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It was at Kihara Restaurant that everyone had first learned about Dakota's starter Pokémon:
Vigoroth, Metang, and Girafarig.
This world didn't have the concept of 'Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon'. After integrating into this world, Luther gradually came to understand through long periods of study that the concept of Base Stats had already been subdivided into categories such as 'Pokémon ability differences', 'Pokémon potential differences', and even more specialized academic branches.
According to some current schools of Pokémon research, Dakota's team lineup belonged to a combination with extremely powerful innate abilities.
Before challenging Lance, Girafarig, Vigoroth, and Metang had always been his ace Pokémon. It was only after suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of Lance that he began to change.
Luther once asked Lance about that battle. The Pokémon he had used that day was Dragonite.
To Lance, Dakota was an unfamiliar name, and he could no longer remember the battle. Encounters with passionate trainers challenging him happened all the time.
Lance only vaguely remembered that Dragonite had used just three moves.
Luther had encountered Lance's Dragonite before, at Diantha's villa. The big, goofy creature lying on the floor eating food carried absolutely no sense of intimidation. Luther had patted its head and taken photos with it.
Dragonite merely leaned over and licked Luther, lacking any of the majesty expected from a Dragon-type Pokémon. It felt more like an oversized husky.
However, Luther quickly realized just how wrong his first impression had been.
He had been present during the fierce battle between Cynthia and Lance. The clash between Garchomp and Dragonite completely surpassed Luther's imagination.
They weren't just on different levels; they existed in entirely different realms.
The world of Champions was beyond the comprehension of ordinary Pokémon Trainers.
Dakota was probably even more upset and shocked than Luther had been because he had come face-to-face with Lance.
Like Luther, he had developed a longing after witnessing Dragonite's overwhelming power. He too wanted to possess that kind of strength.
Dakota had once opened up to Luther.
Luther sometimes wondered if he had some kind of strange aura that made people want to confide in him.
For a time, Dakota had believed that bonds were over-mythologized fantasies created by successful people to preserve children's dreams.
Dragonite's own overwhelming strength was the real reason behind Lance's success. By the same logic, Garchomp's power was what made Cynthia who she was.
"That's pretty extreme," Luther had teased him casually.
Dakota knew that this mindset was extreme. Without bonds, even the strongest Pokémon could not unleash their full power in the hands of a trainer.
But people trapped in obsessive thinking rarely considered that point.
That changed when Dakota met Luther and later Ash Ketchum and Etorre.
According to Dakota, Luther and the others were basically a trio of hot-blooded chuunibyou idiots.
Yet, after spending time with them, he unexpectedly rediscovered the passion he had felt when he first set out on his journey. They reignited the passion he hadn't felt in a long time.
Especially Ash.
For a while, Dakota simply didn't like Ash.
He was always talking about bonds and dreams, and it all sounded too empty and ridiculous. He genuinely couldn't stand it.
He couldn't understand why Luther thought Ash was exceptional.
"You hate the version of yourself that failed in the past, so you end up disliking Ash too."
Dakota admitted that Luther's words made sense.
It wasn't that he hated his past self. He simply couldn't accept the version of himself who had lost to Lance with no ability to fight back.
Girafarig was now facing Etorre's Steelix.
"Use Trick Room!"
Dakota waved his hand and Girafarig immediately started moving.
Using Trick Room to cancel out the existing effect would restore the battlefield to normal.
Dakota was not going to fall for the same strategy twice. Ever since Conway had revealed his Trick Room battle style, Dakota had been thinking about countermeasures.
For that very reason, Girafarig was the first Pokémon he brought back into the team. As one of his earliest Pokémon, he had complete faith in Girafarig's abilities.
He had other Pokémon capable of using Trick Room, but against Luther and the others, Girafarig was the obvious choice.
He wanted to prove his own strength by defeating them with the very power they considered strongest and using victory to prove everything.
"My Pokémon and I also share bonds. Bonds that are no weaker than yours."
Using Trick Room meant passively enduring attacks, and the massive Steelix was already charging forward with terrifying momentum.
Etorre absolutely had to preserve the Trick Room field, so Steelix unleashed its full strength, aiming to render Girafarig unable to use Trick Room with a single blow.
"Crunch!"
Steelix opened its enormous jaws wide. With this super-effective move, combined with the force of its massive body charging forward, it could rob the tiny Girafarig of any ability to resist in a single strike.
Facing Steelix head-on, Girafarig showed no fear whatsoever.
The moment Trick Room covered the field, it had already lost the initiative. On top of that, it had to reclaim control of the battlefield.
If it failed to activate Trick Room on the first attempt, Steelix would put it under continuous pressure afterwards, leaving it with no further opportunity to use a move.
Girafarig's body was caught in Steelix's bite and dragged along with it.
The commentator had already started shouting. This was clearly Dakota's best chance to regain control of the battle, but Steelix had crushed that opportunity by using Crunch.
Girafarig's tail was facing in Dakota's direction and trembling slightly.
"I believe in you."
Dakota gave no further commands. He only spoke those words seriously.
He hadn't expected to say something like that in such a crucial battle.
It was practically the same as Ash and the others.
And it was also the same as those spoken by the fool who once stood before Dragonite.
Those words carried no obvious sense of power, yet Girafarig's fighting spirit ignited instantly.
Anyone could see that the only thing keeping Girafarig upright was its powerful psychic energy. Once that psychic energy failed, Girafarig would be defeated. Using Trick Room again was wishful thinking at best. Dakota should have switched Pokémon earlier.
Yet Girafarig dispersed its psychic protection.
Despite the agonizing pain of Crunch, Girafarig unleashed Trick Room once more.
Just as Etorre believed that Forretress would revive in the flames, Dakota believed that Girafarig could complete Trick Room.
"Fire Fang," Etorre ordered, deciding to finish things with one final strike.
The instant Steelix's flaming jaws clamped shut, a ray of light shot from Girafarig's body towards the sky above the battlefield.
The outline of the Trick Room covering the arena gradually blurred before completely dissipating.
Steelix flung Girafarig, which had been struck by Fire Fang, onto the ground, then roared at Dakota as if issuing a challenge.
"Girafarig is unable to battle. Steelix wins."
The audience had expected a fierce confrontation but was left somewhat disappointed by this sudden outcome.
Luther and Lucian began applauding from the sidelines.
Lucian's own Girafarig tilted its head, seemingly wondering what exactly deserved applause… If it had gone up there instead, that Steelix would probably be lying on the ground getting stomped on.
After recalling Girafarig, Dakota released it again and gently stroked its head while whispering softly to it.
Girafarig curled up contentedly beside Dakota, quietly waiting for what Dakota had promised.
"Revenge for it."
(End of Chapter)