chsdbacks Chapter 315 Welcome to Unova
Chapter 315 Welcome to Unova
Chapter 317 Welcome to Unova
A name stretching a thousand kilometers is naturally the longest on the Hoenn continent.
Ignoring her partner's lame joke, Mary earnestly explained to the two unsuspecting Pokémon trainers, "Mr. Senri of Petalburg Gym is one of the strongest Gym Leaders in the Hoenn region. Because of his ruthless nature in battle, many trainers will bypass Petalburg Gym after embarking on their journey, hone their skills under other Gym Leaders, and then challenge this strict Gym Leader—but 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 makes it easier to choose tactics according to the situation."
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 a Normal-type move."
"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 young man, who looked like a top student, gratefully browsed the document that had been displayed on the screen, and replied as he did so.
"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 and pass the exam due to a forced change in approach, wouldn't they have wasted their time?
"So that's the situation on Unova's 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 LavaCity 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 inherit her Gym Leader father's clothes 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 adhering 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 regions, such as Senri, as competitors to continuously raise the League's requirements for the quality of Gym Leaders. From this perspective, Senri's strict attitude towards challengers is 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, seeing how diligently 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 rested his hand on the bridge of his nose and began to think.
His childhood friend, already impatient to see what happened next, exclaimed, "Oh dear, against Mr. Senri's Normal-type Pokémon, Champion Steven actually sent out two Steel-type Pokémon, one of which is 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 practice; it's not something that increases or decreases depending on how well you perform. In battle..."
Many trainers mistakenly believe that a partner's failure to perform as usual indicates a lack of ability under pressure.
"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 relentlessly. 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."
Hmm, your adaptable tactics seemed to have played a significant role in your match against Champion Daigo. After the battle, the Champion mentioned several times how Sengoku, even with type resistance, almost defeated him using his tactics. Could you share the specifics of that situation with us?
"Actually, the situation wasn't that dramatic at the time."
The owner of the Qianli Pavilion said this with a strong sense of rigor during the interview.
"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.
Slaking, while possessing an extremely high potential and being the Gym Leader's ace Pokémon, is also known for its laziness.
However, its unique ability severely slows down its battle pace. Spinny has an unpredictable and deep move pool, but compared to other Pokémon of similar skill levels, its physical attributes are perhaps not outstanding.
"These are indeed their individual characteristics. However, when the two of them appear together, an even more wonderful complementary effect occurs."
Duo Qianli raised his index finger.
"Squirrel can learn a move called 'Ability Swap.' By swapping Slaking's 'Lazy' ability onto itself, it can completely remove the ability lock from Slaking. Then, Squirrel can use that move again to transfer 'Lazy' to Steven's Champion Metagross or Skarmory, further weakening the opponent—this is our plan, and one of our tactical 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.
"On the contrary. This tactic was too obvious, so that the moment the Pokémon appeared, Daigo immediately realized my intention."
So, we spent a long time debating the "characteristic interchange" of the swaying spot.
Senri explained, "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 protection to avoid being fatally attacked. Meanwhile, 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 'Sloth' to conserve its stamina—and so the battle reached a stalemate."
Even with tactics in place, implementing them remains a significant challenge, a 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'm quite experienced 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 seized the positional opening created by the opponent's elimination, successfully transferring the 'Sloth' ability to Metagross—this is probably what Champion Steven was referring to as the experience where he almost lost."
"No way? He's been hit with 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 this around? 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's 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 was a brief description of the battle's outcome by the Gym Leader: "Of course, as you know, I ultimately lost that match. Champion Daigo used his hidden trump card, and my inability to respond in time to that situation could perhaps be attributed to insufficient training. If I had conserved more of Slaking and Madara's stamina during 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 battle ended abruptly there. The reporter then spoke with the Senri Gym Leader about the difficulty level of the Petalburg Gym. The excited Bailu was immediately doused with cold water, looking around listlessly like a wilted eggplant—
"That's it? How did that champion win? What was their so-called secret weapon?"
"Ahem." Miss Mary coughed lightly twice to clear her throat.
"This interview is from a long time ago. As for that trump card, it's not really a secret in the Hoenn region now. In a sense, it's also related to our purpose in coming to the Unova region."
"Hmm, I can probably guess what's going on."
Even the photographer, Dai, nodded knowingly with his arms crossed.
"So what exactly happened?" The girl, who was kept in the dark, was almost in tears.
"I think it must be super evolution."
Blackie looked up at Mary and Dai and said.
Then he turned to his childhood friend, "Bai Lu, didn't Professor Yew help us upgrade the National Pokédex? There should be information about Mega Metagross in it."
"Mega Evolution? Isn't that a transformation breakthrough unique to the Kalos region? The kind that allows Pokémon to temporarily gain a new form beyond their limits?"
"Actually, there have been eyewitness reports of that evolutionary form in the ancient Hoenn region, and it has recently begun to be used by trainers in Pokémon battles. That Champion Steven should be a pioneer in this area. Only this explanation could allow Metagross to break free from the constraints of the 'Lazy' ability and be updated to have a completely new innate ability—hmm, I think it's 'Hard Claws'."
The black-haired youth recounted to his childhood friend the extremely obscure knowledge about Mega Evolution in Unova, as if he were the research assistant of the Pokémon professor.
"Super Evolution" Bai Lu finally caught up with the train of thought, "So, could it be that the new champion was able to defeat Mr. Alder by relying on this special fighting style?"
"Very likely. Considering that the new champion was previously unknown in the Unova region, it is highly probable that he is from out of town—even if he didn't use Mega Evolution, it should be some kind of special move that is enough to disrupt the balance of battles."
Hei Lian handed the phone back to the photographer: "Thank you so much, the information you provided has been a great help. After reading Mr. Qianli's interview, I finally understand a little better where the gap lies between myself and top trainers. Although I still have no confidence in the success or failure of the assessment, at least I have found a direction to work towards, and I will no longer feel anxious and uneasy."
"I think you'll definitely pass the test, Blackie." Dai patted the young man's shoulder encouragingly. Miss White yawn stretched. "Mega Evolution! Sigh, looks like we'll be busy on the plane again. By the way, Miss Mary, what was the purpose of your trip here? At first, you two seemed to be looking at a map, were you looking for some part of Flying Cloud City?"
"Yes, we're going to find someone to interview us."
Mary put away her pen and paper and replied, "Have you heard about the murder and burial case on the beach in Feiyun City, and the related smuggling case?"
The two young men paused for a moment, exchanging glances as if they had heard some noisy fellow mention it during a regular communication session.
"That incident is related to an evil organization called Team Aqua in the Hoenn region. Thanks to one of your Unova detectives, the Hoenn League, located across the ocean, was able to find the organization's hideout. We plan to interview that detective."
"We should also ask him to analyze the current situation in the Hoenn region," the photographer said.
"Team Aqua has been lurking in Hoenn for years, and the remnants of that organization still maintain a considerable size and fighting strength. Meanwhile, another evil organization called Team Magma has taken over the baton, and following Team Aqua, they have also begun wreaking havoc in the Hoenn region. We've come here at the request of Champion Steven to seek the detective's opinion."
"Then what about what you said before, about super evolution?" Bai Lu asked cautiously.
"Hmm, it shouldn't be a problem to tell you a little bit, right?" Mary looked at the photographer, seeking his opinion.
"I also think it's fine."
As Dai spoke, she placed the camera equipment bag, which she had been carefully keeping, on the table.
After unzipping the bag and navigating around the various shooting equipment, the photographer opened a hidden compartment inside an equipment bag.
While using her arm to block the view that might come from behind, she slowly took out a pendant from inside.
The pendant is made of silvery-white stainless steel and doesn't look particularly expensive. However, at the center of the ornament is a transparent gemstone that radiates an iridescent rainbow luster.
"This is the item that helps Pokémon Mega Evolve, the Key Stone. Out of gratitude to the detective for solving the case..."
Champion Daigo asked us to deliver it to one of the detective's friends.
"Miss Mary, Mr. Dai, may I ask you a question?" Blackie asked politely, carefully choosing his words.
"Please speak." The reporter and photographer put the Evolution Keystone back into the depths of their camera bags and looked at the young man with a puzzled expression.
"Excuse me, is your destination the Hugo Detective Agency located at Yuxi Mansion in Feiyun City?"
"So this place is that famous locally?" Mary clapped her hands excitedly.
"It's not that bad, it's just that we happened to know." Hei Lian scratched his head, looking unusually troubled.
"You should know our childhood friend who won first place at the Higaki Tournament, right? She's the landlady of that firm."
"Oh, what a coincidence—"
She'd barely uttered a word when Mary froze for a moment. Usually so eloquent, she was at a loss for words in the face of this unexpected coincidence.
"Then you should know the address of Yuxi Residence, right? Can you tell us which direction to go?" the photographer promptly added.
"Head towards the city center, towards the busiest areas, the tallest buildings, and the most ornately decorated places. When you feel that the buildings next to you look out of place and something is clearly wrong, congratulations, you've reached your destination."
Bai Lu spoke with a serious expression, her words sounding no different from a joke.
"What she said is true." Blackie nodded helplessly and said, "However, I recommend the Flying Cloud City subway for transportation."
The airport is quite a distance from the city center; taking the subway would be more convenient.
"Ah, it really is in the city center." The photographer checked the map app on his phone for the third time, confirming, "Is the detective industry in the Unova region that prosperous?"
"I think that's probably just an isolated case. In a sense, that mansion was more like a detective and the landlord teaming up to snatch it from a real estate developer. Anyway, if you see a guy with a high ponytail wearing a baseball cap who claims to be a movie director there, remember to say hello for us."
For some reason, Hei Lian always spoke with unusual sarcasm when mentioning his childhood friend.
"However, it's highly likely that Touko is still wandering around the Unova region."
Bai Lu glanced at the time on the photographer's phone and was immediately startled—"Oh dear, how come it's already this late?"
"Are we going to have to delay the flight again?"
Blackie calmly glanced at his watch, then at the phone opposite him, and shook his head, saying, "There's plenty of time. Mr. Dai, surely the time on your phone hasn't been properly calibrated to the location?"
"Yeah, I was so excited on the way that I forgot to adjust to the time difference." Dai awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"This is also a reminder, Dai. Perhaps we should set off as soon as possible."
The reporter shook her empty coffee cup, then raised her hand to ask the waiter for a receipt.
"Sorry, Heilian and Bailu. We may have to go ahead first."
"The same applies to us."
Hei Lian stood up and straightened his tie.
"Bai Lu, it's time for us to go too. There's no harm in getting to the airport early to prepare. It's a pleasure to meet you two guests from Hoenn. Although it's a bit late, I still want to say a few words."
"What did you say?" the reporter asked, a little curious.
Miss Shiratsuyu adjusted her glasses, stood next to Kurei, and said in unison with him, "Welcome to Unova!"
Having obtained the exact address, Mary and Dai headed towards the city center to find the detective.
Having gathered intelligence and information, and determined to face the champion, Kuroren, he and Shiratsuyu headed towards the airport.
All four of them were filled with confidence, feeling that both reality and ideals seemed to be within reach.
Unfortunately, none of them could possibly achieve their goals.
Or perhaps they went astray from the very beginning.
The reason for this is because of the phrase, "Welcome to Unova."
In the open-air café where reporters, photographers, candidate gym leaders, and research assistants intersected, among the café's few indoor booths—
Hugo, the newly crowned champion of the Unova region, stood up to greet the guests who had traveled from afar.
Standing in front of him was also a champion trainer.