Chapter 52: Fire Island
"Cynthia..."
On the ship bound for Fire Island, Link was still sighing over the unexpected encounters of this trip.
Although he had imagined meeting his favorite character from the original work in real life, he wasn't really prepared to face the Champion.
Unless it was a rental battle, he couldn't possibly win against Cynthia now...
"Speaking of which, the Battle Frontier is also on Fire Island, right?"
"That's right, the Sinnoh region's Battle Frontier is located in the Battle Zone on Fire Island.
Trainers from all over the world frequently visit and challenge it, but so far, very few have been able to dominate it."
In fact, the Battle Frontier was also one of A-Liu's destinations on this trip.
The Battle Factory, where you can rent Pokémon for battles; the Battle Arcade with randomized environmental effects; the Battle Hall,
where you can continuously battle in the arena; the Battle Castle, which has exploration and puzzle-solving elements; and the Battle Tower, which challenges the limits of a trainer's abilities.
These five battle facilities are the main source of revenue for the Fire Island Battle Zone, and also a battle mecca that countless trainers linger in.
Of course, it's second only to the Champion League's Challenge.
"I see."
Looking at the approaching Fire Island in the distance, Link seemed thoughtful. Perhaps he could test his skills as a trainer at the Battle Factory later.
Losing meant he still needed to hone his skills, while winning would allow him to exchange for items beneficial for his training.
"Link, are you also planning to try it out?" A-Liu's eyes lit up, as it would be a perfect opportunity to challenge the other trainer in team mode.
"I'm going to challenge the Battle Factory, so I won't have a chance to participate with you."
"The Battle Factory!?"
A-Liu leaned back dramatically upon hearing this:
"You mean that Battle Factory that most trainers call 'the most disgusting and worst battle facility where you have to rely purely on luck to draw Pokémon and win every battle'?"
A-Liu fell silent after saying this, hesitating several times before finally saying nothing.
Link gleaned the gist of the other's expression from his eyes—a guy with some taste, practically a tactical expert.
"What's wrong with rental battles?"
"It's not that there's anything wrong, it's just… don't you think a battle mode where you can't send your own Pokémon into battle is pointless?"
In A-Liu's view, the prerequisite for a battle is mutual trust between the trainer and their partner.
If the Pokémon sent out is just a random one received from the staff minutes ago, how can there be any trust?
"But your opponent is in the same boat as you.
One or two losses might be luck, but continuous losses indicate a lack of ability." Link didn't see anything wrong with the rental mode battles.
"In other words, skilled trainers have a huge advantage in rental battles.
After eliminating luck through winning streaks, the final competition comes down to the trainer's knowledge, tactics, and affinity with their Pokémon."
Trainers must improve their abilities in all aspects; any weakness can become a fatal flaw.
"What you said seems to make sense?" A-Liu pondered for a moment, quickly convinced by Link.
Time flew by, and in the evening, the two arrived at the Battle Zone on Fire Island.
The Battle Zone is divided into three areas: the Battle Zone, where the Battle Frontier is located; the Survival Area, inhabited by powerful wild Pokémon; and the Resort Area, where celebrities from all over the world gather.
Heading north will lead to the harsh Stark Mountain (Mount Kakuno), which is extremely demanding. The legendary Pokémon Heatran is sealed deep within the volcano.
"It's really hot on Fire Island."
"Fennekin~"
"Meow~"
Strolling on the beach with their Pokémon, the evening breeze blows, and the bubbles spewed by Krabby reflect a beautiful glow under the setting sun.
About 150 years ago, during the Hisui era (Great Green Development), this was the place where Team Pearl worshipped Arcanine, the Island King.
Times have changed, and it's been developed into a special zone for tourism.
"Since we're here, let's start the great operation to find Hisuian Growlithe!"
Of course, we should ask the Pokémon about Pokémon!
The battle rules of the Battle Factory are:
* Challengers cannot use their own Pokémon.
* At the start, players choose 3 Pokémon from a random pool of 6.
* After each win, you can swap one of your Pokémon with one of the opponent's.
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(End of Chapter)