Master Craftsman of the Elven World

Chapter 566 Ghost Cicada: I'll do whatever I want! Sandstorm, activate!

As the champion, what kind of Pokémon will the first player pull out?!
Xiao Guang listened to the power of the Life Jade. Entrusted with such a precious thing, the pressure in her heart increased even more, and she needed a proper channel to vent it!

Of course, right now!

She calmed herself down and adjusted her mood.

The battle begins!
A blazing crimson flame rose up, and as the Poké Ball opened, the Lord of Cinder, wielding a golden spear, made his appearance!
"I've never seen a Pokémon like this before. What kind of stance is that? A knight?! So cool!"

"Hey, but that Pokémon is a Fire-type, right?"

With her arms crossed, Cai Zhong was also looking forward to the gym battle. She was watching from the sidelines without even changing her clothes, and was also serving as the referee for the battle!

But the appearance of the Crimson Knight at this moment puzzled her:

"Didn't you say you were an expert on the Steel type? Why are you using a Fire type Pokémon? Is it to show off the power of Team Sunny Day?"

Lightmoss: "No, while the power of [Weather] is strong, there are other fighting methods that can rival [Weather]."

"As for the team, even if you are an expert in a certain type, you can't just specialize in Pokémon of one type. You also need to train Pokémon of other types to cover your weaknesses from time to time."

"Caizhong, you should also catch a Charizard or Torkoal to complete your Sunny Day team's type coverage. That way, you'll definitely be able to defeat strong opponents with an overwhelming advantage when challenging the Elite Four."

"Although I have told many people about some strange and unusual combat techniques so far, there are also violent and direct ones. The Sunny Team is a team that is very suitable for violent combat. For example, the combat method of [Chlorophyll] + [Please Go First] + [Breath of Fire] can almost ignore any of the opponent's tactics and techniques."

Cai Zhong blinked, looking somewhat bewildered.

"This combat technique... it sounds pretty powerful?"

"You want me to use Fire-type Pokémon? Grass-type and Fire-type? I know absolutely nothing about training Fire-type Pokémon!"

Guangtai chuckled: "Even though you don't like Fire-type Pokémon either, why don't you try raising a couple? Even Elite Four member Aru's ace isn't a real Bug-type, but a fake Bug [Drapion], isn't it?"

Pokémon with the Chlorophyll ability double their speed in sunny weather. This is an amazing ability even in actual battles and has great tactical significance.

This is because "You Go First" has a forced first-move effect, which allows slow Pokémon to be continuously controlled by "You Go First," thus enabling them to unleash powerful moves to overwhelm the opponent.

Miss Skirt + Coal Turtle's Chlorophyll Sunny Day Breath is a rather violent and simple fighting method that can create a terrifying sense of pressure even in real battles.

Lightmoss looked at Dawn, who was standing by in a tense atmosphere. The latter had used medicine to restore the Pokémon's strength.

"When it comes to dealing with fire, water is definitely more advantageous!"

Without hesitation, Dawn sent out her Pokémon!

"Go, Floating Weasel!"

"Floating Tower!" Like a snorkeling weasel wearing a life jacket, it makes its debut as a fast attacker in the rain!

With a base Speed ​​of 115, the Floatweak will have an amazing Speed ​​base stat in the rain, when combined with the ability Swift Swim, which is equivalent to a Pokémon with a base Speed ​​of 230!

The only problem is that it is too fragile, and as a rain-time attacker, its output is lower than that of the Scythe Helmet. Its pure water attribute also does not have a strong enough attack range, which is why it was not selected as one of the four rain-time swift generals.

However, in the world of the super maze, a quick double attack in the rain is what truly makes you the boss.

"The Swift Swim ability gives Water Pokémon incredible speed in the rain. But did you know that Floatzel has another way of fighting? It's when paired with its hidden ability, Water Veil."

"If you are carrying the [Flame Orb]..."

The Float Weasel's hidden ability, Water Veil, prevents it from getting burned. Combined with its egg move, the very dirty Trickster, and its own 115 speed, it can immediately form a sneaky strategy!

"The fire pearl has been switched!"

By simply swapping the opponent's items and giving them the Flame Orb, you can disable their physical attacker, preventing them from engaging in strong battles! Meanwhile, Itachi can use High Speed ​​Shift or Bodybuilding to take over.

Since its only attack range is water, it shouldn't be expected to carry too many offensive moves to deal any effective damage. Its tactical mission is simply to deliver the fire orb to the opponent. This fighting method is comparable to summoning a lava demon for the opponent when playing cards.

"Is this how champions fight? It feels a bit dirty." Xiao Guang was also amazed. The investigation into the Sinnoh ecosystem had only just begun, so it was impossible for him to know so many of the hidden abilities of Pokémon.

However, by combining different characteristics and special, seemingly useless props, one can instantly control the battle and turn the tide of victory in one's own hands!
Xiao Guang: "So that's why you prepared the item to modify my attributes. I understand now."

"However, I can't use that technique in this battle, so let me use the most basic fighting methods!"

"[Pray for rain!]"

The snorkeling weasel raised its hands to the ceiling, and the dark clouds that had just been dispelled by the clear sky gathered again, covering the entire battle arena of the gym. The Eternal Gym has many trees, making it look like a small forest. Therefore, when the rain poured down, the whole forest exuded a fresh scent of grass, trees, and earth.

"It smells so good. The scent of nature."

Even the moss couldn't help but take a deep breath.

The vegetable seeds are very effective at cultivating these plants. The rain brings up a hazy mist, and the swirling clouds and fog make the environment in the dojo seem like a dream.

"Under the influence of rain, the power of fire-attribute moves is halved. I don't need to teach you this; you're already very familiar with it."

"So, now that the [Weather], which symbolizes the sky, is activated, what's still missing? The answer is the [Field], which symbolizes the earth!"

"Crimson Armored Knights, [Mental Field]!"

The Crimson Knight raised both hands forward!
The field expands!

A strange sensation came from beneath my feet. A light representing superpowers permeated the rain and mist, and the light began to refract. A magical pink energy enveloped the battlefield!

"[Water Jet]!"

This was the first time Hikari had seen the [Field], so she decided to test it out first. She immediately had Floating Weasel use a priority move!

With the Water-type STAB and the boost from rain, the 40-power Water Jet will be doubled to 90!

If it hits a Fire-type Pokémon, it's equivalent to a 180-level move!
"Sending out a Fire-type Pokémon in the rain, but not using Sunny Day to change the weather, is that deliberately letting them win?"

Cai Zhong watched from the sidelines, puzzled, but she soon realized that the snorkeling weasel was just frozen in place, its body covered in water, as if suppressed by an invisible force, and it was unable to use this move at all!
"Floating towers?!"

The Floating Weasel stared in shock at the Flame Knight before it. Why couldn't it use any attacks against a fire-attribute enemy right in front of it?!
What kind of witchcraft is this!
"Snorkeling Weasel, unable to attack?!"

Xiao Guang realized that he had a bad start, which was something he had never seen before. How could such a thing happen!

Guangtai shook her head, while praising Xiaoguang:
"Even with the speed boost from [Free Movement], he still opted for a first-strike move? Hikaru is so cautious!"

"However, [Water Jet] is useless! Or rather, before the [Psychic Field] is [Dispelled], no priority moves can be used!"

"This is the power of the venue!"

"The first lesson of the new knowledge I'm going to teach you is [the venue]!"

"So far, four types of terrain moves have been revealed. They have different powers and can affect many moves and even abilities. Terrain is also divided into two types: terrain creation and terrain destruction. However, we will only talk about the former now."

"Psychic Terrain is the battleground where Psychic-type Pokémon battle and thrive. Psychic-type moves are boosted by 30% on Psychic Terrain! Therefore, Pokémon on the ground are not affected by priority moves!"

"That's right. In other words, if I send out a Flying-type Pokémon, it will still get hit. Psychic powers can't protect Flying Pokémon. Terrain only protects the ground and can't cover the sky."

"And then—"

Xiao Guang immediately ordered, "Even without any preemptive moves, we should still be the fastest!"

"High-level noise. Fastest in rainy weather! Use [Wave Strike]!"

The powerful Water-type physical move obtained from the Lightmoss is not something that FloatWeasel can be immune to. However, the Swiftness of the move is a powerful STAB attack that even Pokémon that is not weak to Water cannot easily withstand.
It doesn't matter if the two sides have very different growth rates!

However, just as the Floating Weasel charged forward, its body brimming with water like a torrent, Crimson Knight suddenly burst into flames. In the pouring rain, he preemptively avoided the Wave Surge attack and delivered a backhand punch to the Floating Weasel's face!

Light Moss: "Burn out!"

The intense firestorm knocked the Floating Weasel off balance! However, due to double fire resistance and the rain reducing the power of fire-type moves, even its strongest fire-type attack couldn't deal any damage!

Xiao Guang was startled:
"Using a fire-attribute move in the rain?! What's going on?! Is there something wrong with this move?"

"Snorkeling Weasel, Water Tail!"

Like a raging storm, it swings its massive tail to attack its opponent!
Xiao Guang keenly sensed that something was wrong!

How could the champion do something like fighting against the opposite element? Although Mr. Lightmoss had taught him that it's not impossible to win even against the opposite element, it just doesn't make sense to just unleash flames in the rain!
Shouldn't it be about using the opponent's weather, like using a move that changes attributes, such as "Nature's Grace"?
According to Mr. Guangtai, there are three types of natural techniques. After capturing Jupiter, Mr. Guangtai should now have mastered all three types of natural techniques!

"You got it right, Hikaru! Your battle intuition is getting stronger and stronger!"

Guangtai marveled at Xiaoguang's intuition!
On the battlefield, the Floating Weasel's large tail stirred up huge waves, which pounded on the armor of the Crimson Knights like steel cannonballs!

Then--

A strong metallic sheen appeared, but this tail had absolutely no effect!
Iron Wall!
and--

"The effect is so-so!"

“Guren!”

Crimson Armored Rider's eyes showed neither sorrow nor joy; it held great respect for the Floating Weasel before it and its female trainer.

Someone who can be favored by one's teacher and monarch is like a junior sister, isn't she?
Therefore, as a senior and fellow student, I will unleash my full power in the battle and complete the mission of this teaching!
Crimson Knight grabbed the Floating Weasel's tail and nodded slightly to the shocked Weasel.

Then——

The sun's light shone brightly, and a prismatic beam of light pierced through from below—that was the signature move of the Crimson Lotus Knights!
"Extensive combat power!"

The snorkeling weasel was blasted into the air and crashed heavily to the ground with a thud amidst the light!
Floating Weasel, burst forth in all directions!

"The snorkeling weasel has lost its ability to fight?!"

Cai Zhong looked at the defeated Floating Weasel. Although this Pokémon's durability wasn't particularly strong, it was actually defeated in one move.
And most importantly
"What's going on? Water-type moves should have tremendous power in the rain. Fire-type Pokémon can't stop them at all, even with Iron Screen."

"The initial fire attack was definitely flawed. And it acted first!"

Xiao Guang was confused, so Guang Tai explained to her:
"That is an extremely rare move, and a skill that is gradually being lost: [Burnout]. It is known as a great technique that surpasses Flame Charge and Overheat, without any side effects such as reducing one's strength or causing injury."

"This is the second new subject I'm going to teach you."

Lesson Two, [Attribute Change]

"Just like the gods in Sinnoh legends, they possess the power to change their type. Just like the [Nature's Grace] we obtained before, and the common [Hidden Power], there are a very small number of Pokémon and moves that can change their type depending on the environment, the held item, or even the difference in their talents."

"So, these are all cases of one-way attribute modification, some even involving increases. But are there any cases of attribute reduction?"

"The answer is yes."

"A very small number of moves can cause a Pokémon to lose a certain type of its own. Cinnabar is a fire warrior from Padia, the legendary Sun Knight, and its type is Fire and Psychic."

"After using [Burnout], its fire attribute will disappear for a certain period of time, becoming a pure psychic attribute, while its original attribute will become [None]." "The so-called [None] attribute means that it has no elemental advantage or disadvantage with any attribute, nor does it produce any excellent effect against any attribute. The most suitable animal for this move is [Arcanine], which can learn this move by nature."

"After becoming a pure psychic type, Crimson Knight's weakness changed; it will no longer be afraid of water-type attacks!"

Hikaru: "Then why did that Sun Knight suddenly use a counter-attack move? Isn't the activation of [Mental Field] supposed to be to defend against preemptive attacks? Before the field disappears, neither side should be able to use preemptive moves, right?"

Guangtai smiled: "That's generally true, but there's one thing to note."

"The priority effects of [First Strike Claw] and [Shadow Fruit] will activate normally, regardless of the terrain! Furthermore, this does not apply to moves used between allies!"

"The item I gave to the Crimson Lotus Knights is the [First Strike Claw]."

"Superpowers are a very powerful attribute. Although they also have many well-known weaknesses, distinguishing friend from foe is a very simple thing for superpowers."

Cai Zhong was dumbfounded, and then she thought of the battle between Xiao Guang and her before, which made the girl with the bob haircut start to think.

That's it!

Watching the champion's battle was indeed beneficial, and combined with the battle with Hikaru, I suddenly grasped the essence of it all!

That's right!
Even a single-type Pokémon in an unfavorable environment can maintain control of the battle by utilizing its unique moves and type, while also making the opponent careless.

"I see. Actually, the core message we're trying to convey is about techniques like [Awakening Power]! Don't be limited by your inherent attributes; fight freely!"

The vegetable seed opened her mind, as if a sudden enlightenment had struck her.

Dawn showed an expression of learning, and after closing her eyes and murmuring praise for the Floatweaver's battle, she sent out her second Pokémon!
The rain continues!

"The snorkeling weasel's item is [Wet Rock]. It can prolong the rainy weather. In rainy weather, the second one I send out is a true rain-weather fighter!"

"I'm counting on you to break the deadlock, Sickle Helmet!"

A burst of light erupted from Dawn's Poké Ball. After her battle with Kabuto that morning, her Kabuto gained experience and... [evolved]!

Level 40! The leader of the four swift generals, wielding a sickle helmet!
Kabutops' outer shell is brown, while its breastplate, claws, and the scythes on its hands are white. Its head is triangular with two horns extending backward. Kabutops evolves to be able to walk upright.

Kabutops once inhabited warm oceans and is a ferocious ancient Pokémon. It is a fast swimmer, capable of reaching speeds of approximately 29 knots. Once it rapidly approaches its prey, it tears it apart with its scythes and delivers a fatal blow!
"sickle!"

After evolving, Kabutops' personality changed; it was no longer leisurely and became slightly impatient.

However, it completely obeys Xiaoguang's commands.

That was a biological instinct, coupled with seeing Dawn using a Mega Ball to beat up a Ghost in the Poké Ball. This left a huge psychological scar on Kabutops, which hadn't evolved yet yesterday!
Always loyal to Xiaoguang, no matter when or where!
Lightmoss: "The weakness of the Psychic attribute is insects, so you sent out Scythe Helmets which has insect-type moves, right? However, do you think my Crimson Knight doesn't have any moves that are effective against you?"

“Just as you said!” Hikaru revealed a confident smile: “Elemental combat is free. Sometimes it may seem like you’re fighting against an element, but that’s not necessarily true!”

"But no matter what, fire-based techniques can't be used in the rain! You don't seem to have any intention of changing the weather, so let me use a little more force!"

"Scythe Helmet, Sword Dance!"

Sharp sword blades appeared on the scythe-armored body, and the sword light swirled, greatly increasing its physical attack!

Then, the two blades flashed with a cold, insect-like light!

"【Continuous Slash】!"

If it's only a Psychic type, then it will be vulnerable to Bug attacks; if it reverts to a Fire type, then it will be vulnerable to Rock attacks!

Add water!

Xiao Guang believes this is the best way to deal with the Crimson Knights!
However, a brilliant light flashed in the eyes of that Sun Knight once again. In the instant the light burst forth, a bizarre pink space, like a cube world, enveloped the battlefield!

"This is the [Magic Space]?!"

As a gym leader, Cai Zhong is very knowledgeable, because another gym leader, Melissa, is skilled in this move!
"That's right, Lesson Three: [Space]!"

The Crimson Armored Knight moved faster, dodging the attack before the scythe-helmeted strike could land, while the scythe-helmeted knight's movement slowed down!
Lightmoss: "Different spaces have different effects. The effect of Trick Space is that, under this space, Pokémon with lower speed will act before Pokémon with higher speed."

"Speed ​​changes, paralysis status, weather-related statuses, and the influence of traits on speed are all affected by Trick Room!"

"Apart from speed, other action order judgments such as priority, tail strike, first claw, fullness, and slow-release ability will proceed as usual and will not be affected!"

"In other words, under the influence of space, I am now faster than you, and with the aid of the psychic field, you cannot use priority moves, but with the priority claws, I can still act first!"

Crimson Knight punched the back of the scythe-armored warrior!
Incredibly intense true energy condensed onto his fist, and the armor on his shoulders fused with the red iron fist!

"Zero Distance - True Energy Bullet!"

The scythe-helmeted figure was struck as if by lightning! Its pupils contracted violently, and it collapsed with a thud!

The massive burst of true energy defeated the scythe-helmet, which was twice weak to fighting and had terrible special defense, in one hit!
"Whether it's combo attacks, rock slam, life steal, or surfing, losing speed means losing the right to take the initiative in attacking. For a rain-fighting fighter like Scythe Helmet, this is a fatal danger."

Xiao Guang stared in disbelief as her rain-soaked general was instantly defeated. Although she was prepared, she hadn't expected it to turn out like this.
"The power of the weather"—many thoughts surged through Xiaoguang's mind, but those should be reviewed after the battle. The more he thought about it now, the more nervous he would become and the more mistakes he would make!

She immediately adjusted her mindset!
The rainy season is almost over, but for Dawn, the fact that the whole team can pray for rain is not a problem, as she still has enough Pokémon in reserve for battle!
I still have many tactics to develop.
"what?"

Xiao Guang saw the Crimson Armored Knight suddenly salute him and then slowly retreat from the battlefield.

Why has the Sun Knight stopped fighting?

“Rain isn’t very friendly to Fire-type Pokémon, so the Knight needs to rest a bit.” Lightmoss smiled, then looked at Vegetable Seed: “Second one, let’s go!”

"Huh?! Who wants to go up? Me?" Cai Zhong pointed at herself, dumbfounded. She was about to protest when Guang Tai burst out laughing: "Don't turn around! That guy is secretly observing you right next to you!"

"I was talking to it! I met a new friend by chance last night at my house in Baidai City."

Cai Zhong swallowed hard. Although she was very curious, she didn't turn around. Then she felt something slowly floating out from behind her.

Ee-ya!

Yes, yes, yes. It's a ghost-type creature!

"Seriously, you've encountered another Ghost-type Pokémon! Don't scare me like that! Huh? Isn't that Shedinja?"

When Cai Zhong realized that the creature floating out wasn't the terrifying ghost she had imagined, but rather a cicada shell that she occasionally saw, her fear lessened considerably.

Although, there are also very scary legends about the Shedding Skin Ninja.

But this creature is, after all, a bug Pokémon that lives in the forest, and its pre-evolution form is also common in the forest.

Cai Zhong wasn't as afraid of insects as Xiao Xia was.

"A shedding skin ninja?! That's?!"

This was the first time Xiao Guang had seen a Pokémon with such a strange appearance. It looked like the remains of some kind of cicada. Speaking of cicadas, the only one that is widely known is Ninja Mask.

“This guy’s ability is Magical Protect,” Naga said, glancing at Glossymoss. “If you don’t know this Pokémon’s ability, you can’t battle with it, right? So I think we should explain it to you.”

Lightmoss nodded: "This is a Pokémon that you've never seen before, right? Although Shedinja is actually a very weak Pokémon, it has a rather peculiar ability called [Magical Guard]. Only moves that are extremely effective against it can hit it."

"That is, [flight], [rock], [ghost], [fire], and [evil]."

Xiao Guang suddenly realized, "Is that so! That's why we sent it out after defeating the Scythe Helmet!"

But at this moment, this girl with a strong will smiled, which was rare for her:
"However, although it may have been somewhat accidental, it could also have been luck!"

"The next Pokémon I'm going to send out isn't a Water-type!"

"Yesterday, all the electrical appliances were moved to the Eternal Gym. After careful consideration, I performed a form change on Rotom, but not the [Wash] you recommended!"

"You said that the most important things in rainy weather, besides water, are the power of thunder and wind! That's why the legendary Pokémon Zapdos is one of the strongest attackers in rain teams, and the Pokémon in my team that possesses both lightning and storm moves is [Rotom-Spin]!"

Although the Flying type grants Rotom the immunity to Ground moves, which wastes one of its ability slots and results in a low usage rate in actual battles, its only strength lies in its ability to prevent the [Mold Break + Earthquake] combo from being overpowered!

Of course, as a lower-tier alternative to Zapdos, it's not entirely unusable.

"Fighting at the Ebisu Gym would definitely be a bit more convenient, and even with [Rotom Spin], thanks to [Nasty Plot], even low-power moves can become very strong."

"But will you really be that lucky?"

Lightmoss's question surprised both Light and Rotom.

Meanwhile, the Oni-chan on the other side did nothing but stare at Rotom.

The ghost of electricity?

".?"

Ghost Chan was thinking about something, but then quickly stopped thinking about anything.

It wasn't until the moss called it twice that it seemed to come back to life, shifting its body slightly to indicate that it was ready for battle.

Even if I am defeated in battle, my mood will not be bad.

"This guy was only caught yesterday. He suddenly appeared in my Poké Ball on his own, so his strength is not outstanding in the team."

Guangtai explained to Xiaoguang, "However, although Shedinja is a very weak Pokémon, it can become almost overpowered with the help of a certain battle system."

Lesson Four: The Pokémon with No Weaknesses!

"Of course, it's not that it has absolutely no weaknesses, but rather that it has very few weaknesses. Weaknesses don't just refer to elemental advantages and disadvantages, but also to various variations of moves!"

"Shedding Shell Ninja, Crystallization, Electricity!"

Lightmoss took out the Crystal Bead and, for the first time, demonstrated the Crystal Tactics from a distant region to the trainers in the Sinnoh region!
Accompanied by a flash of lightning, the demon cicada with a giant light bulb on its head completed its crystallization!
"The battle system of the Padia region, a faraway area, can modify the Pokémon's own type. The original type moves will still receive STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus), while the defensive side will be calculated based on the new type, and the ability will also be involved."

"When the Shedding Shell Ninja's attribute becomes [Electricity], its only weakness is [Ground]! Under the protection of [Miracle Guard], only ground-based attacks can hit it!"

"So, as we all know, the life force of a Shedding Shell Ninja is extremely low; they can be knocked down by even a slight touch. However, in this situation, after completing the Crystallization, carrying the item [Dustproof Goggles] can protect against the damage from sandstorms—"

"Shedding Shell Ninja, use [Sandstorm]!"

It seemed as if a pleasant humming sound was coming from the empty shell of the ghost cicada.

".~!"

Wearing dust goggles, after the attribute change, I'm no longer afraid of being knocked down or sandstorms. And those moves that seem meaningless aren't actually meaningless!

It's just that they weren't using it correctly!

And now, well, I can do whatever I want!
Sandstorm breaks out!

(End of this chapter)