"I believe I do not need to accept your training. I only adapt to my own training methods."
Tetsuya said.
What "astonishing" words that would not stop until they shocked people to death!
Everyone present believed that Tetsuya had caused a huge disaster for himself. Ever since they arrived on the island, nobody had ever dared speak to a Shadow like this, much less to the leader Raven himself…
Raven let out a cold laugh, thinking that Yamamoto truly had placed quite the person on this island. Tetsuya certainly had courage, and his level had indeed far surpassed the others.
…But whether his "training methods" could actually surpass the Team's hell-style training model was something even he did not know.
This absolutely had to be tested!
After all, one year later Raven would still need to rely on Tetsuya for the competition, and this was also the key to whether he himself could receive a promotion.
"…Then what qualifications do you have to guarantee that your 'methods' are more effective than those of the Shadow Team?"
"Strength." Tetsuya said indifferently.
'…'
"Rahaha… do not boast beforehand. If you can defeat a Shadow and pass, I will consider it. If you cannot, I will cut off your supplies for one year and allow you to reconsider once more."
Cutting off supplies for one year was indeed very damaging for ordinary Trainers and could even seriously affect the growth of their Pokémon, but for Tetsuya it was completely insignificant. The enormous forest was enough to feed him.
"No need to reconsider. Prepare to battle."
After speaking, Tetsuya had already walked to the battle position.
Raven gave a look toward the Shadows beside him. He was precisely the captain of one of the Shadow Team's small squads, and his power was also among the strongest group.
"Five-on-five, begin!"
Raven said.
"Come out, Mightyena!"
"Koffing, you will go."
Tetsuya and the Shadow simultaneously sent out their first Pokémon.
Aside from those six people, nobody had seen Tetsuya's Koffing before. Such a bizarre Pokémon caused many people to cast surprised gazes toward it.
"What exactly is that Pokémon…?"
"Ugh… is it Koffing or Weezing?"
"Could it be some sort of mutation?"
Regarding the doubtful voices around it, Koffing also did not understand what was happening and swayed both heads left and right.
"Koffing, you have us. Do not mind other people. Focus on the battle. Use Poison Gas!" Tetsuya said. Purple gas sprayed from within Koffing's body and rapidly spread outward.
"Snarl!"
This Shadow could also be considered battle-hardened, not to mention that he was among the strongest Trainers besides Raven. Against the other eighteen people, someone of this level would never have been sent.
Mightyena suddenly opened its huge jaws as heart-rending sound waves roared outward.
Under the obstruction of the sound waves, Poison Gas actually could not advance even the slightest bit and was gradually pushed backward.
After all, Koffing had only received less than three months of training. Suddenly exchanging moves with such an elite opponent was indeed somewhat difficult, but Mightyena also belonged to the category of close-range Pokémon, so it was not without opportunity.
"Koffing, fall back. Use the Poison Gas to cover yourself. Use Sludge."
Right now, only by maintaining a safe distance from Mightyena and waiting for an opportunity to attack could they continue. Otherwise, if Mightyena seized an opportunity, it was highly possible that it would instantly defeat Koffing in a single hit.
After Tetsuya gave the order, Koffing rapidly hid within the Poison Gas. Both heads began spraying purple sludge outward like a dense rain of bullets without the slightest gap.
Over these three months, Koffing had only practiced two moves, so naturally its proficiency with them was extremely high.
The Shadow Team member did not issue any special commands.
As Mightyena leaped up and down, its movements were agile and vigorous.
Even facing such densely packed Sludge attacks, it could still handle them with ease. The sludge completely could not touch Mightyena while it moved at such high speed.
A slight smile appeared at the corner of the Shadow's mouth. Right now, Koffing was attacking with all its might, and there would eventually come a moment when its energy would be exhausted. At that time, Mightyena would be able to stand completely undefeated.
However, after glancing at Tetsuya, he saw not the slightest trace of panic on his face. 'Could it be that he did not realize danger was approaching?'
'The opportunity is about to arrive.'
Tetsuya silently thought in his heart. If it were an ordinary Pokémon, it truly would have been led around by the nose by Mightyena.
But!
This was a poison tyrant!
"H-How could this happen…?" The Shadow Team member simply could not believe the scene before his eyes.
The previous Sludge attacks had fallen onto the ground. The severe poison had corroded the ground, forming one small poisonous puddle after another. Now they had completely restricted Mightyena's movements. Although the toxins within the puddles had already weakened greatly, this kind of field greatly affected Mightyena's speed.
The Sludge attacks were still continuing!
Mightyena did not possess any long-range moves with which to resist, and the Shadow could only anxiously watch.
"Force it into the puddles."
Tetsuya said coldly. At this moment, Raven shook his head, already knowing that his subordinate had lost this round.
Koffing fired Sludge toward the rear of Mightyena, cutting off its retreat route. Mightyena could only force itself to dodge forward.
One foot stepped into the muddy puddle. It only felt the muddy ground dragging at its body, forcing Mightyena to use even more strength to free itself from the puddle.
Finally, its speed became slower and slower.
The continuous Sludge attacks struck Mightyena, but Koffing's impact power ultimately was insufficient and did not even force Mightyena back a single step.
For Tetsuya, simply being able to hit it was already enough.
"Naruhodo. Is this all you are capable of!?"
The Shadow Team member wore the expression of a senpai lecturing a kouhai.
"I'm afraid I will disappoint you."
After Tetsuya finished speaking, Mightyena's four limbs trembled, and its front legs unexpectedly knelt down first.
It was as though Mightyena had been thrown into an ice cellar. Its entire body began trembling before progressing into convulsions.
This was precisely the reaction of being poisoned by Koffing's toxins. Koffing had endured the invasion of highly concentrated poisonous miasma and Piloswine's cold aura, causing cold aura to be hidden within its poison.
Once poisoned, the cold aura would enter the body. Without sufficient fortitude, and unless they possessed high resistance against Ice-type energy, Pokémon would find it difficult to resist such cold aura.
Mightyena gritted its teeth and forced its body upright.
Tetsuya merely quietly watched as Mightyena stood back up.
Mightyena, having exhausted all the power within its body to stand again, saw hope!
"Make it despair."
After Tetsuya spoke, Koffing unleashed a storm-like assault. Sludge and Toxic were fired out all at once, and Mightyena completely collapsed.
If the Shadow Team member learned that this was merely a Pokémon born four or five months ago, would he begin doubting life because of it?
There actually existed such a poisonous Pokémon…
The Shadow was unwilling to accept it, gritting his teeth as he recalled Mightyena.
"Skarmory, go!"
The Shadow threw out his second Pokémon, a silver large bird covered in steel-like feathers, soaring high in the air.
'Skarmory?'
It was indeed difficult to fight, but compared to Catherine's one, it was still inferior by quite a bit.
Skarmory flapped its wings, and the Poison Gas around Koffing's body instantly scattered with the wind.
"Steel Wing!"
With a command from the Shadow, Skarmory dove while both wings became covered in silver metallic luster.
Was it over?
Tetsuya looked toward the overwhelmingly imposing Skarmory.