Chapter 508: Attack in Place of Defense

The vast majority of excellent trainers never have only one Pokémon by their side.

But without question, no matter how the members of their team change, there is always one Pokémon they will keep with them forever.

【Ace】、【Core】、【Soul Partner】……

There can be many names for it, but what never changes is that once a trainer confirms it, it is very difficult to change again.

And some scholars believe that a special bond exists between a trainer and their ace Pokémon, a bond that can effectively enhance the Pokémon's ultimate combat power, producing an extraordinary boost.

He used the Elite Four and Champions of each region as examples, and also took some tournament winners for analysis.

The results were obvious — these people all possessed Pokémon that could be called irreplaceable, and the majority of difficulties encountered in battle would habitually be handed to it to resolve.

But up to now, how much influence confirming an ace Pokémon would have on its strength, how to identify one, and how to help a trainer choose an ace Pokémon — no systematic accurate answer has yet been found.

Adam, too, relied on the experience he had accumulated through his identity as a Gym Leader to confirm, while Baimu and his Aggron shouted together stimulating the shiny Milotic's fascination state, that the latter already possessed an absolute ace Pokémon.

What a pity.

He had assumed that Baimu had been in contact with Pokémon for less than a year, and might not yet have decided on an ace Pokémon in the true sense, but facts proved that excellent trainers would not lose to others in any aspect.

【My third-generation training plan……】

Adam's face showed a wistful look as he watched Baimu chat happily with his Pokémon, feeling his heart ache for no reason.

Just like the heartbreak of going to draw cards full of joy, only to discover you had missed the limited-time pickup window.

Force a change?

Controlling someone else's will was neither Adam's style, nor did it conform to the gentlemanly etiquette he had always observed, and it greatly deviated from the basic principles of a Gym Leader.

"Sebastian."

He called out, and immediately the old butler's voice came from behind him.

"Did you call for me, Master?"

"Please have the doctor treat the two injured Milotic, and bring him to change into some dry clothes."

Adam saw Baimu turn his head as if he had heard something, and said gently, "Wet clothes will affect your condition. Come back after you've changed."

"Yes, teacher."

Baimu had no objection. The Magma Armor provided super high-temperature defense against energy impacts, and could even mitigate physical collisions, but it was the only thing that did not resist water penetration……was that to make cleaning easier?

And after he recalled his Pokémon and left with Sebastian.

Adam looked at the messy pool field and said loudly, "Field change, Wetland Mode."

Rumble—

A muffled sound of mechanisms came.

The pool began to drain water, and split open in the middle and sank away. A mixed field of pond, grass, and rock slowly rose up, locking into place with a thud.

He silently considered the main direction of his teaching from here on.

It wasn't that he had discovered Baimu couldn't become the third-generation successor of the Lilycove Gym and was preparing to hold back.

It was mainly that the lesson content he had planned earlier basically prioritized the shiny Milotic, reducing the proportion of teaching time for other Pokémon.

This way, paired with his assistance, he could quickly help Baimu confirm the shiny Milotic as his ace……

The previous battle had actually contained a certain degree of inducement.

Now that things had come to this, he definitely couldn't do that anymore.

He had to readjust.

"Heh, really."

Adam shook his head. The student he had taken on a whim was causing him such anguish — perhaps he really was getting old.

It was inevitable to feel anxious about gains and losses because of this.

Not long after.

Baimu returned in a light blue tracksuit, brand-new clothing provided specifically for challengers. After all, at a Water-type Gym, getting drenched by various moves was perfectly normal.

As a gentleman, Adam naturally could not just send away a dripping wet challenger like that, and would always arrange for them a place to bathe, machines to dry their clothes, and temporary change of clothes.

And this tradition had also been inherited by the new Gym Leader, Mi Ke Li.

Quite well-received.

"Teacher."

He hurried to the edge of the field and softly called out to the composed Adam.

The middle-aged gentleman came to himself as if waking from a dream. "You're here? Since the Milotic is still being treated, let's talk about Pokémon Contests.

"Send out your other two participating Pokémon."

"Okay." Baimu complied.

Pop pop!

"Mawile~"

"Happy~"

The Mawile and Blissey that landed quickly looked at Adam — they were already impatient to win back face for their companion.

Especially the former, its eyes full of provocation —

What's the skill in bullying a little girl? Come at me instead!

Adam sensed the fighting desire in the gazes of the two Pokémon, smiled, and threw a Poké Ball forward.

"I leave it to you, Magikarp."

Pop!

A flash of Bai Guang.

A Magikarp, its body seemingly stained with ink, its tail fin broad and gorgeous like butterfly wings, with a single horn on its forehead, dropped into the irregular pond on the field.

"Maawu!"

It flicked its tail fin and suddenly leapt up, the splashing water scattering a charming halo under the deliberately angled lighting.

Worthy of a top Coordinator's Pokémon — its appearance is always accompanied by a little self-produced special-effects performance.

It must have already become its habit.

All Baimu looked away, about to head toward the Coordinator's position, but was stopped by Adam.

"Don't rush, Baimu-kun. What do you think is the most important thing in a Pokémon Contest?"

"The most important thing… visual appeal?"

He answered without hesitation. Compared to Pokémon battles, where every trick in the book is used in pursuit of final victory—

The Contest format, from start to finish, is built around optimal visual appeal at its core, with rules formulated accordingly. Even though in the Contest Battles there are unfortunate cases where defeating the opponent wins the match, the essence remains unchanged.

"You could say that."

Adam nodded. "Then how do you make a Pokémon look gorgeous?"

All Baimu thought for a moment, then answered tentatively: "Mm… a cutting-edge sense of aesthetics?"

To draw others' eyes without any aesthetic sense is impossible — if you can't move the audience and judges, how would they give high marks?

"Hahahaha, an interesting explanation, and certainly not wrong. Aesthetics are indeed very important."

Adam laughed, then continued: "In my view, 'gorgeous' is a rather broad term. If you want to express it precisely, it can be divided into five kinds—"

"Beautiful, Cool, Tough, Clever, and Cute."

Huh? Isn't that the Contest category split from the games?

All Baimu listened in a daze.

Adam, assuming he was simply absorbed, continued: "These five modes of expression run through the Contest and complement one another. Whichever one you develop to its peak, it can help you become a top Coordinator."

"…I see."

He showed an expression of having learned something.

The anime had no detailed category concept, so the fact that he could break it down into these five natures came purely from the middle-aged gentleman's experience.

Though the content wasn't profound — it could even be called basic — its importance was beyond doubt.

"What I'm going to teach you today should be very familiar to you: the art that embodies a Pokémon's 'Clever' — attack as defense."

Adam said softly: "Do you still remember that Water Ring that merged with the Blizzard and slammed into your Milotic?"

"Mm-hmm." All Baimu nodded frantically.

"Hehehe, looks like it left a deep impression on you. Then how about we review it?"

He smiled, looking at the one person and two Pokémon, and spread his hands in an inviting gesture: "Please, attack as you wish."

"Happiny?""Happy?"

Mawile and Blissey exchanged a glance, then both turned their heads to look at their Trainer.

All Baimu looked at the latter and said decisively:

"Blissey! Use Psychic!"

Psychic power is invisible — he was very curious how the Water Ring could, like it did against Blizzard, nearly merge with it and send it back.

Adam was showing such confidence; he probably wouldn't disappoint.

"Happy!"

Blissey stepped forward, both small hands raised high, its eyes glowing blue.

Immediately after, a blue film also enveloped its body, and the invisible force surged toward the Magikarp in the pond like tentacles.

"Water Ring."

Boom!

Magikarp flicked its tail fin, and the surrounding water surged up like a high wall — but the next second, the powerful Psychic slammed heavily into the water wall and shattered it in an instant.

But Blissey didn't feel excited; instead, it widened its eyes in disbelief.

"Happy!?"

Because the shattered water didn't scatter. Instead, like waves it surged forward one after another, rolling and tumbling, forcibly using this to tear apart the Psychic it had released.

Giving rise to a special individual unlike the normal Water Ring's horizontal spin — bizarrely adopting a vertical tumble!

Adam turned his head to look at All Baimu and said softly:

"Psychic power is indeed a rather tricky offensive method, but even wrapped in an invisible, formless shell, it still can't change the fact that it belongs to a certain kind of energy.

"And water, though it has form and substance, can contain all things in the world."

His words fell.

The vertically tumbling Water Ring instantly expanded. Blissey could feel its own Psychic, within the rolling water, slam back into it like a wall.

Along with the cold splash.

Splash!

"Happy…"

Blissey sulkily wiped its wet little face. Though with its absurdly high Special Defense, this kind of attack was no different from a tickle, it was simply too insulting to the egg.

Of course, the gentle big egg rarely truly got angry at other Pokémon — it just felt it had been far too careless.

If it got another chance, it absolutely wouldn't be broken through so easily!

"Did you see? That's water's attack-as-defense."

Adam's voice swirled beside All Baimu's ear.

He silently thought over the various changes that had suddenly appeared when the Water Ring was used just now.

Blissey, like Galarian Corsola, certainly walked the sustained-damage path, but this Psychic of hers was absolutely not weak — otherwise he wouldn't often use it for damage output.

Magikarp being able to break through this move was enough to prove that Adam's attack-as-defense was the real deal, not some flashy strong-beats-weak gimmick.

"Water Ring is only one form of attack-as-defense — don't pay it too much mind. The key lies in the guidance and countering of moves, and in seizing that critical moment of opportunity."

Adam paused, then said, "Launch another attack."

"Got it!"

All Baimu held down the restless Happiny and looked at the long-awaited Gulpin. "Gulpin… use Fire Blast!"

"Gulpin!"

Gulpin excitedly swung the massive jaw on the back of its head, making it snap open and spit out a ball of flame upward, then slammed it down on the fireball like a racket!

Bang!

The fireball burst apart, transforming into a giant-character-shaped inferno that roared forth!

This was a move it had inexplicably pulled out while reviewing Flame Wheel not long ago, giving Gulpin—who hadn't been able to comprehend a new move on its own for a very long time—a pleasant surprise.

Honestly, even though it's a Physical Attacker-oriented Pokémon, the power of its Special moves looks quite respectable.

Just like in the anime world, where high-power moves get additional damage correction.

Seeing this impressively mighty Fire Blast, Adam could only smile helplessly. "Goldeen, Horn Drill."

"Magikarp!"

Goldeen's eyes turned fierce, and the horn on its forehead began spinning at high speed like a drill bit, emitting an extremely piercing shriek!

Whirr—!

The instant the Fire Blast landed on it, however, it was as if drawn in by some mysterious force, swirling around Goldeen's Horn Drill like a vortex of flame.

"Reflect it back."

"Magikarp!"

Goldeen responded to its Trainer's command, suddenly accelerating the spin of its horn to convert the fiercely burning flames into a thick pillar of fire, and sent it surging back with tremendous force!

All Baimu narrowed his eyes. "Flame Wheel!"

"Gulpin!"

Gulpin responded excitedly, tapping the ground with one foot and spinning rapidly.

As it spun, flames once again leaked from the massive jaw on the back of its head, gathering thread by thread and spreading outward. In no time at all, they completely enveloped it into a ball of fire, which then collided violently with the surging pillar of flame.

Boom!

The pillar of fire was blasted apart; a small portion scattered, but the vast majority merged back into the spinning ball of flame, which instantly swelled up into a massive fireball!

"Gulpin!"

Accompanied by a high-pitched cry, Gulpin—now transformed into a giant fireball—leaped high with a whoosh, charging toward Goldeen like a cannonball from a red-coated cannon!

"Oh?"

The helplessness on Adam's face turned to pleasant surprise.

He had originally wanted to tell All Baimu not to hold back too much; even in a teaching match, one should let the Pokémon give it their all. Gulpin clearly excels at Physical Attacks—having it use Special Attacks is pointless.

But seeing this now, this pair clearly had other plans!

Adam immediately shouted, "Goldeen! Supersonic!"

"Magikarp—"

Goldeen opened its mouth and shrieked; the visible white sound waves turned into a shockwave that struck the already charging Gulpin, but only shook off the outermost layer of flame.

And as if it had lit a fuse, the giant fireball suddenly exploded!

Boom!

The deafening explosion and the pillar of fire that shot into the sky engulfed the pool where Goldeen had been, while rolling waves of air washed over the faces of the two people and one Pokémon outside the field like aftershocks.

A moment later.

Gulpin appeared at the edge of the pool, while Goldeen had long since left its original position, now at the far edge of the water, with only its horn and a pair of eyes showing above the surface. Its body beneath the water seemed to bear a few scorch marks from the flames.

"This is truly… remarkable."

Adam watched the scene with a sigh of admiration.

All Baimu, however, lowered his head in apology. "I'm sorry, Teacher Adam. I overstepped."

Just now, when dealing with the pillar of fire Goldeen had reflected back, Gulpin had clearly shown signs of using offense as defense.

After all, he'd been using this thing in actual combat all along, and Goldeen and Adam had just given him inspiration, plus Gulpin's own little selfish desire.

Ultimately, this led to this 【Offense-as-Defense】 based on Fire Fang.

So far, Gulpin had used it quite successfully.

But right now, this was Adam's teaching time, and experimenting with moves at will without permission was clearly impolite.

Even though the other party had never said counterattacks weren't allowed.

"It's fine. I'm not going to get angry over something like this."

Adam shook his head. "On the contrary, I'm very gratified. Being able to teach a student like you—who catches on immediately and dares to put it into practice—is my fortune as a teacher."

But once the gratification passed, he couldn't help but recall the fact that All Baimu already possessed an ace Pokémon.

With talent this good.

What a waste!