Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World-Chapter 93 -

Although older folks generally don't like hanging out with the younger crowd, Agatha, who is so enthusiastic about battles, is more than happy to exchange combat insights with them.

After all, one of her mottos is: "A Trainer is only valuable when they battle!"

Right after Hikaru pulled Agatha into the merchants' group chat, he saw that the group was in the middle of discussing training methods and tactics for Ghost-type Pokémon. Agatha immediately jumped into the conversation, greeting the regulars in the group.

"Hoho, there really are quite a lot of interesting youngsters here. Musubu, you're here too!"

"You're still at the Saffron Gym? I told you before, even though you trained your Haunter to resist Psychic attacks, the essence of Ghost-type Pokémon is to strike through the opponent's defenses. Don't keep clinging to that Poison secondary typing. Focus on Ghost's true nature."

"While Ghost-type doesn't have an amazing type advantage chart, it's also rarely resisted or nullified, which means it has good offensive potential. You don't have to worry about who you can or can't counter. As long as you're not resisted or outright immune, you're good…"

[Prayer Master Musubu (OC)]: "Th-this ID and the way you talk... Could you be Grandma Agatha?!"

With that one sentence, Musubu immediately attracted the attention of the others who had been discussing Ghost-type Pokémon training and spiritual power cultivation!

[Clairvoyance]: "Is this Agatha from the Kanto Elite Four?"

[Heart of Fear]: "I'm no longer an Elite Four. You must be Morty, right? Among Ghost-type trainers, I had high hopes for you. But you haven't dedicated enough energy to your Ghost Pokémon. Quite a pity."

[Clairvoyance]: "Not at all. I'm humbled that you think so highly of me. Honestly, I'm still far from Elite Four level."

[Heart of Fear]: "Hmph, no need to be so modest. Out of all the people I know, your Ghost Pokémon training is the best. Way better than that useless girl Musubu…"

[Prayer Master Musubu]: "…That's so hurtful!"

Morty is a famous Gym Leader in the Johto region, okay? Meanwhile, I'm just a part-timer at Saffron Gym, so there's no comparison at all! "I've been working hard lately! Saffron Gym is planning to select an acting Gym Leader, and I'm preparing for the test right now!"

"If I can use Ghost Pokémon to pass the Psychic-type Gym's acting leader exam, then I can count as a representative Ghost-type specialist in the Kanto region, right?!"

The one who goes by [Prayer Master Musubu]—the part-timer at Saffron Gym—keeps sending messages:

"@Traveler (that's you, Hikaru), is there any recommended item from your shop? I'm using Haunter and Gengar! I really want to win this battle!"

Hikaru paused for a moment.

The acting Gym Leader exam at Saffron Gym… You're a Ghost-type trainer going for a Psychic-type Gym exam???

[Ancient Researcher]: "Ghost-type Pokémon do have an advantage over Psychic-types, though Haunter's Poison typing is still weak to Psychic. But since it's just an exam, maybe it won't be too hard…"

[Prayer Master Musubu]: "No, no, no, the examiner is Sabrina, our Gym Leader. She's really strong! Every time I challenged her, I lost miserably. Even though it's technically a test, she won't hold back!"

"The test can be either Single Battle or Double Battle. I'm struggling to decide which format. But I guess Single might be better. If I can't even handle one-on-one, doubling it to two-on-two will only make me lose even worse!"

Faced with Musubu's request, Hikaru thought for a bit.

The gap between a part-time Gym staffer and a Gym Leader can be huge. Sometimes, even if you have a type advantage, you might get one-shot by the opponent. That's the difference in the level of training!

From an item perspective, Focus Sash, Life Orb, and Eviolite are all good. But the latter two can be hard to obtain, and Haunter's endurance is too frail, so Focus Sash is the best option!

"Haunter can be played in many ways. You could even give it a Choice Scarf for a Purify + Poison Gas combo to stop the opponent from setting up while annoying them… or go with Will-O-Wisp + Trick to lock their moves. But I haven't made any Choice items yet. Maybe once I get higher-quality cloth materials, I can work on them?"

"As for Gengar, there's even less to say about its strength—its options are endless!"

Mumbling to himself, Hikaru quickly replied to Musubu:

"No, go for Double Battle!"

"How about trying a Perish Song strategy?"

"When there's a huge power gap, avoiding a head-on fight is another way to win. Sure, it might be a bit of a trick, but a win's a win! Item-wise, you can use a Focus Sash to keep from getting one-shot."

Perish Song uses a strange melody to steadily sap the opponent's fighting spirit. In the games, any Pokémon that hears it faints after three turns. In reality, it means they lose their ability to fight after a certain time.

In the Pokémon world, trainers love all-out brawls. Moves like Perish Song are rarely used. Even if someone does think of it, they're typically at least Gym Leader level. Obviously, Mujiang, a mere part-timer, has never paid any attention to moves like Perish Song.

"Huh? What's that?"

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Musubu was confused, prompting Hikaru to shake his head. Another trainer who just loves all-out force…

"Perish Song causes any Pokémon that hears it to lose their ability to fight after a set time. If you do Single Battles, you can pair it with Mean Look to prevent the opponent from switching out, forcing them to watch their own Pokémon go down!"

"In Double Battles, you rely on a partner with the Shadow Tag Ability to stop the opponent from switching!"

"That's the Shadow Tag + Perish Song combo!"

"And since the Haunter/Gengar line is weak to Psychic, on defense, you can rely on Protect or other protective moves. That's a common defensive playstyle!"

When Perish Song is in effect, the Pokémon with the higher Speed faints first. If you use a slow Perish Song user, you can ensure the opponent goes down before you.

Hikaru suddenly recalled…

A slow Perish Song user?

Lapras… or Toxtricity with Punk Rock? Actually, that's more of a special attacker. Then there's Cursola…

Anyway, Lapras is often the core of a Perish Song strategy. Lorelei from the Elite Four seems quite experienced with that tactic!

At this moment, [Clairvoyance] Morty commented: "Indeed, very few trainers use Perish Song effectively. Also, Perish Song isn't too great in Single Battles, so you might need to optimize it for the exam. But if you pull it off, even if you don't win, Sabrina might still be impressed!"

"I think it's pretty awesome. Even if you lose, you'll have a high chance of being chosen!"

"Huh, Shadow Tag + Perish Song… that's a valuable reference. Got it!"

A deep impression?

Morty himself felt that his words were a bit cautious. Good thing Sabrina doesn't have a fiery temper. Otherwise, after that exam, it might turn into a real fight in person!

Musubu, on the other hand, was a bit at a loss.

Hey, I'm the one who asked for a strategy. How did you end up being the one who 'gets it?' "Morty, you're not planning to use this tactic in my exam, are you?"

[Clairvoyance]: "Helping new Trainers improve is part of a Gym Leader's duty!"

[Prayer Master Musubu]: "Johto's new Trainers are going to suffer big time… This is like being in prison!"

[Traveler]: "Of course, for a partner with Shadow Tag, Gothitelle is the best choice. Gothitelle can learn 'Fake Out.' You can use Fake Out at the start of the match to flinch the opponent's main attacker, giving you an opening and stalling their moves!"

"That's the Fake Out + Perish Song approach, with Protects and possible switch-outs."

"You could also run Heal Pulse to restore any Pokémon whose HP took a hit during the rotation. As for items, you can use a Sitrus Berry or Leftovers. I've got both of those in stock, plus a high-quality Sitrus Berry. The prices are quite reasonable…"

[Prayer Master Musubu]: "He's selling it! But it really does sound strong?"

[Soul Novelist]: "I never thought of that strategy. It seems like it'd be really fun! I'll try it in the Unova League, too! By the way, if you don't have a Gothitelle, I can ask a friend of mine to lend you one. After all, you don't see many Unova Pokémon in Kanto."

[Clairvoyance]: "Another Pokémon with Shadow Tag is Wobbuffet, but it can't learn Fake Out or Heal Pulse."

[Heart of Fear]: "Hmph, using Shadow Tag so the opponent can't escape Perish Song… with that chanting, it's like a death countdown in an hourglass. Kid, you sure have a knack for battling!"

All these Ghost-type experts gave Hikaru's suggestion high praise. Meanwhile, Musubu, who was hanging around near Saffron Gym, clenched her fists. Looking at her Gengar and Haunter, she had a thought she herself could hardly believe!

Maybe… I can really use this tactic to beat Sabrina?!

"Th-thank you, everyone!"

"Okay! Let's do our best, Gengar, Haunter!"

"Gengar!"

"Haun!"

Gengar and Haunter also looked fired up. They had no idea why their Trainer suddenly became so motivated, but if it helps them face the upcoming test with confidence, that's all for the better!

So, let's do our best together!

…

Meanwhile, in the psychics' group chat:

Will: "I foresaw something troubling."

Sabrina: "Indeed. That's a very formidable strategy. I never expected the shop owner to provide that kind of tactical advice."

Caitlin: "Hah~ He gave me advice before. Even though he claims it's just to promote his shop, it's clear he really knows what he's doing when it comes to battles."

[Essence of Existence]: "…An intriguing tactic. Rather than fighting head-on, it's about winning through evasion. Quite a unique approach…"

[Awakened One]: "Hehe, sometimes clairvoyance makes people lose interest in the future. You all say we shouldn't overuse Future Sight, but aren't we all doing it anyway?"

Caitlin: "That's not true. I only foresaw this because it involves my Pokémon!"

Sabrina: "I foresaw it because it's related to me."

[Essence of Existence]: "I just took a peek at that shop owner out of curiosity. His future is constantly shifting, and I only happened to see that strategy…"

Will: "…Huh? Me? I'm not misusing anything!! You all have your reasons?"

At this moment, at the Saffron Gym, Sabrina thought for a moment and sent a message to Lorelei.

"Lorelei, can I ask you something about how to counter a Perish Song strategy?"

(End of Chapter)

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