What happened?
Marnie stared blankly at her defeated Liepard. She couldn't understand how her Pokémon had been knocked out so suddenly.
Logically, this shouldn't have happened. She already expected that her Liepard wouldn't be as strong as Glastrier.
However, Liepard's mobility was very high. Furthermore...
How could Fake Out fail?
"Was it the ice?"
Marnie was a talented Trainer after all, so she realized it quickly. She looked at the frost surrounding Glastrier and the visible freezing air coming from its legs.
As for why Fake Out didn't work, it must have been because of the ice crystals. She vaguely remembered that when the move hit, a layer of ice was smashed to pieces.
So, did Glastrier use the freezing air to create a layer of ice as a shield? Did that shield take the hit instead?
Because of that, Fake Out didn't actually hit Glastrier directly. Therefore, the effect of the move, making the opponent flinch, didn't trigger.
"It looks like you figured it out," Damian said. He put one hand in his pocket and smiled faintly when he saw the change in Marnie's expression.
"Glastrier's movement speed is quite slow. If it faces an opponent that moves quickly, things can get difficult."
"Using a Pokémon's natural abilities effectively is one part of the formula for victory."
Damian didn't mind revealing Glastrier's weakness at all. It was true: Glastrier was slow.
Because of this, Glastrier was a Pokémon that worked perfectly with Trick Room. But a Trainer doesn't always have the chance to set up Trick Room for it.
However, in reality, Glastrier was so skilled at using ice and freezing air that it didn't fear fast opponents as long as they got close.
In a close-range fight, Glastrier was extremely powerful!
Aside from its speed, Glastrier's overall stats were excellent. It had almost no flaws.
Marnie frowned slightly. She thought for a moment and then sent out her second Pokémon: Scrafty.
This was a Dark and Fighting-type Pokémon. It had a type advantage over the pure Ice-type Glastrier.
Clearly, Marnie wanted to use Fighting-type moves to beat Glastrier. However, it didn't really help.
Scrafty charged forward to use High Jump Kick. Glastrier showed no fear at all. It countered with a powerful Double-Edge.
The power of the two was not on the same level. Glastrier's charge completely broke through Scrafty's High Jump Kick. It sent the little Pokémon flying away.
Right after that came an Icicle Crash. A massive pillar of ice fell from the sky and slammed heavily onto Scrafty.
Scrafty was unable to battle.
Toxicroak, Morpeko, Grimmsnarl... as her main team members were knocked out one by one, Marnie's breathing became faster.
Even though she had prepared herself mentally, being defeated so easily and helplessly by her opponent still affected her emotions. She couldn't help it.
By the time her newly obtained Guzzlord was also easily beaten by Glastrier, Chilling Neigh had already activated several times.
Marnie's mind felt numb.
"Was I... always this weak?"
Marnie began to doubt herself. She had always thought she was strong. Even when she battled her older brother, Piers, the matches were usually even.
But now, she was being bullied by Damian as if she were just a random Youngster on the side of the road. One Glastrier had wiped out her entire team.
"No, it's not that you are weak. It is that Damian is too strong," Platinum's clear voice reached Marnie's ears.
Marnie looked up. She bit her lip and stared at the blue-haired girl.
"The world of Trainers is always like this. When we reach a goal, we find out that we have only just started."
"You haven't reached Champion level yet, right? Once you reach that stage, you will realize something. Even as a Champion, you are still incredibly weak when facing the world's top Trainers."
Platinum said this with a smile. After all...
She had seen Giovanni beat Lorelei and Bruno at the Indigo Plateau just like this.
Besides, Damian had used a Pokémon like Glastrier to fight Marnie. Naturally, Marnie's loss would be even more painful.
"...I understand."
Marnie took a deep breath. She finally accepted the result.
However, if that was the case, was the girl standing in front of her already a Champion-level Trainer?
"It seems like you didn't take too much of a mental hit, Marnie. That's good."
Damian walked over slowly. He had intended to comfort Marnie, but he didn't expect Platinum to step in first.
Tch, that was a good chance to gain some favor, he thought.
"How does it feel?" Damian asked Marnie.
"A terrifying, hopeless strength," Marnie said, tilting her head as she thought. "It feels like the gap between an adult and a child."
In this case, she was the child. She couldn't even fight back.
"That's a very accurate description. It's pretty much like that. So, you need to keep working hard. I believe that with your talent, you will definitely reach this level in the future."
Damian encouraged her.
Marnie remained silent. Could she really do it?
"Actually, if you want to practice through battles, it is better to spar with Platinum or Serena. It would be very helpful for you."
Damian wasn't being lazy. It was just that the level of his main team was too far above Marnie's. Battling him wouldn't work well for her training.
He could only give her some guidance from the sidelines.
"By the way, Marnie, is the team you just used your main lineup?"
"Yes," Marnie replied, looking surprised.
"How should I put this? I think your team needs some improvements."
Damian spoke as he thought things through.
"Improvements?"
"Yes. I'll be direct. Your current team is not strong enough for you to reach the top ranks within the next two years. Their raw power is lacking."
Damian spoke bluntly. To be honest, he thought Marnie's team composition was even crazier than Ash Ketchum's.
At least Ash only had a Bulbasaur and a Squirtle holding back his team's potential. But what about Marnie's team?
Liepard, Toxicroak, Scrafty, and Morpeko. Four of them had base stats that didn't even reach 500.
Of course, in the real world, base stats aren't everything. It's the same in the games; it's about "effective" stats and Pokémon mechanics.
For example, a Mimikyu has the Disguise ability, and Amoonguss can spread Spore.
But the key issue was that Marnie's Pokémon didn't have any special mechanics like that.
"..." Marnie frowned immediately. Did he mean she should replace her current main team?
"Of course, I'm not telling you to abandon them. It's just that if you want to train them to a point where they can compete with other powerful Trainers, you will need to spend far too much time and energy."
"I think you could train some other, more powerful Pokémon."
Damian was a bit more tactful this time.
"Also, while having Grimmsnarl as your ace is fine, you still aren't fully bringing out its combat potential."
"A Grimmsnarl with the Prankster ability is very strong. If you just taught it Parting Shot, it could limit the opponent's team significantly."
Parting Shot: Shouts at the opponent to lower their Attack and Special Attack stats.
Marnie's ace was Grimmsnarl, and it was also her choice for Dynamaxing. But Damian felt she wasn't using its utility to the fullest.
Grimmsnarl's Prankster ability gives priority to status moves.
Because of this, Grimmsnarl is excellent at using status moves like Taunt, Flatter, Light Screen, and Reflect. These can cause a lot of trouble for the opponent.
But Marnie basically used Grimmsnarl as a pure attacker.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with that, as Grimmsnarl's combat power is quite good. But Damian felt it could be more balanced.
"..."
Marnie looked thoughtful.
"Furthermore, since you like the Dark type, you need to use the unique traits of Dark-type Pokémon more. Their fighting styles are strange and unpredictable. It's not just about having a different type."
Damian was skilled at using Dark and Ghost-types himself, so he certainly had the right to speak on this.
"I understand. Then, Damian, do you have any recommendations for Pokémon?" Marnie asked humbly. She felt that what Damian said made a lot of sense.
"Strengthening your lineup is actually quite simple. I'll give you a few ideas," Damian said with a smile.
After all, strengthening a single-type team is much easier than a multi-type team.
"Tyranitar and Hydreigon. These are classic physical and special attackers. If you can get them, that would be for the best. Also, Tyranitar can serve as your Mega Evolution."
Marnie nodded when she heard this. But honestly, both of those were rare Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon. They weren't easy to get.
"Then there is an Incineroar with the Intimidate ability. Not only is its combat power high, but its utility is also great. It would work excellently with Grimmsnarl."
Damian suggested again. A combination of Incineroar and Grimmsnarl would be absolutely annoying for an opponent.
Incineroar could lead with Intimidate, then use Fake Out and Parting Shot to lower both of the opponent's attack stats. Then Grimmsnarl could come in and use Fake Out and Parting Shot again.
After one round of that, the opponent's physical attack would be lowered by 3 stages and special attack by 2 stages. If you then switched in a Pokémon with the Shadow Tag ability, the opponent's mental state would probably collapse.
Unfortunately, Shadow Tag was only available to Mega Gengar, Wobbuffet, and Gothitelle.
"Incineroar, huh..."
Marnie made a note of it. Compared to Hydreigon and Tyranitar, Incineroar was easier to obtain.
"Yes. It's best if it has the Intimidate ability," Damian emphasized.
While it wasn't impossible to use one without it, an Incineroar without Intimidate had no soul.
"Then there is Kingambit. Kingambit is a very powerful Pokémon. That's true for its type combination and its combat power. You can definitely train it to be a core member of your team."
The Dark and Steel-type Kingambit has many resistances. Out of the eighteen types, it is resistant to nine, and it is immune to Poison and Psychic.
Although it has a 4x weakness to Fighting, its strengths far outweigh that flaw. If you were really worried about that, you could just Terastallize it, right?
Moreover, Kingambit has the Supreme Overlord ability. When it enters the field, its moves become stronger based on how many allies have already been defeated.
In other words, the later Kingambit enters the battle, the stronger it becomes!
It is a natural choice for a core or ace member of a team. And Kingambit truly deserves that treatment! It is incredibly good at fighting!
"As for the others, you can choose whatever you like. If I remember correctly, there is also a Dark-type Mythical Pokémon in the Galar region. You should keep an eye out for it. If you can catch it, that would be the best."
Damian thought for a bit. There wasn't much else he could specifically recommend.
There are actually quite a few excellent Dark-type Pokémon. Damian didn't even know how Marnie managed to put together a team that lacked both power and mechanics.
It was no wonder Marnie would say things like "Gloria is so strong it's hopeless."
If you compared Marnie's team to Gloria's, they weren't even on the same level. If she didn't change her team setup, Marnie would never catch up to Gloria in her entire life.
In fact, even if Gloria took a "pregnancy leave," Marnie probably still wouldn't catch up.
The Dark-type Mythical Pokémon he mentioned was Zarude.
"I understand!"
Marnie's eyes became determined.
"Thank you, Damian."
Marnie looked at Damian. Her cool voice actually showed some emotion now.
Damian... is such a good person!!
"I'm looking forward to seeing your future changes."
Damian replied with a smile. After all, he liked Marnie quite a bit. He hoped this girl could truly become strong and put on a good performance in next year's World Coronation Series.