Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

Xia Shen immediately chimed in, "But I don't think everyone at Dongdu University is a sandstorm just because of the two of you, because I'm not that stupid."

The two of them, speaking in unison, made Nohara and Takashima so angry that they turned red.

Unable to find a good angle to refute, they could only focus on the point that "[Dorambaruto can also play]" to counterattack.

The noise finally caught the attention of Keiko Fujiwara, who was still studying the battle video on the podium, and she quickly came over to maintain discipline.

……

"what happened?"

Unlike her gentle demeanor in private, she had a serious and authoritative expression during class, and coupled with the intimidating presence of her professional ninth-dan ranking, she kept Nohara's side in suspense.

They knew they had indeed started the conflict, so they didn't dare to clamor anymore.

"You said."

Keiko Fujiwara asked a bystander who was nearby to act as a third party.

"It's probably because Fujiwara heard the high school students saying that [Dorambaruto might also appear], so he laughed at that person, and then they started arguing."

The discussion was generally objective and fair, and both parties nodded in agreement when faced with Fujiwara Keiko's questioning gaze.

"Dorombalto can play? Who said that?" Fujiwara Keiko asked in surprise.

The girl who was asked the question replied, "He's the most handsome one among that group of high school students."

Fujiwara Keiko turned her head and looked around before fixing her gaze on Xia Shen. "You said it?"

The tone of voice was neither good nor bad.

The sarcastic man sneered from the side, thinking, "Does he enjoy being a clown who tries to attract attention?"

Would you dare to speak recklessly in front of a quasi-master?

Xia Shen replied without hesitation, "If he knows a skill, I think he can play, and the effect will be very good."

Fujiwara Keiko's eyes flashed with surprise. "Which skill?"

"Pass the baton!"

……

[Ballast: Replaces the backup Pokémon. The replaced Pokémon directly inherits the changes in its abilities.]

While relay teams are not as common as weather-based teams or heavy space teams, they are still one of the more well-known team compositions.

Simply put, it involves having the support Pokémon use moves like Swords Dance or Dragon Dance to boost its strength, and then using the Baton Pass move to transfer the boost to the main damage-dealing Pokémon.

In his previous life, there was a team called Dorambaruto that could take over, which is why Xia Shen was able to think of this.

But in the real world, would you let a rare and powerful pseudo-legendary Pokémon like Dragapult play a support role?

Are you crazy or am I crazy?

So when Xia Shen said the words "[take over]", everyone except Fujiwara Keiko looked at Xia Shen with incredulous eyes.

"Come up here and speak."

Fujiwara Keiko looked appreciative and took Xia Shen's hand, leading him forward.

Nohara's group just stared blankly as Xia Shen followed Fujiwara Keiko onto the stage.

Of course, the expressions of the others weren't much better.

What do you mean?

Is Professor Fujiwara going to have this high school student give a lecture to us, a group of top students from the University of Tokyo?

……

The lectern offered a great view, and Xia Shen could clearly see the anxious, angry, and helpless expressions on Nohara and Takashima's faces.

Xia Shen smiled at them amicably, but noticed that their expressions were becoming increasingly sullen.

Ignoring them further, Xia Shen cleared his throat and said, "Without wasting everyone's time, I'll get straight to my prediction. The team above has a very simple strategy; their core damage dealers are Mimikyu and Cinderace."

"If Tobias predicts that Etherin will use Snorlax, he will probably choose Dynamax Cinderace. This Pokémon's powerful [Free Spirit] ability will make his Fighting moves very effective against Snorlax, and its deep move pool is also good against other Pokémon."

The Fire Rabbit's [Free Spirit] ability is a powerful trait similar to Greninja's ability to transform.

It changes to the same attribute as the move it uses.

"The remaining two, the Whimsicott with [Prankster] can set up Tailwind, Light Screen, and has the annoying move Parting Gift, so it's a good choice. As for the last one, the most likely candidate is Mimikyu as a backup attacker."

Fujiwara Keiko pressed the remote control at the right moment, and Tobias' final lineup appeared on the big screen: [Whisper, Flame Ace, Mimikyu].

Not one missing!

A rustling sound of discussion could be heard below.

Are there any students out of nearly a hundred who made the exact correct prediction?

There certainly are, but they admit they cannot fully explain the reasons for their choice.

This high school student, who had only been formally involved in Pokémon battles for half a year, was able to analyze things clearly and logically.

Even if it's just theoretical knowledge, it's enough to prove his excellence.

……

"Then there's Atherine's team, which has been the subject of much debate. My guess is that she'll field a lineup of Ice Ninetales, Dragapult, and Excadrill."

Since Mr. Fujiwara asked him to speak, it means that his guess about the Dorombalto relay team was definitely correct.

"The only function of the Ice Nine-Tailed Fox is to open the aurora curtain. In fact, this Ice Nine-Tailed Fox is probably carrying the [Light Clay], an item that extends the duration of the aurora curtain."

"After activating the Aurora Curtain, Etherine should switch in Draco. Draco with [Pure Body] is even immune to Whimsicott's [Farewell Gift] ability reduction. However, Black Cotton's disgusting taunt skill is the most important thing to watch out for with Etherine's strategy."

"With the multiple protections of Aurora Veil, Will-O-Wisp, and Substitute, Dragapult can safely use Dragon Dance to boost its power multiple times, and finally use Baton Pass to hand it over to Excadrill, which is not afraid of Mimikyu's Disguise ability."

"Of course, if the opponent's Flame Joker stays on the field without being substituted, Draco Barut after Dragon Dance can go head-to-head with him without any problem."

"Tactics are never static."

On the screen, the three Pokémon that Etherine ultimately chose were exactly the same as Xia Shen's analysis—

[Ice Ninetales, Dragapult, Excadrill]

The initial murmurs of discussion had long since vanished, and the entire arena fell silent.

----------

Author's Remarks

Thank you so much for the generous donation from the user "笔头有点甜"! It's too much of a waste of your money! I saw this singles team a long time ago from the forum moderator "甲". The team's strength is guaranteed, and the developer is also a master.

2022-05-27 08:00

## Chapter 87 When gathered, they are a heap of dung; when scattered, they are stars across the sky.

"Junior, remember to apply to Dongdu University next year! Your senior will be waiting for you here!"

"Okay, senior, I'll talk to my girlfriend about it when I get back and give it serious consideration!"

"..."

After saying goodbye to the enthusiastic senior students, Xia Shen finally managed to escape.

"That's great, three senior female students are your sparring partners." Xu Chong said sourly.

"There's nothing I can do. It's because the trainers of Garchomp, Ursaring, and Goodra are all senior students... I didn't want to either."

During the afternoon of intensive training, Xia Shen also had to constantly outwit and outmaneuver the senior students who might take advantage of him, which significantly reduced the efficiency of his training.

However, I gained a lot this afternoon, including sharing combat experience and move tips, practicing together, and exchanging moves.

Despite their playful antics, the senior students were still very dedicated to helping with the training.

It's no wonder they're top students from one of the top five universities in the country; Xia Shen estimated that they were probably at the level of professional trainers.

"Let's go eat quickly. The principal said we need to meet at Exit 1 of the East Capital Pokémon Battle Arena before 6 PM. The thought of this kind of life lasting for more than half a month is just too unbearable..."

Xu Chong sighed. For someone like him, a life with absolutely no time to relax was nothing short of torture.

Xia Shen felt it was alright; apart from the food, it wasn't much different from his life in Zhijiang.

But not seeing that familiar girl for so long makes me feel a little uneasy...

…………

After lunch, at 6:00 PM, in front of the East Capital Pokémon Battle Arena.

Once everyone was present, the principal announced the training plan for the evening.

"We know that the team competition of the National Elf Battle Tournament is divided into three parts: singles, doubles, and arena. Currently, our team only has one doubles pair: Chen Chuan's Long-haired Troll and Pan Yujie's Fiery Red Fox."

"However, a doubles team is easily targeted by opponents, so we need another, or even two, doubles combinations to strengthen the team's depth. In addition to Wang Yiyi and Chu Si being fixed as singles players, we will try more combinations."

"Tonight, we'll pair up in pairs. Xu Chong, you'll be in one pair with Xia Shen, and Li Chen will be in another pair with Li Yu. Coach Zhang and I will be recording you from the sidelines."

……

Without further ado, the group stepped into the magnificent arena.

The amateur-level battleground is located in the auxiliary arena of the battle hall.

Although it's called a secondary venue, its actual size is about the same as the Zhijiang Elf Battle Arena.

As the driver mentioned last night, even at night, every single battlefield here is packed with players.

Even around the least crowded area, there were still more than a dozen people watching.

Every time a match ends, a new player immediately fills the spot, so there's never an empty field.

Leaving Wang Yiyi and Chu Si on the singles court, the principal led Xia Shen and the others to the doubles court, which was relatively less crowded.

It's not that doubles is less exciting than singles, but rather that doubles has a much higher barrier to entry than singles.

At the very least, you need to have a teammate.

Xia Shen and Xu Chong followed the principal to a venue that had just finished, where they happened to encounter a couple with amateur fifth-dan skill levels looking for opponents.

The intensity was just right, and the four of them immediately agreed.

After obtaining the couple's consent, the principal set up the camera he had taken from the storage ball.