Sam began thinking through possible strategies.
Skyla'sSwanna could be handled by Gengar.
Norman'sSlaking would likely be matched against Charizard.
Pryce'sSeel could naturally be countered by Venusaur.
As for Hapu'sMudsdale, Bangira should be able to handle it.
After forming a rough battle plan, Sam decided to seek advice from Blaine. As an old friend of Pryce, Blaine knew him well and might provide useful information.
After finding Blaine, the old Gym Leader immediately understood why Sam had come.
Without hesitation, he handed over information regarding Pryce's ace Pokémon.
[Pokémon]Seel
Type: Water
Category: Sea Lion Pokémon
Ability: Thick Fat / Hydration
Hidden Ability: Ice Body
Strength: Elite Mid-Level
Sam carefully analyzed the information.
His own Venusaur had already reached Elite High-Level strength and naturally possessed a type advantage against Water-type Pokémon.
The chances of victory seemed very good.
Next came the other Gym Leaders.
As expected, Blaine seemed to know everything. He even had detailed information on the remaining Pokémon.
[Pokémon]Swanna
Type: Water/Flying
Category: White Bird Pokémon
Ability: Keen Eye
Hidden Ability: Hydration
Strength: Elite High-Level
For this battle, Sam planned to use Gengar.
A Champion-level Gengar against an Elite-level Swanna represented significant strength suppression.
He was very confident about this match.
The third Pokémon was Norman's Slaking.
[Pokémon]Slaking
Type: Normal
Category: Lazy Pokémon
Ability: Truant
Strength: Elite High-Level
This was actually the Pokémon Sam feared the most.
Normal-type Pokémon were difficult to counter through type advantages, and Slaking's raw power was terrifying.
Among all the opponents, this was the battle he felt least confident about.
Finally, there was Mudsdale.
[Pokémon]Mudsdale
Type: Ground
Category: Draft Horse Pokémon
Ability: Own Tempo / Stamina
Hidden Ability: Inner Focus
Strength: Elite High-Level
This would also be a difficult battle.
With the Stamina Ability constantly increasing its Defense, prolonged combat would become increasingly troublesome.
After reviewing everything, Blaine asked,
"Are you confident?"
Sam smiled.
"I have confidence. Whether I have enough strength is another matter."
Blaine laughed.
"With your current strength, qualifying shouldn't be a problem. Besides, since Erika is the first challenge, you'll practically get a free vacation."
Sam laughed as well.
That was certainly good news.
Since Erika was the first checkpoint, he would have more time to study the remaining opponents.
However, he also knew that the toughest battle might actually be against Pryce.
Because of Blaine's relationship with Pryce, there was no chance Pryce would go easy on him.
Blaine seemed to realize the same thing.
Looking slightly apologetic, he said,
"Sorry. Fighting Pryce may become more difficult because of me."
Sam waved dismissively.
"If I want real results in the Masters Tournament, I need real strength. If I can't defeat a serious Pryce, then I won't achieve much in the tournament anyway."
Blaine nodded approvingly.
"Just don't underestimate him because he's only using an Elite-level Seel. When Pryce gets serious, he's a frightening opponent."
Sam thanked him for the advice before leaving.
After departing from Blaine's residence, Sam didn't return to Erika's estate.
Instead, he headed straight for Misty and Ash.
If they were also participating in the Masters Tournament, traveling together would make the journey much more enjoyable.
When he arrived, the two were training their Pokémon.
Seeing him, they immediately greeted him.
"Brother Sam, what brings you here?" Misty asked.
"I wanted to ask whether the two of you plan to participate in the Masters Tournament."
"The Masters Tournament?"
Misty's eyes immediately lit up.
"I definitely want to participate! I'm just not sure whether Ash is going."
She turned toward him.
Ash scratched the back of his head.
"I want to go too. It would be a good chance to improve my strength. But I heard the Masters Tournament is really difficult."
"Let's go anyway!" Misty immediately said.
Then she suddenly remembered something.
"Should we invite Brock too?"
Sam nodded.
"Good idea. The more companions we have, the more trainers and Gym Leaders we can learn from along the way."
The three quickly went to find Brock.
As expected, Brock agreed without hesitation.
With that, their group was complete.
Or so Sam thought.
As he was preparing to leave, another figure suddenly appeared in his mind.
Sabrina.
Would she be interested in going as well?
After saying goodbye to Ash, Misty, and Brock, Sam headed directly toward Sabrina's residence.
For some reason, he found himself curious about her answer.
---------------Author---------------
Read 60 advanced chapter on👉 patreon.com/Master_fic