Chapter 540: Hee Hee

The score is now two to one.

Kuri is temporarily leading against Paul.

This combination move of "Gulp Missile" plus "Spit Up" by Bombirdier stunned the entire arena; its tremendous power was enough to knock out Goodra, who still had more than half its stamina left, causing it to lose consciousness before it could recover.

Amidst the clamor of the surrounding spectators, Paul recalled Goodra expressionlessly and murmured, "I was careless."

Indeed, because of his carelessness, he failed to properly account for Bombirdier's unique traits; this was the main reason for Goodra's defeat.

But Paul never wallowed in self-pity; he only summarized his mistakes, vowing never to make the same error twice.

"Torterra, prepare for battle!"

The spinning Poké Ball was tossed into the sky; a red flash passed, and Torterra's heavy body landed, causing the entire Sun Plaza to tremble.

"Torterra, is it?"

On the Blueberry Academy side, the Student Council President and Carmine of the Blueberry Four thoughtfully pondered.

She remembered that her best friend's younger brother's ace Pokémon seemed to be—

At the edge of the battlefield, Kuri showed no intention of recalling Bombirdier, instead commanding it to continue fighting.

Bombirdier flapped its wings, flying with clear intent toward Pikachu, who hadn't yet recovered, attempting to swallow it again.

Having already suffered once, how could Paul let Bombirdier succeed? He coldly ordered, "Rock Tomb!"

"Dortae!"

Torterra let out a loud cry, its forelimbs heavily smashing the ground.

Boom! The ground immediately cracked, and countless rock fragments flew toward Pikachu with a whistling sound.

Of course, Paul had no intention of harming this unlucky Pikachu.

Those rock fragments landed around Pikachu a moment before Bombirdier could reach it, and in the blink of an eye, they transformed into a solid rock fortress, firmly shielding Pikachu and leaving Bombirdier no way to bite.

Having accomplished this, as if to release his pent-up frustration, Paul issued orders again like a storm.

"Knock Off!"

Torterra stomped the ground once more, and several rocks came rushing toward Bombirdier with a howling sound.

"Water Pulse!" Kuri naturally would not sit idly by and wait for death, immediately organizing Bombirdier to counterattack.

But this time, Paul had clearly already devised a battle strategy specifically targeting Bombirdier.

Just as Bombirdier had neutralized the highly threatening "Knock Off," Paul's layout began to reveal itself at this very moment.

Two consecutive heavy stomps on the ground were enough for Torterra to unknowingly transmit energy underground.

Before Bombirdier and Kuri could even react, countless interlocking, sharp, fluorescent blue rocks erupted from underground, striking Bombirdier fiercely.

Boom! A violent explosion roared, and dust rose in all directions.

When the dust finally settled, what came into view was still the bewildered Pikachu, covering its ears and trembling, along with Bombirdier, which had lost the ability to battle.

After a moment of silence, cheers and applause erupted.

The battle situation went back and forth; no one knew how it would develop in the next instant.

This is the charm of Pokémon battles! Within the crowd.

Many young boys and girls, holding hands with their parents or older siblings, their faces still childish, looked on with longing, a tiny seed quietly planted in their hearts.

"Such amazing Trainers and Pokémon."

Holding a Copperajah plush toy, dressed in cute Western-style clothes, a short-haired girl of only five or six years old looked on with longing, leaning close to her mother's ear and declaring with a childish voice,

"Poppy wants to become an amazing Trainer too!"

The mother, wearing understated yet undeniably expensive clothing, treated her daughter's words as innocent childish talk and coaxed her with a smile, "Good, good; once you turn ten, you'll be able to receive your starter Pokémon."

Facing away from the crowd, Clavell listened to the conversations between the children and their parents or siblings, vaguely understanding why Director Geeta had overridden all objections to establish the battle area in Sun Plaza.

The seeds of dreams are always planted at inadvertent moments; as time passes and the years change, sooner or later they will blossom and bear fruit.

That admirable Director is guiding the Paldea region toward a better future through details in every aspect.

Meanwhile, the fierce battle on the battlefield had entered a white-hot state.

On Paul's side, Torterra perfectly embodied what it means to be immovable as a mountain.

Having sacrificed the agility of its Turtwig days, current-day Torterra, relying on its excellent durability and formidable attack power, could unleash a succession of highly destructive attacks while merely standing in place.

But their opponent was even more extraordinary.

Seven "fierce" dragon heads danced wildly in mid-air, like monsters from a tokusatsu film, spitting rays of destruction to block Torterra's fierce assault.

And their foundation was a huge apple, coated in syrup and emitting a sweet scent.

Similarly standing motionless in place, yet in terms of firepower, this Pokémon held an overwhelming advantage.

Watching this scene, Luo Mu's mind flashed with the Pokémon's name.

Hydrapple, the third branching evolution form of Applin, and also its only two-stage evolution.

Its type is Grass and Dragon; although this is a type combination with quite a few drawbacks, as luck would have it, it encountered Torterra.

Torterra's typing happens to be completely countered by Hydrapple; Grass-type moves can only deal minimal damage, and Ground-type moves can only deal minimal damage.

Even without Ice-type moves, Hydrapple is also proficient in some Bug-type moves; from the very beginning, Torterra's disadvantage was already sown, and it expanded further as the battle progressed.

The only thing that could be considered comforting was that for Torterra's signature move, "Earthquake," Hydrapple hardly ever attempted to dodge.

Hydrapple's performance wasn't very stable, mainly because the seven "worms" living inside the apple each had different thoughts, making it difficult for them to work together.

But once they worked together—

Kuri issued the command for "Draco Meteor" again.

Just this time, as if sensing something, Hydrapple seemed to share a single mind; the seven worms drilled out from inside the apple, and a dazzling golden light began to gather.

The Dragon-type move "Draco Meteor"; before the seven worms worked together, it was merely an ordinary "Dragon Pulse."

But if the seven worms worked together, it would be something far surpassing Meteor Beam with no side effects—

The ultimate killing move! Paul's expression instantly became solemn.

Ignoring the side effects of the move, he immediately issued his command.

"Leaf Storm!"

Compared to using Earthquake, which had a different form, Leaf Storm was the only long-range move he currently possessed that could counter the opponent's attack.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—

A madly howling gale, mixed with countless sharp, emerald-green leaves, swept toward the Massivator like a tornado.

On the Massivator's side, the charge-up was also complete.

Seven beams radiating intense energy fluctuations gushed forth, merging into one mid-flight; carrying power that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth, they pierced straight through the Leaf Storm and struck the Torterra's back! Boom—! The terrifying explosion was deafening; the surrounding crowd felt a blinding flash suddenly erupt before their eyes, and the next second, a powerful shockwave carrying the sound of the blast hit them.

Quite a few people nearly lost their footing.

Even so, they quickly regained their composure and turned expectant gazes toward the arena.

Could the Torterra hold out?

Or would the Massivator secure victory with this single strike? The dust and smoke slowly dispersed.

Looking at the scene within, the result was obvious.

In Clavell's calm voice, devoid of much emotional fluctuation, the outcome was announced.

"Torterra has lost the ability to battle; Massivator is the winner! The morning matches conclude here; please depart in an orderly fashion to avoid stampedes. After a brief rest, the remaining exhibition matches will resume promptly at two o'clock in the afternoon!"

Paul had just finished lunch with Hearing Hearing Nimo and the others; dragging his slightly exhausted body, he intended to return to the dormitory for a rest.

On the way, however, he was stopped by Luo Mu.

No, saying "stopped" wasn't quite accurate; Luo Mu had simply been waiting there, lying in wait, and Paul had stopped on his own.

Rarely hesitant to meet Luo Mu's gaze, Paul bowed deeply with a hint of shame and self-reproached: "I'm sorry, I lost."

Because of his defeat, Naranja Academy had fallen into the awkward situation of trailing by two points; presumably, the pressure the teacher bore at this moment was far heavier than what he himself carried.

"Still hung up on this? That's not like you."

Slung an arm around Paul and casually sitting on a roadside bench, Luo Mu pursed his lips.

"Everyone loses sometimes; why dwell on it? Just absorb the experience and win it back next time."

"... Then, Teacher, have you ever lost?" Paul asked curiously.

"Nope."

Luo Mu smiled slightly, his expression quite proud.

Before Paul could react, he added a caveat.

"Of course, that statement is based on official matches; after all, I'm the type who won't step onto the field without absolute certainty."

"In private training or even sparring, losing, being defeated, or being chased by wild Pokémon is quite common."

Few people can maintain an undefeated record from start to finish; even Galar's "Undefeated Champion Dan Di" was only undefeated in official matches.

Paul pondered for a few seconds, then asked again: "What about that Carmine?"

Hearing this.

Images floated in Luo Mu's mind: Carmine, who had run over looking eager for praise (Yao Gong) when everyone dispersed earlier, and Kieran, dragging people away with a face saying, "I'm so sorry my little sister is so oblivious to social cues," causing the corners of his mouth to lift slightly.

Luo Mu spoke again: "Objectively speaking, less than two months ago, the main Pokémon of that sibling pair had not yet completed their final evolution."

"... Siblings?"

Paul froze, confusion swirling in his eyes.

"Oh right, you two don't know yet."

"Kieran and Carmine, who represented Blueberry Academy in succession, are biological siblings; I met this pair two months ago when I went to Kitakami to bring back Ogerpon and Okidogi."

Luo Mu explained to Paul.

"Then what do you mean, Teacher?"

Paul's speech remained as direct as ever.

Luo Mu didn't mind this; instead, he lowered his head and murmured in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Objectively speaking, there are obvious gaps in talent between people."

"Unfortunately, Carmine's talent is stronger than yours, which is why he could grow to a level comparable to yours, even to the point of defeating you, within just two months."

"Of course, I don't mean 'if your talent isn't strong, give up on the path of being a Trainer early'; I just want to tell you not to dwell on a temporary defeat."

"Unlike Carmine, who is a 'talent type,' you lean more toward a 'practical combat type'; in a sense, while staying in the academy laid a good foundation, it also slowed your growth rate to some extent."

"Both your analytical abilities and your capacity for self-improvement are suited to battling different opponents to fill out your own strengths."

"Paul, you are undoubtedly a Trainer more suited to gaining experience through actual combat. This is a path different from the 'talent type,' one that is more arduous, filled with countless setbacks, but ultimately capable of matching or even surpassing it."

As his voice faded, Luo Mu delivered this final verdict.

As for Paul, his initial confusion gradually turned into thoughtful contemplation.

He had realized to some extent that battling only students within the academy had caused him to lack many abilities that could only be honed through travel.

Otherwise, today's battle against Carmine might not have resulted in his loss.

The more he thought along these lines, the brighter Paul's eyes became.

He had understood! Seeing that Paul had been successfully guided by his unparalleled eloquence, Luo Mu's lips curved into an imperceptible arc; he stood up, intending to withdraw after a job well done.

But at that moment, Paul suddenly asked: "Then Teacher, which type of Trainer are you?"

"Me?"

Luo Mu, not expecting Paul to ask this question, pointed at himself in confusion.

After a brief ponder, he shamelessly declared: "As for me, I'm the type of Trainer with super strong talent combined with persistence and hard work~"

Paul: "?"

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

The new round of clashes began as scheduled.

Currently, Naranja Academy was at an absolute disadvantage, trailing by two major points; conversely, Blueberry Academy had now sent out their academy's strongest member, the Dragon-type specialist and Blueberry League Champion, Du Ruo!

For a moment, many citizens of Desk City felt various worries arise in their hearts.

Within the Grape Academy team, the atmosphere was not as gloomy as outsiders imagined.

Shizuka and Shinji had already regained their composure, while the others held absolute confidence in Hearing Hearing Nimo's strength.

On the Blueberry Academy side, however, Du Ruo, asked countless times "Is there any chance of winning?", disregarded respect for elders and care for the young, and bristled like an enraged cat, shouting at Dai Ke: "We will win! And you, old pervert, are really annoying!"

Scolded thus, Dai Ke gave an embarrassed smile and fell silent.

He was indeed somewhat anxious; the mere thought that he might surpass Luo Mu in the field of teaching made him somewhat excited.

Only when the sharp whistle announcing the start of the third round sounded did Dai Ke turn his gaze toward the opposite side.

"Eh?"

Upon seeing Hearing Hearing Nimo's figure, Dai Ke unconsciously let out a light exclamation.

He always felt that this girl, who had been so dazzling at Blueberry Academy before, seemed to have become very different.

But as for exactly what was different, he couldn't quite pin it down.

During this period of Dai Ke's internal musings, Hearing Hearing Nimo and Du Ruo, the latter wearing a wild grin and acting somewhat casually, had each taken their positions at the edges of the battlefield.

Gazing at Hearing Hearing Nimo, Du Ruo said with a chuckle: "Ah-Ruo is no longer the Ah-Ruo from before; I advise you to go all out from the start, otherwise if you end up crying, Ah-Ruo won't care."

Hearing this.

Hearing Hearing Nimo was not frightened by Du Ruo; instead, her eyes lit up.

"Can I really go all out?"

Usually, during special training with the gang's Pa and Mudan, she had to hold back, which had nearly stifled Hearing Hearing Nimo.

She hadn't expected Du Ruo to have grown to this level as well!

Hearing Hearing Nimo couldn't help but be overjoyed.

Du Ruo felt something was slightly off, but he couldn't say exactly what was wrong, so he could only reply with slightly lacking confidence: "Of course!"

At this moment.

A sharp whistle echoed through the sky as both sides simultaneously threw their Poké Balls.

"Flygon!"

"Ursaluna!"

(End of Chapter)