Wooper

The battles continued, and the quality of the second round was clearly far higher than that of the first.

Most contestants in the second round had some understanding of Pokémon moves, while a small number of stronger contestants also had a very precise grasp of timing.

As the competition continued, the battles in the arena grew increasingly intense.

A match between two Water-type Pokémon in the third arena now drew the spectators' attention.

Mudkip leaped nimbly across the platform, using Mud Shot to disrupt Corphish's vision. Corphish, meanwhile, used its claws to block the attacks as it charged toward its opponent, searching for an opportunity to counterattack.

Suddenly, Corphish leaped high into the air and unleashed Bubble Beam. Mudkip reacted swiftly, dodging with a sidestep before striking Corphish with Water Pulse. Corphish was knocked back repeatedly, but it quickly regained its footing and continued its counterattack with Bubble Beam.

Xinhai watched intently, constantly observing both sides' battle strategies and techniques. He analyzed the Pokémon's training directions and compared them one by one with the knowledge he had learned.

Before long, it was Shali's turn to battle. After the Electabuzz in the arena defeated its opponent under its trainer's command, the referee's voice rang through the venue. "Next match: Trainer Shimizu versus Trainer Ogawa. Please take the stage."

Shali took a deep breath and turned to Xinhai and Yingnan, determination shining in her eyes. "I'm going in!"

"Good luck! Don't be too nervous!" Xinhai encouraged her with a smile, his eyes full of trust.

Yingnan looked at Shali and smiled. "Good luck, Shali! And Eevee too!"

"Thank you!" Shali nodded, recalled Eevee into its Poké Ball, and strode resolutely toward the arena.

The referee looked at the two trainers in the field and said, "Both sides, send out your Pokémon."

"Come out, Eevee!" Shali tossed her Poké Ball. A flash of red light appeared, and the adorable Eevee emerged on the platform.

"Go, Wooper!" Trainer Ogawa released his Pokémon as well.

Shali looked at the cute, rather dopey-looking Wooper and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Neither side has a type advantage. That's good.

Seeing that both sides were ready, the referee sharply waved his flag. "Battle begin!"

"Eevee, use Quick Attack!" "Wooper, Water Gun!"

Eevee shot forward like a bolt of lightning, instantly cutting through the air above the arena. Every Water Gun Wooper fired was swiftly dodged by Eevee, and before long, Eevee had rushed right in front of Wooper.

Trainer Ogawa grew somewhat flustered and hurriedly ordered, "Wooper, Mud Shot!"

Wooper swept its tail across the ground toward Eevee, flinging out a huge wave of mud.

Without the slightest hesitation, Eevee charged straight into the Mud Curtain. It blasted a large hole through the mud and sent Wooper flying with the powerful impact.

However, thanks to the cushioning effect of Mud Shot, Wooper had not suffered serious damage. It braced itself with its tail and steadily rose to its feet.

Seeing that Wooper was injured, Trainer Ogawa immediately ordered, "Wooper, use Recover!"

A gentle green glow spread across Wooper's round body, and the scrapes on its body healed at a visible rate.

Shali's pupils narrowed slightly. Knowing she could not give her opponent a chance to catch its breath, she immediately shouted, "Eevee, rush in and use Swift!"

A brilliant light flared around Eevee's body as countless sparkling stars formed and shot toward the recovering Wooper like a torrential downpour.

Countless sparkling stars instantly gathered around Eevee, then, under Shali's command, rained down upon the recovering Wooper.

Trainer Ogawa's expression changed abruptly. "Quick, block it with Mud Shot!"

Wooper swung its tail with all its strength, raising a curtain of brown mud. But its movements were sluggish from using Recover, and part of the Swift pierced through the mud and struck Wooper squarely on the head.

"Keep pressing it—Bite its tail!" Shali seized the moment, her voice firm and forceful.

Eevee became a streak of light as it rushed behind Wooper. Sharp teeth glimmering with Dark-type energy clamped down hard on Wooper's soft tail.

Wooper struggled violently in pain, trying to shake Eevee off with Slam. But just as it swung its tail, Shali gave another command. "Fall back, then use Swift!"

Eevee cleanly released its bite and nimbly leaped backward, brilliant stars gathering around its body once more.

Before Wooper could recover from the searing pain in its tail, a dense barrage of Swift poured down like a meteor shower.

Trainer Ogawa shouted anxiously, "Dodge it, Wooper!"

But Wooper's round body had no time to move before it was swallowed by the stars. It could only helplessly twist in place.

Swift continued exploding, its dazzling light engulfing Wooper's round body.

Amid the billowing smoke, Wooper's pained cries could faintly be heard. When the smoke and dust gradually cleared, Wooper lay sprawled on the ground with its eyes tightly shut.

"Woo~pa~"

The referee hurried forward to inspect it, then raised his flag high and announced, "Wooper is unable to battle! Eevee wins!"

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue. As Xinhai and Yingnan applauded for Shali, they happily watched her interact with Eevee in the arena.

Shali scooped the mud-covered Eevee into her arms, her face blooming with a radiant smile. "Eevee, we won again! You were amazing!"

Eevee rubbed its head against Shali's cheek. Though its fur was covered in mud and it looked thoroughly bedraggled, the pride and excitement gleaming in its eyes could not be hidden.

After checking Wooper's injuries, Trainer Ogawa stepped forward. Though his face was full of disappointment, he still sincerely held out his hand. "Congratulations. I learned a lot from this battle."

Shali smiled and shook his hand. "Your Wooper was really strong too. I look forward to battling again next time!"

Seeing Shali and Eevee come down from the arena, Yingnan stepped forward to congratulate them. "Congratulations on advancing. That was a wonderful battle."

Shali gently cleaned the mud from Eevee's fur, then turned to Yingnan, her eyes full of apology. "Thanks, but I'm really sorry. Eevee is too dirty, so I need to take it back and clean it right away. Yingnan, your match..."

Before Shali could finish, Yingnan interrupted her with a hearty laugh. "It's fine! Taking care of your Pokémon is what matters most! Don't worry about me!"

Xinhai looked at Shali and smiled. "You should get back quickly. Remember to check Eevee over. There's too much mud in its fur—it might cover up wounds and cause inflammation!"

"Then we'll head back first! Yingnan, make sure you do your best!" Shali smiled gratefully, hugged Eevee more tightly, waved to the two of them, and turned toward the arena exit.

Perched on her shoulder, Eevee did not forget to look back and cry, "Vee, vee~" at Yingnan, as if cheering him on.

On the way back to school, bits of dried mud occasionally shook loose from Eevee's body, leaving Shali torn between laughter and tears. "Hang on a little longer. You'll get a bath soon," she soothed softly, quickening her pace.

Meanwhile, Yingnan had already stepped onto the battle platform. He took a deep breath and looked at Xinhai waving his arms in the stands, a confident curve lifting the corners of his mouth.

Seeing that both trainers were in position, the referee shouted, "Both sides, send out your Pokémon!"

"Show them what we can do! Go, Phanpy!" Trainer Matsuda was the first to release his Pokémon.

The cute yet powerful-looking elephant Pokémon cried, "Pha, pha, pha~" as its sturdy limbs stomped heavily onto the platform, kicking up fine dust.

"Take the field, Mudkip!" Yingnan sent out his partner as well.

The referee glanced at the two Pokémon, lowered both flags, and declared, "Battle begin!"

"Mudkip, Mud Shot!" Yingnan's gaze was sharp as he swiftly gave the command. Mudkip forcefully swung its tail, spraying brown mud toward Phanpy in a fan-shaped spread.

"Phanpy, use Rock Tomb to block it!" Trainer Matsuda remained calm and unhurried.

Phanpy slammed its sturdy trunk against the ground. Sharp rocks burst from the earth and rose like a fence, precisely blocking the splashing mud.

Yingnan's gaze sharpened, and he immediately adjusted his tactics. "Mudkip, Water Pulse! Circle around and attack from the side!"

"Phanpy, attack!" Trainer Matsuda refused to be outdone.

The rocks that had just blocked Mudkip's attack flew fiercely toward Mudkip under Phanpy's control. The two moves collided with a thunderous crash, and smoke and dust instantly filled the center of the arena.

Yingnan looked at the spreading smoke and dust, a smile appearing on his lips. "Mudkip, charge in and use Mud Shot!"

Trainer Matsuda frowned. "Phanpy, use Odor Sleuth to find it, then use Rock Tomb."

Within the smoke and dust, Mudkip's tail churned up a murky mudstorm, fine droplets of mud spraying outward like a curtain of rain.

Using its keen sense of smell to lock onto its target, Phanpy violently swung its sturdy trunk, sending several rocks through the smoke toward Mudkip.

However, Mudkip used its fins to sense the movements around it. Taking advantage of the smoke's cover, it nimbly rolled to the side and dodged. The rocks grazed past its body and smashed heavily into the ground.

"Keep using Mud Shot!" Yingnan's voice was steady and resolute as he launched a new wave of attacks.