Not long after the stream ended, as Silas was getting ready for bed, he saw a new message from his 'number one fan,' [AFutileEffort]. The consistent support was genuinely heartwarming. Silas himself had never been a particularly fanatical viewer of any streamer. He was a pure miser, clutching his wallet tightly and never spending a single Poké Dollar on an online personality.
If he had to pick a favorite Champion, it wouldn't be Red, Leon, or Steven. It would be Cynthia, the Champion of the Sinnoh League. It was a conclusion he suspected many male trainers with normal tastes would reach. But even then, he wouldn't spend a penny on her merchandise. The only people who could get money out of him were his parents and a hypothetical girlfriend he'd never met.
That was why he felt so indescribably touched by this fan's support. Are we long-lost brothers or something? he wondered. Otherwise, why support me so much? What's his angle?
He paused, a strange thought entering his mind. Wait a minute... His eyes narrowed and a meaningful, mischievous expression crossed his face.
"Gib..." Gible, already drifting off to sleep, had no idea what strange thoughts were running through its trainer's head. It just pulled its little quilt up with its fin and closed its eyes. Good night.
Silas read the new messages.
[AFutileEffort]: That was a good team build. Even if I were to modify it, I don't think I could make it better.]
[AFutileEffort]: Alolan Ninetales and a Loaded Dice Baxcalibur are indeed a perfect lineup.]
"Of course," Silas typed back confidently. "I'm standing on the shoulders of giants from another world. Even the Champions of this world would be hard-pressed to improve on these builds."
[AFutileEffort]: I have no doubt about your vision. Your command awareness and tactical strategies are excellent. Even without the 'Dragon Dance Gible' gimmick, you can still attract viewers with your solid fundamentals.]
[AFutileEffort]: But I'm quite surprised. Isn't your first Pokémon also a Gible? Why go to so much trouble to build a team around Baxcalibur?]
'Also'? Silas thought. Could it be this guy's starter is a Gible, too? "I just wanted to find a good lineup for the stream," he replied.
[AFutileEffort]: But Garchomp can also fit that role, right? It can use Scale Shot to increase its speed and Sword Dance to boost its attack. Its function is quite similar to Baxcalibur's.]
[AFutileEffort]: Garchomp is Dragon/Ground, not Ice, but that's an easy fix. Just give it an Ice Tera Type and it can cosplay as a Baxcalibur.]
Silas glanced at the sleeping Gible, who had kicked its blanket off. He reached over and gently covered it back up. Then, feeling particularly bold while his partner couldn't see him, he typed out a fateful, teasing reply.
"Ahahaha, <(￣▽￣)/, after all, who would Mega Evolve Garchomp?! Are you Mega Evolving Garchomp?"
Across the ocean, Cynthia, who had just finished a shower and was sipping hot cocoa, saw the message. She sprayed a mouthful of her drink all over her computer screen.
"Who would Mega Evolve Garchomp?!"
There was nothing wrong with the sentence itself. The weakness of Mega Garchomp was infamous. As the world's top Garchomp trainer, Cynthia knew it better than anyone. Its crucial speed stat dropped from 102 to 92. In a metagame crowded with Pokémon at the 100-speed tier, this was a crippling, artery-severing weakness. But what choice did she have?
Cynthia did have other options. Her Lucario was an excellent candidate for Mega Evolution, gaining a massive boost in power. It was objectively a much better choice than the 'Mega Degeneration' of her Garchomp.
But... she was the Garchomp trainer. The bond was iconic. For her to use another Pokémon for her ultimate battle mechanic... it just wouldn't feel right. A trainer, at the final, decisive moment, must believe in their ace. They must believe that their partner has the extraordinary strength to turn the tide, to "support a collapsing building and save the fallen." It was like a card player in a desperate situation, choosing to believe in their deck and pulling the one "magic draw" they need. That was the essence of their bond.
After his careless taunt, Silas continued typing.
"That being said... I'm not a serious person. So my Mega Pokémon slot will be reserved for my Gible, and its final evolution, Garchomp."
His Gible was special. It was an 'illegal' Pokémon by nature. Through the excellent speed-boosting ability of Dragon Dance, it could easily compensate for Mega Garchomp's 10-point speed drop, turning the flawed evolution into a terrifying threat.
"Is it because your Gible can perform Dragon Dance?"
Cynthia typed the sentence, her slender finger hovering over the mouse, but she didn't click send. She desperately wanted to know the secret, but revealing her purpose so clearly felt disrespectful, a bit ugly. She decided to be patient and build a good relationship first. Sometimes, a long detour was the fastest shortcut.
"Well... good luck to you and your Gible," she finally sent, adding with a smile, "I can see you're not a serious person." Anyone who called every stranger on the internet "brother" was probably up to something.
Three days later, the elimination round of the Sprout Cup officially began. Sixteen challengers had advanced from the qualifiers. Fifteen of them were students majoring in Pokémon Battling.
And then there was Silas.
"The knowledge from the Business Administration Department can certainly be used in the management of Pokémon, so this is... reasonable," Silas said, folding his hands, feeling his victory was well-founded.
The teachers on the organizing committee were stunned. "In previous years, we've had non-combat majors join for fun," one said, "but this is the first time one has actually won the preliminaries. Isn't this a slap in the face to our Battle Department?"
"Why don't you say that in previous years we've never had a freshman with a pseudo-legendary as their starter?" another teacher retorted, pushing up his glasses.
"Where did this Silas Gray get his Pokémon?" a third wondered, pulling up his records. "He didn't submit any information about a starter when he enrolled. He just filled in 'none.'"
"So low-key," the teacher sighed. "At this age, to have such a calm demeanor and understand the principle of 'a gentleman hides his talents and waits for the right time to act'... this young man is not simple."
In reality, Silas had filled in 'none' simply because, at the time, he didn't have a Pokémon. It had nothing to do with being low-key.
Silas arrived at the university gymnasium for the main knockout stage of the Sprout Cup, taking a deep breath to center himself. He and Gible were ready.
"The third match of the first knockout round: Silas Gray from the Department of Business Administration versus Jen Walter from the Pokémon Battle Department!"
"Go, Gible!"
"It's decided! You, Torracat!"
What a load of bull, Silas thought wryly. When you've only got one Pokémon, what is there to "decide"? This was the reality of the newbie tournament.
"Gib—!"
"Meow..."
The two Pokémon took their positions. His opponent's Torracat was worth analyzing. As the evolution of Litten, it would eventually become Incineroar, a powerhouse in even the highest tiers of competitive battling. But Incineroar's extraordinary suppressive power came from its Hidden Ability, [Intimidate]. Based on the soft meow from Guo Weifeng's Torracat, Silas could tell it had the standard [Blaze] ability. It was a tiger with its claws and fangs pulled out. Nothing to be afraid of.
"Gible, use Sand Tomb!" Silas commanded, opting for the tactical Ground-type approach against a Fire-type.
"Gib—!" Gible swung its fins, creating a vortex of sand. But before the trap could form, the opponent's Torracat, surprisingly swift, rushed forward.
"Torracat, Fake Out!"
"Meow—!" The fiery cat slapped Gible hard across the face. Even without Intimidate, it still had access to the classic "three-pronged" utility moves that made its final evolution so famous.
"Gib...?" Gible stumbled back, a very aggrieved expression on its face. You dare hit me?! Even my own trainer has never hit me!
But the Torracat wasn't feeling so good either. The moment its paw made contact, the recoil from Gible's [Rough Skin] ability sent a jarring pain through its limb. It had slapped a brick wall. It was unclear which of them had taken more damage.
If I were really cruel, Silas thought, I'd give Gible a Rocky Helmet. Between that and Rough Skin, any Pokémon that touched it would take more damage than it dealt. It would be less of a baby dragon and more of an armored dragon turtle.
"Alright Gible, use Stomp!"
There was no need for Sand Tomb now. Gible, channeling its indignation into power, leaped into the air and brought its foot down hard on the Torracat's back. The effect was outstanding.
"Torracat, shake it off and use Fire Fang!"
The trampled cat gathered its strength and lunged, its fangs igniting with small flames as it bit down on Gible's fin.
The result was disastrous. The Fire-type move was resisted by Gible's Dragon typing, doing minimal damage. But the physical contact once again triggered [Rough Skin], and the recoil damage was enough to take away the last of Torracat's remaining health. It collapsed on the spot.
"Torracat is unable to battle—!" the referee announced.
"Huh? How?!" Jen's eyes went wide. His Pokémon hadn't been beaten down; it had knocked itself out by attacking.
"[Rough Skin] trait, kid," Silas said with a smirk.
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