Rory frowned as he looked at Jacob. It wasn't difficult to advance through the College Cup qualifiers, especially in a small city like Starlight City. It was much easier than in Embermere City. Many students even transferred from large cities to smaller ones just to qualify for the main competition. Only in recent years had the Pokémon Association implemented new regulations restricting students to compete only in their registered place of residence, curbing this trend.
The top four in the qualifiers were relatively easy to achieve; the real challenge was reaching the top two in the provincial finals.
"If you're truly determined, we'll support you with all our strength," Rory said in a serious tone. "First, after entering the main competition, you'll need three Pokémon, and you only have two. Your Noibat is a Flying-Dragon type, which is weak against Ice, Dragon, Fairy, and Rock. Your Grass-type Grovyle is weak against Flying, Bug, Poison, Fire, and Ice. Both your Pokémon are vulnerable to Ice. Additionally, Noibat's Dragon and Flying attacks and Grovyle's attacks are resisted by Steel-types."
"It would be very difficult to handle Steel and Ice Pokémon, so your third Pokémon choice is particularly important. You must select a Pokémon that counters these two types. Fire and Fighting types are effective against both Ice and Steel."
Rory analyzed the situation carefully. Indeed, Jacob's two Pokémon currently had no effective way to deal with Steel-types and were also vulnerable to Ice-types. If they encountered an Alolan Sandslash with its Ice/Steel typing and Snow Cloak ability in a hail team, they would likely be completely overwhelmed. Jacob's team would almost certainly face defeat.
Jacob hesitated to speak. The third Pokémon was indeed a weakness in his strategy, but he also had task constraints. Ideally, his third Pokémon should be Dragon-type. If he couldn't find a Dragon-type with King-level potential, he would have to make a difficult choice—either capture a Pokémon of another type to participate in the main competition or forfeit the competition and continue searching for a Dragon-type with King-level qualifications.
Of course, the ideal solution would be capturing a Pokémon with both Fire and Dragon attributes. Charizard would be the most suitable option—it has Fire typing that can counter both Ice and Steel Pokémon, and its Mega Evolution gains Dragon typing, which would satisfy Jacob's mission requirements.
Alternatively, Turtonator, born with dual Fire and Dragon typing, would also be suitable.
Beyond the Fire/Dragon combination, Fighting/Dragon would be another good choice. However, it seemed the only family with Fighting/Dragon typing was the Kommo-o line, which was too difficult to obtain, so Jacob wouldn't consider it for now.
After careful consideration, it seemed Jacob had only two realistic options: Charizard or Turtonator.
"If you're serious about participating, you need to acquire your third Pokémon as soon as possible; otherwise, you won't have enough time for the six months of special training," Rory reminded him. He suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to Asher. "Asher still has a selection spot. I can give it to you, son. Pick a good-quality Charmeleon, Chimchar, or Tepig. The final evolutions of these Pokémon have Fire typing, and some have Fighting as well, which would complement your team perfectly."
"Why go to all that trouble?" Asher said casually. "We visited the Fire Realm last time and didn't find suitable Pokémon of those three types. In my opinion, we've already selected two Fire Pokémon this time. We could just give the Charmander egg to Jacob. It hasn't hatched yet and hasn't been registered with the Pokémon Association."
Jacob's interest was immediately piqued when he heard his brother's words. His mind immediately went to the shining Charmander—the best Charmander egg!
However, Jacob quickly dismissed this idea. He couldn't take advantage of his brother, especially since Asher had experienced such a significant setback recently and needed to rebuild his team with powerful Pokémon.
Moreover, when his brother eventually saw the performance and potential of the Charmander, it might create seeds of resentment between them, with Asher feeling Jacob had taken advantage of him. Jacob truly valued their family relationship, so he directly rejected his brother's proposal: "No, brother. Keep your last spot. I can find my own Pokémon. Those two eggs were specially selected for you."
"Hey, Jacob," Asher called out, "I remember you were the one who fell in love with that Charmander egg at first sight. You strongly encouraged me to choose it. Why don't you want it now?"
Jacob rolled his eyes and said, "Brother, you don't know how hard I struggled mentally to say no to you." He added unhappily, "I'm afraid you'll regret it later."
"Is it really as special as you're suggesting?" Asher asked skeptically. "In my opinion, it's good enough if it has quasi-King level potential."
Quasi-King level? Who are you underestimating, brother?
"What if I told you the Charmander egg has King-level potential?" Jacob looked at his brother seriously, with no hint of joking in his expression.
"Can you really tell?" In his heart, Asher had largely believed it. His younger brother had remarkable talent for identifying Pokémon potential.
Jacob hesitated slightly but chose to conceal his special ability. The system was his biggest secret. He would use its capabilities to help his family but wouldn't reveal his own powers. "I can't tell for certain, but I can make an educated guess. First, all the Pokémon eggs in the collection room are high quality from powerful parent Pokémon. Second, that egg's shell has a yellowish tint, shinier than ordinary Charmander eggs. Most people would assume it just contains abundant fire energy, but I believe it likely holds a Shiny Charmander."
After Jacob said this, Asher, Rory, and Zoe all looked at him in surprise. Rory asked with even greater astonishment, "Are you sure? Can you really detect the shininess from the eggshell?"
"Nothing in this world is 100% certain, but I'm nearly positive. A Shiny Charmander typically has exceptional aptitude. I believe it has a high probability of reaching King level, which is why I let my brother choose that egg," Jacob explained.
"If that's the case, Jacob, then this egg must go to you," Asher said after a moment of reflection, his eyes flashing with determination and high expectations for Jacob.
"Brother..."
"Don't rush to refuse," Asher interrupted, looking into Jacob's eyes, and continued seriously, "The College Cup U19 Pokémon League is the most prestigious competition. A person can only participate once in their lifetime. If you can secure a top-two position in Frosthollow Province, it will greatly benefit your future development and the entire family."
"But, brother..."
"Jacob, listen to me. I've already resigned from my position as Gym Leader. If I want to become a Gym Leader again, I'll have to wait until the next ranking competition, which is three years away. Three years is plenty of time—I can prepare gradually without rushing. But your situation is different. The College Cup starts in just six months. A King-level Charmander would be invaluable to you. With proper training, you could develop Charmander to Lord-level strength before the competition begins."
"I've been observing your Grovyle these past few days. It's impressive and has excellent potential—at least Quasi-King or even King-level. With Grovyle and Charmander, you'll have a much better chance of reaching the top two in the main competition."
"So Jacob, that egg is yours."
There was unmistakable determination in Asher's eyes. He was willing to make sacrifices for his brother's future.
"Brother," Jacob was deeply moved. The more selflessly Asher treated him, the more ashamed he felt. "What if... what if that Charmander's potential is even better than King-level? What if it has Champion-level potential?"
"How could that be possible? You don't realize how extraordinarily rare Pokémon with Champion potential are. If its potential really is that exceptional, all the better!" Asher's face brightened with a genuine smile. "Then my brother could become the first Champion-level trainer in our family. Jacob, please don't worry that I'll regret this decision. No matter how exceptional that Charmander turns out to be, I'll only be happy for you. Remember, I'm your brother, and I'll always be proud of you. Right, Mom and Dad?"
Rory maintained his stern expression, though the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "You finally understand something important, son."
Zoe's eyes were slightly moist. "Asher is right, Jacob. You will always be my pride and joy."