You're not allowed to play Pokémon!

Chapter 316 Pokémon Kindness Lesson: My Triple Crown Teammate's Exposed Agaric

Time flew by and it was 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

This time of day coincides with the peak activity period for Pokémon TV users.

The reason is very simple.

It was time for a certain "sunny and cheerful young man" to start his broadcast.

Countless viewers flooded into the live stream early, holding their rice bowls and waiting in the dark room, ready to eat at the first signal.

[Great! Today is my favorite doubles match, I get to see Coach Yu pull off all sorts of outrageous tactics again!]

To be honest, last week's rainy day battle really left me completely bewildered. I had no idea what was going on. It seems that fun lineups are more suitable for ordinary trainers like us...

[I'm actually a little unaccustomed to Teacher Yu playing with conventional team compositions; we should see some more skillful, aggressive tactics!]

[Shut up! Do you want to ruin Pokémon battles?!]

Just as the audience was chatting happily, a bright light suddenly flashed across the dark screen, and then Qingyu appeared in front of the screen with a smile and a wave to the audience.

[Guys, get ready to eat!]

[I need to start taking notes immediately. What kind of torturous routine has Teacher Yu prepared today?]

[I don't think there are any really weird or outrageous things to do on a rainy day. Last week, Teacher Yu used pretty standard tactics, the only annoying thing was that slightly less-than-ideal nut dumbbell.]

[What are you babbling about? Go talk to my Mega Swampert's Ice Punch!]

"Hello, everyone."

Qingyu spoke simply, glancing at the number of viewers in the upper right corner.

Within seconds of the broadcast starting, the live stream room was already packed with tens of thousands of people, and the number was climbing at a rocket-like speed.

For him, who is already the "only major streamer on Pokémon TV", this statistic is nothing new.

"Last week, Teacher Yu introduced the main strategy of the Rainy Day Team to all the students, and also previewed this week's tactics—"

"We're still the Rain Team, but today we'll expand our thinking to doubles ranked matches and show a more flexible playstyle."

After a brief opening, Qingyu quickly began her explanation:
"In singles, the rain team's approach is relatively flexible. Various Pokémon can be integrated into the rain system to play their unique roles. The tactics are mainly based on rotating and seizing advantageous matchups, and making the opponent reveal weaknesses in defense."

"And the doubles team in the rain doesn't actually have much different ideas."

"However, due to the wonderful chemistry between teammates, some special Pokémon are also able to participate."

"So, today we'll play with some Pokémon we didn't get to use last week!"

Last week's team was a very serious rain team, with standard rain team members like Mega Swampert and Pelipper already making their appearances.

If we had to say something, these two Rainy Day brothers still have a pretty good dominance in doubles, after all, their fighting power is undeniable.

However, Qingyu believes that his live streams mainly focus on popularizing knowledge and helping trainers broaden their thinking, so today's lineup will undergo a major overhaul.

[Teacher Yu isn't playing Mega Swampert anymore? Are there any Pokémon that can Mega Evolve in the rain?]

[Gyarados? Blastoise? Or... Megalodon?]

[Mega Sharpedo, huh? That's pretty realistic, even worse than Mega Slowbro!]

[It doesn't necessarily have to be a Water-type Pokémon, right? Maybe Teacher Yu will pull out something weird?]

"We won't be using Mega Swampert today. We already covered that last week. If we keep using it, wouldn't we just be relying on sheer power to win?"

Qingyu smiled and quickly revealed the answer.

"Our Mega Evolution slot selection today is—"

"Thunder Beast!"

(Thunder Beast, it seems like its presence is always a bit weak)
[Electrode? Isn't it a Water-type Pokémon?]

Electric-type spells are a common choice for rain teams, given their guaranteed hit lightning strike in rainy conditions, which is quite powerful.

[However... I've never seen Mega Electivire in ranked battles, and it seems like Electric-type Pokémon are rarely seen in singles ranked battles either?]

[Because electric-type characters have very poor penetration capabilities, and I can't think of any electric-type characters with high damage output right now...]

I know the answer to this one: *Stag beetle*!

Qingyu simply smiled faintly at the curiosity expressed in the comments.

"If it's a one-on-one match, this Thunder Beast really can't play."

"However, doubles and singles are very different environments, and it is normal for Pokémon to have vastly different strengths in different environments."

"I'll include Raiden in the team because it fits the tactics I'm going to use this time."

There are many reasons why Qingyu chose Raiden, including the consideration of showing the audience more of the Mega Evolution of Pokémon and the tactics they are suitable for.

Of course, the main reason is that it really suits their tactics.

Since the tag team lineup centered around Dolphin Man has been decided, rotation within the team is necessary to unleash his full potential.

Electivire comes with Volt Switch (which replaces Volt Switch), and before Mega Evolution, it has Lightning Rod to help teammates avoid Electric-type attacks. After Mega Evolution, its Intimidate ability can repeatedly enter the field to lower the opponent's physical attacker's combat power, making it very suitable for tactics that require frequent rotation.

Features like lightning rods and water diversion are basically just a deterrent in singles, but they are surprisingly effective in doubles.

Water-type Pokémon only has two weaknesses: Electric and Grass. Having a Dynamax Pokémon with the Lightning Rod ability on the field can greatly enhance the team's defensive capabilities.

While pondering to himself, Qingyu opened Pokémon Champion and entered the team editor.

"We already used Gaioka as the weather setter last week, so today we'll use another Poliwag that has the Rain ability!"

[Did Gyouka come? Is that Torkoal known as Mini Groudon?]

[That's backwards! What makes Groudon think it can be compared to our Sunny Day Team's big brother, Torkoal!]

[Reversing the Heavenly Gang's order is...]

There are only three Pokémon with the Rain ability. Apart from True Kyogre, which can't possibly appear in the games, he introduced the other two by the end of today's session.

In singles, Poliwrath was clearly outmatched by Pelipper in every aspect, but it fared slightly better in doubles, showing a clear distinction in the roles of the two Pokémon.

Pelipper can provide the team with a powerful Hurricane move to cover blinds, and its own combat strength is also quite good. It also has Tailwind to help teammates speed up, and its role in doubles is also significant.
As for the Mosquito Coil Frog King, its fighting style is more ethical.

Its signature moves include "quality-based burst damage" and "one more time," making it more of a support character than an offensive one. In addition, it also has the unique "Song of the End" skill.

However, the Rainy Day Song Annihilation System is a bit too brain-intensive.

It's true that you don't need to learn this if you're not playing professionally.

Even if Qingyu were to present this tactic now, it seems the students would have difficulty understanding it.

So let's keep it simple.

With the weather setter in hand, Qingyu quickly added three more Pokémon to his team.

The Thunder Beast I just mentioned, the somewhat cute-looking Dolphin Man whose fighting ability is completely hard to discern, and...

Agaric, whose appearance seems to be drawn differently from other Pokémon.

[Dolphin Man? What's the connection between him and Speaker Man?]

[No, Dolphin Man is a real "hero of the sea," okay? What kind of junk is your Speaker Screwdriver, daring to try and piggyback on his fame!]

[Among them all, am I the only one who thinks the other Breloom's expression is really lewd...? How can there be such an ugly Pokémon? Get off the stage!]

[Speaking of which, Teacher Yu seems to have mentioned this Pokémon before. She mentioned it could learn Rage Powder, which has an effect similar to "Look at me," making it quite useful as a support in double battles?]

"...I've told you so many times, don't judge a book by its cover, not even Pokémon!"

Qingyu sighed helplessly.

"I'll just give a brief introduction to Shieldfoil. Whether you use it or not is your business, and Teacher Yu has no right to interfere, right?"

To be fair, the *Clerodendrum trichotomum* does look rather...unique.

However, Arceus, the creator of the Pokémon world, is generally quite fair; Amoonguss gained a unique and special status by trading its good looks for it.

"Because it is a mushroom-type Pokémon, in addition to the various powder moves that are standard for grass-type Pokémon, such as Rage Powder and Stun Powder, it can also learn the very rare Spore."

"In addition, its durability is also quite good, and it has regenerative properties and photosynthesis to provide endurance, making it a very difficult shield user to deal with."

As soon as Qingyu said this, the comments section immediately changed.

But then again, since my Pokémon are always facing away from me anyway, it doesn't matter if I use it since they can't see my face!

To be honest, it really is quite ugly at first glance, but after Teacher Yu said that, I suddenly find the 'Broken Mushroom' much more pleasing to the eye. Isn't it actually quite cute?

Yes, I've been a die-hard fan of Agar.io since birth, so please don't question the bond between us!

[6666, the person upstairs is definitely a hardcore player, I acknowledge your dedication!]

Qingyu simply smiled at the "linguistic charm" displayed in the bullet comments.

Those who watch their own live streams are generally people who enjoy Pokémon battles.

Therefore, the shield-shroom is extremely attractive to them.

After all, who could resist a shrub that looks safe and secure with its back turned to them?

Even in its previous life, Amoonguss was a regular at every Masters Tournament and one of the very few powerful Pokémon to win the "Triple Crown" title.

Pokémon Gratitude Lesson: My Triple Crown Winner Teammate's Exposed Amoonguss!
One title might be a fluke, two titles might be a bit of luck, but three titles are definitely related to one's own strength.

Even the ancient species corresponding to the shield mushroom, "Demon Mushroom," performed exceptionally well in the later Masters Tournament, eventually becoming one of the champions.

(New champion, the Mighty Mushroom)

The roles of the four Pokémon were very clear, and after thinking for a moment, Qingyu added a Salamence and a Whimsicott to the team.

Salamence, as the second Mega Evolution user, possesses the Flying Skin ability, which enhances its STAB moves, giving it an extremely terrifying suppressive power against Grass-types. The strategy is similar to that of Electabuzz.

Of course, Salamence is already incredibly powerful on its own, and doesn't need to rely on the rain system at all.

As for the Wind Fairy... those who know, know.

As a versatile support, it's always a good idea to use Whimsicott to fill in when you don't know who to bring.

[Teacher Yu still can't forget his shady cotton; I suggest you two lock up your relationship immediately!]

When I heard about Thunder Beast, I thought Teacher Yu would use a classic offensive lineup, but when I saw the final product, it was surprisingly weak...

[Let anyone play this ranked match if they want, but if you run into Teacher Yu, you'll probably get tilted!]

[Hey upstairs, wake up! With your MMR, it'll be pretty difficult to match with Teacher Yu, right?]

After setting up the team, Qingyu quickly adjusted the Pokémon's held items and abilities, and then swiftly opened a doubles ranked battle.

A qualified lineup always needs to be tested in actual combat.

I wonder if I'll run into any good opponents today and be able to replicate Mikoli's high-quality match from last time.

However, thinking about it, it seems quite difficult.

After all, the current mainstream in the Pokémon world is definitely singles. Even champion-level players like Wallace or Steven would be significantly weaker in doubles.

But he doesn't have this concern, or rather, he is actually better at doubles, and he is now at his full potential.
If he wasn't deliberately trying to mess things up, Qingyu conservatively estimates that he has at least a 9% win rate against any opponent with a normal lineup.

"91 open" means that you have won 91 games, and your opponent is completely devastated.

The doubles mode has been online for more than two months. After the initial enthusiasm quickly dissipated, it has become difficult to find an opponent at a high rank.

About three minutes later, just as Qingyu was playing "Gold Miner" out of boredom and almost mined up a big diamond, the screen was suddenly completely covered by a pop-up window. The message that the match was successful made Qingyu raise an eyebrow.

After a few seconds, the interface disappeared immediately, and the opponent's trainer image and ID quickly appeared in front of Qingyu.

A glamorous black princess-cut hairstyle paired with a pair of oversized headphones that extend upwards like antennas transforms what could have been a somewhat somber look into a stylish one. Beneath the golden coat, her already beautiful figure, combined with fashionable attire, makes her instantly recognizable based on her clothing choices alone.

What's more, there was an adorable electric flying squirrel perched on her shoulder.

Trainer ID: Shiny Beauty

It's quite obvious who the opponent is.

"Little Chrysanthemum?"

Qingyu was stunned for a moment, then blurted out the answer subconsciously.

(Little Chrysanthemum, I prefer the Black and White 2 set to the Black and White set.)
Whether online or offline, he actually had no contact with Xiaojuer.

but……

When Qingyu first started running the Sunshine Dojo, he received Xiaojuer's dojo management guide from the system.

Although they weren't of much use, from the perspective of the gym leader, the two were quite in agreement.

Leveraging the dojo owner's own strengths to boost the dojo's popularity and create a more distinctive "feature" compared to other dojos.

The Raven Dojo, where Xiaojuer is stationed, is unique in that Xiaojuer herself is a popular model. The dojo has even been transformed into a sizable runway, and the apprentices are all well-known models.

As a result, it has attracted quite a few trainers who came "by reputation".

Wow, this is so cute! Is she Miss Kiku from Raven Dojo?

Yes, yes, this is a big shot in our Unova region. I don't really know Uncle Aldac well, but Little Kiku understands people better!

[You guys are too much... Well, looks like I can't hide my identity as a ten-year longtime fan anymore!]

[My favorite fashion blogger has run into my least favorite tutorial blogger. How could I have such a terrible nightmare? Ms. Yu, could you please go easy on me? (/crying)]

Judging from the reactions of her audience, Xiaoju'er is very popular.

After all, who doesn't love cuteness?

As a result, Raven Gym has become the most famous gym in the Unova region, and even the gym leader, Daisy, has many fans all over the world. In order to learn fashion tips from Daisy, people travel from afar to the Unova region to challenge her.

As for Qingyu...

The two have quite similar paths, the difference being that Qingyu could have made a living based on her looks, but she chose to become a technical streamer instead.
"An electric-type gym leader, huh? You've come at just the right time."

After stopping her wandering thoughts, Qingyu's lips quickly curved into a smile.

If it's a normal rainy day team, it will definitely be very difficult to fight against Xiaojuer.

However, with Raiden, which has the lightning rod ability, as the main force, I'm not afraid of this setup at all.

"I'll kill indiscriminately!"

Qingyu quickly declared his intention to fight.

……

After the successful match screen disappeared, Xiaoju'er's lineup quickly appeared on the screen.

Electric Flying Squirrel, Roentgenrakilista, Mama Eel King, Clean Rotom, Lantern, Electric Dragon.

Another pure attribute team, a standard setup for gym leaders.

After a quick glance, Qingyu quickly came to the answer—

"Dolphin is not good at dealing with the Pokémon on the other side. If that Lantern has the Electric-Store ability, it seems that Raichu is also not very effective."

The stranger the lineup, the harder it is for Qingyu to guess what the opponent is up to.

In this situation, it's generally not possible to use one's normal thinking to guess what the other party is thinking.

This is what is known as "a novice can defeat a master with a flurry of punches".

"While the electric attribute isn't a good attribute for coordinated defense, it's undeniable that it has very few weaknesses, with only the ground attribute being a weakness."

"If we also take into account Eel King's levitation ability, it can even be completely without weaknesses when there are no special abilities involved."

"They seem to pose a significant threat to our rain team."

As Qingyu analyzed the situation, a smile quickly appeared on her face.

"However, the penetrating power of electric-type attacks is relatively weak, and the entire team combined can't do much against our Shield-shroom."

"On our side, we not only have the Electrify with its Lightning Rod ability to draw fire, but also the Salamence with its Earthquake ability to cover our weaknesses."

"So, the advantage is mine!"

Qingyu will add a Salamence, which is also part of his plan.

If the opponent happens to be the Electric-type Gym Leader, Daisy, without this Salamence, it seems that the other five Pokémon wouldn't be able to do much against her.

It's very likely to become a drawn-out game, where you'll have to rely on Mushroom to drag the game out and eventually defeat the opponent...

The only two weaknesses of the Rain Team are Grass and Electric, which can be mitigated by Shield-shroom, so there is little defensive pressure.

Salamence, on the other hand, makes up for the lack of offensive power when facing these two types.

After Mega Evolution, Salamence's Normal-type moves with the Flying Skin ability become incredibly powerful, capable of easily defeating Grass-type minions. Salamence also has the Ground-type Earthquake to counter Electric-types.

In doubles, this kind of zone defense strategy is crucial.

Because choosing 4 out of 6 allows for flexible lineup adjustments, different tactical approaches can be developed when facing different opponents.

"Since the rainy day team is difficult to beat, then it's very simple—"

"Why don't I just give up on rainy days?"

After Qingyu made a casual remark, the starting lineup was immediately finalized.

Salamence + Mushroom.

In the back row are Raiden and Whimsicott.

[Are you there? Didn't we agree on a rainy day team lesson? Where is Teacher Yu?]

Teacher Yu is right. The Rainy Day Team isn't such an inconvenient thing. Even if the Rainy Day Brothers are removed, it can still be called the Rainy Day Team!

[Dolphin Man: Am I not the main character? I'm asking you, why was I optimized?!]

[666, what are you waiting for? Quickly take notes! You can use this move when playing other team compositions in the future; the opponent will never expect it!]

Since he couldn't figure out his opponent's style at all, Qingyu didn't try to predict it this time.

While resting his chin on his fingers and contemplating his next move, he was also silently waiting for his opponent to finalize their starting lineup.

Soon, both sides were ready.

The spectacular view inside the battle castle appears on the screen.

On the central battleground, Qingyu and Xiaoju'er's trainer avatars stood in place and quickly threw out four Poké Balls.

On Qingyu's side, there's a roaring Salamence and a Defeat Breloom with its back to the audience.

Xiaoju'er chose Electric Flying Squirrel and Cleanse Rotom as her starting lineup.

Upon entering the field, both Pokémon were immediately affected by Salamence's Intimidate ability, but for Electric-type Pokémon, whose main source of damage is Special Attack, the effect was negligible.

"Did you guess that I would use Ground-type moves to cover my weaknesses?"

Qingyu raised an eyebrow and muttered something under her breath.

The power of Dragon-type Pokémon, especially pseudo-legendary ones, is deeply ingrained in people's minds, and Salamence is also very well-known.

With a Pokémon like that, the opponent certainly can't afford not to be wary.
Both the Electric-Flying type Electrifying Mouse and the Levitating type Rotom are completely immune to the effects of earthquakes.

Therefore, there is no obvious counter-relationship between the starting lineups of the two sides.

However, that was enough for Qingyu.

Positional warfare was actually what he most wanted to see, because...

"Salamander, break through your limits!"

"After Mega Evolution, use Dragon Dance to strengthen yourself."

As Qingyu gave the command, his virtual image on the screen immediately raised his right hand and grasped the Evolution Key Stone that was shining brightly on his chest.

Salamence is already quite fast, only slightly slower than the fastest Elm in the opposing team. After Mega Evolution, it breaks through its own limits and gains absolute initiative.

First move + Dragon Dance, the main move is a powerful brick-throwing attack. Once strengthened, it can easily overwhelm the opponent even without elemental advantage.

Of course, Qingyu's actions were so obvious that Xiaoju'er on the other side immediately reacted and added her own counter-command.

"Rotom, electromagnetic waves!"

"Electric Flying Squirrel, one more time!"

Both commands focused on Salamence.

If Dragon Dance is locked down again, Qingyu will obviously have no choice but to retract it and temporarily avoid the attack.

However, due to the influence of electromagnetic waves, even if Salamence re-enters the battle, its speed will be greatly reduced, and it will completely lose the initiative.

With Qingyu relying almost entirely on Salamence for damage, any hit from her is extremely lethal.

However, with Shield Mushroom as a trump card support, Qingyu doesn't need to worry about these issues.

"Expose Mushroom, use Rage Powder on yourself!"

Qingyu quickly smiled.

Because the Shieldfoil was incredibly slow, Qingyu didn't give it any commands while simultaneously controlling the Salamence.

The goal was to wait for Xiaoju'er's reaction.

After confirming her command, Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief.

It's true that Shield-shroom is slow, but Rage Powder has a very high priority and the same effect as Facial Recognition.

It can absorb all single-target attacks from the opponent that are aimed at teammates, thus providing teammates with a safe environment for strengthening.

And coincidentally, the moves used by both of Little Daisy's Pokémon were within the range of Rage Powder's effect.

The Pokémon on both sides acted simultaneously, but the last one to act, Breloom, was the first to use a move, opening its arms and the cap on its head and spraying out countless annoying yellow powders.

Affected by the move, the two Electric-type Pokémon, which were originally targeting Salamence that was about to complete its Mega Evolution, inexplicably turned their attention to the righteously-looking Amoonguss and blasted two balls of energy of different colors at the righteously-looking Amoonguss.

After being hit by the electromagnetic wave again, the Shield Mushroom quickly developed a slight static charge on its body, clearly indicating that it had fallen into a state of paralysis.

However, thanks to the opportunity created by the Shieldfoil, Salamence was able to Mega Evolve and immediately used the Noble Dragon Dance to strengthen itself.

"Thank you, Mushroom Exposed!"

Your sacrifice was meaningful!

Qingyu couldn't help but speak, and made a gesture of wiping away tears.

You're amazing, Mushroom of the Dewy Flood!
Isn't it a blessing for the whole team to have such a hardworking and selfless Pokémon that is willing to sacrifice itself for its teammates?

Who says Amoonguss is a treacherous Pokémon? In Qingyu's opinion, it is simply a messenger of justice, a sunny Pokémon that sacrifices itself to warm its teammates!
[...If I remember correctly, it wasn't the Frozen Mushroom that wanted to use the Rage Powder, but rather you, Yu-sensei, who directed it, right? And you're even crying now!]

[Exactly! It made me laugh in exasperation. How did Bulbousure end up with such a wicked trainer as Yu-sensei?!]

[This is just a sarcastic comment. Teacher Yu must have asked the blooper mushroom, and it said it had no objection.]

(End of this chapter)