Pokémon Being Cunning Really Wasn't My Doing

Poliwhirl was fast—at least, to Xia Chen, he was the fastest opponent Xia Chen had faced since he began battling. Even that Doduo with its two long legs could not compare.

But when it came to speed and agility, Xia Chen believed his Eevee was no weaker than anyone else's.

Over the past month or so, the difficulty settings on the two training machines at home had risen higher and higher, and Eevee's results had steadily improved as well.

Perhaps Eevee could not match Red's Poliwhirl in pure speed, but in agility and reaction time, Xia Chen was willing to put his faith in Eevee.

The distance between Poliwhirl and Eevee continued to shrink. In another two seconds, Poliwhirl's white-gloved fists would be able to strike Eevee.

Yet Xia Chen still did not give an order. He was waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity to reverse the situation once more.

But to outsiders, the unresponsive Xia Chen looked like he had been frightened senseless and did not know what to do.

"No way. He did pretty well at the start, so how did one unexpected Haze leave him completely clueless?"

"He's a rookie Trainer, so this is perfectly normal. Still, that kid in red is genuinely pretty good. He looks rough around the edges, but he's got brains too."

"What a shame. If Eevee's Trainer weren't such a blockhead, this battle would've been really fun to watch."

Whispers from the nearby spectator area reached the battlefield, but Xia Chen remained unmoved by their slander.

An expert's command was like the starry sky—you could see it, but you could not understand it!

How could mere mortals possibly understand this battle between Red and me, one destined to go down in history?

After briefly indulging in his chuunibyou delusion, Xia Chen fixed his gaze on Poliwhirl's movements and suddenly shouted, "Eevee, now! Yawn!"

This was the exact instant when Poliwhirl and Eevee were nearly face-to-face, and when Poliwhirl's guard was at its weakest.

"Vee!"

Eevee reacted immediately. After living together for ten years, how could she not know what that old schemer Xia Chen had been planning?

Fearlessly facing Poliwhirl's incoming slap, she parted her mouth slightly and released the energy she had long been gathering through Yawn.

No matter how quickly Poliwhirl reacted, he could not evade the sudden Yawn at such close range.

All he could do was feel the uncontrollable drowsiness in his mind gradually drag his consciousness into the abyss.

"Eevee, turn around!"

"Poliwhirl, use Hypnosis!"

From the instant Eevee unleashed Yawn, the pace of the battle abruptly accelerated.

Almost the very moment Eevee's Yawn took effect on Poliwhirl, two voices rang out across the center of the field one after the other.

And the faster one was unmistakably Xia Chen's.

Having already been tricked by Red once, how could Xia Chen fail to guard against Hypnosis, a Pokémon move Poliwhirl almost certainly knew?

The counterclockwise spiral on Poliwhirl's belly was practically the most natural hypnosis tool imaginable.

And Red was not only quick to react—his battle sense was exceptionally sharp as well. He could almost instantly think of a way to break a deadlock.

Although Red was still inexperienced, Xia Chen would never underestimate him.

That was why he had predicted what was almost Red's only current way out—using Hypnosis to counter Yawn!

If it failed, Eevee would merely take a few Double Slaps. In her current condition, she could easily endure them.

But if it succeeded—Xia Chen watched as Hypnosis missed entirely, while Poliwhirl swayed and was about to fall asleep. He smiled faintly.

He had bet right!

"I misjudged him. This kid seems even more impressive! That patience, that timing, that prediction—is he really a rookie Trainer?"

"What a brilliant battle. I never expected him to read that Hypnosis. All I can say is, the Dao rises one foot, the devil rises ten."

"But this battle is still hard to call. Poliwhirl is a second-stage evolved Pokémon, so his physical strength should be superior to Eevee's in every respect. If Poliwhirl wakes up quickly enough, he may still have a chance."

The fence-sitters instantly changed their tune, praising Xia Chen's exquisite commands with a speed that rivaled Morpeko's transformations.

But as one spectator had said, Poliwhirl falling asleep did not mean Xia Chen had victory in hand. Whether Eevee's attacks were strong enough would be the key to deciding this battle.

The spectators stopped discussing and turned their focused gazes back toward the battlefield.

At the center of the field stood a soundly sleeping Poliwhirl and an Eevee clearly up to no good.

"Eevee, Swift!"

In truth, Xia Chen did not even need to command her. The moment Eevee turned around, she had already begun charging the Pokémon move that Xia Chen considered the strongest one she knew.

Of her remaining options, whether it was Work Up or Fake Tears, one Haze after Poliwhirl woke up would erase their effects completely.

"Vee!"

With Eevee's cry, a silvery-white glow flashed across the battlefield, and several Swift stars exploded against Poliwhirl's sleeping body.

Poliwhirl's brow furrowed and his expression twisted in pain. He was probably dreaming that falling meteors were smashing into him and leaving him dazed.

To make matters worse, Poliwhirl did not wake up.

Red frowned deeply, but with his Pokémon asleep, no amount of clever ideas could help if Poliwhirl could not move.

Even for the future battle legend, the only thing he could do now was use Rejuvenating Roar.

"Poliwhirl, wake up!"

Watching Red struggle, Xia Chen shook his head with a scoff. Poliwhirl had only just fallen asleep—how could he possibly wake up so soon?

Besides, this was reality, not a game. Sleep did not have some "one to three turns" duration.

He had only taken one Swift. Even if you really have protagonist plot armor, there's no way you can wake up already, right?

Holy crap, he really woke up?

Xia Chen stared wide-eyed at Poliwhirl as he wobbled and prepared to climb to his feet.

You really woke up instantly??

"Great, Poliwhirl! I knew you could do it!"

A confident smile spread across Red's face. "Now it's time for us to strike back! Use Double Slap!"

Poliwhirl sprang to his feet with a kip-up, shaking off his drowsiness. He roared in response to his Trainer, bolstering his own spirits as well.

"Poli!"

However, Eevee's slightly parted mouth before him stirred a familiar feeling in his mind.

That sensation made his upper and lower eyelids begin fighting each other again.

"Poli...?"

I just woke up, and you're putting me down again?

How could there be such a despicable Pokémon?

"Poliwhirl, you can't fall asleep now!"

Before his consciousness blurred away, his Trainer's voice still echoed in his ears. But this time, he could no longer answer Red's call.

The stands fell silent for a moment before erupting into the most heated discussion this area had seen since the elimination rounds began.

"How can there be such a hateful Pokémon! How can there be such a dirty Trainer!"

"If I were that Poliwhirl's Trainer, I'd be furious to death!"

"I say you're just making yourself miserable. It's like reading an NTR story—why insist on putting yourself in the cuckold's shoes? Just imagine you're the blond guy instead. Same with this match. From Eevee's Trainer's perspective, tell me, isn't this satisfying?"

"Holy crap, that makes so much sense! It really is pretty satisfying!"

"But I still have to say it—Eevee's Trainer is seriously filthy!"

The audience below buzzed with chatter, while Xia Chen onstage wore a baffled expression.

What did this have to do with me?

I didn't command that second Yawn! Why are you all cursing me?

You can't say a Trainer has poor character just because their Pokémon pulled a dirty trick!

Pokémon being cunning really wasn't my doing!

Eevee, you're ruining my reputation!