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Armed with Professor Christian's insight that the Totem aura was essentially a form of natural energy, Roy decided not to burden him with further research and returned home with Mimikyu.
On the way, Mimikyu concealed itself directly within Roy's shadow.
It despised being in sunlight, let alone being observed by humans. It preferred to remain quietly in dark corners, though it did desire companionship.
A truly antisocial creature.
Sitting in the car, Roy gazed at his shadow. From an outside perspective, there was no visible indication of a Pokémon lurking within. This realization stirred something within him.
Ghost-type Pokémon were generally unsuitable for novice Trainers.
These Pokémon often needed to absorb human emotions and craved vitality. If an inexperienced Trainer attempted to raise one, accidents could easily occur—haunting incidents, or the Trainer's own life energy becoming depleted.
However, Ghost-types offered numerous advantages.
They excelled at concealment, could move through shadows and dimensional spaces, and could protect their Trainer at any moment with unpredictable and difficult-to-counter techniques.
—The team's assassin.
Roy suddenly asked:
"Mimikyu, do you know how to use 'Moonlight'?"
"Krak." From within the shadow, Mimikyu gave a soft sound of denial.
"When we get back, I'll teach you the principles of this move, and I want you to try learning it," Roy instructed. "The importance isn't the move itself, but mastering the underlying concept."
Moonlight was one of several fundamental moves Professor Christian had mentioned that involved "natural energy."
Its effect allowed the Pokémon using "Moonlight" to restore its health.
The recovery amount varied depending on weather conditions. The more abundant the sunlight or moonlight, the greater the recovery. Consequently, Moonlight was most effective during 'Sunny Day' and 'Harsh Sunlight,' while its effectiveness diminished during 'Sandstorm,' 'Hail,' or 'Rain.'
Moonlight was classified as a 'Fairy-type' move.
In theory, Mimikyu couldn't learn this technique.
But that was merely theory. Roy believed that since his Mimikyu possessed a unique talent for natural energy manipulation, perhaps it could attempt to control this power.
At any rate, as a Fairy-type move, it had more relevance to Mimikyu than completely unrelated moves like Solar Beam or Nature Power.
After hearing about "Moonlight's" effects, Mimikyu expressed skepticism. Why should it learn this move? Its combat strategy involved concealing itself in another dimension while using its clones for Sucker Punch interference, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal blow.
In another dimension, there was neither sunlight nor moonlight.
"As I mentioned, the point is understanding the principle behind this move," Roy smiled.
What was the underlying principle of Moonlight?
"Transforming natural energy into life energy."
"The infinite matryoshka technique you've developed—no, the greatest disadvantage of your infinite clones strategy is its enormous energy consumption. Limited by your vitality, you can maintain at most four clones simultaneously."
"But if you can master Moonlight's principle, you could break these quantitative limitations and continuously create clones."
"The more clones you control, the greater your combat power. Perhaps... you could even create clones with identical strength to your main body."
Roy explained.
His inspiration came from the technique of the first-generation Champion.
Sleep Combat was based on the 'Rest' move, with the principle of transforming spiritual energy into life energy.
Although Elekid hadn't mastered it yet, Roy had learned an important truth through this training.
—Don't merely focus on a move's surface effects, but develop original techniques by deeply understanding the underlying principles.
As a Trainer, Roy was constantly evolving.
The progression of his training philosophy represented one manifestation of his growth.
Mimikyu emerged from the shadows, its small eyes beneath the disguise peering quietly at Roy.
It suddenly felt that its Trainer was... good, so impressive!
Mimikyu blushed quietly.
To wild Pokémon, human appearances weren't significantly different from other Pokémon—humans were simply an unfamiliar species.
Mimikyu's current admiration for Roy stemmed entirely from being convinced by his insights. It understood the weaknesses of its self-created clone tactics but had no solution. Remarkably, after just one day of interaction, Roy had identified a path forward.
Having a Trainer seemed beneficial after all...
A sense of security—of having someone to rely on—caused Mimikyu's affection for Roy to increase. Pleased by this, it responded:
"Ka? Kaka. (Is that all? I'll give it a try.)"
After speaking, Mimikyu retreated back into the shadow, momentarily stunned by its own behavior before curling up completely, wishing it could whip itself with its tail.
What was it doing? It was such a mess...
Mimikyu engaged in self-loathing.
Roy remained silent.
Truly, thanks to his Aura abilities, he wasn't misled by Mimikyu's external behavior...
Tsundere tendencies complicated matters, but sincerity couldn't be hidden.
The following day.
Roy arrived at the custom clothing store on schedule and met with the store manager.
The manager was a stylish young woman with short hair, presenting a fashionable and handsome appearance with an androgynous style.
Roy initially thought she was young, but upon inquiry, discovered she was nearly forty with a child old enough to participate in Pokémon journeys.
After receiving his competition uniform from the manager, Roy entered the changing room. Standing before the mirror, he suddenly felt like he was cosplaying for the first time.
"It fits perfectly," the store manager observed Roy appreciatively and smiled. "I can't imagine how many girls you'll captivate when you compete... Hey, if I were younger, I'd consider pursuing you. Would you mind taking some autographed photos for display in my shop?"
Roy adjusted his glove, noting the excellent material—breathable, preventing palm sweating—and replied:
"Is this for promotional purposes?"
"Partly, but that's only secondary," the manager admitted frankly. "The main reason is anticipating their future value."
"Future value?" Roy wondered.
"Look over there."
The manager directed Roy's attention to the wall, where a framed photograph hung. The subject gave Roy a familiar impression.
"Young Elite Sebastian?"
Roy suddenly laughed, realizing that photos taken by Trainers before their official debut became incredibly valuable once they achieved 'legendary' status. Especially first-time competition uniform photos—selling for tens of millions wouldn't be an exaggeration.
A potential family heirloom indeed.
Roy remarked admiringly, "The manager certainly has business acumen."
The manager quickly shook her head: "It's just a modest investment. You Trainers are walking the true path to success. So, Mr. Roy, would you satisfy my small request?"
Given the excellent craftsmanship of the clothing and the pleasant conversation, Roy couldn't refuse and agreed.
He approached the camera and struck several poses following the manager's recommendations:
...Gently lowering the brim of his hat, raising the corners of his mouth, with a confident expression. ...Holding a Poké Ball, facing forward with a composed expression. ...Standing back-to-back with Lucario, arms folded across his chest.
These poses, recommended by the experienced manager, proved remarkably effective.
Reviewing the photos, Roy found them quite photogenic.
He decided to adopt these same poses for the official photoshoot scheduled for that afternoon.