Chapter 619: Did Hearing Nimo Cry?

"Goodra is unable to battle!"

Clavell's declaration rang out, causing an immediate uproar throughout the arena.

Many spectators were now completely confused.

Clearly, Hearing Nimo wasn't unable to fight; her partner didn't seem to lag too far behind in terms of power.

But why couldn't she win?

In the previous matches, Luo Mu's Pokémon had sustained varying degrees of damage; in this match, not only did Goodra not immediately fall before Dragonite, but it also possessed the ability to fight back.

Yet, after a flurry of combos from Dragonite, Goodra still couldn't hold out and collapsed.

As the saying goes, laymen watch the spectacle while experts watch the technique; what Geeta and Grusha could perceive, these ordinary spectators mostly could not.

Just as Hearing Nimo knew that Dragonite was proficient in moves of various types and served as the versatile all-rounder in Luo Mu's team, she did not know how much this versatile Dragonite had grown compared to its past self.

The tempering of its own "Extreme Speed" move, and that day-and-night-long instruction from Lugia.

These were the reasons Dragonite had advanced to this level.

Just like when it used the "Hurricane" move moments ago, performing a maneuver that even Grusha, the Flying-type Elite Four member Brother Brother Qingmu, found astonishing.

Perception and control over air currents and wind—capabilities where Dragonite was originally not particularly outstanding—had evolved thanks to Lugia.

That previous move, although it looked like Lugia's signature move "Aeroblast (Sky Attack)," was essentially still "Hurricane."

Even with the precedent of Emperor Yan Di learning Ho-Oh's "Sacred Fire," acquiring a legendary Pokémon's signature move is by no means easy or commonplace.

At the very least, Dragonite, which had spent a day and night learning the technique and principles but was still far from actual success, could not do it.

Gazing at the figure of Dragonite, which was panting slightly after releasing that move, clearly having expended considerable strength and energy.

Luo Mu took out a Poké Ball to recall it, said "Good work" to the Poké Ball, then turned to Hearing Nimo and asked, "How does it feel?"

These words carried not a shred of mockery.

Hearing Nimo also understood Luo Mu's intent; without any retreat, her eyes flashing with unyielding spirit, she declared, "Again!"

"Ursaluna!"

A red beam shot out, transforming into a massive, fiercely imposing bear.

It was precisely the Ursaluna that had shone brilliantly during the Champion Assessment, resolving the fifty percent of trouble originating from Geeta for Hearing Nimo's team!

After holding the item "Flame Orb" to trigger the "Guts" ability, its power could even wrestle with that Dragapult from before, and even Geeta's three Pokémon had fallen to it!

One could say, if one were to ask which Pokémon in Hearing Nimo's team currently had the highest popularity.

The answer given by most people would absolutely be the Ursaluna before their eyes!

Facing such an Ursaluna, Luo Mu naturally chose to send out his own team's expert in power as well—Swampert!

"Crayfish—"

Swampert gazed calmly at the Ursaluna roaring loudly at it.

It must be remembered that when Ursaluna was still a little Teddiursa stealing honey, Swampert was already exactly as it is now.

Not to mention that as a teacher, Luo Mu often brought various Pokémon he had raised to the school to serve as sparring partners for students like Hearing Nimo.

One could say that from the moment it became Hearing Nimo's Pokémon, Swampert had left an extremely deep, invincible impression on Ursaluna.

Even though Ursaluna was now far different from its past self, when facing Swampert, it was still quite nervous.

Just this single glance from Swampert brought unimaginable pressure to Ursaluna; it could only choose to use "Roar" to bolster its own momentum.

"Trailblaze!"

Hearing Nimo's command arrived accordingly; Ursaluna, unwilling to show weakness, glared at Swampert, exerted force with its four limbs, became enveloped in a grass-green light, and carrying strong winds with a hint of grassy fragrance, pounced straight at Swampert!

Swampert's type combination was quite perfect, its weakness being solely the Grass type, which dealt four times super-effective damage.

Hearing Nimo, who thought about challenging Luo Mu at every moment, had naturally taught Ursaluna the relevant moves long ago!

"Well done, take it!" Luo Mu also issued a command.

Facing the pouncing Ursaluna, Swampert straightened its body and directly raised both arms.

Boom!

A dull sound of flesh colliding with flesh.

Just like that hunter who physically blocked a dragon carriage, relying on a body more robust than its kin, Swampert directly and perfectly withstood the impact force from Ursaluna without moving an inch!

A trace of shock flashed in the eyes of Emperor Yan Di as Ursaluna and Swampert locked gazes, and Hearing Nimo's face was also full of astonishment.

Even though the base power of "Trailblaze" was average, the fact that Swampert could tank it directly with just its physical strength without using any move was somewhat absurd.

It must be remembered that Ursaluna was currently in its enhanced form, having directly triggered the "Guts" ability by holding the item "Flame Orb"!

"Muddy Water." Luo Mu's voice fell.

The body of Swampert, which was currently wrestling with Ursaluna, suddenly swelled; a clump of turbid wastewater gathered out of thin air beneath its feet and immediately spread out in all directions like a tidal wave!

This was a Water-type move with excellent effectiveness against Ursaluna; the mud and sand mixed within the wastewater were even more likely to affect the peat outer shell that made it more resistant to damage.

Ursaluna's expression changed; it directly broke free from Swampert's grip, and although it wanted to use the one-stage speed boost gained after "Trailblaze" to escape the coverage area of "Muddy Water," at such close range, it was clearly too late.

Ursaluna could only cross its arms, lower its body, and forcibly stand its ground against the impact force of the Muddy Water.

Moments later, the Muddy Water receded, revealing the figure of Ursaluna, its fur soaked and somewhat disheveled because it was mixed with mud and sand.

The damage from Muddy Water was secondary; it was just that most Pokémon, especially those with fur, would probably not wish to have their usually precious fur dirtied by this somewhat... dirty wastewater.

Not to mention that Hearing Nimo's Ursaluna was a girl!

At this moment, the look in Ursaluna's eyes as it gazed at Swampert contained obvious anger; it let out a roar and pounced straight at Swampert.

"High Horsepower!"

Hearing Nimo, matching Ursaluna's rhythm, launched a fierce attack against Swampert.

"Let's do it too, High Horsepower."

The word "retreat" did not exist in Swampert's dictionary; Luo Mu could also choose a commanding style more suitable for each Pokémon based on their individual personalities within the team.

Ursaluna used all four limbs; as it charged, the pulsing of its muscles revealed the beauty of strength, its whole body enveloped in an earth-yellow light, resembling a dump truck charging straight at Swampert.

The Swampert raised its arms and forcibly endured the Ursaring's charge, simultaneously counter-punching toward the Ursaring!

So what if it's female? This Swampert never goes easy on fragrant flowers or tender jade!

Boom!

Struck by the Swampert's fist, the Ursaring's body skewed, its vision darkening, yet its combat instinct still drove it to cling straight onto the Swampert and begin exerting force!

At this moment, when both sides entered a phase of pure grappling, whoever held the advantage, whoever made the other lose balance, or even flip the other over, would see their momentum surge accordingly; one could even say this would determine the trajectory of the battle to come.

Under the Ursaring's brute force pushing hard against it, the Swampert's feet carved a deep, long groove into the ground as it was being shoved toward the arena's edge by the Ursaring!

The Ursaring's target was some obstacle further out; it intended to smash the Swampert into it, leaving it immobilized!

"Ah!"

Realizing this, the spectators instantly panicked, hastily scattering outward, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

But would the Swampert really allow the Ursaring to do this?

The answer was no.

After throwing its punch, the Swampert's right arm also firmly gripped the Ursaring's body.

Its gaze was profound; lowering its body, it began to exert force, forcibly halting the trend of retreat.

The next instant.

Under the Ursaring's terrified expression, the Swampert effortlessly lifted its 600-jin body and slammed it viciously onto the ground!

Thud!

The entire Sun Plaza shook with the impact!

In terms of grappling, the Swampert had achieved victory!

"A... monster."

Watching the Swampert's figure, which had swollen a size larger than when it first appeared, seemingly approaching a Mega Evolution state, a spectator murmured.

Of course, this was not meant as an insult; it was simply that the power the Swampert was currently displaying left them able to think of only this adjective for the moment.

In the battle between the Swampert and the Ursaring, neither Luo Mu nor Hearing Hearing Nimo engaged in micro-management.

Aside from Hearing Hearing Nimo holding back a "Seed Bomb," both sides basically traded punch for kick, blow for blow, making the disparity in strength between them even more directly visible.

The Ursaring was almost unilaterally suppressed by the Swampert relying on combat experience plus innate monstrous strength.

Even looking at the paper stats, an Ursaring that had triggered its "Guts" ability possessed physical attack power that the Swampert couldn't hope to match even if it used its head.

However, the degree of training, one's own combat experience, and level were all factors influencing the battle's outcome.

With a loud rumble, water exploded outward.

The Ursaring's body, having reached its limit after prolonged close-quarters combat, finally could not endure after taking the Swampert's "Liquidation"; its vision went black, and its body collapsed onto the messy battlefield.

The Swampert itself was not in much better shape, bearing over a dozen bruises of varying sizes across its body.

Although it was a pity not to Mega Evolve, it had indeed enjoyed itself thoroughly in its normal form.

Even the Luxray and Cangyan Cangyan Rengui would not engage in this kind of pure melee combat with it.

Now the Swampert finally understood why Luo Mu would cultivate a group of students.

Indeed, fighting with those one had raised oneself felt incredibly smooth!

"Ursaring, unable to battle!"

Clavell's voice pulled the dazed crowd back to reality, and the state of holding their breath due to the preceding intense melee finally eased.

Zhen Si and the others fell silent for a few seconds before Peipa hesitantly said, "Judging from this situation, could it be that..."

Everyone clearly understood Peipa's unfinished words.

Mudkip, well-traveled and knowledgeable, pushed up her glasses frame and sighed, "This is hardly surprising; aside from the fact that the teacher has absolutely no intention of coordinating defenses or constructing tactics, basically switching Pokémon based on the characteristics of Hearing Hearing Nimo's Pokémon to match similar fighting styles..."

"It seems now that, in terms of raw power alone, our teacher is likely among the strongest in the world."

At least in Mudkip's view, comparing Teacher Luo Mu, who displayed his full strength for the first time today, with the undefeated Champion of the Galar region she knew, Champion Dan Di, she could not give an answer as to who was stronger or weaker.

Perhaps it was truly as Hearing Hearing Nimo had once said before Uncle Rose, "I cannot imagine the teacher losing at all"; this statement... was a fact.

The brief interlude among the several students did not affect the proceedings on the battlefield.

After recalling the Ursaring, Hearing Hearing Nimo gazed at the Poké Ball she had just drawn, her mood quite complex.

She did not regret choosing to challenge Teacher Luo Mu, who was going all out, on this day which marked her own "peak of life."

Rather, she now confirmed even more firmly that today was far from her "peak of life"; the Champion level was not the end, and she still had vast room for improvement.

—And, she felt sorrow, sorrow that this battle, which had suddenly enlightened her, was already entering its final stages.

Taking a deep breath, in order to cherish every remaining second, Hearing Hearing Nimo focused her entire mind and threw out her sixth Poké Ball.

Miraculously, the Poké Ball, which usually, most of the time, would smash straight onto the ground with a "bang" due to her terrible throwing technique, or fly crookedly for a bit before "crashing,"...

... this time traced a graceful parabola through the air, opening mid-flight to release a fully fluffy Pawmi.

"Pawmi!"

After leaving the Poké Ball, the Pawmi, sharing a tacit understanding with Hearing Hearing Nimo, steadily hit the Poké Ball back into Hearing Hearing Nimo's open palm; their gazes met in mid-air, everything understood without words!

"Are you ready? Then let's begin."

A smile floated across Luo Mu's face; the spinning Poké Ball traced a concise arc through the air, and the figure of the Luxray, whose every movement exuded majesty, appeared on the battlefield.

From the sparks mixed within its arc-flashing, bristling fur, one could see... today, the Luxray was holding an item!

Adorned by the sparks brought forth by the Flame Orb, the pressure emanating from the Luxray was unparalleled, thoroughly igniting the blood of both Hearing Hearing Nimo and the Pawmi.

Between teacher and student, sharing a tacit understanding, they threw the items already gripped in their hands and shouted in unison: "Terastallize!"

The battle between the Luxray and the Pawmi lasted only a brief three minutes.

Yet within those three minutes, upon the battlefield splashed with electric light, Hearing Hearing Nimo and the Pawmi displayed their all.

Until the moment the Pawmi was pinned to the ground by the Luxray's "Wild Charge," unable to move further, its vision gradually blurring.

The Luxray ceased its next action, lifting its paw pad and retracting its sharp claws.

"Luxray Meow~" You did well~

Having received affirmation from the Luxray she had admired ever since her Pawmi days.

A satisfied smile floated across Bellibolt's face as she let her consciousness sink into darkness.

A gentle breeze blew past.

The Poké Ball in Hearing Hearing Nimo's hand, which had been faintly shimmering with blue light, returned to calm, and Bellibolt likewise exited her Terastallized state; the outcome of the battle was now decided.

She said nothing, instead using her arm to cover her eyes and half her face.

The entire Sun Plaza instantly became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

".!"

Rika, Grusha, Brother Brother Qingmu, and the Senior Elder immediately noticed Hearing Hearing Nimo's unusual behavior, their pupils widening slightly from shock.

Having rushed over the moment she received the news yet still regrettably missing the entire match, and furthermore, due to her height, only able to stand on tiptoe to peer through the crowd at the interior, Iono gnashed her teeth and glared at Luo Mu, who seemed utterly unmoved.

That villainous Luo Mu, couldn't he have held back even a little?

He actually made Iono the Money Tree cry!

Geeta and Clavell also looked at her with worry, unsure whether it would be better to speak directly or step forward to comfort her, momentarily becoming flustered.

Arven, Mela, and Penny, disregarding the fact that Clavell had not yet announced the verdict, rushed onto the battlefield all at once, offering Hearing Hearing Nimo a cacophony of comfort.

But the crying they expected did not appear; instead, an extremely satisfying laugh, possessing the power to infect others' hearts, seeped from the corners of Hearing Hearing Nimo's mouth.

Amidst the bewildered expressions of the crowd who could not react in time, Hearing Hearing Nimo moved away the arm she had used to cover her eyes because the wind and sand were somewhat uncomfortable, revealing eyes within slightly reddened sockets that sparkled with an unprecedented brilliance.

"Amazing... too amazing!"

"As expected, Teacher is the strongest; I'm so happy~!"

"I conveyed my everything without holding anything back, zip-bang-crash, just like this!"

As if language was completely unable to express her excitement, Hearing Hearing Nimo expressed her joy with dancing hands and feet, until finally, she even began using a bunch of meaningless exclamatory particles.

But the fact that she was enjoying this battle rather than shedding tears of sadness over losing was also properly conveyed to those who were worried about her.

A moment later, having vented all her excited emotions, Hearing Hearing Nimo lifted her head and met the gaze of Luo Mu, who had walked calmly before her.

A smile appeared on Luo Mu's face, and he extended his hand toward her, saying, "From now on, you have graduated."

It was as if Luo Mu never once thought Hearing Hearing Nimo would burst into tears over a mere defeat.

Hearing Hearing Nimo also gently grasped Luo Mu's hand, bursting forth with the most brilliant smile she had shown all day.

"Perhaps this is the fun of Pokémon battles; even I, who have become Champion, can continue to grow!"

"Thank you for conveying this matter to me."

"Choosing to become a Trainer and to become your student, Teacher, was truly the best decision!"

Hearing Hearing Nimo's excited voice echoed through the plaza at the very center of Mesagoza.

Although she had lost, lost utterly and completely, no one could remain unmoved by her spirit.

Warm applause from the surrounding spectators rang out one after another.

Rarely showing a bit of shyness, Hearing Hearing Nimo smiled, bowing to thank the people who supported her and had specially come here to watch the battle.

Watching Hearing Hearing Nimo's retreating figure, Luo Mu and Luxray exchanged a glance, both seeing obvious mirth in each other's eyes.

Watching the disciple he had raised with his own hands grow up, the feeling within was indeed quite wonderful.

Just as Luo Mu was preparing to give Hearing Hearing Nimo the "graduation gift" he had long prepared, the other party, having turned around and come back, stretched lazily, extending her body, and said naturally, "Oh my~ Today's portion was satisfying; tomorrow morning, I'll come challenge you again, Teacher~"

"This time, let's fight from morning until night."

"?"

Luo Mu, who was taking out the Decidueye Z-Crystal, paused in his movements, looking incredulously at Hearing Hearing Nimo, who spoke as simply as if asking, "What are we eating tomorrow morning?"

No way.

Is this rebellious disciple trying to turn the world upside down?!

(End of Chapter)