Vulpix's charm tactics and strategic potential excited Roy.
The more underhanded the strategy, the more he enjoyed it. When playing games, he had reveled in mind games against rivals, earning himself the nickname "Sunshine Boy" for his deceptively pleasant demeanor.
Of course, a newborn Pokémon was very weak and couldn't immediately begin training, especially this Vulpix born with such a delicate constitution.
...Childhood should be carefree.
Nevertheless, Vulpix's foundation needed to be established properly.
After completing today's Calm Mind practice at the temple and returning home, Roy redeemed a specially customized energy formula for Vulpix.
This Poké Puff formula was designed to enhance 'beauty,' Ice-type energy affinity, and spiritual power.
'Beauty' referred to a Pokémon's appearance—harmonious facial features, lustrous fur, pleasant texture, and elegant temperament...
"Unfortunately, there are no Pokémon Contests in this world, only Pokémon beauty competitions," Roy sighed regretfully.
"Otherwise, Vulpix could develop in the direction of Contest specialization..."
"Vul~" Vulpix whimpered regretfully. The little one couldn't understand Roy's words, but seeing him sigh, she wanted to sigh too.
If Roy was happy, she would be happy. If Roy was sad, she would mirror his mood.
Roy picked up Vulpix with amusement, cradling her in one arm while extending his other palm with the Poké Block toward her mouth.
"Come on, try this."
The little Pokémon sniffed curiously, first licking Roy's palm affectionately with her tiny tongue before consuming the treat. Instantly, the burst of delicious flavor made Vulpix display an expression of pure bliss, her small face flushing with happiness.
To celebrate Vulpix's hatching, Roy decided to give Riolu and Squirtle the day off.
However, during this rare holiday, he discovered there wasn't much to do for entertainment.
The town was small and classified as a 'historic site,' making it impossible to build entertainment facilities there.
The forest outside town presented even greater concerns.
When Cole learned that Roy wanted to explore the area, he warned him very seriously:
"This is a good opportunity to tell you something important."
"Wild Pokémon may have gentle natures individually, but most are untamed and unpredictable, harboring vigilance and hostility toward humans."
"Battles with wild Pokémon are unlike anything you've experienced so far..."
"Let me ask you: if someone wanted to completely defeat a Trainer, what would be the most effective approach?"
Roy was startled but quickly realized the professor's meaning.
"...Target the Trainer directly?"
"Exactly." Cole nodded. "If a Trainer dies, their Pokémon become completely disoriented and vulnerable. Some Pokémon even commit suicide after losing their Trainer. Even in frontal battles rather than assassinations, the primary target is often the Trainer."
"There's an old saying: 'To catch thieves, first catch their leader.'"
"The Trainer is the 'leader' of their team, with Pokémon serving as their generals. If the leader falls, the team collapses."
"The battles you've experienced so far are mere 'Pokémon competitions'—contests protected by rules, exhibition matches to demonstrate skill. Real battles are far more irregular and brutal—"
"Pokémon fights!"
Roy had known that Trainer mortality rates were high, but he hadn't understood why. Officials didn't announce specific causes of death to the public, likely fearing that people would become afraid of Pokémon's power, triggering collective panic among prospective Trainers.
If a Pokémon wanted to kill an ordinary person, it could do so with a single move...
Roy felt somewhat secure with his Aura power, which gave him some ability to protect himself against Pokémon. With his Aura strength maximized, ordinary Pokémon couldn't easily approach him.
But how could ordinary Trainers without psychic abilities handle such dangerous encounters?
Seeing that Roy wasn't frightened but instead appeared contemplative, Cole smiled with satisfaction:
"Normally, you'd learn about these realities in field practice classes at university, but I'm making an exception to tell you now."
Cole spread his hands, gesturing for Roy to observe him.
"Do you consider me a threat right now? Could you easily eliminate me?"
Roy studied Cole. The professor hadn't released any Poké Balls and didn't appear to possess the power of a professional Trainer—just an ordinary man with glasses.
To be thorough, Roy used his Aura power to scan him, confirming that Cole had no psychic abilities. He shook his head. "...No, I don't think so. As long as you don't get a chance to throw a Poké Ball, Riolu could neutralize you instantly."
Hearing this, Cole smiled mysteriously. The next moment, the shadow beneath his feet suddenly distorted and changed shape.
The shadow enveloped his entire body as dark energy emerged, forming something like an energy cloak.
From within this shadow, a Pokémon materialized silently.
"Gengar..."
"A Gengar?"
Roy recognized this Ghost-type Pokémon, which grinned eerily.
"The answer is to train Pokémon specializing in defense, detection, or teleportation," Cole explained, patting Gengar's head. "As long as you have at least one of these three advantages, giving the Trainer time to retrieve their Poké Ball, assassination becomes nearly impossible."
"The situation then evolves into a direct confrontation."
"Which brings us to the next question: what's most crucial in a direct battle?"
Cole looked at Roy expectantly.
Pokémon level? Type advantages? Ability to protect the Trainer?
Roy's mind rejected these possibilities.
"It's the ability to fight as a coordinated team."
"Precisely—or more specifically, it's having an effective team battle system," Cole added with satisfaction. "Pokémon fights don't follow so-called 1v1 rules—they're chaotic group melees. The side that can better unify their Pokémon's strengths will emerge victorious."
"The team battle system is exemplified by classic weather tactics. Six Pokémon skilled in Sandstorm combat will demonstrate team strength greater than a 'simple 1+1 calculation.'"
"Unless your Pokémon are powerful enough to overwhelm everything in their path, you cannot ignore building an effective team battle system."
"Although you're still far from professional level, you should carefully consider how to construct a team battle system among your Pokémon—how to design it and how to train for it..."
Cole's warning came from personal experience.
When he first gained professional-level Trainer strength, he attempted the professional-level assessment. However, he was overwhelmed by his opponent's superior team battle system. Individually, each of his Pokémon was stronger than his opponent's counterparts.
But in team battle, his Pokémon couldn't eliminate the opponent's team and were completely defeated!
The abilities of several of his Pokémon were incompatible in team battles—a problem that couldn't be solved by merely changing tactics.
How could fire-type moves work harmoniously with ice-type strategies?
Out of necessity, Cole had to retire some of his longtime companions to the sidelines while training new Pokémon. It took three years before he finally qualified as a professional Trainer.