Frankly speaking, the human body and the body of Pokemon are quite similar; after all, they're both living organisms.
As long as it's a living organism, it can be healed using the Power of Viridian.
Gary got too absorbed with reading last night, overusing his eyes, which is why he has those heavy dark circles this morning. Luckily, there's no competition today; otherwise, Gary probably wouldn't be able to bring out even thirty percent of his strength.
The state of a Pokemon is greatly influenced by its Trainer's state. If the Trainer is not in good condition, even if the Pokemon is in top form, they won't be able to bring out their true potential.
Ash and Brock, woken by the noise, prepared breakfast for four in just ten minutes. This morning, they kept it simple—cooked a big pot of lean meat porridge, and added a few eggs and some soy milk, and that was it.
When Ash brought the porridge in front of Gary, a hint of suspicion flashed across Gary's face: "Ash, since when did you know how to cook? Is this stuff edible?"
Ash rolled his eyes, irritably moving the porridge in front of Gary over to himself: "Eat it if you want, or don't. Do you think I'm like you, pampered, traveling everywhere in a sports car? Over the past few months, I've been walking every step steadily down to earth!"
Gary sniffed the aroma in the air, then stopped arguing with Ash and helped himself to a bowl of porridge, taking a small sip, immediately showing a look of surprise: "Huh? This is so good, Ash, you didn't put some kind of technology in it, did you?"
Ash: ...
"Cough cough, I was wrong, I was wrong, it's your excellent cooking skills, my fault, I was speaking too loudly just now." Seeing that Ash was about to get mad, Gary quickly admitted defeat.
He couldn't handle a punch from Ash, even though Ash probably wouldn't really hit him, but if he accidentally used too much force, with Gary's scrawny arms and legs, he'd be sent straight to meet the Lord of the Underworld!
Seeing this, Ash retracted his raised fist and continued to eat his breakfast, rolling his eyes again.
Now, his cooking skills are even better than Brock's. Cooking is an area he has been very dedicated to improving since his journey began. After all, Brock can't travel with him forever so he needs to be able to take care of his Pokemon by himself.
Ash has been sharing cooking tips with the group, and with Brock always teaching him firsthand, correcting mistakes or addressing any confusion immediately. With his ability to learn, it's not surprising that he reached this level in half a year.
But for Gary, it's strange to see his childhood friend suddenly transform from someone who couldn't cook to a culinary master.
Of course, the joke about adding ingredients was just that — a joke. There's no way Ash would add anything to the food.
While eating breakfast, Misty curiously asked the two of them, "What exactly did you guys study all night? This morning, Gary mentioned that there are a few strong competitors among the participants. Who are they?"
"Slurp…It's not just one person; there's several worth noting. Even if Ash isn't careful, he might get overturned by them!" Gary took a sip of porridge, stating seriously.
This made Brock quite curious. Is there really someone in this tournament that could make Ash lose? That's unlikely. With Ash's strength, he could let his Pokemon face anyone from the Quartz Conference with his eyes closed and still likely not lose!
As long as Ash goes all out, no one in the Quartz Conference should be a match for him. Gary also knows Ash's strength well, yet he still said such things, indicating that this time the opponents are indeed extraordinary.
"Firstly, there's that participant we've been paying attention to, named Paul. I checked; he's from the Sinnoh Region, has been traveling for about a year and a half, and his Torterra already has Gym Level strength."
Hearing this, Misty and Brock were both shocked. Having Gym-level status at the Quartz Conference is already a formidable force on the world stage.
For instance, Misty's Starmie still hasn't broken through to Gym Level, even with Ash's help making great progress in this time frame. And look at Brock, he's been a Gym Trainer for nearly five years, training his Pokemon from Elite Level to Professional Level, but still no Gym Level Pokemon has emerged.
Both of them, ever since meeting Ash, whether in training Pokemon or other areas, have progressed surprisingly fast, though their efforts have been significant. But when it comes to talent…they don't feel it has much to do with them.
If they had such talent, their Pokemon would've long reached Professional or even Gym Level during their time at their respective Gyms.
Professional Level is a threshold; Gym Level is also a major benchmark, while Elite Level is a leap beyond imagination.
Therefore, for the participant named Paul to successfully train a Gym Level Pokemon in just a year and a half is exceptionally terrifying talent.
Not to say he'll definitely become a Champion in the future, but he'll surely become an Elite.
"A year and a half to reach Gym Level... It seems the rewards Mr. Lance announced for this Quartz Conference are indeed very enticing! To have such high-level participants join the competition, even if it's just Gym Beginner, it's still incredibly formidable." Brock murmured, rubbing his chin.
"Gym Beginner? You're overthinking it. A few months ago, during one of Paul's Gym battles, it was already confirmed his Torterra was at least Gym High Level. We don't know what level it might be now." Gary said, shaking his head and sighing.
Of everyone present, he is likely the most concerned. Damn, this year's Quartz Conference is absurd! With his strength, he could have easily taken one of the top three in past conferences.
But now, let alone the top three, he's just grateful his group doesn't include Paul. Otherwise, if he matched against Paul, he'd be out by the round of 64!
"Gym High Level… a year and a half… It seems there are a lot of geniuses in the world. While not on par with Ash, reaching Gym High Level in a year and a half is already terrifying—and that was a few months ago. Who knows if they've reached Gym Peak now." Misty said, her face showing amazement.
The world doesn't only harbor geniuses like Ash. Some surpass him in terms of talent, training, and traveling longer. Ash is still in his first half-year of traveling despite his immense talent.
To train a Gym High Level Pokemon within a year and a half is already a feat of a super genius, whilst Ash brought Gym Peak-level Pokemon in just half a year, making him a peerless genius.
In terms of talent, if Ash claims second, it's doubtful Leon or Cynthia would claim first.
However, Ash's shortcoming is still time—only half a year compared to Paul's year and a half means Paul's overall setup could be better.
That's excluding Ash's Gengar and Aerodactyl.
With those two Elite Level Pokemon in play, who the hell can compare?! Only Cynthia and Leon likely achieve Elite Level within two years.
Cynthia became Champion in three years. It would have taken two years for her to have a full Elite-level team, or no matter how gifted, she could not have claimed the Champion in her third year.
Even if Cynthia had already started training Pokemon before traveling, you can't deny her incredible talent.
"This guy Paul is indeed a formidable rival. Ash, if you face him, be careful. Without using Aura Power, you'd really have no advantage." Brock analyzed with a serious face.
He has more experience than Ash, and his range of Pokemon types must be more extensive than Ash's. If it comes down to the top-tier strength, they're on par. What Gary said about an unexpected defeat is not entirely impossible.