Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"Recommended by former champion Mr. Ardek and Ms. Aloe, the head of the Seven Treasures Dojo, I am currently undergoing the qualification examination to become a dojo trainer."

"That's what the dark-haired young man said. He seemed to have a habit of wearing glasses in the past, and sometimes he would unconsciously hook the tip of his nose with his hand."

"So far, I have passed the Gym Leader Code of Conduct and Pokémon Knowledge and Ability Test, which are mainly written exams, as well as the comprehensive ability assessment that requires long-term observation. There is only one last step left before I pass the assessment."

"A practical test," said the girl, Bai Lu.

Hei Lian nodded—

"Based on the original prediction, Champion Alder is away from home for a long time, and the Elite Four basically handle all the affairs of the League. Therefore, I should be facing one of the four Unova Elite Four members—Tachibana, Wanlong, Lianwu, and Caitlia—in the practical test to become a Gym Leader. In order to perform better in the test, I have developed an extremely detailed tactical plan for each Elite Four member and trained my Pokémon team accordingly."

“I helped too,” Bai Lu added.

However, Mary's expression turned serious: "It's really not easy, but then..."

"That's right. A week before the practical assessment was about to begin, something that shocked the entire Unova region happened. The situation changed dramatically."

The composed, black-haired boy spoke. Faced with this situation, even he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

"Given the above circumstances, I have no choice but to fight the new champion who defeated Mr. Ardek."

Chapter 304 How to Defeat the Champion

For Black Lian, the news of the championship changing hands was like a proctor announcing a change in the exam scope before handing out the papers.

Moreover, if we accept the statement in the newspaper that Mary just bought at the airport, then the current champion of Unova is not just ordinary in strength.

Adding to the fact that his opponent's identity was mysterious, making it impossible to prepare in advance, the black-haired youth's practical assessment was practically a hellish challenge, like drawing the worst possible outcome.

"Even if a new champion takes over, they might not immediately take over the Elite Four's job of evaluating Gym Leaders, right?"

Mary comforted her, saying—

“Look, when the champion first took office, didn’t he usually have to deal with a lot of trivial administrative procedures? That person might not be able to find the time.”

"I inquired with the relevant personnel at the league headquarters, but they didn't know the specifics of the new champion either. However, it's certain that none of the four Heavenly Kings have any plans to conduct practical tests recently," Blackie said, shaking his head.

“That’s really bad news,” Mary admitted. “Combined with the news in the newspaper that ‘the four Usain Bolts have unanimously acknowledged the new champion’s strength,’ this matter is most likely not a misunderstanding caused by poor communication. So…”

"It's almost a certainty that the newly appointed champion will serve as an examiner."

The photographer voiced his partner's conclusion, looking sympathetically at the young trainer who dreamed of becoming a gym leader.

However...

Mary used her companion's digression to change the tone of her speech and liven up the atmosphere of the conversation.

"If it's just a practical test, shouldn't it be enough to just demonstrate strength commensurate with the dojo leader? There's no need to actually defeat the champion who's acting as the examiner, otherwise the test would just turn into a championship challenge."

“Even so, the pressure of facing a king is different from the pressure of facing a real champion,” Hei Lian said seriously.

"It sounds like you've had something like this before?"

"I once went through a low period in my life after losing to my childhood friend in a tournament. It was then that I met Mr. Alder, who was then the reigning champion and traveling all over the Unova region."

"I see, so this former champion's name is among your recommenders... Wait, your childhood friend?"

Mary turned her head to the other side in surprise.

"Is this Miss Shiratsuyu such a powerful trainer? She defeated the top four trainers of the Higanbana Tournament, so she must be in the top two."

"No, no, no, you misunderstand. I'm just a research assistant who helps Professor Julius collect Pokémon data. This time, I'm accompanying Blackbeard to assist him with his assessment in order to complete a project related to the breeding of battle Pokémon."

The girl, who looked careless and had just missed her flight because she was late, quickly waved her hand.

"The childhood friend that Blackie mentioned refers to another one of our childhood playmates. She also qualified for the Hinoki Tournament by challenging the gym, and in that tournament, she defeated Blackie and Miss Alice from Odd Dragon City, and finally won the championship trophy."

"He's a really skilled trainer," Dai exclaimed.

"However, she also got a taste of success from that competition, and after that, her life went completely off track, and she started speeding down a strange path... It's really hard to explain."

Hei Lian shook his head repeatedly in regret, showing his unwillingness to continue discussing that topic.

“I understand. Let’s get back to the topic of Black Lian meeting the champion, Alderman. So, have you ever fought a former champion?” Mary was very professional and decisively steered the conversation back to the previous topic.

The black-haired boy waved his hand and explained, "That's not the case. If I had really been fortunate enough to fight, I wouldn't be so confused now. In fact, Mr. Adek that day was just having me train with him."

"Special training?"

"Yes, according to that former champion, it was special training to cultivate so-called 'resolve.' It sounds very strange, doesn't it? It wasn't before the competition, but after I was eliminated. I found it very inexplicable at the time. Now it seems like just ordinary activities like exercising with Pokémon, weight training, and honing moves... But back then, after sweating it out with Mr. Alder and his Pokémon, I don't know why, but I suddenly felt a lot of the knot in my heart disappear."

“I see.” Mary casually turned to a new page in her full notebook. “Exercise can indeed relieve stress sometimes.”

"It's not just that. More importantly, I saw my ideal self in Mr. Ardeck back then—not in the aspect of holding a title, but in the spiritual strength he showed by proactively helping and teaching others when they were in trouble. I want to be that kind of person too."

"I think this is a remarkable ideal. Being a Gym Leader is indeed a very suitable job for realizing your dream. From your description, Blackie, I can also feel the kind of strength that Alder is like, unlike Steven, the Champion of Hoenn."

If Mr. Daigo saw a talented trainer feeling down on the street, he would probably offer a few words of comfort and then give them a few oddly shaped stones that could come in handy in battle as a consolation gift. It's hard to say which approach is better or worse…

"But, although Blackie trained with Mr. Alder's Pokémon, he knew nothing about their strength."

Bai Lu interjected.

"If Black League is swept out of the competition by the new champion 0-6 before they can even demonstrate their strength and qualifications after the actual combat assessment begins, then all our previous efforts will have been in vain."

"Well, although the opponent is the champion, since he is serving as the examiner, he should slow down the pace a bit... just like how a gym leader sends out a less powerful Pokémon when facing a beginner."

Mary speculated hesitantly.

“Mary, don’t forget, the current champion of Unova is a newcomer. His personality and character are still unknown. Black Len and the others certainly wouldn’t want to entrust their chance to realize their dreams to an unknown fate.”

Photographer Dai stood on the side of the newly acquainted teenagers and spoke up to refute his companion's naive idea.

"Hmm, about the champion's strength..." Miss Mary pondered deeply.

"We're not professional Pokémon trainers, so we can't offer any particularly specific opinions. But speaking of which, wasn't there a Gym Leader before? That Gym Leader once talked about his experience taking the Gym Leader Ability Test when he first moved to the Hoenn region in an interview on our TV station, and it's very similar to your situation, Blackie. The interview seemed to include his description of his battle against Champion Steven, and he almost won, but I don't know how much of that was exaggerated."

"Which trainer was it? What type did they specialize in? Do you have any battle videos or original interview transcripts from that time?"

Before Heilian could answer, Bailu excitedly grabbed the reporter's hand holding the pencil and bombarded her with questions, even more excited than Heilian who was about to take the assessment.

“There are definitely no battle recordings, just like the combat assessments you participated in. This kind of information usually doesn’t circulate outside the Alliance headquarters,” Mary replied. “However, the unedited interview transcript should be available in the TV station’s work hard drive… Dai, we should have access to it, right?”

"Actually, I've already found it. This is inside information, please don't spread it."

Dai placed the lemonade, which had appeared out of nowhere, back on the table and held up her phone to the three of them. A read-only document was already open on the screen.

Then, as if recalling a funny story, the photographer couldn't help but smile and asked the two young people a question—

"Let's solve an interesting riddle: Who is the Gym Leader with the longest name in the Hoenn region?"

Chapter 305 Welcome to Unova

A name that stretches for a thousand kilometers is naturally the longest on the Hoenn continent.

Ignoring her partner's lame joke, Mary earnestly began explaining to the two unsuspecting members of the Hoenn region—

"Mr. Senri of Petalburg Gym is one of the most powerful gym leaders in the Hoenn region. Because of his ruthless nature in battle, many trainers will bypass Petalburg Gym and hone their skills under other gym leaders before challenging this strict gym leader. Even so, Petalburg Gym still has the lowest success rate among Pokémon gyms in the Hoenn region."

"As for the Pokémon that this Mr. Senri is good at using, they are Normal-type Pokémon such as Slaking, Exploud, Ursaring, and Spindle. It is said that the reason he chooses Normal-type is because this type has a balanced coverage, which is conducive to adapting to different situations and choosing tactics."

Blackie nodded in agreement, saying, "That's a very worthwhile point of view. It reminds me of Aloe Vera from the Seven Treasures Gym. The reason she specializes in Normal-type moves is because she believes that Normal-type moves are the foundation of all types, and most Pokémon's first move is almost always Normal-type."

"That's an interesting point. By the way, Blackie, what type of gym leader do you plan to specialize in?"

The photographer solemnly handed the phone to the other party while asking a question.

"To be honest, I haven't decided yet."

The black-haired youth, who looked like a top student, gratefully browsed the document that had been displayed on the screen, and replied.

"The Pokémon I carry with me now were all caught during my Pokédex-collecting journeys, so their types are relatively mixed. I plan to choose a specific type to specialize in after passing the exam. Although I don't know the regulations in other regions, according to the Unova region, trainers can choose a type to specialize in after passing the exam and becoming a Gym Leader candidate. After all, if candidates are unable to give their all to pass the exam due to a forced type change, wouldn't they be wasting their time?"

"So that's the situation on the Unova side."

Having heard the unique and interesting stories of the area, Miss Mary wrote with great speed and ease.

"In the Hoenn region, the position of Gym Leader is generally passed down through generations or by invitation. For example, Mr. Wallace and Mr. Adam are master and apprentice, and Ms. Aysa from Lavatown inherited her Gym from her grandfather. Trainers who inherit Gyms specialize in learning knowledge and skills of a certain type of Pokémon from a young age, while those who are invited usually have already shown outstanding talent in a certain type before being invited—like this Mr. Senri."

"Mr. Senri's daughter has recently started to make a name for herself in Hoenn. I wonder if she will follow in her father's footsteps as the Gym Leader in the future," Dai added.

Does the difference in talent selection mechanisms between Hoenn and Unova represent a difference between tradition and modernity?

Mary silently noted this down; it might be a good story to tell.

The population of the Hoenn region is much smaller than that of the Unova region, and its economy is also much worse. Therefore, it needs to rely on targeted training through inheritance to cultivate excellent local trainers.

However, blindly sticking to old ways for too long can also lead to a decline in the overall combat strength of all trainers. Therefore, it is necessary to occasionally invite outstanding trainers from other places, such as Senri, as competitors to continuously raise the League's requirements for the quality of Gym Leaders... From this point of view, Senri's strict attitude towards challengers is quite understandable.

In contrast, the Unova region's affluent economic conditions, coupled with former champion Alder's emphasis on education, mean that the local league doesn't need to do much extra work. It can rely solely on mass training programs like Pokémon Schools and a wide variety of commercial events like the Higanbana Tournament to allow ordinary trainers like Blacklink to accumulate enough knowledge and experience to pass multiple rounds of auditions and enter the shortlist of Gym Leader candidates.

Of course, this mechanism isn't without its flaws. If any part of the selection process malfunctions, it could easily lead to a wide range of quality among the new generation of dojo leaders. However, given how seriously Blackie is preparing for the exam, such a risk is unlikely to materialize for a long time to come…

"Ah, I see the part about the champion battle. The assessment rules are a two-on-two doubles duel."

While the reporter was lost in thought, Bai Lu, who was also looking closely at her phone screen, exclaimed in surprise.

"Hmm, considering time efficiency, two-on-two doubles does provide a more comprehensive assessment of a challenger's abilities. Will the new champion here also choose this testing method? Or will they choose the rules entirely based on their interest, like the previous Four Heavenly Kings...?"

Hei Lian placed his hand on the bridge of his nose and began to think.

His childhood friend, however, couldn't wait to see what happened next—

"Oh dear, against Mr. Senri's Normal-type Pokémon, Champion Steven actually sent out two Steel-type Pokémon, one of which was even an ace. Isn't that a bit too unfair?"

In the document, a reporter from Mauville TV asked Gym Leader Senri: "During the strength test before becoming a Gym Leader, when facing the Metagross and Skarmory combination sent by Champion Steven, with Metagross being the champion's main Pokémon, were you ever worried that you wouldn't be able to unleash your full potential?"

“Strength comes from diligent and continuous training; it is not something that increases or decreases depending on how well you perform. In battles, many trainers assume that their partner’s failure to perform as well as usual is due to a lack of on-the-spot ability, which is actually a misconception.”

"What do you mean by that?" the reporter asked.

"Whether it's a human or a Pokémon, it's the same: to become stronger, you have to work hard and strive. Failing to unleash a Pokémon's full power is also a sign of a trainer's lack of skill. To avoid this, trainers must learn to improve their ability to anticipate the opponent's tactics and adapt their next move accordingly."

—Yes, your adaptable tactics seem to have played a significant role in your match against Champion Daigo. The Champion has mentioned several times after the battle that even when facing type resistance, Senri almost defeated him using his tactics. Could you share the specifics of that situation with us?

"Actually, the situation at the time was not that dramatic."

The owner of Qianli Pavilion said in the interview with a strong sense of rigor.

"In the battles against Skarmory and Metagross, I sent out Slaking and Spinny—at that point, my tactical intentions were already quite clear."

Both are Normal-type Pokémon with very obvious strengths and weaknesses—the reporter had clearly done a lot of preparation for the interview.

While Slaking is a Pokémon with an extremely high potential and is also the Gym Leader's ace Pokémon, its "Sloth" ability severely slows down its battle rhythm. Spinda has an unpredictable and deep move pool, but compared to other Pokémon of similar skill levels, its physical attributes are perhaps not particularly outstanding.

"These are indeed their individual characteristics. However, when the two of them appear together, a more wonderful complementary effect will occur."

Qianli raised his index finger.

"Squirrel can learn a move called 'Ability Swap.' By swapping Slaking's 'Sloth' onto itself, it can completely remove the latter's ability. Then, Squirrel can use that move again to transfer 'Sloth' back to Steven's Metagross or Skarmory, further weakening the opponent—this is our plan, and one of our tactical contingency plans before the assessment begins."

"So that's how it is. You used this tactic to outmaneuver Daigo and win the championship?" the reporter asked with great admiration.

"Quite the opposite. The tactic was too obvious, so Steven immediately realized my intention the moment the Pokémon appeared. Thus, we spent a considerable amount of time maneuvering around Spinda's 'Ability Swap'."

Qianli said—

"After the first swap, Slaking's combat power increased significantly, while Spinda, temporarily possessing the 'Sloth' ability and being exceptionally vulnerable, had to rely on Slaking's cover to avoid being fatally struck by the opponent. Intimidated by Spinda's second 'Ability Swap,' Steven's Metagross was unable to utilize its close-range physical attack advantage, and could only rely on ranged attacks and Skarmory's 'Roost' move to maintain the situation, while Slaking constantly used 'Slack' to conserve its HP—and so the battle became a stalemate."

Even with tactics in place, implementing them remains a significant challenge, the reporter remarked.

"That's the point. Composing a strategy isn't difficult. How to stick to it and execute your plan correctly depends on your daily accumulation of experience. Fortunately, because I used to live in Asagi City in the Johto region, which has the world's first Steel-type Gym, I have relatively more experience in dealing with Steel-types that are at a disadvantage."

The owner of the Qianli Pavilion smiled as he recalled the past, recounting the most crucial turning point—

"Finally, in that battle, I seized the moment when Skarmory was briefly distracted by the patterns on Spinda's body, allowing Slaking to use Focus Blast to attack Skarmory's vulnerable Special Defense the instant it landed with Roost, successfully eliminating one of Steven's Pokémon. At the same moment, Spinda also took advantage of the opening created by the opponent's elimination, successfully transferring the Sloth ability to Metagross—this is probably the experience Steven Champion mentioned, the one where he almost lost."

"No way? He's been given the extremely disadvantageous Landmine ability, and the opponent still has two Pokémon left, both in such a desperate situation. How can Champion Steven possibly turn the tide? How did he do it?"

Upon seeing this, Bai Lu in the real world couldn't help but be quite surprised.

"Don't worry, it'll be written on the next page."

Hei Lian calmly swiped his finger down the screen.

More than the performance of the Elite Four member, he was actually more concerned about Daigo's true strength. What exactly was the difference in strength between the so-called League Champion and the top-tier gym leaders?

On the next page of the document, there is a brief description of the battle's outcome by the Master of the Senri Hall—

"Of course, as you know, I still lost that match in the end. Champion Daigo used his hidden trump card, and I failed to deal with that situation in time. Perhaps it can be said that my training was insufficient. If I had conserved more of Slaking and Madara's stamina in the earlier stages of the battle, and if I had been less careless when the plan succeeded, perhaps the final result would have been very different—but there are no 'ifs' in a battle."

The report on the battles ended there. The reporter then spoke with the Gym Leader of Senri about the difficulty level of the Petalburg Gym.

The excited Bailu was immediately doused with cold water, and like a wilted eggplant, she stared blankly around with lifeless eyes—