Dust Explosion

Pikachu in the arena hurled an electric ball larger than its own body at Bulbasaur, then used Quick Attack to race close behind it, charging straight at Bulbasaur.

"Using an electric ball to clear the way—they really know how to think!" Yingnan laughed as he watched.

Xinhai ignored Yingnan's remark, staring strangely at Bulbasaur in the arena. Bulbasaur had also condensed a green Energy Ball and thrown it toward the electric ball.

"Bulbasaur, Energy Ball!"

The referee's whistle tore through the air. "Stop immediately—" The violent explosion swallowed his warning.

After the two moves collided and exploded, a secondary explosion unexpectedly occurred. Fortunately, the secondary blast was not especially powerful.

The two trainers stood frozen in place, staring at Pikachu and Bulbasaur, both of whom had lost the ability to battle. They looked panicked and confused.

The energy barrier around the field vanished, and the two trainers hurried forward to check on their Pokémon. After confirming that they were unharmed, they recalled them into their Poké Balls.

The referee approached with a dark expression and gave the two of them a thorough scolding.

"What happened?" Yingnan looked at the halted match, then turned to Xinhai with a puzzled expression.

Xinhai felt a headache coming on. "You should be called up there and lectured too."

Shali realized what had happened as well and said with lingering fear, "It was a dust explosion. Good thing the secondary explosion wasn't severe, or things would have gone badly."

"A secondary explosion? What secondary explosion?" Yingnan looked at the two of them in confusion.

A vein throbbed on Xinhai's forehead as he stepped forward. "You idiot, what did you learn during five years at Pokémon School? When the Energy Balls fired by two Pokémon explode in an environment full of dust, it can trigger an even more violent secondary explosion. Didn't they teach that in battle class during the first half of third grade at Pokémon School?"

Yingnan had no idea what Xinhai's long explanation meant, but to avoid getting beaten up, he quickly nodded. "Got it, got it! It's just a dust explosion, right?"

Xinhai looked at Yingnan suspiciously and patiently explained, "If the department store didn't have humidity-control systems, there'd be no telling whether the two Pokémon in the arena would have survived. The humidity-control systems prevented that from happening, but neither trainer recognized the potential danger, so they'll definitely be punished. I just don't know how severely."

Sure enough, after a short while, the referee finished lecturing the two trainers and announced to the audience, "During their battle, the collision of Energy Balls triggered a secondary dust explosion. Article 17 of the Battle Safety Code explicitly prohibits this! If not for the humidity-control systems suppressing the explosion, both Pokémon might already be dead. As punishment, both competitors are disqualified."

The two trainers looked even more dejected upon hearing that, but they did not dare say anything. After all, it really was their fault.

Yingnan stared at the outcome in disbelief. "Wait, they're just disqualified like that?"

Xinhai rubbed his temples at Yingnan's shocked expression. "There have been precedents for this. Teachers at school have talked about secondary dust explosions too."

Yingnan nodded. "Oh, oh!"

Xinhai sighed helplessly at Yingnan, then continued watching the battle information on the field.

After handling the punishment for the two trainers, the referee began the second match. It ended quickly as well, with a Ponyta and its trainer easily claiming victory.

The audience below erupted into enthusiastic cheers, and the announcement system sounded with a prompt for the next battle.

"Next match: Trainer Sugimoto versus Trainer Terada. Competitors, please take the stage!"

Hearing that, Yingnan said to Xinhai and Shali, "I'm up. Cheer for me!" With a wave, he headed toward the stage.

The Terada trainer who took the stage with Yingnan was a tall girl; the Terada trainer who took the stage with Yingnan was a tall girl wearing a white sunhat.

Seeing that both had taken the field, the referee said, "Both sides, release your Pokémon!"

"Go, Mudkip!" "Show them your beauty, Beautifly!"

The referee retreated outside the field. Once the protective barrier enclosed the arena, he waved his flag. "Battle begin!"

"Mudkip, rapid-fire Water Gun!" "Beautifly, Gust!"

Mudkip puffed out its cheeks, firing streams of powerful water like silver dragons toward Beautifly.

Beautifly lightly fluttered its wings, and a wind carrying Flying type energy swept up, kicking up waves of sand. Under the impact of Gust, the Water Guns veered from their original paths.

Yingnan frowned slightly and swiftly changed his command. "Mudkip, Rock Slide spread!"

The female trainer's expression changed slightly as she ordered, "Take to the air and use Silver Wind at the same time!"

"Croak!"

Mudkip slammed its forepaws against the ground and let out a clear cry. More than a dozen sharp rocks formed around it, pressing toward Beautifly in a fan-shaped spread.

"Coo~ coo~"

Silver light shimmered around Beautifly's body. Its wings vibrated rapidly like propellers, and a Silver Wind wrapped in dazzling streams of light surged skyward.

The two forces collided with a thunderous crash. The rocks from Rock Slide were ground into dust by the whirlwind, turning into a cloud of debris that blocked the audience's view.

The instant the shattered rocks collided with the flowing light, Yingnan smiled faintly and shouted, "Use Mud Shot!"

Mudkip, which had been advancing through the dust cloud, suddenly poked its head out. It condensed a large clump of mud in its hands and hurled it at Beautifly.

Beautifly barely dodged the first clump of mud, but it could not evade the second in time. The heavy mud struck it, and thick sludge stuck to its wings, greatly slowing Beautifly down and making its flight much more laborious.

Trainer Terada held down her white sunhat, her expression turning grim as she swiftly ordered, "Beautifly, Gust!"

Beautifly endured the discomfort and beat its wings. A new gale rose around it, blasting the mud from its wings in all directions. Dust in the air mixed with the kicked-up sand, forming a murky fog.

Mudkip found it difficult to evade such a wide-range attack and could only endure it head-on. Fortunately, Gust was not very powerful and caused limited damage, merely leaving its skin with a faint sense of Paralysis.

Yingnan narrowed his eyes at the field, where visibility had plummeted, and ordered, "Mudkip, sense the opponent and continue with Rock Slide spread!"

Though somewhat uncomfortable, Mudkip still closed its eyes and used its fins to sense every movement around it. Its fins trembled faintly as they caught the slightest changes in the airflow.

Suddenly, it snapped its eyes open and slammed its forepaws heavily into the ground. Sharp rocks gathered around its body, and the female trainer's expression changed slightly at the sight.

However, just as the rocks were about to finish forming, Mudkip's body stiffened. Without Mudkip's control, the rocks around it fell to the ground.

Yingnan's heart skipped a beat when he saw this, thoughts racing through his mind. When did she use Stun Spore? No, Beautifly has been scattering scales the whole time. She must have mixed Stun Spore into them too. I let my guard down. Thinking this, Yingnan silently berated himself.

The female trainer sighed in relief at the sight and decisively ordered, "Beautifly, press the advantage! Use Silver Wind!"

Beautifly flew out of the fog with silver dust shimmering around its body. Its wings beat rapidly, sending a whirlwind wrapped in silver light charging toward Mudkip.

"Mudkip! Use the rocks around you—Rock Tomb to block it!" Yingnan quickly reacted and shouted.

Mudkip forced its paralyzed body to move, gathering the scattered rocks around itself in an attempt to block the incoming attack.

Mudkip gathered the rocks before itself as a shield, but the Silver Wind, wrapped in scales, crashed into them. The seemingly sturdy rocks shattered inch by inch beneath the wind blades, and Mudkip was blown away by the whirlwind, slamming heavily onto the field.

After unleashing Silver Wind, Beautifly panted in midair. Its repeated attacks, combined with the mud on its body beginning to harden, made its wings increasingly heavy.

"Mudkip, get up!" Yingnan shouted anxiously from the field.

Just as the referee was about to begin the count, Mudkip lying on the ground began to move. It struggled to rise, but its body could not move freely due to Paralysis and exhaustion. Even so, it kept its eyes locked on Beautifly in the air.

Seeing Mudkip stand again, Yingnan calmed down. He understood what Mudkip intended and immediately ordered, "Mudkip, Hydro Pump!"