[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham":3,"chapter-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-84":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Pokemon: The Reemployment of a Paldea Former Champion",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2324101,4546,"Chapter 84: The Tough Guy","pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-84",84,"\u003Cp>The Orange Academy has an internal private battle arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kukui stood on the left side of the arena, Luo Mu on the right, and Ya Ci as referee at the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ya Ci crossed his arms behind his back, glanced at both of them, and announced loudly: “A three-on-three single battle—no issues?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kukui grinned to show he was fine; Luo Mu nodded helplessly—he had indeed brought exactly three Pokémon ready for battle today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then—” Ya Ci stepped back slowly, a hopeful expression on his face, until he was completely off the battlefield, then declared: “Battle, begin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wyrdeer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Swampert.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red glow from the Poké Balls flooded the entire arena, then faded; Swampert and Wyrdeer (in its daytime form) now faced each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ya Ci raised an eyebrow: “Is this an initial type advantage solely for Luo Mu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both shouted simultaneously: “Stealth Rock!” “Quaking Ground!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of rocks erupted from Wyrdeer’s fur, scattering across the ground and midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Swampert roared, and pure Ground-type energy transformed into slowly swirling grains of sand, gathering beneath Wyrdeer’s feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kukui chose the advantage of switching, while Luo Mu intends to keep Wyrdeer on the field... This is becoming exciting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wyrdeer frowned, sensing the faint pull from the ground; though it wouldn’t severely hinder movement, it could no longer return to its Poké Ball. Under Kukui’s command, Wyrdeer burst into white light and charged forward without hesitation, challenging Swampert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the better choice would’ve been to stall until Quaking Ground faded, Kukui was no Trainer who avoided confrontation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the instant Wyrdeer neared Swampert, Kukui ordered: “Now—Stone Edge!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wyrdeer slammed the ground; sharp, jagged rocks like interlocking fangs erupted from all directions, striking Swampert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hydro Pump!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swampert’s body blazed with a red light that seemed to burn the eyes; its arm muscles swelled, and it spun in place, shattering the rock pillars into a shower of fragments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What terrifying strength!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kukui’s heart jumped, but his mind instantly assessed: “Grab the sharpest rocks—attack!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wyrdeer moved with incredible agility; the moment Kukui spoke, it leapt high, snatching the nearest rock midair, then as it fell, slashed at Swampert with the rock’s sharpest edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy shit, dog with a sword!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu was momentarily stunned by Kukui’s creativity—he couldn’t help but think Kukui truly deserved to be Ash’s future godfather—but Kukui’s move made Luo Mu’s lips curl upward as he shouted: “Take it! Overpower!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kukui gasped: “What?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swampert completely abandoned defense, letting Wyrdeer carve a deep gash into its muscular body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swampert winced in pain, but its movements remained precise—it was often scarred by Cramorant’s Flame Sword, so this blow meant nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Wyrdeer’s widening pupils, Swampert’s thick arms wrapped around its waist—and then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrifying force surged from Swampert’s arms; Wyrdeer’s most vulnerable spot couldn’t resist such power, and a sharp cry burst from its mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a battle, not a life-or-death duel; Swampert sensed that if it used even a bit more force, Wyrdeer would die on the spot. The strength receded like a tide, and Swampert hurled Wyrdeer dozens of meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wyrdeer crashed hard to the ground, its legs trembling, unable to rise for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wyrdeer!” Kukui cried out in concern. When Wyrdeer finally staggered to its feet, Kukui gritted his teeth: “Fierce fighting style—I misjudged.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had expected that even if Wyrdeer was slightly weaker than Swampert, its agility would allow it to maneuver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never imagined Luo Mu would use Swampert’s overwhelming physique to absorb the attacks, letting the slower Swampert land direct hits on Wyrdeer—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wyrdeer didn’t lose to Swampert; Kukui lost as a Trainer—Wyrdeer lost to Luo Mu and Swampert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Luo Mu’s relentless command, Swampert unleashed a towering wave; the surging tide left Wyrdeer, in its current state, no chance to dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ya Ci smiled: “Wyrdeer is unable to battle. Swampert wins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kukui, send out your next Pokémon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Venusaur!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Venusaur, its back blooming with massive flowers, rooted firmly to the ground; thick vines and invisible toxic powder surged across the battlefield, pressing heavily on Swampert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no Grass-type immunity, and its Water\u002FGround typing offering no advantage, the type difference was nullified; the injuries Wyrdeer had inflicted further weakened Swampert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu narrowed his eyes—this way, Swampert wouldn’t even reach Venusaur; it might just be worn down to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had originally planned for Swampert to endure Venusaur’s attacks long enough to drain the hidden Stealth Rock energy, allowing Cramorant to enter the battle in full condition and secure victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But plans change—Kukui’s Venusaur perfectly countered Swampert’s brute-force style; it was time to decide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As someone who reached Champion level in a year relying solely on himself, Luo Mu’s judgment was exceptional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them with sharp focus; in the fleeting instant when the wild, dragon-like vines revealed a gap, he pressed the button without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red glow of the Poké Ball crossed the distance, slicing precisely through the gap and striking Swampert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Swampert successfully recalled, Kukui clenched his teeth—no wonder he was a Champion. He had deliberately used Venusaur’s wild vines to block the Poké Ball’s return path, yet Luo Mu still found that fleeting opening with his incredible eyesight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the straightforward, brute-force style of the Flying- and Dragon-type powerhouse Awakened, Kukui found Luo Mu—strong and clever—a far more dangerous opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After recalling Swampert, Luo Mu swiftly threw a prepped Poké Ball; Cramorant appeared on the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Wyrdeer’s Stealth Rock emerged from midair, slamming into Cramorant just as it landed, before it could react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Cramorant instinctively swung its Flame Sword to block some of the Stealth Rock, many fragments still exploded against its armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, the smoke cleared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cramorant stood on the battlefield, its armor marked with multiple impacts, its aura slightly diminished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second round, begin!\u003C\u002Fp>",971,"2026-06-20T17:11:47.132Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","800ef8208c761d5cf542d44b2dd541496bff8e684de9c2117062d28f65db007f","pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-85","pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-83",695,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fpokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-cover.jpg"]