Chapter 689: Team Battle System
"If I’m not mistaken, Agatha saw your performance in Acapulco and believed you had untapped potential as a Trainer, so she gave you a hint about the ’true top-tier.’" Master Victor gave a slight snort.
"But you don’t need to pay too much attention to it; her theories might not suit you."
"What do you mean by that?" Terrance asked.
"She said that your path to what she considers the top-tier was wrong, right? But doesn’t that mean you haven’t strayed from the path to what is considered as top-tier nowadays?
"Under League’s rule-based system, even 6-on-6 battles are mostly one-on-one fights between Pokémon. The individual strength of each Pokémon largely determines the outcome."
"Tactical coordination between Pokémon is limited by the rule of one Pokémon versus one Pokémon, so many tactics cannot be fully utilized."
"So in such cases, the strength of an individual Pokémon becomes a crucial factor affecting victory or defeat. This tests a Trainer’s ability to raise Pokémon and the direction of their training." Master Victor fixed his gaze on Terrance, clearly implying that Terrance belonged to this category.
Terrance understood this point; he had already reflected on it. His Pokémon had entered the Elite Four level through specialized training methods, which were connected to his own experience and the foundation he started with.
"In other words, as the years go by, with your Pokémon becoming more developed and your commanding skills improving, you may very well catch up to the level of the Elite Four in 6-on-6 battles under League’s rule-based system."
"Under the League’s rule-based system, it’s not wrong to say that you possess the strength of a Top Trainer. Most people’s perception of a Top Trainer aligns with this as well. However, Agatha, being from the older generation of Elite Four, still highly values the battle theories centered around team battles!"
"The person who once tried to kidnap me was a master of such team battles. In a situation where there are no rules and restrictions, even the Gym Leader whose Pokémon were as strong as the kidnapper’s Pokemon was easily defeated. This shows that Agatha’s preference for such battle theories does have some merit."
"But I say her theories might not suit you mainly because, with the establishment of Pokémon Centers, the rise of Grassroots Trainers, and technological advancements, there are now very few forces willing to directly oppose the League. Those kinds of team battles, focused on eliminating Trainers, have long since left the stage of history, and traditional battles have become the mainstream."
"Just like traditional Trainers and Coordinators often look down on each other, those older-generation Trainers like Agatha, who are masters in team battles, also look down on Trainers who gain recognition under this rule-based system." Master Victor smiled. "But if you want to learn the theories of team battle, you must allocate your time wisely; it’s a time-consuming and demanding path."
"I understand," Terrance said.
No wonder Agatha spoke so vaguely. It seems she knew that this path no longer suited the current social environment, so she only offered a hint for Terrance to realize and choose on his own.
After that, Terrance and Master Victor didn’t exchange much more. Master Victor had matters to attend to, so their call ended temporarily.
After ending the video call, Master Victor fell into deep thought. To be honest, he was somewhat annoyed with that old woman Agatha interfering with Terrance’s growth path. Team battles were not something that someone of Terrance’s standing should get involved in. When it came to the darker and dirtier sides of the world, the Elite Four and special departments were enough to handle them. Master Victor didn’t quite understand Agatha’s method of unearthing the potential of Trainers.
In Master Victor’s view, Terrance’s proper path lay in research and breeding, not being used as a weapon like a typical Trainer. The current social environment was vastly different from decades ago.
"Although Ralts is a failed experimental subject, it has shown talent in another aspect. It would be a shame to simply dispose of it, so I’ll entrust it to Terrance to see how he can raise it."
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Meanwhile, in Fallarbor Town, after receiving the Ralts sent by Master Victor, Terrance was still thinking about his earlier conversation with him.
This time, he truly gained something from asking. With Master Victor’s experience and insight, the one sentence from Agatha that had troubled Terrance became much clearer after their discussion.
"Master Victor hopes I’ll develop in the research field," Terrance also understood the implication behind his words.
With Terrance’s current Trainer strength, if he wanted to focus fully on scientific research, he could still ensure his own safety. Master Victor simply felt that delving into relics of the old era had little meaning now. After all, today’s society was no longer one where personal safety was constantly threatened. Even in the past, Trainers who truly mastered those battle theories were rare, and that path was exceedingly difficult.
However, there was one thing about Master Victor’s explanation that puzzled Terrance. He had said that Top Trainers within the League’s system often bore the responsibility of protecting regions, and that the Elite Four Challenge Competition and Champion Challenge couldn’t fully showcase the strength of a Top Trainer.
This seemed somewhat contradictory to what Master Victor had said later that older-generation Trainers like Agatha, who are masters in team battles, look down on Trainers who gain recognition under this rule-based system.
After all, the Elite Four and Champion themselves had also advanced through battles under League’s rules.
If the Elite Four needed to undertake dangerous missions, then wouldn’t the team battle theories Agatha spoke of be even better? So why did the League choose rule-based battles as the mechanism for selecting its top fighting power?
"Could it be for secrecy?" Terrance began to speculate. The core of team battles lay in the tactical coordination between multiple Pokémon, which is undoubtedly a Trainer’s secret technique. If these tactics were revealed and deciphered by enemies through Elite Four matches or the Champion match, it could very likely be exploited in life-and-death battles, posing a fatal threat.
"To become a region’s Elite Four, the foundation is already there. At the very least, they are Trainers like me, whose individual Pokémon all possess considerable strength. For such Trainers, building a reasonable team battle system around their existing Pokémon would actually be very efficient. After all, those who rise above the rest through regional tournaments, the Champion League, the Elite Four Challenge Competition, and the Champion challenge are all extraordinarily gifted individuals. In that sense, are these competitions all interconnected parts of a training system?"
"Team battle theories are a combat system that only experienced and special Trainers, who are tasked with carrying out dangerous missions, are qualified to access and learn." Terrance suddenly realized this and felt as though he was close to the truth.
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