Pokémon: I’m Really Not a Team Rocket Spy

"Charmander, return!"

Rarely did Maki recall Charmander into its Poké Ball, but given that the recent battle had just ended, the Poké Ball was a good place for it to rest.

"Your Machop's ability is Guts, which boosts its Attack stat when affected by a status condition. You can take advantage of that."

After the match, Maki approached the young man who had been his opponent. Just as the man was wondering why Maki had come over, Maki spoke up.

"Guts?"

The young man froze for a moment, glancing at the Poké Ball in his hand that contained his Machop. He repeated the word, clearly confused. It was apparent that while Nathan might be a mediocre student at the Pokémon School, this man likely had no formal knowledge of Pokémon at all. His presence here was probably due to sheer luck.

"Guts is actually a decent ability. If you know how to use it effectively, it can have a pretty good impact."

Maki wasn't just trying to console him. The Guts ability could amplify a Pokémon's power when it was under the effects of a status condition. While it wasn't as outstanding as top-tier abilities like Huge Power, it was leagues ahead of mediocre abilities like Keen Eye or Run Away.

Having said this, Maki turned and left. He had only intended to offer a brief piece of advice, nothing more.

As for the Flame Orb, an item that synergized well with the Guts ability, Maki didn't bring it up. Though the item wasn't particularly expensive compared to other items, it was still likely beyond what the man could afford.

The referee glanced at Maki with slight surprise, but upon recalling that Maki's Charmander had been issued by the Pokémon League, he quickly dismissed the thought.

In the referee's mind, Maki was likely a recent Pokémon School graduate with an overabundance of idealism. A little time in the real world would soon temper such an attitude.

After all, Maki appeared to be a prime beneficiary of the Pokémon League's system. While the competitive matches allowed talented civilians to rise through the ranks, it was already rare for someone like the young man, a civilian, to even own a Pokémon.

There was a saying: "All roads lead to Rome." But in reality, some people were born in Rome, while others were born as laborers.

Maki felt no particular emotion about any of this. After all, it was important to remember the environment he grew up in. If there were ever a contest for tragic backstories, Rocket Grunts could easily take the top spots.

In Team Rocket, ideals and aspirations weren't part of the equation. Everyone joined for one reason—to survive.

Given Team Rocket's brutal elimination system, nobody joined unless they had no other choice.

If Giovanni hadn't picked up Maki when he was transported to this world, his shrunken body might not have even survived, let alone gained a Charmander.

"Would you like to continue battling?"

The referee, after reporting the results of the previous match, posed this question to Maki. Charmander hadn't expended much energy in the last battle.

Trainers in the Poké Ball rank could participate in three matches per day. After some consideration, Maki decided to continue. Charmander was still in good condition, and each victory earned BP points that could be exchanged for valuable items, such as evolutionary stones like Fire Stones or Thunder Stones.

Even if he lost, it wouldn't matter. He could always try again tomorrow. For now, it was about giving Charmander more battle experience.

After waiting for ten minutes, Maki's second opponent arrived. When both trainers sent out their Pokémon, all three—Maki, the opponent, and the referee—had the same reaction.

The opponent's Pokémon was a Paras, a Bug/Grass-type with a quadruple weakness to Fire!

Paras resembled a typical arthropod, with an orange body, three legs, large front claws, and a pair of prominent mushrooms on its back. Its most annoying move was Spore.

Upon seeing Charmander, the opponent's face darkened like charcoal. How was this even a fair fight?

Maki, however, suppressed his laughter, pressing a fist to his lips and coughing lightly to mask it.

"Matchups are completely random. There's no foul play here," the referee reassured the Paras trainer, glancing at him sympathetically.

Bug/Grass was already a poor combination, with a quadruple weakness to both Fire and Flying. But Fire was Paras's greatest nemesis due to one of its abilities.

Maki scrutinized the Paras carefully. Its skin was drier than usual, a clear indicator that its ability was Dry Skin.

Dry Skin was generally a strong ability, offering immunity to Water-type moves while healing the Pokémon instead. It even restored HP in rainy weather, combining the benefits of Rain Dish and Water Absorb.

But there was a catch: Dry Skin made the Pokémon take 1.25 times more damage from Fire-type moves. Considering Paras's natural quadruple weakness, this translated to a staggering 5x weakness—a rarity in the Pokémon world. No wonder the referee had felt compelled to explain earlier.

"Kid, you might as well give up. No shame in it."

"Paras against Charmander? Better call it quits."

Even the spectators couldn't bear to watch, urging the Paras trainer to forfeit.

It had only been ten minutes since Maki's previous match, and the audience still remembered the Dragon Dance Charmander.

"Would you like to proceed?"

The referee asked the Paras trainer.

"Proceed," the trainer replied through gritted teeth, holding on to a sliver of hope. Perhaps Charmander wasn't well-trained and didn't know any powerful Fire-type moves.

The referee nodded, stepping back to give the Pokémon space. He then announced the start of what was bound to be a one-sided match.

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