Elf: Start your slow-paced life after becoming a farmer.

As we all know, Crystals must be recharged at a Pokémon Center after each use, and the machines that recharge Crystals use Crystal Shards as their energy source.

However, the charging machine is not "picky" and any type of crystal fragment can be used as an energy source to charge the crystal bead, while the special dishes of the Treasure Canteen require crystal fragments of a single attribute.

If the dish that can change the properties of the crystal hasn't been invented yet, Karl can stockpile large quantities of crystal fragments of certain properties at the current relatively low price, and then sell them off once the special dish is invented, thus profiting from the price difference.

Of course, Carl isn't short of money right now, but he desperately needs a way to distract Metagross and prevent it from causing another big incident.

As Carl drove the SUV, he thought aimlessly. Before long, the brightly lit town of Jinhui appeared at the end of the road.

After entering Jinhui Town, Carl and his two companions first checked into a hotel, and then followed the navigation on their phones toward the location of Bao Canteen.

The lanterns hanging beside the entrance of Takara Shokudo and the curtains hanging on the eaves indicate that Takara Shokudo is a restaurant with a strong Japanese style.

"Wow, is this the Treasure Cafeteria? It looks really impressive." Karl looked the Treasure Cafeteria up and down, then pushed open the door and walked in first.

The moment Carl stepped into the cafeteria, a wave of hot, fragrant steam wafted towards him.

It was lunchtime, and the Bao Canteen was almost full of customers. The noise, mixed with the clinking of glasses, reached Karl's ears. A dozen uniformed waiters were carrying various dishes and moving around the hall.

As soon as Carl entered the Bao Canteen, the waiter standing by the door immediately came up to him with a smile and asked, "Good evening, how many people are in your party?"

“Three people,” Karl said to the waiter, turning his gaze away.

"Okay, sir, this way please."

Led by the waiter, Carl and his two companions sat down at a table on the edge of the hall. With the waiter's enthusiastic introduction, they quickly ordered their dinner for the evening.

"It's still so lively here." Nemo took a sip of tea, her eyes casually sweeping around before her gaze fell on a figure whose back she found very familiar.

"Hey, that person looks like Uncle Aoki."

"Hmm?" Carl followed Nemo's gaze, then a wicked smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "It really is him, Nemo. How about you come over and say hello to him?"

"Okay."

Chapter 74 Aoki: What are you doing here? (Please read on, please vote with monthly tickets)

My name is Aoki, I am 43 years old, I live on West Street in Jinhui Town, and I am unmarried.

I used to be an ordinary employee in the Padiya Union's sales department, and I would go home no earlier than 10 o'clock every day.

I don't like smoking, I drink occasionally, and my favorite thing to do is go to Bao Canteen to enjoy delicious food after work. By the way, Bao Canteen's homemade dried plums are my absolute favorite food.

Although health check results show that my body is in a sub-healthy state for many years, I think my body is still relatively healthy.

I am just an ordinary person, which is why I like Normal-type Pokémon. I like to be with them and enjoy the mundane routine of daily life.

I originally thought my life would just continue in this ordinary way, but during an operation, President Yeci discovered my talent as a trainer and spent five years transforming me from an ordinary League employee into an ordinary regional Elite Four member.

To repay the kindness of Chairman Yaji, I took over the position of Gym Leader of Jinhui Town and became the guardian of the Padia Crater.

I don't know when it started, but my life has been filled with all kinds of work. Only the Pokémon in my arms and the delicious food at Pokémon Cafe can make me temporarily forget about the troubles at work.

But recently, a powerful young man arrived in the Padiya region, and from the day he landed at the Niangguang City Airport, all sorts of troubles followed.

After working overtime for three days, the kind-hearted President Ye Ci finally gave me half a day off. I thought I could finally enjoy this rare holiday tonight, but fate played another trick on me.

"Hey, Mr. Aoki, hello there."

'Oh damn, am I hallucinating from working so hard? Why do I hear that troublemaker's voice?' Aoki thought to himself, taking a bite of his umeboshi rice ball with a blank expression.

"Uncle Master, it's been a long time!" Nemo approached Aoki and greeted him with a grin.

“…?” Aoki swallowed the rice ball with the taste of dried plum in his mouth, then slowly turned his head. When he saw the young man standing behind him, his heart finally died.

"What are you doing here..." Aoki said weakly, looking at the two demon balls, one big and one small, standing in front of him.

“I brought Nemo and my cousin to participate in the fishing tournament that will be held at Lake Daguo in a few days.” Carl plopped down in the seat opposite Aoki. “And we also came to challenge the Jinhui Gym.”

Aoki stared intently at Carl, his eyes seeming to say: With your strength, how dare you challenge the dojo?

"Hey, why are you looking at me like that? I'm not sending out my main force." Carl said innocently, "Mr. Aoki, how about you give me a special favor and we can have a gym challenge after dinner?"

Aoki initially wanted to refuse outright, since tonight was a rare day off for him.

But then Aoki thought that the sooner he got rid of this troublemaker, the more relaxed he would be. He didn't want to receive a call from Chairman Yeci as soon as he woke up tomorrow.

“No problem, I’ll ask the owner of Bao Canteen for a battleground later. Just come find me there after you finish eating.” Aoki said calmly, “Now, please let me have some peace and quiet, okay?”

“Okay, it’s settled then!” Carl immediately agreed. “See you later, Mr. Aoki.”

Back in her seat, Nemo excitedly told Pipa about Carl's duel with Aoki. Pipa, equally excited, exclaimed, "Does that mean we can go fishing near Big Pot Lake tomorrow?!"

“That’s right!” Karl said smugly. “I knew you understood me!”

As Carl spoke, he extended his hand to Pipa, who immediately understood and gave Carl a high five in the air.

Nemo blinked, puzzled. "Is fishing really that fun?"

Carl and Piper nodded in unison.

“Okay, I still prefer Pokémon battles,” Nemo said with a helpless shrug.

Karl looked regretful upon hearing this: "Alas, what a pity. It seems that the only disciple who can truly inherit my mantle is Pipa."

"Brother Karl, don't you have another disciple?" Nemo asked curiously, "Doesn't he like fishing?"

“Him,” Karl shook his head, “Shinji does fish, but he only sees it as a form of training, not simply enjoying the pleasure of fishing.”

"I see," Nemo said with a look of sudden realization.

The three chatted for a few more minutes, and just as they were talking about fishing the next day, the staff at Bao's canteen brought them their dinner.

Looking at the table laden with delicious dishes, Carl couldn't help but exclaim, "The food is served so quickly, and it looks really good. No wonder Bao's cafeteria is so popular!"

Since the three of them hadn't eaten anything since the seafood congee at noon, they started to devour the food as soon as it was served.

Meanwhile, after finishing his dinner, Aoki sent a message to the manager of Treasure Canteen asking if he wanted to use the battlefield.

As a property under the Padia League, Treasure Canteen has always had a close partnership with Jin Hui Gym. Aoki, a regular customer, often uses Treasure Canteen's battle arena to challenge the gym.

After receiving the reply of approval, Aoki sat on the sofa in the battlefield with a look of utter despair. He did not regret coming to the Treasure Cafeteria for dinner today; he only regretted not finding a more secluded spot.

Just as Aoki was reflecting, Carl, who had paid for the meal, led the two little ones to the vicinity of the battlefield.

Seeing the visible resentment on Aoki's face, Carl almost burst out laughing, but as a professionally trained trainer, he wouldn't laugh out loud unless he couldn't help it.

"Ahem, Mr. Aoki, I've arrived."

Carl's voice interrupted Aoki's thoughts. He looked up at Carl blankly and nodded slowly: "Now that you're here, let's begin the gym challenge."

After Aoki and Carl took their positions on either side of the battle arena, Nemo, who had come to act as the temporary referee, raised the red flag and began to read out the rules of the match: "Now, Carl, a trainer from Sinnoh, challenges Gym Leader Aoki to a Gym battle. This battle will be conducted under standard three-on-three singles rules..."

Upon hearing that Carl was a trainer from Sinnoh, the diners seated around the battle arena cast curious glances toward the arena.

After the rules were read aloud, Nemo waved the colorful flag in her hand downwards and shouted, "The battle begins!"

At Nemo's command, Aoki threw the Poké Ball he had been holding.

With a flash of white light, a Pokémon with a snake-like appearance, a yellow body and a blue belly, blue and cream stripes on its back, and a body divided into two sections, each with a pair of small wings, appeared on the battlefield.

This Pokémon is none other than the Ground-eating Serpent Pokémon, which first appeared in Generation IX – Trollius.

"Go, Dragonair," Carl said, throwing the Poké Ball he had prepared beforehand.

As the Poké Ball opened, Dragonair's slender, elongated body appeared on the battlefield.

Although the Earth Dragon has more wings than the Hakkarosaurus, the Hakkarosaurus undoubtedly has a precipitous advantage in terms of appearance.

"It's Dragonair! That's a really rare Pokémon."

"It is said that many people have witnessed the figure of Hakron in Daguo Lake."

"Really? Could it be that a group of Hakron lives in Daguo Lake?"

"..."

Amidst the whispers of the surrounding diners, Karl and Aoki's eyes began to sharpen.

Battle is imminent.

Chapter 75 Hakron: Weather God Edition (Please continue reading)

After Aoki sent out the Earth Dragon Segment, Karl secretly pondered tactics in his mind.

Theoretically, Dragonair currently has a significant disadvantage in its base stats, which is an unavoidable situation for most pseudo-legendary Pokémon before they evolve into their final form.

However, many factors determine the outcome of a battle, and the trainer's command is one of the most important.

Since we can't compete on numbers, why not just compete on skill and mechanics?

As a Pokémon that is born with the ability to manipulate the weather, Dragonair is currently best at weather-related tactics.

With this in mind, Karl immediately gave Hakron his first command: "Hakron, use Rain Dance."

As Karl finished speaking, the orbs on Hakkar's chest and tail tip emitted a blue light, followed by a torrential downpour.

Thanks to Hakron's exquisite control, the rain only took effect within the battle arena, and not a single drop of rain fell on Pipa and Nemo, who were watching from the outside of the arena, or on the diners watching the battle.

"This level of control... no wonder he's a trainer on the same level as Chairman Yaji." A glint of light flashed in Aoki's numb eyes. "Earth Dragon Fist, use Ancient Power."

Primal Power, a Rock-type Special Attack move. This move has relatively limited power, but there is a 10% chance to boost all of the user's stats except HP.

In the Earth Dragon's trait list, there is a trait called "Heavenly Grace," which increases the chance of triggering additional effects when the owner uses skills with additional effects.

In the game, Divine Grace can double the chance of triggering additional effects, while in reality, the effects of Divine Grace are even more unpredictable.

Karl was somewhat surprised by Aoki's command, as he remembered Aoki as having a rather composed fighting style.

Although the Earth Dragon Fist has the Divine Grace trait, Karl believes that betting on a buff right from the start is still too risky.

However, in Aoki's view, Carl was a trainer comparable to Chairman Yaji, and if he were to battle Carl in a conventional manner, it would only be a matter of time before he lost the battle.

"Hakuron, dodge, then use Thunder."

Carl's crisp command reached Hakron's ears through the rain, and Hakron immediately twisted its long body to calmly dodge the primal force that was hurtling towards it. Then, it rose into the air with the help of the wind.

The next moment, violent electric energy quietly gathered in the friction of the rain clouds. As Hakuryu let out a long roar, several bolts of lightning as thick as buckets cleaved through the rain and fell toward the location of the earth dragon.

Although the tactic of using thunder in the rain is very simple, when combined with Hakron's ultimate control, its power should not be underestimated.

Although the name Earth Dragon Fist contains the character for "earth," it does not have any ground-based attributes. Therefore, facing Karl's tactics, Aoki could only temporarily avoid its attacks: "Earth Dragon Fist, dig a hole."

Dig, as the name suggests, allows Pokémon to burrow underground after using this move, thus avoiding most moves. It can be said that this move is the best solution for a Pokémon to deal with a Thunderstorm.

As the earth dragon's body sank into the ground, Hakron's thunderclap missed its mark, but Karl had anticipated this: "Hakron, Dragon Dance."

Dragon Dance, a Dragon-type move, increases the user's attack and speed by performing a vigorous dance imbued with mysterious power.

For the vast majority of Dragon-type Pokémon, Dragon Dance is definitely one of the must-learn moves. Even a certain Sky God would secretly stack Dragon Dance in the air before going into battle.

Of course, there's one exception: a certain earth dragon, because it can't learn it.

With Karl's command, Hakuryu swung its long body in the air, performing a mysterious and powerful dragon dance, and the pressure fell on Aoki.

If Aoki allows Dragonair to continue using Dragon Dance to boost its power, then Dragonair could potentially sweep the entire team.

However, if the Earth Dragon forcibly interrupts the Dragon's power-up, then the Dragon, which has the advantage of timing and location, can easily defeat the Earth Dragon.

Faced with the current situation, Aoki frowned slightly, but not because he didn't know how to break the deadlock.

After all, compared to letting Hakuryu complete its upgrade and then push the team, using Earth Dragon to gain the possibility of winning later is not a difficult choice for Aoki.

At this moment, Aoki was pondering—when exactly did he fall into Karl's offensive rhythm?

Unfortunately, the current situation didn't allow Aoki much time to think, so he had to temporarily abandon his thoughts and said to Tu Long Jie Jie, "Tu Long Jie Jie, after you emerge from the ground, use Blizzard on Haklong."

As a Normal-type Pokémon, Aoki has a very rich move pool, and as one of the Elite Four of the Paradis League, he often battles against Yasaku, the Dragon-type Elite Four member.

Therefore, most of the Pokémon in Aoki's team know one or two Ice-type moves that are effective against Dragon-type Pokémon.

Blizzard has one of the largest coverage areas among Ice-type moves, so Aoki often uses this move to force flying Dragon-type Pokémon to land on the ground, thus creating opportunities for subsequent battles.

As Aoki directed, the earth dragon burst forth from the ground, the flying dust mixed with the heavy rain, partially obscuring its form.

Faced with an Ice-type move that counters Dragonair, a strange glint flashed in Carl's eyes: "Dragonair, Sunny Day."

The moment Carl finished speaking, the heavy rain on the battlefield vanished without a trace, replaced by brilliant sunshine that bathed the battlefield.

Watching this scene from the sidelines, Nemo couldn't help but exclaim, "Hakron's control over the weather is truly terrifying."

As we all know, weather is a very important factor in Pokémon battles, and its role goes far beyond simply boosting the power of moves.

As the Pokémon battle system has evolved over time, countless trainers have invented numerous classic tactical systems around the four weather conditions, such as the rain and thunder tactic mentioned earlier.

The ability of Hakron to seamlessly switch weather conditions is a strong counter to weather-based tactical systems.

As the weather in the battlefield turned sunny, the abundant fire energy spread throughout the battlefield, greatly weakening the power of the blizzard.