How Could There Be a Pokémon as Despicable as Happiny?!

The battle continued.

"Come out, Happiny!"

The energetic voice of the girl surprised Machop's trainer. He had thought the last match would crush his opponent's fighting spirit.

But it didn't matter. This Happiny looked even weaker than the Doduo from before. Machop should be able to take her down easily.

If all the opponents were at this level, maybe he could even defeat ten in a row and earn the [I'll Take On Ten] achievement?

This record might not be unprecedented or unsurpassable, but it would still be exceptionally rare.

Wouldn't that earn him the legendary campus priority mating rights?

"Happiny, Charm!"

His opponent's command broke him out of his fantasy, and he hurriedly refocused on the battlefield.

"Machop, dodge it, then close in!"

Though "dodge it" sounded rather silly, the reality was—

Faced with the slowly drifting Fairy-type energy, Machop really did evade it with a small sidestep.

Machop's trainer felt even more at ease. With such a slow move release, this match was in the bag!

Machop was not particularly fast, but against a Happiny that looked like she had been scared stupid, even Torkoal could have crawled up to her.

"Machop, Karate Chop!"

Before the two Pokémon had even gotten close, Machop's trainer had already given the command.

There were both advantages and disadvantages to doing that.

The advantage was obvious: it allowed a Pokémon to charge its move in advance instead of stupidly running up to the opponent before attacking.

As for the disadvantage, once a Pokémon focused its attention on a move, it became difficult for it to react to the opponent's counterattack. At least, Baby-level Pokémon found that very hard to do.

But Machop's trainer did not care. They were both Baby-level Pokémon. What, were they going to hit him with an Ice Beam or something?

At that moment, the short-haired girl seemed to let out a sigh of relief. Then the corners of her lips curled upward, like an angler who had finally felt a fish take the bait.

"Happiny, use Mud Bomb!"

Mud Bomb? What move was that? It seemed to be... a Ground-type special move?

There were countless Pokémon, Abilities, items, and moves in the world. How could a novice trainer remember all of them?

It did not matter anyway. It did not sound like it could do much, and Ground type was not super effective against Fighting type.

Machop's trainer thought carelessly as he shouted, "Machop, ignore it and keep charging!"

Machop's straight-line movement did not exactly make him a moving target. If Happiny could miss her Q like that—

Xia Chen would suggest that she obediently become a medic instead.

Fortunately, Happiny was not absurd enough to make such a basic mistake. Ground-type energy gathered between her palms, and then she hurled it forward with her two short little arms.

With a smack, the ocher, fluid-like substance splattered across Machop's face. By sheer coincidence, most of it went straight into his eyes before he could close them.

"Chop!" Machop cried out. His body stumbled, and his steps became disordered.

Even the hands that had been gathering [Karate Chop] energy seemed at a loss.

The sudden development thawed the frozen atmosphere among the Normal-type class's formation.

The Mud Bomb did not look particularly powerful, but at the very least, it was the Normal-type class's strongest counterattack so far.

We are not Caterpie for others to slaughter!

"It's turning around, it's turning around! I never expected Gu Ning, who usually goes unnoticed, to perform this well!"

"The first two Pokémon were too dumb. They didn't even have any ranged attacks. Happiny fought so cleverly!"

"Come to think of it, Gu Ning usually only charges in with moves like Pound. How did she suddenly grow a brain?"

"I think I saw Xia Chen pull her aside and say something to her just now?"

The students of the Normal-type class regained their energy and whispered among themselves.

Teacher Tang also watched Xia Chen with an approving expression.

He had seen Xia Chen whispering to Gu Ning clearly, so he naturally understood why Gu Ning was performing beyond her usual level.

Clearly, Gu Ning had not made Mud Shot a key focus of her usual training. Happiny's Mud Shot was unpracticed and weak.

But against a Pokémon like Machop, which relied purely on its body, as long as they could lower his accuracy, it did not matter even if they dealt no damage at all.

He did not know whether Happiny's Ability was [Serene Grace], which could double the chance of a move's additional effects, but at that moment, the Mud Shot had struck Machop squarely in the eyes.

The purpose of Xia Chen's tactic had been achieved!

Machop's trainer panicked when faced with this situation.

He was still a novice trainer. If he had even a little experience, he could have acted as Machop's eyes and directed his Pokémon's movements.

With Happiny's round, egg-shaped body, there was no way she could outrun Machop.

But he did not realize that this was an option. He only stood there blankly, letting Machop lose his sense of direction on the field.

"Happiny, Sweet Kiss!"

What move was Sweet Kiss?

Most people present were stunned. This move was even more obscure.

But it was obscure not because its effect was bad, but because it was a Fairy-type move.

Fairy type had only appeared last year. Most people could not even identify all the Pokémon of that type, much less its moves.

That was especially true for these high school students who had only just become trainers.

"Doo~ rii~" Happiny charged up slightly, then exhaled a pink breath from her mouth.

The pink wave of energy drifted through the air and hit Machop, who was still affected by the Mud Bomb.

At once, his movements became even more unsteady.

Machop's trainer blinked. This seemed... to deal no damage?

Then what was this move's effect? Did it reduce movement speed?

With that thought, his tense mood relaxed a little. All that flashy nonsense, and it still had not done anything useful after so long!

"Machop, Happiny is only a few steps ahead of you. Charge over and keep attacking!"

"Chop!"

However—

Smack!

That was not the sound of Machop beating Happiny up. It was the sound of Machop punching himself in the face.

Machop's trainer was completely dumbfounded. Machop, what are you doing, Machop?!

I told you to hit Happiny, not yourself, you idiot!

Lacking battle experience, he had not realized that Machop had already fallen into the [Confusion] state.

Question: when an opponent stands before you, blind as a bat and occasionally punching himself in the face, what would you do?

Without hesitation, Gu Ning chose what every normal person would choose: kick him while he was down.

"Happiny, use Mud Shot again!"

Smack!

The earlier mud was still stuck to Machop's face when, the next second, another lump of yellow, half-solid, half-liquid stuff splattered all over him.

"Chop!" Machop's cry, filled with anger, helplessness, and even a hint of despair, echoed through the entire field.

It was heartbreaking to hear and tearful to behold.

Machop's trainer was completely numb. I'm playing boxing and brawling with you, and you're playing Splatoon with me?

How could there be a Pokémon as despicable as Happiny?!

(Please keep reading~)