen's genuine helplessness, Zhou Yuanyuan's expression gradually froze. "You...you're not joking?"

"I'm not kidding, training will start at noon today."

"A professional ninth dan..." Zhou Yuanyuan muttered to himself.

What is the concept of a professional 9th ​​dan?

That's the ceiling below the masters!

Even some masters who lost their titles after being overtaken by the younger generation still retain the title of professional 9th ​​dan!

There are only a few thousand active professional ninth-dan trainers in the entire country of China.

Compared to the more than 60 million trainers registered with the Trainers Association, they are truly one in ten thousand.

"I feel like you're leaving me further and further behind..." Zhou Yuanyuan suddenly sighed.

Seeing Zhou Yuanyuan looking somewhat dejected, Xia Shen quickly stuffed the pie-in-the-sky promise the principal had made into his good friend's mouth.

"I'm just a guinea pig. If it works well, you all will have a chance."

Just then, the school bell rang, and the two stopped talking.

------

At noon, in the teacher-only training room of the training hall.

Because the teachers in the school's Pokémon battle course are mostly professional-level trainers.

Therefore, the teachers' dedicated room is larger than a regular training room.

At this moment, only the principal and Xia Shen were in the empty training room.

"Confucius said, 'Teach according to aptitude.' So I specifically chose these two for your current main spirits."

As Principal Wang spoke, he took out two Poké Balls.

"Come out, Desert Dragonfly, Rogue Panda!"

Two red lights flashed, and two enormous elves suddenly appeared on the open ground in front of Xia Shen.

One is mostly green and looks like a dragonfly; the other is an upright panda with thick limbs, a bamboo leaf in its mouth, and a very arrogant expression.

Xia Shen sighed inwardly, "Goodness, this really is a case of teaching according to aptitude."

Not only do the Desert Dragonfly have the same attributes as the Earth Dragon, but their base stats are also very similar.

The move pools are definitely different, but Flygon's Earthquake, Iron Tail, and Dragon Dance are all moves that Xia Shen wants Garchomp to learn.

Although I want to learn dragon dance, I just can't.

Having a rogue panda guide the bear cubs is an ingenious idea.

Rogue Panda and Circle Bear are both bear-type Pokémon, similar in size, and have similar racial traits and roles in a team.

More importantly, as a pure Fighting-type Pokémon, the Rogue Panda can also teach the Bear Cub Fighting techniques.

……

"Let's come out too!" Xia Shen threw out two Poké Balls, and Garchomp and Teddiursa appeared.

"Awooo—" Garchomp spotted the unfamiliar green Pokémon in front of it immediately and looked it over curiously.

Then, smelling a scent similar to its own, it felt a sense of closeness and went up to strike up a conversation.

The two elves chatted and quickly became acquainted.

On the other side, the little bear also noticed the rogue panda blocking its way like a wall.

She looked up at the tall man with an unfriendly face.

"Miya..." Like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, the bear cub showed no fear whatsoever, instead standing still and talking to the rogue panda.

"Roar?" No one knows what the cub said, but the rogue panda squatted down and stared at the little guy in front of him.

"Miya miya~" The little bear pointed to the bamboo leaf that the rogue panda was holding in its mouth, seemingly very interested in it.

"Roar..." The rogue panda shook its head, indicating that this was its treasure, and even a trainer wouldn't be able to make it spit it out.

Xia Shen quickly picked up the bear cub, afraid that the daring little bear would touch the bamboo leaves.

He remembered that bamboo leaves were very important to the rogue panda, as they could be used to sense the movements of enemies.

Once the bamboo leaves are gone, the rogue panda will immediately become dejected and lose its will to fight.

……

Once the two pairs of "masters and apprentices" had gotten to know each other, the old principal officially began the first lesson.

Instead of starting the lecture, he asked a very open-ended question, "Xia Shen, what do you think is the most important thing in Pokémon battles?"

Xia Shen was stunned, pondering this question, which he had never explored in depth before, for the first time so seriously.

If it's a battle in a game, then he can answer without hesitation that it's team building.

Building a team is not just about matching Pokémon; it also includes move sets, items, individual value (IV) adjustments, and EV allocation.

It can be said that team composition is the foundation of Pokémon battles. As long as the team is well-matched and the strategy is familiar, it will be effective.

To paraphrase a popular livestreamer, even my grandma could use this team to reach Master rank.

……

In real-world Pokémon battles, the Pokémon themselves are more important than the deck building.

Unlike strings of data in games, each Pokémon can vary greatly due to its innate talents and subsequent training.

Can a regular trainer's Charizard be the same as Yan Yu's Charizard?

So, is the answer the strength of the individual Pokémon?

Throughout the history of Pokémon battles, there are countless classic battles where the weak defeated the strong.

Those trainers, whether through command or the bond between themselves and their Pokémon, have created their own miracles time and time again.

Looking at Xia Shen, who was deep in thought, the old principal said slowly, "There is no answer to this question, or perhaps everyone has their own answer in their heart. I'm just dropping an anchor here today; you have to find your own answer."

Xia Shen: "..."

I thought you had some profound insight into this question... Turns out you're just another riddle teller.

The principal ignored Xia Shen's gaze, concluded the topic, and began the formal lesson.

"The most basic quality of a trainer is to understand their own Pokémon. So, how much do you know about your two partners?"

Xia Shen was quite confident about this.

Not to mention that Arceus can see the specific energy levels of his three Pokémon on his phone.

Moreover, he can get professional data from the check-ups he goes to Zhou Keke every weekend.