''Blind Pick?''
Luther quickly weighed the pros and cons. The Blind Pick format effectively reduced the likelihood of Professor Rowan employing strategies, as both sides would be forming their teams randomly. In other words, whoever drew a Pokémon that had evolved theoretically had a better chance of winning.
Luther had to admit that the Blind Pick mechanism gave him a significant advantage. He licked his dry lips and said, "In that case, the person who draws a Pokémon with stronger abilities will have a greater edge... It sounds like it all comes down to luck, right?"
"That's not an incorrect understanding; luck is indeed a part of battle. However, if you lack the strength to assess a Pokémon's abilities, luck will only get you so far. Only with the right skills can luck lead you to victory," Professor Rowan corrected him.
Luther understood this principle, but he didn't have much faith in his luck. His first stroke of fortune in this world had come from cheating with Alakazam, and under normal circumstances, his luck would likely mirror his previous life, where he could make ten attempts but still fail to get a single good draw.
In the past, he would never gamble on probabilities without some assurance... but now he had no other choice.
"Have you decided? Then I'll go first."
Professor Rowan casually picked a Poké Ball from the top of the cart and gestured for Luther to take his turn.
Luther took a deep breath and carefully examined the Poké Balls on the cart, but he couldn't discern any differences. After scanning back and forth a few times, he decided to push aside the top layer of Poké Balls and reached into the middle of the cart, pulling out one at random.
Professor Rowan remained calm as he selected another from the top, while the other researchers chuckled at Luther's various attempts to grab a Poké Ball.
Soon, both Professor Rowan and Luther had chosen their six Poké Balls.
The female researcher, Sachiko, who had led Luther into the Research Lab, approached them to announce the battle rules.
"I will serve as the referee for this match. Professor Rowan and Luther will engage in a 6V6 Pokémon battle, following the Limit Four Battle Rules.
The first move will be determined by a coin flip, and there is no time limit for the battle. The match will take place in half an hour, during which both sides can confirm their Pokémon. Any objections?"
Luther raised his hand decisively. "What does Limit Four mean?"
"It means you are allowed to use only four types of Pokémon moves. Sachiko, please lend Luther your Pokédex for a moment so he can understand the status of his Pokémon," Professor Rowan instructed.
After that, Professor Rowan picked up his six Poké Balls and, accompanied by the other researchers, walked toward a room. He also needed to familiarize himself with his Pokémon during this half hour.
"Please follow me."
Sachiko led Luther to an empty room in the Research Lab and handed him a Pokédex before stepping outside to wait.
With half an hour left before the battle began, Luther had to make the most of this limited time to familiarize himself with his six Pokémon.
After hoping for a stroke of good luck, Luther released all six Pokémon.
Forretress, Clefairy, Skuntank, Drifloon, Jumpluff, Wooper.
Far exceeding Luther's expectations, he had drawn at least three evolved Pokémon, but the downside was... he had never used any of them before, and his understanding of their abilities was completely nonexistent.
Using the Pokédex, Luther quickly learned about the types and moves of these six Pokémon.
After reviewing the information, Luther's expression turned serious. The Pokédex displayed not only the types and moves but also the individual values, and all six of the individual values he had drawn were quite low... Although Luther reassured himself that this wasn't a game, the data lag made him feel increasingly anxious.
Another point of concern was that the Pokédex had delivered some unfortunate news to Luther.
He anxiously glanced at Wooper, who was happily leaning against Jumpluff, feeling a bit dejected as he prepared himself for a 5V6 situation.
Luther sat on the ground, clapped his hands, and called over Skuntank, who was dozing off, Drifloon, who was floating around making cute sounds, Jumpluff and Wooper, who were playfully interacting, and Clefairy, who was perched on Forretress's head.
As for Forretress... this seemingly dull Pokémon had been focused intently on Luther.
"In a moment, I will be battling with Professor Rowan. This is my first battle, and I've never had any experience before, so I might make some mistakes or strange decisions…"
Luther clasped his hands together. "I really hope to obtain the Pokédex; this is my only way to get it. I hope you can trust my commands, even if just a little. I truly appreciate your help."
With that, Luther bowed his head to them.
Professor Rowan had a natural rapport with the Pokémon in his Research Lab; no matter which Pokémon he picked, he didn't have to worry about them not obeying his commands.
Luther, however, was different. He knew he was a stranger to the six Pokémon he had chosen, and he was only participating in the battle because the researchers had informed them beforehand.
This simple cooperative relationship put Luther at a disadvantage. Without a bond, the compatibility between him and the Pokémon was too low, and he could only hope that being open with them would encourage them to do their best in battle.
The six Pokémon exchanged glances, and finally, Jumpluff moved closer to Luther, followed by Forretress turning its body to come over. Skuntank then followed Forretress's lead. Wooper, Drifloon, and Clefairy hesitated for a moment before finally showing signs of affection toward Luther.
Seeing that all six Pokémon had displayed a hint of closeness, Luther breathed a sigh of relief. He watched Wooper happily bouncing around and wanted to reach out to pet it, but suddenly remembered something and quickly picked up the Pokédex.
Under the Limit Four Rules, how could he effectively utilize the combat potential of this team?
What moves and strategies could allow him, a novice in battle, to defeat an opponent like Professor Rowan, who seemed incredibly strong?
After reviewing the data of the six Pokémon once more, a smile crept onto Luther's face.
Indeed, there was a challenging situation with his team, but if the other five Pokémon could follow his expected strategy, and if he had a bit of luck, defeating Professor Rowan didn't seem impossible.
Luther put away the Pokédex, retracted his smile, and looked seriously at Skuntank and Jumpluff.
"Skuntank, Jumpluff, I hope you can understand my decisions."
With surprised expressions from Skuntank and Jumpluff, Luther finalized his battle strategy.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. When Sachiko knocked on the door, the six Pokémon in front of Luther appeared to be full of energy.
After recalling the Pokémon, Sachiko noticed Luther's beaming smile.
"It seems you drew some good Pokémon."
"Not really, I just feel a bit nervous, so I'm pretending to be relaxed to trick myself."
"That's a very interesting approach; quite impressive," Sachiko replied with a smile.
As they returned to the Research Lab's battle arena, Luther felt a wave of anxiety wash over him... his head was pounding.
The Battle arena was surrounded by a simple iron fence, and behind the fence was a surging Crowd. Upon seeing him, some cheered, some whistled, and some cheered for him, each with different expressions and behaviors.
"Sachiko, can you explain what's going on here?" Luther covered his face.
"Oh, probably someone told the others in Sandgem Town that someone was going to challenge Professor Rowan," Sachiko glanced around and explained calmly, "After all, there are some Researchers who enjoy watching the excitement."
"But there are too many people! Don't they have work to do?!"
Luther was more afraid of the embarrassment than the crowd. As someone with a bit of self-esteem issues and Depression, every move he made under so many people's gazes would be scrutinized, and if he made a fool of himself, it would be a huge joke...
The facade of relaxation that Luther had put on gradually crumbled, and he felt a bit uneasy at that moment.
Sachiko seemed not to notice Luther's abnormality and explained, "A 6V6 Battle for the Pokédex against Professor Rowan is very interesting; it's Saturday, so it's a perfect day for a break."
As Luther stood in the Battle arena, he was somewhat lost in the cacophony of nearby conversations. The voices discussing him seemed amplified, making him feel as if he were being roasted over an open flame.
Normally, he would have avoided such situations, but now he had no way out.
With stiff movements, he performed a bow to Professor Rowan before awkwardly choosing the Coin's reverse side, confirming that he would be the second to attack.
Being the second attacker allowed him to observe his opponent's Pokémon before making his own choice, which was a slight advantage for Luther.
Returning to his Battle position, Luther felt his hand tremble around the Poké Ball. He still hadn't adjusted to being the center of so many eyes.
Sachiko approached the center line of the Battle arena with green and red flags.
"The competitors are Professor Rowan from Sandgem Town and Luther from Twinleaf Town. The Battle Rules are Limit Four, with six Pokémon each, and there is no time limit. The arena is a Grass Type field, and whichever side loses all their battle-capable Pokémon will be the loser."
"Professor Rowan, please release your Pokémon for the First Move!"
Luther nervously watched as Professor Rowan tossed a Poké Ball onto the ground, hoping for the strength of his chosen Pokémon while still wishing for a bit of Luck, ideally that Professor Rowan's Pokémon wouldn't be too strong.
The elegant figure of Roserade emerged in a flash of light.
An Evolution Pokémon, but for Luther's team, it was hard to say whether this was a stroke of good or bad Luck.
The worst part was that Luther was still in a state of extreme Nervousness. He never expected his battle would be watched by so many people... he couldn't adapt to the feeling of being in the spotlight.
"The second attacker is Luther. Please release your Pokémon."
Taking a deep breath, Luther repeated to himself to stay calm, then proceeded with his planned deployment.
"Go, Jumpluff!" he shouted as if to encourage himself.
Roserade gracefully bowed to Jumpluff, who swayed in response, and this cute pre-battle interaction ignited a wave of cheers from the crowd.
As Luther felt a shiver run through him, Sachiko's voice rang out.
"Battle, begin!"
(End of this chapter)