The difference in strength isn't significant. If Bai Yu hadn't mastered that game world
, it would have taken at least three months to raise Seed Ball to its current level in a short time. That would have required various Pokémon battles and consuming high-quality Energy Cubes to barely reach its current level.
In the anime, even after a year, Xiao Zhili rarely managed to raise his six Pokémon to Elite Four level, with only a very few reaching that level, or even Champion level.
Ordinary people would likely spend their entire lives trying to reach the level of a Gym Leader, let alone Elite Four or Champion.
This is inseparable from the trainer's own talent and the Pokémon's inherent abilities. The reason Red, Blue, and Green are called monstrous trainers is because their Pokémon's improvement has no upper limit, and their training speed is extraordinary.
Both are Squirtle trainers traveling from the same place. One might reach the third Gym and Squirtle has already evolved into Blastoise, while the other's Squirtle has only just evolved into Wartortle.
This is the influence of a trainer's talent on their Pokémon.
Lance, relying on the power of dragons, became a Champion-level trainer in a short time. Giovanni,
relying on the power of Viridian, raised a common Weedle to a level capable of defeating gods, which is why he could completely crush Lance's Dragon-type army.
Of course... besides talent, another crucial factor is the combination of Pokémon and the tactics devised in battle.
In Bai Yu's mind, a team that can win every battle is almost impossible.
Every team has the potential to be countered.
Just look at the team Bai Yu is currently using, which focuses on Blastoise and uses Pokémon that are super effective against it. This easily breaks through Bai Yu's entry point team.
If a trainer with a Pokémon that can remove fog appears, they can easily break through any moves Bai Yu has previously used in his strategy.
Clearing fog can remove spikes and remove status effects (like spikes) and terrain-specific status effects (like Electric Terrain). It can also remove defensive moves like Light Screen and Reflect.
The strength of the Pokémon is equally important.
In battles, the stronger side often dominates, but not every battle is won by the stronger side.
This is where tactics come in.
Some tactics can allow the weaker side to turn the tide.
This is part of the charm of Pokémon battles; until the battle is over, no one knows who will win.
Sometimes, even a simple Destiny Bond can allow for a one-on-one trade with the opponent's main Pokémon in a crucial battle.
In the Pokémon World Championships, Cynthia's Rockruff used Destiny Bond at a critical moment to trade with Ash's main Pikachu.
If it weren't for Ash's protagonist aura, which allowed Lucario to unleash its power, the outcome of that battle would have been uncertain. In Bai Yu's opinion, at that stage of the battle, Cynthia had a higher chance of winning.
Bai Yu pondered the gap between himself and the Elite Four members of this world.
The other factors Bai Yu mentioned at the end truly plunged Sabrina into deep thought; she was now considering whether she had already exposed Team Rocket's identity.
However, she had been wearing a mask inside the research institute, so there shouldn't have been any accidents.
Could it be because of Alakazam?
That shouldn't be the case either; so many trainers in the Kanto region use Alakazam, it's unlikely they would immediately connect it to her.
It shouldn't be…
Sabrina bit her lip, a hint of worry on her face.
Team Rocket was a ruthless and terrifying organization in Kanto and even the entire Pokémon world, committing countless atrocities and trafficking Pokémon. The crimes they committed were
so numerous that even a day's reading of the Kanto League's history wouldn't be enough to cover all of Team Rocket's crimes. Sabrina now regretted joining Team Rocket in the first place.
Who could have imagined that Bai Yu's strength would change so drastically in such a short time?
He had transformed from a trainer who was easily broken into a capable and independent one.
A year ago, Sabrina used her psychic powers to foresee future events.
In the vision, when Team Rocket invaded Martha City, she clearly saw Bai Yu being easily defeated during the invasion. Even Bai Yu's main attacker, Magneton, was captured by Team Rocket. How could this be completely different from what
she had foreseen? What happened to him?
Sabrina looked troubled; not being able to foresee the future was causing her great distress.
"What's wrong, Sabrina?"
Bai Yu interrupted her thoughts. At this stage, those team compositions were still too far removed from her understanding.
Team Sunny's true main attacker was Groudon.
And Team Rain's true main attacker was Kyogre.
Once these two Pokémon appear, they'll require a lot of strategic team composition.
Even Elite Four level trainers, even those who have mastered Mega Evolution, would be easily swatted away by Groudon.
Groudon can't fly, but its strength is undeniable.
It's just that strong!
A strength that can't be broken by tactics!
"It's okay~"
Sabrina calmed herself down and said softly.
"That's strange."
Bai Yu raised an eyebrow.
He didn't know what Sabrina was thinking.
As one of Team Rocket's three hidden executives, instead of staying in Goldenrod City, she openly appeared beside him.
If it weren't for the childhood friendship between his predecessor and Sabrina, and the Electabuzz she gave him yesterday,
Bai Yu would have suspected that she had some special purpose in staying in Martha City, unwilling to leave.
Instead of worrying about that, he should go back to the game world and improve his strength.
Once he's stronger, Lance, Steven, and Wallace will be a piece of cake.
No, no…
he can't end the battle so easily.
He needs tactics.
He absolutely needs the most friendly tactics.
Let them experience what real Pokémon battles are like.
If a champion doesn't experience that kind of battle, how can they improve in the future?
...
Johto Region.
Just left Cajima Town.
Lance, heading towards Kanto, suddenly felt a sneeze in his nose.
He frowned; he'd been sneezing repeatedly for the past few days, but the Pokémon Center's checkup showed everything was normal.
"Team Rocket, causing trouble in Kanto again, never stopping!"
Lance's face darkened. He'd already received the League's message in Johto
and had voluntarily abandoned some missions there, choosing to return to Kanto to oversee things.
"Perfect, I can try out my new Pokémon."
A smile played on Lance's lips as he used Team Rocket's Pokémon to destroy Team Rocket's hidden base.
Only Lance could do that.
He desperately wanted to improve his strength, not just for Team Rocket, but
also to prepare for the next Pokémon World Championship.
In the last Pokémon World Championship, he'd faced off against Steven, who had become the champion.
Steven's Metagross displayed immense power, and with its Mega Evolution Stone, it completely caught Lance off guard.
Lance's main Pokémon, Dragonite, was severely injured upon its first appearance, and Lance was consistently outmatched throughout the match. Aside from Charizard, all of Lance's other Pokémon were weaker in type than Steven's Metagross. Lance's Dragon
Power was only used on Dragonite; his other Pokémon were essentially useless.
A Flying-type Elite Four member, always acting like a Dragon-type Elite Four member!
Regarding Lance, his future strategy will definitely focus on Dragon-type lineups; for now… he should stick to being a Flying-type Elite Four member.
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(End of Chapter)