They've all been trained pretty well.
An Azumarill at Senior Level and a Jigglypuff at Excellence Level.
From the matches Natsuhiko has seen unintentionally before, Senior Level Pokémon should be considered quite powerful in this competition.
He rubbed Togepi's little head.
How could he not know what this little guy is thinking?
He put it down.
Ring-a-ling-ling—
Togepi ran towards Jigglypuff with its little feet, the clear sound of the Soothing Bell echoing.
"Togepi!"
"Jiggly?"
"Togepi—"
"Jiggly—"
As the two Pokémon were "friendly" exchanging, Natsuhiko's gaze fell on Azumarill.
He walked a few steps closer.
He observed Azumarill's appearance and skin; the fat layer is very thin.
"Strongman trait?"
Azumarill's traits include three: Thick Fat, Strongman, and the hidden trait Herbivore, all of which are really excellent traits.
But if you were to say which trait is best suited for this Pokémon, many people might shout "Strongman", especially since it will eventually replace the "Dragon Slayer Shell" as the Dragon Type "nemesis" and earn the title of "Dragon Slayer Warrior", not for nothing.
Strongman: Physical attack power is doubled.
Actually, being a current pure Water-type Pokémon, the Herbivore trait is also a decent choice.
Herbivore: When attacked by Grass Techniques, it won't suffer any damage; instead, its attack power increases.
The biggest weaknesses of Water-type Pokémon are Grass and Electric Types. The Herbivore trait can directly eliminate one of Azumarill's Grass-type weaknesses.
However, compared to the Strongman trait, the Herbivore trait is relatively limited.
"Yes." Gerwin's eyes gleamed.
Being able to identify Azumarill's trait with a glance may not mean he's exceptional, but at least not a pretender.
"What Pokémon will your next opponent use?"
"Probably a dual Water-Grass Type Pokémon, Lombre." Gerwin's expression looked a bit awkward.
Judging from the attributes alone, it doesn't seem favorable for her.
"What techniques has Azumarill mastered?"
Gerwin handed over a sheet of paper listing the techniques Azumarill has learned, along with their mastery levels.
When seeing the list, Natsuhiko glanced at her in surprise.
"The mastery of the techniques is better than expected, and the inherited techniques are also impressive."
"Of course, my Azumarill belongs to our Captain..."
She stopped half-way.
Natsuhiko didn't ask further.
He rapidly ran through strategies and scenarios in his mind.
"Lombre's trait is probably Free-roaming or Fish Plate, so if it uses Rain Dance, it's not really beneficial for Azumarill..."
"Yes, that Lombre definitely has the Free-roaming trait." Gerwin also tried to gather information on others.
Natsuhiko nodded.
Azumarill with the Strongman trait is a very "aggressive" Pokémon, and too complex tactical planning isn't a good choice.
"What's your original strategy plan?"
Natsuhiko didn't directly share his idea, wanting to see Gerwin's preparation.
"Do everything to stop Lombre from using Rain Dance; whenever it succeeded in the previous matches, it utilized speed and combined Leech Seed to drain the opponent, so we absolutely must not fall into its rhythm, which means gaining speed advantage," Gerwin said.
That understanding isn't wrong.
But Natsuhiko proposed, "Actually, I've been thinking, why not let it use Rain Dance."
"Huh?"
"Not stopping Rain Dance, for two reasons.
First, to prevent Lombre from knowing it can't successfully perform Rain Dance, possibly using Clap Attack. If the outcome isn't significantly different, it might as well not try to stop it.
Secondly, isn't Rain Dance exactly the best time for Azumarill to buff itself?"
"You mean, let it use Rain Dance, then Azumarill takes the opportunity to strengthen itself?" Gerwin asked with furrowed brows.
"Yes, use Abdominal Drumming."
Abdominal Drumming: Reduces half of its own stamina to dramatically increase its attack power.
In games, this technique can instantly boost your attack by 12 levels, which is terrifying and a core technique of the "Dragon Slayer Warrior."
Before Gerwin could speak again, Natsuhiko continued, "Since the opponent likes draining tactics, and Azumarill's characteristics aren't about draining, let's give them a real fight, ending Abdominal Drumming with Water Jet as a movement technique."
Water Jet has a high priority and speed, sufficient to partially offset the impact of the Free-roaming trait.
The opponent relies on speed advantage to drain, why not give it the opportunity?
Gerwin's eyes lit up.
She realized she had been caught in a misconception.
Only thinking about preventing the Rain Dance without considering that defeating the opponent isn't solely about stopping them but also enhancing oneself.
"I still have some areas where..."
Gradually, Gerwin wasn't aware she transitioned from an equal exchange to a humble learning perspective.
"King of Strong Words!"
"Tactical Master!"
Natsuhiko successfully applied his previous game insights to elevate his position in Gerwin's mind.
And while the two were exchanging ideas, Togepi and Jigglypuff also reached a "tense" moment.
"Jiggly!"
Tiny surprise!
"Togepi!"
Big balloon!
"Jiggly?!"
Do you believe I can put you to sleep instantly?
Togepi widened its small eyes.
"Togepi?!"
Sleep? Do you believe I can make you fall asleep right away?!
The two round Pokémon glared at each other, neither backing down.
Jigglypuff chuckled.
There's actually a Pokémon daring to compete with it in putting others to sleep?
"Jiggly?"
Want to try?
"Togepi!"
Try if you dare!
Togepi put its hands on its waist, unwilling to give in.
Why should it fear competing in sleep?
Jigglypuff's already plump body inflated rapidly, a burst of air entering its body as it inhaled, causing inflation.
The majority of Jigglypuff's rounded body is filled with air, inflating further as it inhales, an expression of anger, but also making its body very light, a slight breeze could send it afloat.
Perhaps due to its long breath, Jigglypuff's singing proficiency is indeed remarkable.
It possesses an extensive range exceeding 12 musical scales.
"Jigg~ Jiggy~~ Jig~ Jig~ Jiggly, Jig Jig Jig~gly~"
As Jigglypuff's song played, tears welled up in Togepi's eyes, followed by a long yawn.
Togepi's yawn is a technique it has been consistently training in recently.
A tiny transparent bubble floated from the tip of its nose, drifting slowly towards Jigglypuff.
Seeing the bubble, curiosity sparkled in Jigglypuff's singing eyes.
Reaching out a pink hand, gently poked.
Pop—
A crisp sound accompanied by thick drowsiness, the usually sleep-inducing Jigglypuff finally met its match at the riverbank.
Its big eyes grew hazy, eyelids battling.
In the end, it couldn't withstand Togepi's painstakingly honed technique, expelling a breath and closing its eyes, lying on the ground.
"Jigg...gly..."
In a dazed vision, seeing Jigglypuff collapse, a victorious curve appeared at Togepi's mouth.
Yet as sleepiness loomed over it, it too couldn't resist anymore.
"Togepi..."
It closed its eyes, body curled into an egg shape.
Soon, faint snores could be heard.
As for the outcome of their competition, the most unfortunate ones are certainly not them, but...