Chapter 50: A 10-year-old Trainer with Over 10 Years of Game Battle Experience (Patreon)

Seeing that the girl didn't believe him, Renan glanced at her. "You weren't going all out just now, were you? In Pokémon battles, Water and Ice have always gone hand in hand. Most Water-types can learn Ice moves under normal circumstances, and Ice has a huge advantage over Flying-types."

Caught holding back, Misty scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Well, it was a Gym battle, you know~"

Renan curled his lip at that. He didn't bring up the fact that she'd sent out a veteran-level Starmie. Strictly speaking, the moment Starmie took the field, Misty had already broken the rules as Gym Leader.

"I'm planning to enter the Indigo League. Nobody's going to hold back against me there."

A flicker of curiosity crossed Misty's eyes, and she followed his train of thought. "Say I really had used an Ice move just now, like Ice Beam or something. Would you have had an answer?"

Renan spread his hands. "Not right now. I could only trade Special attacks to cancel it out, or send in a Pokémon that resists both Water and Ice. But next I'm planning to exchange for the Stealth Rock TM for Nidorino. When I challenge other Gyms, I can lead with Nidorino to scatter Stealth Rock or Toxic Spikes, then use Special moves to force the opponent to move. They'd have to choose between taking the hit head-on and stepping on the spikes. It's a fairly universal tactic."

Hearing this, Misty couldn't suppress a shiver.

Renan still wasn't satisfied. "Too bad I don't have enough League points. There are some held items I can't exchange for yet. Otherwise I'd really like to give Nidorino Leftovers or a Rocky Helmet…"

"That's enough, that's enough!" Misty hurriedly called a halt.

If he kept going, she felt her very thoughts would be defiled.

Yet deep down, she found herself weighing the viability of the tactic he'd laid out.

Her Starmie couldn't relearn Stealth Rock, but that didn't mean the other Pokémon at the Cerulean Gym couldn't master it.

Someday, when she took over as Gym Leader from her sisters and went off to the League Masters Tournament, a similar tactic would be perfectly usable.

At that thought, she looked at the boy in front of her again. "Are you really a new Trainer?"

"Guaranteed genuine," Renan replied calmly.

Inwardly, though, he muttered, 'To be precise, a ten-year-old Trainer with over ten years of on-and-off game battling experience.'

Battles in the games weren't entirely the same as battles in the real Pokémon world.

For example, in the games, a Pokémon that was already poisoned couldn't be afflicted with status conditions like paralysis or freezing.

But reality had no such rule. The three-powder tactic of Bug-type and Grass-type Pokémon, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore and Poison Powder stacked together, was a common sight in League tournaments of every kind.

Then there were attrition moves like Toxic Spikes, Stealth Rock and Spikes. They didn't take effect just because a Pokémon was sent out. Someone had to actually step on them or touch them, and their power was tied directly to the strength of the Pokémon that used them.

That didn't mean tricks from the games couldn't be applied in reality at all.

In formal battles, he just had to think things through more carefully and not copy them rigidly.

The two chatted a little longer. Then Misty ran off to the Pokémon Center to heal Staryu and Starmie.

Renan released the three little ones again, fed Pidgeotto a Persim Berry, sprayed on some Potion, and then began preparing lunch for the Cerulean Gym's whole big family of Pokémon and himself. Oh, and now one more person.

He'd assumed Misty's sudden return was out of worry about the state of the Cerulean Gym. Once she'd confirmed his strength, she'd either set off on her journey again or simply take over from him at the Gym.

Instead, when the girl came back that afternoon, she said nothing. She just watched the three little ones and the Squirtle Squad train for a while, then went out to the open ground outside the Gym to serve as an audience while Renan practiced Teleportation.

It wasn't until dinnertime, after a few bites of the food on the table, that she finally seemed to have made up her mind. "For the next month, I'm going to stay at the Cerulean Gym!"

"Oh," said Renan, and went on drinking the scallion and old duck Berry soup he'd simmered all afternoon.

In his previous life he'd been too busy with work and lived on takeout. Even back in the DanMachi world, the best he could do was cook food through, nowhere near tasty.

But after sharing the memories and experience of his Pokémon-world self as a Breeder, Renan's cooking had taken a giant leap forward.

Ever since arriving at the Cerulean Gym, he'd been cooking something different every day for himself, the three little ones and the Squirtle Squad.

Only the heavy training load of the three little ones, Lao Da, Lao Er and Lao San had kept them from getting fat. Just look at Lao Si and Lao Wu. They'd only been at the Cerulean Gym a few days, and their cheeks had already plumped up a whole ring.

On the other side of the table, Misty, who'd had a few small ulterior motives, looked distinctly surprised at his lukewarm reaction. "You don't object?"

Renan picked up a piece of braised fish. "This is your home. I'm just a hired hand who took a quest to come work here. What you do is none of my business."

Realizing she'd asked a silly question, the girl flushed pink. "Right, I guess."

Two seconds later, she spoke up again. "Oh, right. After you finish the Cerulean Gym's quest, which Gym are you going to challenge next?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, the Pewter Gym."

There was nothing to hide. Kanto only had so many Gyms, and the closest to the Cerulean Gym were the Saffron Gym to the south and the Pewter Gym to the west.

As for the Saffron Gym, any mainstream Trainer who paid even a little attention to the League forums knew how hard and dangerous its challenge was.

That left only the Pewter Gym, naturally.

But…

"Before I head to Pewter City, I plan to go to the Power Plant nearby and catch another Electric-type Pokémon."

Misty's eyes lit up. As long as it wasn't a Bug-type, she liked pretty much any Pokémon. "Do you have a specific target in mind?"

Of course, the real Kanto couldn't possibly have only 150 Pokémon like in the original anime. But the choices that were actually available weren't many.

The Raichu line, the Magnezone line, the Voltorb line, the Electivire line…

Renan clearly had a plan ready. "First choice is Magnemite, second choice is Electabuzz. Mm, and if I run into a Pichu with good potential, or an Electric-type from another region, I might switch targets on the spot."

He didn't mention Electrode, because he honestly couldn't bring himself to like it.

Misty nodded at that, not looking particularly surprised.

She'd only known Renan for a day, but she'd already figured out that he was a textbook power-gamer.

Coincidentally, the girl who dreamed of becoming a Water-type Pokémon master was exactly the same.