Pokemon Earth’s Parallel World: Dragon Trainer

Hearing Floyd's words, Chen Yu raised his eyebrows, looking at him. "You mean all of us against your one Pokemon?"

"Yes," Floyd nodded.

Chen Yu tried to discern Floyd's intentions. He couldn't believe Floyd was doing this solely for the beasts. He suspected another motive. In a one-on-one match, Chen Yu might hesitate. However, with many on his side, he felt confident, doubting that Floyd could be as powerful as Kanraku.

This wasn't a team battle, where dozens of moves could be employed to counter the opponent. It was a simple one-on-one. Even if Chen Yu lost, others could develop counter-strategies. Moreover, the allure of the healing powder reward was tempting. He knew of its capabilities, especially in emergencies where it could be life-saving. Currently, only Floyd could produce this powder, something even Kanraku couldn't achieve.

"Are you sure about what you're saying right now? Rewarding us a Healing Powder if we win?" Chen Yu sought confirmation.

"Yes," Floyd nodded. But he was not entirely truthful. His supply of Healing Powder was limited, having been used on injured Pokemon previously. He would need to wait a few days for a fresh batch. Still, he felt certain about defeating them with his Pokemon, perhaps with the exception of Munchlax. However, he doubted they'd choose Munchlax due to its size, and even if they did, Floyd believed he could strategize accordingly.

"What do you think?" Chen Yu turned to his companions.

"Let's do it. I'm curious about how he will fight so many of us," Le Mai Linh expressed her thoughts.

"Well, even if we lose, I think putting out an iron ring is not a big deal," Kang Jihoon, who previously hesitated about using his beasts like Floyd did, had been swayed by the challenge. The fear of beasts was still present, but Floyd's provocation stirred something in him. "Whether we win or lose, it's not really a big deal," Kang Jihoon added.

Others, lured by the promise of the reward, seemed to share the sentiment that removing the iron ring was inconsequential.

"I see, then don't regret losing so much this time," Chen Yu remarked coldly. He found it hard to believe that Floyd, with his diminutive Pokemon, could defeat everyone present, with the size of his pokemon which was not even comparable to Kanraku's Blastoise's size.

"Then who will go first?" Floyd asked with a smile.

"Since I'm here, I'll go," Chen Yu volunteered, aiming to identify any vulnerabilities in Floyd's Pokemon for others to observe.

"Then who will you choose?" Floyd inquired, pointing to each of his Pokemon.

Chen Yu pondered. Munchlax, due to its size and audible heavy footsteps, was immediately ruled out. His gaze shifted between Axew, Horsea, Dratini, and Goomy. None seemed particularly formidable, they all looked cute. However, Dratini caught his attention. He recalled a conversation between Kanraku and Floyd mentioning this serpent Pokemon as being only three weeks old, making it the youngest. Yet, Chen Yu hesitated, noting the eager glint of excitement in Dratini's eyes.

Then he observed Horsea, who stared back at him, seemingly warning him not to choose her. From Chen Yu's perspective, however, she looked adorable, as if she were pleading with him not to pick her. His gaze then shifted to Goomy. In his opinion, this creature appeared to be the weakest due to its diminutive size and lack of intimidating features. As for Axew, he decided against choosing it. Axew's expression mirrored Dratini's earlier enthusiasm for battle. Moreover, Axew's features seemed the most fierce among them, even if they all appeared quite endearing.

Now, he was torn between selecting Horsea or Goomy. After a moment of contemplation, he took a deep breath and pointed towards Goomy. "I'll choose the smallest one."

Upon hearing Chen Yu's choice, Floyd's smile broadened. This particular Goomy might not have been well-trained, but Floyd knew its strength— it was already at level 17. After the recent battle, all of his Pokémon had leveled up except for Axew. Floyd sensed that Axew was on the brink of leveling up soon, and his points had soared back to over 8,000.

Moreover, Goomy had recently acquired the skill "Dragon Breath." This might have been a result of its diet combined with Floyd's Dragon Power, awakening this dragon move. Notably, Goomy also had two intermediate moves under its belt, showing that its previous owner had put effort into training it with water moves and Bubble.

"I see, then it's Goom-" Floyd started to say but was cut off by Chen Yu.

"I've changed my mind. I want to fight that sea horse-looking creature." Chen's decision shifted upon seeing Floyd's sly smile. He wondered if there was more to the Pokémon than met the eye and decided it was best not to judge solely based on appearances.

Inside, Floyd chuckled, thinking Chen Yu was overanalyzing the situation.

"Alright, young lad, it's your turn," Floyd said, addressing Horsea.

Horsea glared at Chen Yu. She had assumed Goomy would be the chosen opponent, and Chen Yu's last-minute switch to select her irked her greatly. She was furious, contemplating ways to teach him a lesson.

"If you win this, I will increase your reward food. You've earned quite a few rewards already, haven't you?" Floyd said, trying to appease the visibly upset Horsea with promises of additional treats.

Floyd's words had their intended effect. Horsea, feeling both placated and motivated, eagerly entered the battle.

Floyd was content. He viewed Horsea as his second-strongest Pokémon, second only to Axew. He marveled at how deceiving appearances could be and felt a sense of satisfaction at how he'd used reverse psychology on Chen Yu.

"Alright, bring out your beast," Floyd directed.

"Growlithe, step forward," Chen Yu commanded.

Growlithe reluctantly approached the battlefront. He wavered, having heard that if they lost, he would be set free. This stirred a thought in him: what if he intentionally lost? However, Chen Yu caught onto his hesitation, warning, "Don't even think about faking a loss. If I detect any such attempt, even if we lose, I won't remove your ring. Remember my words."

Growlithe's spirit waned upon hearing this threat, but Floyd's voice reassured him. "Little guy, don't worry. Just do your best. I've got this."