Another Battle

Another Battle

"It's you two."

Jing He stopped with a smile.

The two hurried over to him and called out, "Teacher," again.

Come to think of it,

he was not much older than the two of them. He had skipped grades while studying, so he was only two or three years older than Steven Stone and the others—practically their peer.

Thus, although they respected Jing He as a teacher, they were not overly restrained around him. Instead, they seemed quite at ease.

Of course,

Jing He's psychological intervention for Steven Stone's Metang, which had produced rather good results, was also an important reason.

"Teacher, so you were here. We couldn't find you in the consultation room earlier. Were you training Pokémon?" Roxanne asked in surprise.

As a teacher at the Pokémon Academy, it was perfectly normal for him to have Pokémon. However, in her impression, Senior Jing He had exceptional theoretical grades, but he did not seem to have caught any Pokémon.

Steven Stone knew more about this than she did.

Because when Jing He had been providing psychological intervention for Metang, he had summoned his Gastly before.

"Mm." Jing He answered with a smile, not trying to hide it. He then asked, "You were looking for me?"

"Teacher, it's like this..."

Steven Stone then briefly explained the situation.

It turned out that Roxanne had recently caught a Pokémon, but it had a somewhat violent temperament.

Pokémon naturally had all kinds of personalities. Some were gentle, so naturally some were violent. Roxanne had not thought much of it when she caught it, figuring she could slowly nurture and train it later.

Who knew that not only had the Pokémon not calmed down, it had become increasingly worse. It had even begun to disobey Roxanne's commands, giving her quite a headache.

Until recently, Roxanne had heard from Steven Stone that Jing He had given Metang psychological treatment, greatly improving its condition. That was why she wondered whether her Pokémon might also have some psychological issue.

After listening, Jing He asked, "If a Pokémon doesn't obey its Trainer's commands, didn't you catch it through battle?"

Roxanne looked embarrassed at that and said quietly, "It's descended from one of my father's Pokémon."

Jing He understood.

He glanced around and said, "Let's take a look, then. This isn't the best place."

"There's a battle field behind the training hall," Steven Stone said.

Perhaps because the sky was gray and it looked like it might rain, the outdoor battle field, usually bustling with activity, was now empty. Only a few people were tidying up, seemingly preparing to leave.

The three came to a field in the farthest corner. At Jing He's gesture, Roxanne took out a Poké Ball.

In a flash of red light, her Pokémon appeared on the field.

"Hey-cha!"

It looked like a round gray boulder, with a pair of muscular stone arms.

A Rock-type and Ground-type Pokémon—Geodude! As soon as it appeared, it swept its gaze over the three of them.

It crossed its arms and narrowed its eyes on its own.

Its disdain was obvious.

"Geodude?" Jing He was somewhat surprised.

Geodude were not particularly rare Pokémon. A stroll through a sparsely vegetated mountain would likely turn up more than ten of them.

But Rock-type and Ground-type Pokémon generally tended to be steady or even quiet in temperament. Especially Pokémon like Geodude and Roggenrola, violent ones were truly rare.

"Hey-cha!"

Seemingly hearing someone call its name, Geodude looked toward Jing He.

When it saw that he was merely a handsome young man with distinct features and deep eyes, the disdain in Geodude's gaze grew even stronger.

Especially when it noticed Jing He scrutinizing it, its violent temper immediately flared beyond restraint.

"Hey-cha!"

It suddenly leaped forward.

And charged straight at Jing He!

Steven Stone and Roxanne's expressions changed at once.

Steven Stone reached for his waist, while Roxanne gripped her Poké Ball, ready to recall it.

"Ghastly!"

But before they could act, a cloud of black mist drifted from Jing He's body, followed by Gastly's grinning face.

Sensing the chilly aura, Geodude showed no intention of retreating. Its eyes sharpened as it charged at Gastly.

Tackle!

Pfft! But when it struck Gastly, it only punched a hole through Gastly's gaseous body. The hole quickly restored itself, and no damage was dealt.

"Hey-cha?"

Geodude looked confused after landing.

"Ghastly—"

Gastly was still laughing, but hostility had appeared in its smile.

Clearly, Geodude's sudden attack on Jing He had displeased it.

At the same time,

Steven Stone summoned Metang. Should Geodude do anything out of line again, Metang would stop it immediately.

"Ku!"

Metang gave Geodude a deep cry.

The previously arrogant Geodude instinctively showed a flash of fear upon seeing Metang, though it quickly returned to normal.

"Hey, hey-cha!"

Jing He saw all of this.

"Teacher Jing He, I'm sorry. I didn't know it..."

Roxanne hurriedly apologized and moved to recall Geodude into its Poké Ball.

But Jing He stopped her with a raised hand.

Geodude's sudden attack had surprised him a little, but with Gastly there, he had not been frightened.

Moreover, when Geodude used Tackle, its Pokédex information had appeared before his eyes.

Geodude

Type: Rock-type, Ground-type

Ability: Rock Head

Known moves: Tackle, Defense Curl, Mud Sport, Rock Polish, Rollout, Magnitude, Rock Throw, Block, Endure, Mega Punch

Mood: Restless, conceited

Condition: Excellent (It has just eaten its fill. It craves battle.)

Friendship: -20 (You're too weak. You don't deserve to call its name.)

Too weak. Black lines appeared on Jing He's forehead.

Still, Roxanne's Geodude was indeed quite impressive. As expected of a descendant of her father's Pokémon, it had inherited a move like Mega Punch.

Perhaps it was because it had witnessed the strength of Roxanne's father's Pokémon that it looked down on both him and Roxanne, while clearly being somewhat wary of Steven Stone's Metang.

And since Roxanne had not caught it through battle, coupled with how she might have carefully indulged it in daily life, its arrogance had only grown.

The solution to this type of Pokémon's problem was actually very simple.

It just needed to be "educated."

Jing He planned to do it himself.

Of course, it was definitely not because Geodude had looked down on him. It was surely because he happened to want Gastly to gain some practical battle experience, and this Geodude was an excellent choice.

Mm, that was right.

"Teacher, Geodude..." Roxanne said worriedly.

"I'll give it a try. If all goes well, we can solve this today," Jing He said calmly.

"Really?" Roxanne's face filled with delight.

Steven Stone was surprised as well.

They could solve it today?

Jing He did not explain. Instead, he said to Geodude, "Want to battle?"

"Hey-cha?"

You?

Geodude gave him a sidelong glance.

Jing He smiled.

Without even waiting for Geodude's answer, he said, "Gastly, say hello. Mean Look."

"Ghastly!"

At the command, Gastly fixed its gaze tightly on Geodude. When Geodude looked back, Gastly suddenly made a frightening face. Several pairs of eyes instantly appeared around it, glaring fixedly at Geodude.

Geodude shuddered unexpectedly, startled stiff.

Then anger rose from the bottom of its heart.

"Hey-cha!"

Geodude shouted furiously, swinging its fist as it smashed toward Gastly in the air again.

"No need to dodge. Curse."

Jing He stepped back two paces to create some distance, calmly giving the command.

Normal-type moves could not attack Ghost-type Pokémon at all. Without a Trainer to direct it, this Geodude clearly had not realized that.

Gastly gave a strange laugh and allowed Geodude's fist to pass through it. The eerie laughter seemed to ring directly within Geodude's heart.

Then a black shadow shot from Gastly's body and entered Geodude at incredible speed. At the same time, Gastly's previously solid form became far more faint and wavering.

Geodude was startled after landing, but soon relaxed. It realized that it did not seem to have suffered any damage.

Gastly suddenly poked its head out from behind it.

"Ghastly?"

Its crimson tongue swept across Geodude, and the sticky saliva made Geodude shudder violently.

It felt like it... had been poisoned? Its arms were weak, and its body would not obey its commands.

Clearly, Geodude was quite lucky. Gastly had used Lick in its first real battle and triggered the paralysis effect.

That made what came next even simpler.

"Gastly, Confuse Ray."

"Hypnosis."

"Will-O-Wisp."

"..."

Steven Stone and Roxanne, who had retreated to the side, watched the two Pokémon battling—or rather, watched the one-sided "education"—and almost instinctively exchanged a glance.

"Roxanne, you... didn't offend Teacher Jing He, did you?" Steven Stone asked in a low voice.

Hearing Jing He's calm voice beside her, along with Gastly's delighted cackling, Roxanne shuddered unconsciously.

"N-no? But Geodude did seem to offend Teacher just now..."

Before long, the sounds on the field stopped.

Roxanne could not help letting out a long breath.

It was finally over.

Then Jing He asked, "Roxanne, did you bring healing spray?"

"I-I did," Roxanne answered instinctively.

Looking at Geodude lying on the field, its stacked debuffs not even having fully faded before it lost the ability to battle, she thought to herself,

It really should be treated.

But then Jing He said, "Good. Heal it, then we'll battle again."

Roxanne: "???"