Professor Birch, Mary, and Wattson, who were broadcasting the match live through Hoenn and other regions, provided commentary throughout the entire match.
Now that the match had ended so quickly, they began analyzing it.
Mary said, "Wow, although I expected Alex to win, I didn't anticipate Milo losing so quickly. Gym Leader Wattson, what's your professional opinion on why this match went so fast and so one-sidedly in Alex's favor?"
Wattson stroked his beard thoughtfully before answering. "The biggest reason is the level difference. Milo is a very talented trainer, but Alex's Crobat was simply stronger. At the late-Elite level, a 2-level advantage is already significant. A 2-level advantage can be overwhelming if even the trainers themselves are of similar skill."
Mary nodded. "So you're saying the match was decided before it even started?"
Wattson shook his head. "Not quite. The level advantage mattered, but that's not the whole story. Milo also made several questionable decisions. His Drifblim opened with Phantom Force, which isn't necessarily a bad move, but Alex immediately identified how to punish it."
The screen replayed the moment Crobat landed the critical Shadow Ball.
Wattson pointed toward the screen. "Look at this. Crobat was already in position before Drifblim attacked. "
Mary looked impressed. "So, Alex telepathically gave Crobat this command ?"
Wattson replied. "Exactly, Alex has always been exceptional at battles. The moment he recognized what Milo wanted to do, the battle started moving according to Alex's plan instead of Milo's."
Mary then turned toward Professor Birch. "What do you think?"
Professor Birch smiled slightly. "I agree with Wattson, but I'd add something else."
Mary leaned forward. "Which is?"
Professor Birch pointed toward Crobat's information on the screen. "People tend to focus on Alex's tactics because they're flashy and memorable. But I think many viewers are overlooking something important. His talent in Pokémon training"
The screen displayed Crobat once more.
Professor Birch continued, "A few years ago, Alex was famous for defeating stronger opponents through clever strategies. His Pokémon were often weaker than those of the trainers he faced. ...which is exactly why it's so obvious now that he's exceptionally talented at raising Pokémon."
Mary looked confused when she heard that.
Professor Birch smiled and explained, "Think about it. Back then, everyone praised Alex's tactics because he constantly fought opponents with stronger Pokémon. But now his Pokémon are no longer weaker. In fact, they're among the strongest in the entire tournament."
He pointed toward the rankings displayed on the screen.
"His team is ranked 3rd out of all 64 participants. That's not something tactics can accomplish."
Mary nodded. "That's true. No matter how brilliant a trainer is, strategy can't increase a Pokémon's level."
Professor Birch replied. "Exactly, Many people say his Pokémon level up so quickly because they possess SS-rank potential, which isn't entirely wrong. However, they overlook something important. Even among trainers who own SS-rank Pokémon, Alex's training speed is extraordinary."
Professor Birch continued, "From what we've seen over the years, Alex consistently achieves close to the maximum growth rate his Pokémon should be capable of. That simply doesn't happen by accident."
Wattson looked toward Birch and asked, "Why do you think that happens?"
Birch answered immediately. "It can only be a combination of effort and wild training. By effort, I mean the enormous amount of time he spends training his Pokémon. By wild training, I mean that he regularly ventures into dangerous areas where his Pokémon are constantly challenged."
He folded his arms. "Battling powerful wild Pokémon forces growth. It pushes Pokémon beyond their comfort zones and helps awaken their potential much faster than ordinary training."
Wattson, who shared a similar opinion, nodded in agreement. "Yes. Although I'm not a fan of young trainers spending too much time in dangerous wilderness areas, I have to admit it's extremely effective."
Mary looked at the statistics on the screen and said, "So you're saying Alex's success isn't just the result of talent or luck?"
Professor Birch shook his head. "Not at all. Talent matters, of course. But talent only determines a trainer's ceiling. What determines how quickly they reach that ceiling is effort."
He pointed toward Alex's profile. "Alex has spent years combining both. That's why he has become so powerful."
Wattson stroked his beard thoughtfully before adding, "And that's also why he's much scarier now than he was during the Kanto Champion Tournament."
Mary raised an eyebrow. "Scarier?"
Wattson nodded. "Back then, Alex's opponents could at comfort themselves by saying their Pokémon were stronger and if they avoided his tricks, they'd win."
A replay of Crobat defeating Drifblim appeared on the screen.
Wattson continued, "That weakness doesn't exist anymore. His Pokémon are now among the strongest in the competition."
Mary smiled and said, "Although I like the direction this conversation is taking, let's not just talk about Alex. Let's talk about Milo."
The screen immediately switched to Milo's profile.
Mary continued, "Even though he lost quickly, Milo still reached the Top 16 of the Hoenn Champion Tournament. That's an incredible achievement."
Professor Birch nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. I think today's result says more about Alex's strength than Milo's weakness."
The screen displayed Milo's team.
Professor Birch pointed toward the image. "This is actually one of the most interesting teams in the entire tournament. Most trainers specialize in a type because they happen to like it and Milo is that kind of trainer, too.
Wattson chuckled. "That's certainly one way to put it."
Professor Birch smiled. "His entire training philosophy revolves around Ghost-types."
He then became slightly more serious. "Ghost-types have always been controversial among spectators. Even today, many people seem uncomfortable around them."
Wattson nodded. "Unfortunately, that's true."
Professor Birch folded his arms before continuing. "Ghost-type Pokémon have a reputation that many other types don't. Stories about hauntings, curses, possession, and other supernatural phenomena have existed for centuries."
Wattson added, "And to be fair, some of those stories aren't completely fictional."
Professor Birch nodded again. "That's true. Ghost-types can be dangerous. But so can Dragon-types, Fire-types, Psychic-types, and many others."
He paused briefly. "I think many people make the mistake of judging Ghost-type Pokémon by their type rather than by their individual personality."
Mary looked interested. "What do you mean?"
Professor Birch answered immediately. "Pokémon are individuals, just like humans. Type or species does influence behavior to some extent. A Ghost-type Pokémon may naturally be more interested in fear, shadows, or supernatural phenomena. But that doesn't determine its morality."
The screen displayed several Ghost-type Pokémon interacting peacefully with trainers.
"There are kind Ghost-type Pokémon and cruel Fairy-type Pokémon.
Wattson nodded slowly. "I've met Ghost-types that were gentler than some Fairy-types."
Professor Birch smiled. "Exactly."
He pointed toward Milo's team. "People look at a Gengar or a Chandelure and immediately assume they're dangerous or malicious. But those Pokémon have personalities just like any other Pokémon."
Mary nodded thoughtfully. "So you're saying it's wrong to judge a Pokémon purely by its type or species?"
Professor Birch's answer came without hesitation. "Absolutely. While it may be true that certain behaviors are more common in some species than others, that doesn't mean every Pokémon of that species behaves the same way."
Wattson stroked his beard and added, "I've met trainers who were far scarier than their Ghost-type Pokémon."
The audience laughed loudly at that "very funny" joke.
Professor Birch chuckled before looking back at Milo's profile. "At the end of the day, Milo is simply a trainer who loves Ghost-types. There's nothing wrong with that. "
Mary nodded in agreement. "Definitely. And judging by the cheers from his fans, I don't think they'll be abandoning him anytime soon."
The camera once again showed Milo's supporters enthusiastically waving banners decorated with Ghost-type Pokémon, drawing another round of laughter from the audience.
-----
If you want to see the next chapters (40+ chapters) earlier or just want to support me
https://www.--patreon.com/alex02373