Xia Huanao ultimately couldn't bring himself to tear up his earnings, after all, it was money.
Everyone returned to the tent to discuss important matters, as the construction of the temporary housing was being handled by others. Xia Huanao got straight to the point, "So, how did this morning's matches go?"
Chu Xiaodie explained to him, "Lixing beat Yassen, and surprisingly, Milun was defeated by Dunhe with a large score. It even seemed like Dunhe's players still had energy left."
Xia Huanao paused the hand rubbing his shoulder, "Milun was beaten by Dunhe? That's not right. Although Milun hasn't been prominent for years, and Dunhe often causes trouble, they shouldn't have capsized in such a shallow ditch. Xiaodie, the video."
Chu Xiaodie took out a camera from her bag, "Oh, right, here it is."
Everyone was taken aback when Chu Xiaodie produced the item. Xia Huanao chuckled, "After all, they are students I've coached. It's just some targeted special training."
Xia Huanao quickly watched the battle videos, pointing and commenting, "Dunhe truly lives up to its reputation as the 'Country of Beasts.' What are Tauros, Miltank, Bouffalant? Why are they using only these Pokémon?"
"That's why it's so annoying. What do we do if we can't tell them apart? Coach Xia, how did you distinguish between the three Chinglings back then?"
Chu Xiaodie's question made Xia Huanao recall his past "gacha" strategy: "I miss it, the gacha strategy. But there's nothing I can do. Even though I used that method, I can't counter it. Although there are subtle differences between various Pokémon, they aren't distinguishable at a glance. Especially for those of us seeing them for the first time."
Xia Huanao yanked down the Rotom Dex from the sky, "If that's the case, I'll have to prepare for the worst. I'll consider all possible combinations and prepare tactics assuming every Pokémon can be used in both single and double battles. The competition limits the number of Pokémon a trainer can send out, but not the specific Pokémon themselves. On one hand, this is to facilitate effective Pokémon rotation, and on the other, it's likely for these troublesome tactics."
Wu Gongping raised a rare question, "It shouldn't be that serious. In this morning's matches, both Miltanks were only used in double battles. They probably won't be used in one-on-one."
Mu Zhishui shook his head, "No, Miltank has that annoying move combination of Toxic, Protect, Rest, and Milk Drink. As soon as they meet, they use Toxic and then rely on the other three moves to wear you down. A slight adjustment to today's Miltank is all that's needed."
Xia Huanao finally let the Rotom go, "Alright, I've listed all the possible moves these three Pokémon might know. You can all take a look."
Everyone nodded while looking at the skill lists on their phones. Xia Huanao stood up, "You guys continue chatting, I'm going out to gather some intel."
Miao Longque asked him, "Where are you going to gather intel?"
"Do I even need to say? Of course, to our Dunhe brothers. What's faster than getting information from your opponents?"
With that, Xia Huanao walked out the door towards Dunhe's current residence. As soon as he reached the entrance, he called out, "Good morning, friends from Dunhe."
Xia Huanao spoke in proper Milunese. Although his pronunciation still had a Minglong accent, it was decent enough.
The captain of the Dunhe team emerged shortly after, standing at the entrance of their residence and looking at Xia Huanao, "What are you doing here?"
Xia Huanao tiptoed and peered over his shoulder, "What do you mean, 'what am I doing here'? Of course, I'm here to gather information. Hurry up and let me in, standing at the door is no way to treat a guest."
The captain sized up Xia Huanao, "We are your opponents in the next match, and you're saying you came to gather information?"
Xia Huanao spread his hands, "What's wrong? Who says I came to Dunhe to gather information about the Dunhe team? Of course, I'm here to inquire about the Milun team. Minglong and Dunhe are neighbors, after all. You beat the Milun team today, so you must know what to do at a time like this. Come on, tell me your impressions of the Milun team. Also, hurry up and let me in, it's not ideal for me to be standing outside like this."
The Dunhe captain moved aside, and Xia Huanao walked into the Dunhe team's base camp. Although the Dunhe team itself gave the world an impression of being messy and dirty, at least in this small camp, it was relatively tidy. Of course, it might also be because they hadn't been there for long.
Xia Huanao took a seat at the Dunhe team's conference table without ceremony. The Dunhe team captain introduced him, "Everyone, this is member Xia from the Minglong team. He's here to ask us about their opponent in the third match, the Milun team. Everyone, please answer truthfully."
Xia Huanao and the Dunhe team members engaged in a lively discussion about the Milun team. However, both Xia Huanao and the members of the Milun team were trying to steer the conversation towards the upcoming match between their two teams.
Then, the vice-captain of the Dunhe team said, "Actually, our match today was quite perilous. Our team has obvious weaknesses."
The vice-captain's statement was not wrong. Whether it was Tauros, Miltank, or Bouffalant, they were all Normal-type Pokémon and had a natural disadvantage against Fighting-type Pokémon. Xia Huanao had clearly seen during his fast-forward viewing that the Milun team had strategically sent out a Fighting-type Pokémon, but it had been utterly decimated.
Xia Huanao stroked his chin, "There's no helping that, is there? However, I saw that match. Your countermeasures against the Fighting-type were very effective. Could you teach me? My Gallade can't even do that. What should I do if I encounter them next? This is my main battling Pokémon."
The Dunhe team members smiled apologetically, "We're sorry. Although we'd like to help you, this is actually Dunhe's special method and cannot be shared."
Xia Huanao shrugged, "If that's the case, then forget it. I can't make things difficult for all of you."
After chatting happily for a while longer, Xia Huanao got up to leave, "Well then, I'll be heading back. It's almost time for dinner. The food here is much better than what we eat in Minglong."
Seeing that Xia Huanao had no intention of staying for curry and aloe juice, the Dunhe team members promptly saw him off. Xia Huanao shook hands with everyone gratefully before leaving. After seeing off Xia Huanao, the Dunhe team members immediately returned to their tent and gathered together for another meeting.
Meanwhile, Xia Huanao hummed a tune as he returned to the Minglong side, "Hello everyone, I'm back."
Yu Longdu asked him, "How was it? Did you get any intel from them?"
Xia Huanao shrugged, "I didn't get much, only that they have ways to deal with their weaknesses."
Meng Tianya, however, was concerned about something else, "What about you? You didn't reveal any of your own intel, did you?"
Xia Huanao gave a thumbs-up, "Excellent, the team leader is indeed the team leader. I did reveal that I planned to send out Gallade. However, based on my observation, this team leader is a very thoughtful person and likely won't believe it."
Wang Zhen asked, "So, are you really planning to send Gallade out to battle?"
Xia Huanao rolled his eyes at him, "Am I an idiot? Of course, it's a feint. On the surface, I'll use my strongest Gallade to draw their attention, but in reality, I'll send out other Pokémon to counter. I've already planned the lineup: I'll use Breloom with Gardevoir. No matter what, their resistance to Fighting-type has its limits. As long as Gardevoir lowers the opponent's defense, I can take them down one by one."
Su Xiao Jiu also inquired, "Then why not use Shedinja?"
Xia Huanao explained, "Against other opponents, it would certainly catch them off guard. But just to deal with Normal-types, using such unconventional Pokémon would be a loss. Alright, alright, everyone, let's eat."
Just as Xia Huanao said, he spent the entire afternoon practicing with Gallade, making it seem like he was going to challenge the Dunhe Bouffalant. After dinner that evening, just as dusk settled, Xia Huanao quietly slipped out of his camp and headed into the forest.
This was a change in the rules that all teams had agreed to on their first day here. Initially, everyone was expected to stay within their camps. However, after much debate, it was unanimously agreed that only the vicinity of the Mega Stone mine would be a restricted area. As for the woods around the camps, they would be open for everyone to relax and clear their minds occasionally. After all, they couldn't have everyone cooped up in the seaside camp.
And when the night meets the small woods, strange stories are bound to unfold. Since Xia Huanao entered the woods, he had already spotted four or five couples. These clandestine lovers, instead of staying in their own camps, insisted on seeking thrills in the woods. If a Pokémon were to suddenly appear, it would be a great source of amusement.
Xia Huanao dodged these clandestine couples as he ventured deeper into the forest, occasionally looking around to see if anyone was following him, being more cautious than a secret rendezvous.
He reached a small clearing deep in the woods. The dim moonlight filtered down, making it somewhat visible though not ideal. Xia Huanao released Breloom and said, "Breloom, let's do some special training. Punching, practicing the power of your fists. You are my secret weapon."
With that, Xia Huanao casually pointed at a tree, "Breloom, this is the one. Wait for my command and use Mach Punch."
Breloom assumed a fighting stance, its eyes fixed on the tree Xia Huanao had indicated. Xia Huanao clasped his hands together towards the forest and muttered, "I hope Arceus blesses you poor couples, and you don't get too scared and have an accident."