Pokémon Court

Chapter 455 - Fallarbor Gym's New Format

"It really is the Water Sport move— weakening the power of Fire-type moves in an instant."

"But evaporating the moisture on the ground is still more than feasible. Sweet Water... looks like it's part of a combo move." Albus thought to himself. He didn't believe that Terrance would be troubled by such a straightforward attack.

"Interesting, so that's how it works..."

Albus spread out his Aura power, sensing the strange energy contained within the damp patches, and smiled.

Then, as the Fire Spin swept across the ground and evaporated the damp patches, Albus raised his nose, and took a deep sniff.

"A sweet scent?"

Blaze pinched his nose. What was going on?

Why was there a sweet scent in the arena?

Compared to Blaze, Torkoal, who was actually in the arena, was clearly feeling more uncomfortable. While the sweet aroma was pleasant, the more Torkoal inhaled, the hazier its consciousness became.

"Sweet Scent! How did they pull this off?" Albus chuckled. Wrapping the fragrance in the damp patches—was that even possible?

By using the gradually disappearing effect of Water Sport, the scent would gradually be released again, making it nearly impossible to guard against.

His opponent's move to evaporate the damp patches only accelerated this process!

"Masquerain, Water Sport!"

"Torkoal, Flamethrower!"

Terrance continued issuing commands. Blaze clearly hadn't given up resisting yet. Even though Torkoal's condition seemed off, at least it hadn't taken any direct damage.

Using Flamethrower to block Water Sport!

However, to his surprise, the Water Sport used now was completely different from the previous one in terms of attack strategy. Countless water blobs rained down toward Torkoal. Blaze was slightly surprised but wasn't too concerned, thinking that Flamethrower should be able to block it...

"It can't block them." Albus glanced at Torkoal's condition and shook his head slightly. It was in too poor a state. The opponent's Water Sport was both dense and scattered, yet scattered and dense at the same time—clearly the result of special training. In this situation, with Torkoal's mind dazed by the aroma, dodging would require an incredible stroke of luck.

And sure enough, despite neutralizing some of the water blobs, Torkoal still couldn't avoid getting splashed. Even though Water Sport wasn't known for its offensive power, as a Fire-type Pokémon, coming into contact with water was still highly uncomfortable for Torkoal.

Moreover, the effect of "Water Sport" was to weaken the power of Fire-type moves.

"It's not over yet. This time, the Water Sport comes with a little gift as well," Terrance reminded. In the next moment, Torkoal's condition worsened—it seemed like it had come into contact with some kind of irritating powder, and its entire body started showing signs of paralysis.

"As a Trainer... this Blaze is completely unqualified." Albus watched the battle from above, speechless. He had already thought of at least three ways to counter this strategy, though one of them was limited by Torkoal's strength and might not be fully effective.

"Boring." At this point in the battle, Albus could already see the outcome. The challenger's style was nothing but straightforward attacks—he had no understanding of counter or strategy. Throughout the entire battle, he had been completely led around by Terrance.

With the double debuffs from the Sweet Scent and Stun Spore, Torkoal had no chance of turning the battle around against Terrance's Masquerain.

A minute later, Scarlet announced the result.

The victor was the Gym Leader, Terrance.

With the Gym Battle over, Blaze left feeling dejected, while Terrance continued drafting the Gym format modification plan. However, at this moment, Albus slipped out of the Gym and caught up with Blaze.

He was just too bored.

"Hey, do you know why you lost?" Albus called out to him.

"Who are you? Were you in the Gym just now?" Blaze asked in surprise.

"Me? My name is Albus. I can teach you an easy way to defeat that Masquerain. Want to learn?" Albus smiled slightly.

"Your Torkoal isn't any weaker than that Masquerain. The problem is with your command—you rely too much on Fire-type moves."

Albus thought Blaze would get excited and beg him for advice, but instead, he was met with an eye-roll.

"Who do you think you are? I don't need your help! I'll come back and challenge them again!"

For a moment... Albus was stunned.

"Damn it! You brat, I challenge you! If you've got guts, face me one-on-one!"

"Who's afraid of who? Bring it on!"

Meanwhile, Terrance, still unaware that Albus had gone after the recent Gym challenger, finally finished drafting the new battle format.

Fallarbor Gym—Dual Gym Leaders.

Gym Challenge Prerequisite: Prior experience participating in a Pokémon Contest.

Challenge Mode: Two Choices.

First Mode: A direct Gym battle. Winning grants the Coordination Badge.

Second Mode: Register and, at a designated time, receive a Pokémon Egg containing either a Caterpie or a Wurmple from Fallarbor Gym, along with a copy of the "Basic Coordination-Oriented Training Method." The challenger must then train this Bug-type Pokémon and earn a Ribbon within six months. If successful, they can use this Pokémon to challenge Terrance. Upon passing the challenge, they will receive the "Advanced Coordination-Oriented Training Method" and the Honorary Coordination Badge.

The first challenge mode was primarily for Trainers who only wish to compete in the League Conference.

However, to limit the number of participants and ensure that challengers understand the coordination aspect that Fallarbor Gym tests on, Terrance set a prerequisite for Gym challenges—prior experience participating in a Pokémon Contest. Compared to some Gyms that require three Pokémon or four Badges, this condition isn't particularly harsh for rookies.

The majority of challengers would opt for the first mode, and the Gym Leader who handles these battles would not be Terrance.

The second challenge mode, on the other hand, was devised by Terrance to maintain his role as a Gym Trainer.

If the first challenge method was mainly aimed at Trainers, then the second one has a bit of Terrance's personal bias. In truth, it's designed more for Trainers with a preference for coordination or even for outright Coordinators. Of course, some Trainers might also join just because they have too much time on their hands and find the format interesting.

The main reason for introducing this format is Terrance's commitment to Pokémon Contests. If the day when Gym Badge is equivalent to Ribbon ever comes, the Fallarbor Gym will undoubtedly hold great appeal for Coordinators looking to try out new styles.

Furthermore, as a Top Coordinator, Terrance's Beautifly training methods are highly sought after. With that in mind, the coordination-oriented training methods rewarded by the Gym would be an enticing incentive for many.

At the same time, this format serves as a form of promotion for Pokémon Contests. While applying for this format might present a challenge for Terrance, it could also benefit him—depending on whether Pokémon Contests acknowledge his approach and whether the League would be willing to support him in establishing it.

Terrance has a bit of ambition... Although the Honorary Coordination Badge functions the same as a regular Badge, who's to say it wouldn't become a true symbol of prestige as his reputation grew? Just like Wallace's Wallace Cup, which is coveted by countless Coordinators. So, this seemingly unconventional format might not be ignored at all—instead, it could shine brilliantly.

With the new system in place, Terrance could essentially take a hands-off approach, only needing to face challengers during specific periods each year. This would free up a significant amount of personal time for himself over the next few years.

As for distributing Bug-type Pokémon Eggs... there wasn't much cost involved. Many regions were already troubled by an overabundance of Bug-type Pokémon, frequently hosting Bug-Catching Contests to manage their numbers. No one would be particularly interested in Caterpie or Wurmple, which are already plentiful. However, with the Basic Coordination-Oriented Training Method provided by Fallarbor Gym, it would be different. Fallarbor Gym was destined to become a hub for Bug Type Pokémon. These little bugs were easy to raise and widely available, and if Terrance collaborated with various Ranger organizations, he could easily obtain large numbers of Bug-type Pokémon for free, as this would also contribute to maintaining the ecological balance of the forests.

"Alright, that's the general framework for the new format. If there are any issues, I can make adjustments based on feedback from the Hoenn League!"

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