Chapter 282 - 282: Return to Vermilion City
Many people regret that after putting so much effort into training their starter Pokémon to a certain level, when they encounter higher-quality Pokémon, their starter no longer meets their expectations, and they have to abandon it.
That kind of wasted time can affect an entire lifetime.
Not everyone can, like Steven and Lance, start with a high-quality Pokémon and train it without worrying that it might fall behind in terms of abilities.
For this reason, those members of the League elite who start with a high-quality starter Pokémon are the ones who, in the long run, become more powerful.
In his past life, Cain also faced the situation where his Pokémon's quality didn't measure up, leading him to switch Pokémon frequently and lose the bond with them. When he faced truly strong enemies, those new Pokémon weren't willing to fight to the end for their trainer and ended up fleeing.
This was the reason Cain died so easily in his previous life.
Is the difference between an elite-level trainer and a quasi-elite level trainer that great?
Yes, it's big!
But so big that you don't even have a chance to escape?
No!
If one is willing to sacrifice some Pokémon to cover their retreat, escape is still possible, though with great losses.