"What…?"
Ash turned toward Paul, a look of confusion on his face—he clearly didn't understand what Paul meant.
"Was that battle loss really because your Pokémon didn't try hard enough?"
Paul's voice was calm as he continued, locking eyes with Ash.
"Your Pokémon aren't underpowered. In fact, compared to most trainers, they're quite strong. But the outcome speaks for itself, doesn't it?"
"Take your battle with Gary for example. Your team was clearly more powerful, but what happened?"
Paul shifted his gaze toward Gary and muttered to himself:
"The result was that you fought evenly. You barely scraped out a win in the end."
"As a Trainer, if you can't bring out the full potential of your Pokémon, then what good is their power? No matter how strong they are, what can they really achieve? The moment someone targets their weaknesses, your Pokémon can't even fight at half their normal strength."
Paul's smile disappeared. His tone turned blunt and cold.
"You're still too immature as a Trainer."
And he wasn't wrong.
Yes, in this world, any of Ash's Pokémon could easily overpower the teams he had in the anime at the same point in time. But is that really something to boast about?
Reality isn't like the anime, where Ash's Pokémon learn only a few flashy moves.
Back in the show, battles were often head-on collisions—straightforward and simplistic. He could've worn his opponent down with smart maneuvering, but instead always went for brute force.
But real battles are nothing like that. In the real world, Pokémon can learn many more moves.
You don't need to have your Pokémon learn every move under the sun—but at the very least, they should be equipped to handle a wide range of situations.
And let's not forget, real battles between Trainers aren't always fought face-to-face.
Think about Ursaluna. What kind of fast Pokémon would be foolish enough to go toe-to-toe with it in a turn-based slugfest like in the games or bash into it head-on like in the anime?
None.
In a real competitive battle, the opponent will try to kite Ursaluna, keeping their distance and attacking from range if they have the means. They'll never go in for a close-quarters fight if they don't have to.
That's reality.
That entirely, no-strategy smashing from the anime? That's just for kids. No one in real life fights like that.
"…You still think I'm immature?"
Ash's expression stiffened. He believed he'd already found his own battle style. Maybe not fully refined—but at least not childish anymore… right?
"You've got a battle style, sure." Paul replied evenly. "But does the training you've done, the moves your Pokémon have learned—do they actually support that style?"
"Or put another way—does your battle style do anything to challenge me?"
Paul's counter questions struck directly at the heart of the issue. Ash opened his mouth but couldn't find an answer.
It was true—he had a distinct battle style, one not so different from Barry's.
But that kind of style demands overwhelming strength. It only works when your opponent isn't significantly stronger than you. That's the only way to pull them into your rhythm—force them to keep up, make them scramble, and eventually outpace them.
But unlike Lucas' Pokémon, who each wield layers of stat-boosting and frustrating disruption tactics, Ash's team of ten barely knows ten status moves in total.
In fact, he might not even have as many as Barry.
This usually doesn't matter against average opponents—but if Ash can't weaken, ignore, or shut down the opponent's buffs, then any rival who is just a bit stronger and whose battle style is more mature or systematic… well, unless Ash's Pokémon enter some sort of uncontrollable breakthrough mode, victory is virtually out of reach.
Even a full-blown bond phenomenon wouldn't change that.
You might trigger a sudden surge once—but can you rely on that every time? With every Pokémon?
Impossible. And if every battle demands a dramatic last-minute burst to scrape by, regardless of the result…
Eventually, the Pokémon themselves would feel worn out—tired of it all.
"...You're right."
After hearing Paul's words, Ash opened his mouth but couldn't find an answer. In the end, he lowered his head slightly and muttered a dry reply.
After all, he's a protagonist who's been through so much. He might've wanted to argue at first, but Paul's logic was clear and compelling—it quickly brought Ash back to reality.
So this is what it means… being a League Champion is just the beginning. I'm still so far from becoming a Pokémon Master…
That thought surfaced in Ash's mind.
Noticing Ash deep in thought, Paul quietly turned and walked away.
Sensing Paul's movement, Ash snapped back to the present and called out:
"Paul! Let's battle again next time! I'll definitely beat you!"
"We'll see next time."
Paul replied indifferently. Then he walked over to Professor Oak and gave a small bow.
"Professor Oak, my Electivire accidentally ingested a Zap Plate. After checking, I found it can't be removed. Could you help assess the situation?"
He wasn't planning to leave Pallet Town just yet. Besides checking on Electivire's condition, he also wanted to ask Professor Oak a few questions to adjust his Pokémon's training plans going forward.
"No problem. I actually heard about your Electivire from Professor Rowan. I've always been interested in it."
Professor Oak smiled and nodded. While he might not be the top expert in certain specialties, he certainly had the broadest range of knowledge.
Being a respected authority in the academic world—that title wasn't self-proclaimed.
It was common for professors to exchange insights. And Paul's Pokémon, many of whom had unusual traits, naturally came up in conversation.
Getting the chance to examine them personally might even lead to new discoveries.
As the world's premier Pokémon research facility, the tools at Professor Oak's lab were exceptionally comprehensive.
With the help of his assistants, he quickly conducted a full scan on Electivire.
"How is it, Professor?"
Paul stood respectfully before Professor Oak, who was reviewing the scans and test results in front of him.
"Based on the examination." Professor Oak began, "Electivire is in excellent health. Energy levels are abundant, nothing out of the ordinary... but…" His voice trailed off as his brow furrowed slightly, eyes narrowing at the data readouts.
"…its energy is steadily increasing, which is rather unusual."
After concluding the basic medical overview, Professor Oak shifted to other data points. As he continued reading, his expression grew more thoughtful. Eventually, the creases in his brow relaxed, giving way to thoughtful analysis.
"How should I put this…? I've studied the Plates before—what we call Arceus' Plates and all of them have shown extreme stability. Structurally and energetically, they're almost too stable."
"There have been cases in the past where a Pokémon swallowed a Plate, but honestly, it didn't make a difference. Whether it was in the belly or held externally, there was no change—the Plate's energy remained idle."
"But in Electivire's case, the Plate inside its body is gradually and steadily releasing energy, which is being absorbed directly into its system."
Paul paused for a moment, then offered his own theory. "Could it be because it had already absorbed a Plate once before?"
"That's my thinking as well." Professor Oak nodded. "It's likely Electivire previously ingested a damaged Plate. That prior experience may have somehow conditioned its body, allowing it to resonate with and now integrate a fully intact one."
"However," he added, "because the Plate's structure is so incredibly stable, the release of energy is slow and controlled—well within Electivire's ability to handle."
At last, Professor Oak offered his recommendation.
"Given the way the Plate has fused with Electivire, surgically removing it would be extremely risky. Not only would the procedure itself be dangerous, but it could also take more than half a year for Electivire to fully recover."
"For now, it's best to leave things as they are. If anything unusual happens, use your Rotom Phone to send me or Professor Rowan the data immediately so we can run diagnostics or intervene if necessary."
"Understood. I appreciate your help, Professor."
Paul gave a polite bow.
"Vireee!"
Electivire scratched the back of its head and let out a shy chuckle. Still, there wasn't a hint of regret in its demeanor.
Getting stronger always comes with a few bumps and bruises.
What's the risk? It's just a Plate, after all.
If it had to sum it up in one word: Eat.
That's it—just eat it!
Of course, that attitude earned Electivire one of Paul's rare but unmistakable reactions: a sigh, a deadpan stare, and a classic eye-roll.
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