I didn't expect Carl to have such a powerful ace up his sleeve. Cynthia chuckled slightly, her gaze lingering on Lucario with a hint of surprise. Being a trainer with a champion-level Lucario herself, she noticed this Pokémon seemed a bit off, as if it had been weakened.
Could it really have champion-level strength? The thought secretly astonished Cynthia. If Carl could indeed command a champion-level Pokémon at eighteen, his prowess was truly remarkable. She couldn't help but think of her cousin, Shina, who had even deeper mastery over her extraordinary abilities.
Shina's powers were primarily used to assist Pokémon in battle, offering telepathy, healing, and calming functions. She remained in a distant temple, guarding ancient ruins tied to a mysterious artifact, fulfilling her family's mission. Meanwhile, Cynthia, like her ancestor, traveled the Sinnoh region, searching for clues about the legends of its guardian deities.
If only my perception was stronger, I could directly see Lucario's state, Cynthia mused, discreetly averting her gaze to avoid misunderstandings. Using her powers to probe would be impolite after all.
"Carl might catch up to me in five years," Cynthia smiled.
"I'm waiting for your challenge."
Caitlin immediately chimed in, "Cynthia, you're giving him too much credit. If he reaches champion level in five years, that would already be impressive."
Before Carl could speak, Sabrina interjected, "I've foreseen the outcome; you will undoubtedly lose."
"Rubbish! Your prediction must be wrong."
"The future can change, but your defeat is certain."
"Isn't that contradictory?"
"It's not. You will definitely lose; it's just a matter of how badly."
"Zero three zero."
"I'm furious! I challenge you to a duel!" Caitlin exclaimed, extending her finger in anger.
However, nothing happened. Sabrina's fingertips glowed blue, causing Caitlin to shrink behind Cynthia. Carl signaled Lucario to return to the mountains, disappearing in a blink.
Lillie's eyes sparkled with admiration: "Wow, Carl is amazing!" With the thought that the Aether Foundation wouldn't dare mess around in the Westvale League's territory, her heart finally settled.
Sabrina pursed her lips, recalling the battle yesterday, realizing Carl had been holding back all along.
Serena suddenly raised her hand to ask, "Carl, you're so strong, why do you say you need seclusion to train?" She tilted her head, utterly puzzled.
Carl remained unfazed, looking directly at Serena. "Do you know how many times a year a top-tier gym leader can actually compete?"
"Huh? Um…" Serena was taken aback, her cheeks flushing slightly.
Carl seized the moment to continue, "Take Havenport's Summit Gym, for example. The leader there accepts challenges so rarely that it's mostly apprentices handling professional trainers. Do you know why?"
"Because the leader is too strong?"
"Exactly." Carl snapped his fingers. "How many top-tier trainers are there worldwide? Professional trainers rarely challenge even quasi-elite leaders. Ask Sabrina if you don't believe me."
Serena turned to Sabrina, who nodded gently. As the gym leader of Goldenrod City, she often went weeks without a challenger, with even the apprentices seeing little action.
Carl continued, "If quasi-elite gyms are like this, imagine top-tier ones. If I revealed my true strength, my gym would become another top-tier gym. Who would dare challenge it? Nobody likes the feeling of losing."
"Besides, only Lucario is at top-tier level. My other Pokémon are still elite-level. Using Lucario would be overkill, but using others would mean getting crushed by mid-level trainers. Some might even exploit this to earn a permanent badge."
"You saw someone like Ethan today," Carl said helplessly.
Serena nodded in understanding. Considering mid-level trainers challenging with four Pokémon, Carl would either crush them with his top-tier or get overwhelmed using lower-level ones, failing the gym's purpose.
She finally grasped Carl's reasoning.
"So I have to pretend to be a lower-tier elite trainer," Carl shrugged, explaining. "This way, I can accept more challenges and flexibly issue temporary badges to promising newcomers like Hop."
"Concealing my strength lets me fulfill gym duties and train my Pokémon. Got it?"
"Got it!" Serena stood up abruptly and bowed. "I'm sorry for doubting your intentions."
"Don't be so serious." Carl smiled, gesturing for her to sit. "Having questions is good, but it's best to think it through yourself before asking."
"I will," Serena nodded earnestly.
Carl went on, "People tend to become dependent. Once you're used to getting answers from others, you lose the ability to think independently."
Lillie's eyes lit up, quickly jotting down his words.
Caitlin muttered softly, "Why can't I say something that profound?"
Cynthia thoughtfully observed Carl.
Sabrina, however, frowned, feeling the words were familiar but couldn't place where she'd heard them.
In fact, it was something she would say in the future, only Carl said it first.
"Carl, I have another question," Serena suddenly asked. "Isn't Summit Gym a Fighting-type, but actually an all-type gym?" Her tone was filled with surprise.
Everyone's faces showed astonishment. Cynthia and the others recalled Carl's words during the gym challenge, only now realizing Summit Gym was indeed an all-type gym.
In the trainer world, professional trainers typically specialize in a particular type. This isn't due to personal preference but practical considerations. Cultivating powerful Pokémon requires significant resources, time, and effort to research skills, traits, and tactics. Specializing in one type allows more efficient strength improvement.
Moreover, breaking through to top-tier often requires special powers. Abilities like Psychic or Dragon's Aura encourage trainers to choose a specialized path.
Look at the Elite Four across regions. Johto's champion Lance specializes in Dragon-type, Hoenn's Steven and Wallace in Steel and Water types, respectively. Trainers like Cynthia, who master all types, are exceptionally rare.
For gym trainers, an all-type path is even harder. They need to handle challengers of all types, requiring incredible knowledge and experience. No wonder Serena was so shocked.
"Do you know what 'Summit' means?" Carl asked seriously.
"Does it refer to martial arts?" Serena cautiously replied.
Serena always assumed Summit Gym was a Fighting-type gym, given the martial arts training so popular among trainers. Cynthia and Caitlin also had only a vague understanding of its meaning.
"Martial arts are just a part of it," Carl patiently explained. "Summit refers to the highest point, the peak of all things. It's about embracing every path, every element, not just one. That's why our gym encompasses all types."
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