The Imperial University Auditorium could accommodate 5,000 students, which wasn't actually a large number, and most of the time, the auditorium remained closed.
However, today it was packed to capacity, with students even crowding the aisles.
Because the person who was coming today was Victor Drake, the current Dragon Elite and second-ranked Elite on the ranking. (The number one was Jake.)
With such a powerful figure giving a lecture, it didn't matter whether the students specialized in Dragon types or not—anyone who could get in, came.
Julian's secondary specialty was Dragon, so he was naturally here as well.
It wasn't easy to get close to Victor, even if you wanted to.
Someone of his status, coming from the prestigious Drake family, would see Julian as nothing more than a junior.
Of course, Julian had a good relationship with the Drake family. Thanks to that, he had once been allowed into their special Advanced-level secret realm, Dragon's Den, where his Dragonite had reached the Elite-level.
Julian sat between Ian on his left and Hannah on his right.
"Aren't you a Grass-type trainer? What are you doing here?" Julian asked.
Hannah coquettishly replied, "I'm here to fangirl!"
In fact, most of the students who showed up weren't here for the lecture at all—they were here to see their idol.
"I'll get you an autograph later," Ian said.
Victor was Ian's uncle, so getting an autograph was easy. In fact, Ian often used his uncle's autograph to impress girls on campus.
Of course, he wasn't trying to impress Hannah. Everyone at Imperial University knew about Julian's relationship with Hannah—and with Nicole.
"Thanks."
Hannah said with a nod.
An autograph from a titled Elite, especially someone like Victor, could easily sell for millions.
That wasn't an exaggeration—it was a fact.
In this world, the biggest celebrities weren't actors, singers, or influencers. They were professional trainers.
Especially the 18 Elites and the top 30-ranked trainers on the Elite list. They were the true superstars.
Their appearance fees for exhibition matches were astronomical.
Before long, Victor entered the auditorium. He looked to be in his early fifties, stood at around 5'7" (170 cm), and had a chubby build.
If he was just an ordinary person, he would have completely blended into the crowd.
But he was the Dragon Elite and a man widely expected to become a Champion by the time he turned 60.
However, in the outside world, in addition to the title of Dragon Elite, Victor also had the title of "The Eternal No. 2."
Because back when John wasn't yet Champion, he had been ranked first on the Elite list, while Victor was second.
Now that John had become Champion, Jake had taken over as the No. 1 Elite, and Victor was still stuck at No. 2.
He had spent his entire career being overshadowed by the Walker family's father-son duo.
Presumably because of this, Julian always felt that Victor on the podium seemed to be looking at him, or at Ian on the left.
The Dragon typing was widely recognized as the strongest offensive Pokémon type. With many pseudo-legendary Pokémon belonging to this type, Dragons had earned their place as the top-ranked type among the eighteen.
The content of Victor's lecture was quite basic. After all, if he delved into complex concepts, most of the students likely wouldn't understand. However, the simplicity of the material was enriched by Victor's unique insights.
That distinct perspective gave Julian a sudden sense of clarity, as if a fog had lifted.
Meanwhile, Ian mumbled to himself, "How come I've never heard Uncle talk about any of this before? Is he holding back on his own nephew?"
If Victor had heard him say that, he would've probably thrown him out.
"Alright, let me ask you a question."
Seeing that the lecture was nearing its end, Victor glanced at the students and said,
"As Dragon-type trainers, if you were up against an Ice- or Fairy-type trainer whose strength and battle experience were on par with yours, how would you defeat them?"
"There are still five minutes before this session ends, take a moment to think it over. If you come up with an answer, feel free to stand up and share it."
The trainers specializing in other types chuckled when they heard the question.
But the Dragon-type trainers-their expressions instantly soured as if they had just eaten shit.
Ian wore that exact expression.
Once again, he was reminded of the terror he had endured for over a decade under the rule of Acacia.
Dragons were undeniably powerful, with many pseudo-legendaries in their ranks. Perhaps because of this, fate seemed to have balanced the scales by creating the Ice and Fairy types to counter them.
Ice-type moves were either doubly or even quadruple effective against Dragons.
Take Dragonite, Salamence, and Garchomp, for example—mighty pseudo-legendaries that were all quadruple weak to Ice.
If not careful, a single mistake could result in them being one-shotted by an opposing Ice-type Pokémon.
And Fairy types were even more troublesome. They outright negated Dragon-type moves. Though this immunity had its limits—it wouldn't hold if the level gap between the Pokémon was too large but it was still a major threat.
In the Elite Challenge, Victor had defeated the Fairy- and Ice-type Elites but was ultimately bested by the Steel-type Elite.
Dragon was Julian's secondary type. As such, he didn't fear Ice or Fairy types.
So, he didn't bother taking the question seriously.
No one answered, maybe some people had ideas in their minds but lacked the confidence to voice them.
"Julian, do you have an answer?" Victor asked.
Everyone's gaze shifted to Julian, and many of them knew that his secondary type was Dragon.
"Hmm… I think it's a sudden flash of insight," Julian replied.
Ash is known as the Master of Type Disadvantage Battles. Why? Because in battles where he is at a type disadvantage, he almost always wins. Aside from his protagonist aura, the main reason is that he often has sudden flashes of inspiration during the fight, coming up with moves or strategies that turn the tide.
…
Ian covered his face and muttered softly, "How could that be the answer?"
However, Victor nodded and said, "Yes, it's a sudden flash of insight—what you might call a stroke of genius."
"As professional trainers, you've probably all experienced this before."
"When you're at a disadvantage in battle, and suddenly, out of nowhere, you think of a tactic or a move that fits the situation perfectly—"
"—and it changes the course of the fight."
Hearing this, most of the trainers nodded. They had all encountered such moments before.
"Battling against type disadvantages is something you'll absolutely face throughout your career, and it will happen many times."
"If being at a type disadvantage automatically meant defeat, then what's the point of battling?"
"Remember, trainers are capable of creating miracles. Believe in your partners."
"Alright, the lecture is over."
After finishing his lecture, Victor left directly. As the second-ranked Elite, he had a lot of things to do. The fact that he was able to come and give a lecture at Imperial University was only possible because the university had put in significant effort to invite him.
"How could that be the answer?"
"I've battled Acacia for over a decade, and I've never had a single stroke of genius" Ian muttered.
After so many years of defeat, he had long grown used to losing, so there was no miraculous flash of insight—just consistent losses.
Julian stood up and patted the self-doubting Ian: "Just marry her, and have her give you a child. That way, no matter how many times you've lost before, you'll still be the ultimate winner in the end."
Hannah: (ʘ ̅ Д ̅ ʘ;) ?!
Ian: 'I seem to have unlocked the door to a whole new world.'
*****
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