Clashing with Krabby

Totodile was another story. It quickly pulled away, even taunting them smugly.

"Totodile!"

Fortunately, Clefairy kept chasing it, so they wouldn't lose track of it.

Liu Xin soon found Sen Anxiang and called out, "Sen, what are you doing here?"

"You look exhausted."

Sen Anxiang grabbed Liu Xin and took several deep breaths. "A... a thief stole my backpack."

"There wasn't much valuable inside, but all my money and ID were in there."

That meant they had to catch Totodile.

Before Liu Xin could act, Ito Hei sent out Rapidash. "Get moving! Catch up to that Totodile!"

"There's no way you're faster than my Rapidash."

Brimming with confidence, Ito Hei directed Rapidash forward. It raced like the wind, closing in on Totodile.

Totodile had been looking smug, but now it panicked. Where had this guy come from?

It couldn't match Rapidash's speed. That thing was way too fast!

Rapidash soon blocked Totodile's path, giving it an unfriendly look that warned it to stop.

"Totodile!"

With an angry cry, it slid right underneath Rapidash. What a move.

Even Ito Hei was stunned. "It can do that? Is it an acrobat?"

"Keep chasing! Don't let it escape!"

But Totodile was no pushover. As a Water-type Pokémon, why wouldn't it take to the water?

Water was everywhere in this city. Totodile quickly leaped in and vanished from sight.

It was plenty fast in the water, too.

Liu Xin's face darkened. He immediately sent out Shiny Cubone. "Go after it! Don't let it get away!"

"Rapidash, pick up the pace too! Don't lose it!"

Shiny Cubone and Rapidash were both fast, and they soon caught up with Totodile in the water.

Totodile had thought it was safe. Who could have expected them to keep chasing it from land?

Sen Anxiang saw the problem clearly. "We won't catch it like this. We need a Water-type Pokémon."

That put Liu Xin in a bind. It wasn't that he didn't want Pokémon of other types; the system restricted him to training Ground-type Pokémon.

That severely limited his options. Ito Hei, beside him, was firm. "Count me out. I'm not that interested in Water-type Pokémon."

"I'm going to become a Pokémon Master specializing in Normal- and Fire-types. Other types would only get in my way."

At that, everyone's gaze fell on Sen Anxiang.

She was the only one left who could make the choice, and she wanted to catch a Water-type Pokémon anyway.

Ding! Side quest triggered: Help Sen Anxiang recover her backpack and catch Totodile.

Success reward: 50 Points and one Rare Candy. When consumed, it raises a Pokémon's level by one.

After all this time, the system had finally issued a quest. If it had stayed silent much longer, Liu Xin might have forgotten it existed.

Liu Xin rolled up his sleeves and thumped his chest. "Sen, you haven't forgotten how I taught you to catch Pokémon, have you?"

"Good. Let's catch you a Water-type Pokémon."

At the mention of catching a Water-type Pokémon, Sen Anxiang grew excited and looked at Liu Xin expectantly.

Clefairy soon picked out a target: a level 21 Krabby.

The others had expected her to choose a cute Pokémon. They hadn't imagined she would go for something so fierce.

Krabby's body was red and white. The top half of its head and both claws were red; the rest was white.

Two bumps rose from its head, and toothlike projections lined its lower jaw.

Sen Anxiang smiled. "I really like crabs, so I've always wanted a crab Pokémon."

"How could I see a Krabby and not try to catch it?"

Her tastes were a little unusual, but they could understand. Krabby did look imposing and cool.

Of course, Clefairy could never win this fight alone.

A level 15 Clefairy defeating a level 21 Krabby? That was pure fantasy.

This was where Liu Xin came in. The moment Mutant Phanpy appeared, it threw back its head and roared.

"Phanpy!"

It had been far too long since it had last fought. Liu Xin hadn't even used it in the previous Gym battle, and it was itching for action.

It glared fiercely at Clefairy and Krabby, eager to fight. If Liu Xin said nothing, it might take them both on.

Liu Xin fixed his sights on Krabby and shouted, "Use Fireball Technique!"

After its recent training, Mutant Phanpy's Fire-type moves had become even more terrifying. Even a casual strike sent out waves of searing heat.

The temperature surged, frightening Clefairy into hiding behind Sen Anxiang.

Sen Anxiang's eyes lit up. "Phanpy's so cute—and so strong!"

"It's a shame I've never seen you use it before."

"Krabby!"

Those claws were no joke. With a roar, Krabby swung them forward.

Metal Claw!

Its red claws instantly swelled, silver coating their surfaces and making them hard as steel.

Bang!

The Fireball Technique shattered on impact.

Mutant Phanpy only grew more excited. Now this was a fight worth having.

"Use Earthquake, then follow it with Flamethrower!"

Combining the two moves was bound to have a different effect.

In the distance, Krabby grew wary. The ground around it began to shake and crack.

Krabby didn't dodge. Instead, it drove both claws into the ground.

Stomp!

It answered force with force. The clash with Earthquake split the ground between them in an instant, sending stones flying.

Both sides were incredibly strong.

A massive pillar of fire burst from Mutant Phanpy's mouth and shot straight toward Krabby.

Krabby began blowing bubbles. It was the classic move: Bubble Beam.

Bubble after bubble struck Flamethrower, stopping the flames in their tracks.

The bubbles kept pushing forward, gradually gaining the upper hand.

Bubble Beam continued to advance as Flamethrower faded.

Mutant Phanpy was starting to struggle, but it was still nowhere near its limit.

Liu Xin shouted, "Drop Flamethrower! Use Ground Spike now and strike from underneath!"

"Then take Bubble Beam head-on!"

Bang!

A sharp spike of earth erupted from the ground and struck Krabby cleanly.

Strong as Krabby was, it couldn't withstand a spike appearing without warning. The blow sent it flying.

Mutant Phanpy, meanwhile, took Bubble Beam head-on and stayed standing.

"Fireball Technique!"

It rushed toward Krabby, its mutant Ability, Armor-Breaking Fire, empowering the attack.

Flames blazed without end, wrapping around Krabby and burning it. The effect was immediate.