Chapter 39 39: Reggie’s Crushing Defeat
Once a Pokémon is struck in a vital point, the effect is much like a human being hit in a fatal weakness—at best, they become unable to move; at worst, they lose consciousness outright.
Taking everything into account, a move with 100 power, 100 accuracy, immunity to contact-triggered Abilities, a high critical-hit rate, and a strong tendency to strike vital points—just how overpowered was that?
And that still didn't include the fact that Ivy Cudgel gained boosts from four different types—Grass, Water, Rock, and Fire—depending on which mask Ogerpon wore.
In Sora's view, Ogerpon's battles didn't require elaborate tactics.
One Ivy Cudgel.
The opponent couldn't dodge it.
They couldn't endure it.
Once hit, the minimum outcome was massive damage.
If luck went against them and the strike landed on a vital point, the result was simple:
Flat on the ground.
That had nothing to do with total stamina or durability.
It was purely the result of overwhelming pain—or a mental shutdown—leading to unconsciousness.
In official matches, the moment a Pokémon's eyes started spinning, whether for seconds or minutes, it was ruled unable to battle.
"Ivy Cudgel!"
"Ogerpon, use Ivy Cudgel."
"Again!"
"Keep going!"
…
What followed could only be described as painfully one-sided.
Six rounds of battle.
Reggie successively sent out Staraptor, Roserade, Swalot, Bibarel, Drapion, and Skuntank.
The result:
Six defeats in six fights.
Ogerpon single-handedly swept the entire team.
A clean one-versus-six.
"How…?"
Reggie's hand trembled as he held his Poké Ball.
He looked dazed, as if his soul had left his body.
He had lost before.
But never like this.
Throughout the entire battle, not one of his Pokémon had managed to land a single hit on Ogerpon.
That move—Ivy Cudgel—was not only terrifyingly powerful, it could block attacks and even knock them back like a baseball bat.
Unbelievable.
Incomprehensible.
Is this… my limit?
A thought surfaced in Reggie's mind.
Perhaps this is the gap between me and truly strong trainers.
"Brother…"
Standing nearby, Shinji struggled even more to accept the result.
Why was the gap so large?
His brother was a powerful trainer who had earned championship titles across multiple regional tournaments.
Yet even someone that accomplished had suffered such a devastating defeat.
"Mi!"
"Eevee~~"
Seeing the battle end, the two little newcomers rushed over to Ogerpon, circling around her in celebration.
They had assumed that such a small Pokémon must be the team's mascot.
Who could have guessed—
Ogerpon was this strong?
"You're amazing, Mi!"
"Big sister Ogerpon is awesome, Eevee~"
"Poné…"
Ogerpon scratched her head shyly.
Still, she was happy to win.
And through this battle, Sora finally formed a clearer estimate of her strength.
Reggie was not weak.
The fact that he would later challenge the Battle Frontier and reach the Legendary Pokémon specialist Brandon proved his ability.
Purely in terms of levels, Reggie's six-Pokémon lineup was stronger than Brock—the trainer Sora had faced earlier.
His strongest Pokémon, Drapion, was likely around Level 55.
The other five hovered around Level 50—solidly within the range of a Gym Leader's main team.
If he hadn't encountered a game-breaking existence like Ogerpon—
Reggie absolutely belonged to the top tier below the Elite Four.
"I lost."
After the initial shock faded, Reggie recalled Skuntank and bowed to Sora.
"Thank you for the lesson, Mr. Sora. You've shown me that the world is far wider than I imagined."
"You're strong, Reggie."
Sora didn't belittle him just because he had won.
"My victory relied more on Ogerpon's power than on my own command or strategy."
In the original anime, Reggie lost to Brandon, who criticized him for being too gentle—unable to draw out his Pokémon's full strength.
In other words, Brandon implied Reggie wasn't suited to be a trainer.
That even if he continued, he would never reach greater heights.
On that point, Sora strongly disagreed.
You send out Legendary titans against someone—and then say they're not good enough?
Try using ordinary Pokémon first.
Reggie had raised his younger brother alone, achieved numerous League victories, and built such a formidable team.
That alone was remarkable.
Especially considering—
He didn't even have a starter Pokémon.
No starter meant no privileged background.
It meant he came from an ordinary civilian family.
So Sora didn't see himself as superior.
The one who deserved the credit was Ogerpon.
She was the true reason behind the one-versus-six sweep.
"Being able to capture Ogerpon already proves your excellence, Mr. Sora."
Reggie shook his head.
He didn't believe Sora's victory was unfair.
A win was a win.
Capturing powerful Pokémon was part of a trainer's strength.
Capture.
Raise.
Command.
Different trainers excelled in different areas.
Ogerpon chose to follow Sora, obey his commands, and fight for him.
Wasn't that the clearest proof of the bond between trainer and Pokémon?
Pokémon chose their trainers.
If the trainer lacked ability, Pokémon wouldn't listen—nor would they grant recognition.
Yet precisely because he had witnessed the bond between Sora and Ogerpon—
Reggie felt lost.
"Perhaps… I should try to find a new path."
"Brother!"
Shinji's eyes widened in shock.
He couldn't accept what he was hearing.
"What are you saying, brother?!"
It was just a loss.
What was the big deal?
Yes, Sora was strong.
But he wasn't the only strong trainer in the world.
If Reggie challenged Elite Four members or Champions right now, he would likely lose again.
Would that mean giving up entirely?
"No—please don't misunderstand. I'm not blaming Mr. Sora."
"And Shinji, calm down."
Reggie realized his words might have been misinterpreted and quickly clarified.
"Even if I had never met Mr. Sora, I believe that after this journey to Hoenn, I would have stepped away from being a trainer."
"This battle simply helped me realize that more clearly."
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