Han Liangping

Bug-type Pokémon generally had very short lifespans, but in exchange, they evolved extremely quickly. Caterpie could evolve into Metapod once its energy level reached 7, and Metapod only needed to reach level 10 to evolve into its final form, Butterfree.

For Popplio, that would not even meet the requirements for its first evolution, so Bug-types were the first choice for the vast majority of Pokémon Trainers of modest means.

Still, raising a Caterpie into a Butterfree during just two months of summer vacation, without excessively draining a Bug-type Pokémon's lifespan, was an exceptionally rare accomplishment among the new students. No wonder a rookie who chose Caterpie as his starter Pokémon had made it into Class 1, Xiao Ran thought.

Butterfree's opponent was a Grass-type Bellsprout. Although it had been raised well, it clearly stood no chance against Butterfree. The type disadvantage, coupled with the enormous gap in base stats, allowed Butterfree to win easily. It did not even use any Bug-type moves, merely firing off the Flying-type move Gust repeatedly to knock out the Grass- and Poison-type Bellsprout in an instant.

The third match would pit Lan Yanxi against either Xiao Ran or Han Liangping. Perhaps because Han Liangping had won more easily, the referee assigned her to him. This would give the defeated trainers more time to rest, allowing their Pokémon to recover as much stamina and heal as many injuries as possible.

When Staryu and Butterfree took their places on the battlefield, the students truly felt the pressure of battle for the first time. The Pokémon were closely matched, and their Pokémon Trainers were no clueless beginners either. Xiao Ran suddenly felt that this might be an exciting match.

"Butterfree, Supersonic!"

"Staryu, Confuse Ray!"

As both Pokémon Trainers' voices rang out, the two Pokémon used confusion-inducing moves simultaneously, as if perfectly in sync. One used Supersonic to disrupt thought through infrasonic interference, while the other used Confuse Ray to produce a hypnotic effect through visual stimulation.

"Fall back! Put some distance between you! Don't look at the light!"

"Fall back! Avoid the sound waves!"

Once again, their commands were similar, and both Pokémon swiftly retreated. Sound- and light-based moves covered too wide an area to dodge completely; the best approach was to get far away. That brief exchange immediately demonstrated how much their knowledge of Pokémon and understanding of moves surpassed everyone else's.

"Butterfree, use Gust!" Han Liangping ordered once they had opened up some distance.

Butterfree flapped its wings, sending powerful gusts toward Staryu. Although they fell short of typhoon strength, they were far stronger than those produced by the Pidgey that had fought Xiao Ran earlier.

"Hmph! You think I don't know what you're planning? Staryu, Rapid Spin, close in!" Lan Yanxi said with a cold laugh.

At that distance, Gust could not possibly hurt Staryu, yet her opponent had still ordered his Pokémon to use it. There was only one possibility: there was something unusual about that wind.

Unlike Pidgey, the Pokémon using Gust this time was Butterfree, a Bug-type. What did butterflies have all over their bodies? Scales! Stun Spore, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder... once mixed into the wind, they could travel such a long distance that the enemy would have nowhere to hide. Gust was not meant to attack, but to carry those powders as far as possible, ideally covering the entire battlefield.

It was an overt gambit, a tactic Lan Yanxi had no choice but to confront.

If this had been a Water-type battlefield, Lan Yanxi would not have cared at all. She could simply have Staryu dive underwater. But this was a standard battlefield, with flat ground and an expansive sky, yet not a single drop of water.

Fortunately, Staryu still had Rapid Spin. With the gem at its center serving as its axis, its entire body began spinning at high speed. Moreover, any of Staryu's five points could serve as a proper foot. Spinning rapidly gave it tremendous jumping power, and it hurtled toward Butterfree.

"Butterfree, Air Slash!" Seeing that Staryu was about to hit Butterfree, Han Liangping immediately ordered a new move—Air Slash.

It was a Flying-type move that attacked with blades of air capable of slicing even the sky. Some timid Pokémon might even flinch from it. Since Butterfree had been using Gust all along, it needed no preparation to unleash this move. A few powerful beats of its wings sent two incredibly fast wind blades shooting out, slamming hard into Staryu.

"Staryu!" Lan Yanxi cried out in alarm. She had not expected her opponent's Butterfree to have mastered even Air Slash. Unlike Gust, this move required a certain degree of control over Flying-type Elements. In other words, Butterfree already had one foot across the threshold of Entry Class.

It was not just Lan Yanxi; Xiao Ran's expression also turned serious at the sight of that move. What was the greatest difference between Entry Class and Normal Class? Control over elemental energy.

Being able to use an advanced Flying-type move like Air Slash meant that Butterfree was definitely close to advancing. Still, that was only natural. After evolving twice in succession, even a Bug-type Pokémon ought to reach Entry Class. Otherwise, how could it protect its own colony?

Butterfree was clearly still in Normal Class because its Pokémon Trainer had held it back, slowing its growth to ensure that it had enough potential and lifespan to go further. This was another difference between Bug-type Pokémon and other types. Other Pokémon needed to uncover as much of their potential as possible, while Bug-types first needed to preserve their lifespan and potential as much as they could.

Meeting Air Slash head-on cost Staryu one of its points, which was sliced clean off. For Pokémon like it, however, losing part of their bodies was not a major problem. As long as the core remained intact, the missing part would quickly grow back. Even so, Lan Yanxi's battle had come to an end.

Fortunately, despite losing, Staryu had still depleted a great deal of its opponent's stamina. Naturally, that left Han Liangping at a significant disadvantage for his upcoming match against Xiao Ran. This was also the immense strain that the Freshman Challenge placed on Pokémon's endurance.

Lan Yanxi had lost, and the medical staff took Staryu away for treatment and to recover its stamina. Rather than making her battle again immediately, the next match was between the two freshmen who had lost: Pidgey against Bellsprout. As a Flying-type, Pidgey naturally had an enormous advantage and won easily. For those two, however, the Freshman Challenge ended there. Against any of the remaining three, they would only be handing over points.

Once their match ended and Lan Yanxi went to rest, the next battle naturally became a showdown between Xiao Ran and Han Liangping. A win here would guarantee Han Liangping's qualification, while Xiao Ran, whether he won or lost, would still have to wait for the result of his final match against Lan Yanxi. The qualifying spot for Group Thirteen had become an internal contest among Class 1 students.

"Go, Popplio, use Water Gun!" After sending out Popplio, Xiao Ran wasted no time and immediately ordered it to attack.

Butterfree had a wealth of status moves, along with Supersonic, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Confusion, Air Slash... although Xiao Ran had not seen it use many of those moves earlier, the ones he knew about were troublesome enough. Naturally, he could not give his opponent time to seize the initiative. An immediate offensive was undoubtedly the best choice.

"Dodge it, then use Supersonic!"

"Popplio, Growl!"

Water Gun was extremely difficult to land at long range, and Xiao Ran only intended to further restrict his opponent's movements. Still, Supersonic, which could easily cause confusion, was not without a counter. The best way to break a sound-based move was to drown it out with another sound.

The force of Growl mingled with Supersonic, producing a series of piercing noises. Both Popplio and Butterfree showed traces of pain.

"Butterfree, Gust, blow it away!" Continuing Supersonic would only hurt them both. Han Liangping gritted his teeth, hoping to open up some distance first, but Xiao Ran had no intention of giving him that chance.

"Don't be afraid. Jump up, then charge over with Aqua Jet!" Xiao Ran said firmly.

Hearing his words, Popplio did not hesitate. It swiftly formed a Water Balloon beneath itself, then used the balloon's bounce to leap into the air. Immediately afterward, a stream of water formed behind it, propelling it rapidly toward its opponent.

"Butterfree, Tackle!" Seeing Popplio jump clear of the center of Gust, Han Liangping knew it was already too late for Butterfree to dodge. Repeating the earlier trick with Air Slash was not realistic either. He could only have it hastily use Tackle to reduce the damage it took as much as possible.

Tackle had been Butterfree's only offensive move back when it was a Caterpie. Even after evolving, it had not forgotten that basic move and could still use it. Although a rushed attack could not match its opponent's Aqua Jet, it would be enough to minimize the damage. After that, it would be time to counterattack.

Thud! With a muffled impact, the two Pokémon collided heavily. Popplio's forward charge stopped abruptly, and it fell straight toward the ground, while Butterfree was flung backward like a kite with a broken string, desperately beating its wings to regain its balance.

In the end, Popplio landed safely with the help of a Water Balloon, while Butterfree spun repeatedly through the air before narrowly managing to stop. Yet a faint smile appeared on Han Liangping's face, because he had already spotted the powder drifting down from above. It was Stun Spore shaken loose from Butterfree during the collision, a contingency he had prepared as soon as he saw Aqua Jet.

"Butterfree! Confusion!" The moment both Pokémon steadied themselves, Han Liangping swiftly gave his command.

"Popplio, Disarming Voice!" Xiao Ran called out a move name that no one present recognized. As his voice faded, a lilting song slowly reached their ears. Without realizing it, everyone became immersed in the melody, like a siren's song. They seemed to see a vast ocean, a lush green island, and a legendary mermaid singing a heart-stirring song atop a reef, making them involuntarily yearn to draw closer, closer, and closer still...

"Hiss..." The mental trauma inflicted by Disarming Voice sent Butterfree, which had been using Confusion, abruptly crashing to the ground. The stabbing pain in its mind left it rolling incessantly on the ground, frightening Han Liangping into rushing toward his Pokémon.

"Butterfree!" Han Liangping cried out, dropping to his knees beside it, at a complete loss. He had never encountered anything like this before.

"Butterfree is unable to battle. Popplio wins!" Meanwhile, the referee announced the result and quickly brought the Medical Team over to Butterfree to conduct a thorough examination.