After deciding to head for the Indigo Plateau, Terrance and Troy didn't waste any time and set out early the next morning.
The purpose of this trip was twofold: first, to broaden Troy's horizons, and second, for Terrance to observe Ash's matches and then decide whether to invite him and Pikachu to participate in the Light Ball Fusion research.
Terrance still hoped that Ash's Pikachu would possess the ability to fuse with the Light Ball. That way, not only could it strengthen Ash's power, but Terrance could also use the fusion process to help Altaria comprehend Flame of Life fusion, truly killing two birds with one stone.
"Mr. Gym Leader, when will I be able to participate in a League Conference?"
During their journey, Troy suddenly asked.
"You want to take part in a League Conference? You're still far from that, Roto." Before Terrance could reply, Rotom Pokédex cut in.
Terrance chuckled and said,
"First you need to solve Beedrill's stamina problem, train its Focus Energy speed to the level it reached after eating that Berry, and then raise five more Pokémon of similar strength to Beedrill. Only then would you barely qualify to challenge a competition like the Indigo Plateau Conference."
Terrance spoke as he walked.
"That'll take at least half a year…" Troy did some calculations and sighed helplessly, and that was assuming he had enough resources.
Right now, he had only captured a single Pokémon, Beedrill, and was still five short of the standard team of six for a Trainer.
"Anyway, my standard is set on the premise that you'd perform decently at the League Conference. Reaching my benchmark should be enough to make the top thirty-two, and with a bit of luck, maybe even the top sixteen. After all, there's no point joining just to get eliminated in the preliminary round."
"So what's the standard for the preliminary round then?" Troy asked.
"Hmm… you're still not qualified for that either," Terrance said after thinking for a moment.
"Don't aim too high too soon. Focus on steadily raising more Pokémon. Capturing is the foundation of being a Trainer. Since you decided earlier to specialize in learning about Bug Types, you might as well start by raising Bug-type Pokémon. Their fast growth rate suits your current situation very well."
"At Fallarbor Gym, there are plenty of resources suitable for Bug-type Pokémon. As long as you complete the tasks I assign, you can exchange them for food, or even for Bug-type Pokémon."
Glancing at Troy, Terrance explained the benefits of going to Fallarbor Gym. Hearing that, Troy nodded repeatedly.
At this point, there was less than a week left before the start of the Indigo Plateau Conference.
Terrance and Troy spent three days reaching the Indigo Plateau. Upon arrival, they first went to a hotel and booked two rooms.
If they had been participants in the Indigo Plateau Conference, not only would their lodging have been free, but their meals would also have been covered. Unfortunately, since neither of them was a contestant, they couldn't enjoy the generous benefits provided by the League to those staying in the Pokémon League Village.
"Trainers are already arriving at the Indigo Plateau," Troy said, watching the bustling streets with excitement.
It was his first time seeing so many Trainers gathered in one place.
"Most of the participants probably came early to register for accommodations." Terrance handed Troy a room key card. "Alright, this one's yours. Before the Indigo Plateau Conference begins, make good use of your time to collect the final batch of ingredients."
"Yes!" Troy replied immediately.
He was just one ingredient away from successfully completing the Toxic formula, and he couldn't help feeling excited. If Beedrill could master Toxic, its strength would undergo an earth-shaking transformation.
Thinking of this, Troy quickly dashed out.
In the public area of the Indigo Plateau, many merchants had rented temporary stalls to take advantage of the bustling atmosphere of the Indigo Plateau Conference, hoping to make a fortune. As a result, one could now find rare items and precious materials from all over the world gathered here.
Half an hour later, after exchanging routine information with Jade and others, Terrance stood up and stretched lazily.
"Alright, I'll go take a look too."
At the moment, Mismagius and the others were all in good condition. Using Hypnosis, they had even managed to gather quite a bit of intelligence about Team Rocket's internal operations and were now steadily infiltrating the organization from within.
Both Kirlia and Beautifly were exceptionally strong, assisting Mismagius, who was posing as a Team Rocket's squad leader, in completing mission after mission. Their prospects were bright, and promotion seemed only a matter of time.
After confirming that everything was fine on that front, Terrance left the room as well.
"If only I could come across a Trainer with an Espeon," he murmured to himself after stepping outside, recalling a recent line of research.
In order to create a gene medicine that could awaken the move Morning Sun, based on the principle of Inherited Moves, Terrance had gathered many rare materials. However, he was stuck on the final material, which was even more troublesome than Troy's situation.
"I've already tried using the genes of Beautifly, Cherubi, and Cherrim to help Arcanine awaken Morning Sun, but none of them worked. The only gene I haven't tested yet is from an Espeon. Hmm… just a single strand of fur would be enough to check adaptability. Let's see if I can find one."
Leaving the hotel, Terrance began to wander around. During this period of time, Trainers with Espeon were few and far between.
Still, this was the Indigo Plateau—a gathering place for Trainers—so there was always a chance he might run into one.
Even if he didn't, Terrance wasn't too concerned. He was just looking casually.
And if he couldn't find one, raising an Espeon himself, or asking someone else to do it, wouldn't be difficult.
"There are only two days left until the Indigo Plateau Conference starts. I wonder if Ash and the others have arrived at the Pokémon League Village yet," Terrance mused, walking down the street and stroking his chin.
The Pokémon League Village was a facility that provided accommodation and meals for Indigo Plateau Conference participants. It was also home to countless medical staff and Nurse Joys who constantly checked the contestants' Pokémon. The village was located right next to the Indigo Stadium, the closest place to the main venue, and unless one was a contestant or had special connections, staying there was nearly impossible.
For now, however, Terrance's destination was clear: the public battle arena.
The place was teeming with Trainers, so battles were naturally abundant. Although you might see Trainers walking along the roadside with their closest Pokémon, enjoying the sights, there were certainly fewer Pokémon here than at the battle arena side.
The Indigo Plateau public battle arena.
At this very moment, dozens of Trainers were engaged in battles here, with even more spectators watching on. The atmosphere was lively and anyone unaware might have thought the Indigo Plateau Conference had already begun.
"Beedrill, use Pin Missile!!"
"Charmander, Flamethrower!"
Just as Terrance entered the arena, his sharp senses picked up a familiar voice.
He perked up his ears…wait, that voice… Troy? That kid had come to the battle arena too, and was already battling someone….
Leisurely making his way toward the area, Terrance soon spotted Troy's opponent, a Trainer who looked only a year or two older than him. At the moment, that Trainer's Charmander was locked in combat with Troy's Beedrill.
In this battle, Troy was clearly using the same strategy he had employed against Terrance. After being taught by the Rotom Pokédex, both Troy and Beedrill had grown significantly stronger. Pin Missile immediately shattered Charmander's Flamethrower, and the barrage of needles pierced through with unstoppable force, instantly blasting the opponent's Charmander away.
After securing victory, Troy leaped up excitedly. He'd won, defeating an opponent who held eight Badges. It felt incredible.
"Troy." However, before Troy could savor his excitement for long, Terrance's voice called out to him.
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