The same thing had happened five days ago, when they encountered a blonde girl who also had a Dragon-type Pokémon. They never expected that five days later... they would run into a boy with a Dragon-type Pokémon too.
Was their defeat going to repeat itself?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
They were furious over their previous defeat and decided to stop hiding. They would show themselves and teach these two a lesson, avenging what had happened five days ago while they were at it.
Whether Qingliu was actually Cynthia did not matter. As long as they thought he was, that was enough.
Qingliu was a little surprised to see the three Pokémon appear so brazenly before him.
After dealing with the two Zubat, he had just been wondering how to lure the remaining Pokémon out. If they insisted on hiding, defeating them would still be quite troublesome, even if his panel could locate them.
"Still, this is the first time I've seen Ghost-type Pokémon since coming to this world."
Qingliu watched the dark green, ghostlike Pokémon drifting around him. Their long green-and-red hair trailed behind their heads like ghostly flames, but the most striking feature was the string of red prayer beads around each of their necks.
[Species] Misdreavus/Misdreavus/Misdreavus [Category] Screech Pokémon [Type] Ghost [Ability] Levitate/Levitate/Levitate [Level] 16/16/17 [Exclusive moves] None [Learned moves] Confusion, Astonish, Confuse Ray/Growl, Confusion, Astonish/Confusion, Astonish, Confuse Ray, Mean Look [Base stats] 435 (HP 60, Attack 60, Defense 60, Special Attack 85, Special Defense 85, Speed 85) [Friendship] -20 (Displeased with you and Agumon) ×3 [Status] Normal [Summary] Always hides in the shadows. Enjoys making strange noises to frighten others, or suddenly tugging at and biting their hair. When someone feels fear, the red prayer beads around Misdreavus's neck emit an eerie glow and absorb that fear. However, against bold people or Pokémon, their most effective tactics become useless.
As Qingliu read the information on the panel, he gradually struggled to keep a straight face.
"Against bold people and Pokémon..."
He would not call himself timid, but he was not especially brave either. One fellow here, however, was incredibly bold.
Qingliu glanced at Agumon beside him, who was staring at the three Misdreavus flying overhead like ghosts.
There was not the slightest trace of fear or alarm in Agumon. If anything, there was more curiosity.
Even without a Crest of Courage to prove it, his Agumon's combination of obliviousness and sheer recklessness meant that even if a real ghost appeared, the first thing Agumon did would probably not be to run away, but to charge straight in and fight.
Fear? Agumon would have to understand the concept first.
"These Misdreavus have stumbled straight into their nemesis."
Qingliu could not help marveling.
The Misdreavus also sensed that something was wrong. Usually, when the three of them popped out of nowhere to startle someone, humans and Pokémon alike would feel at least some fear. Today, however, things were decidedly different.
The human at the back was normal enough, but what was wrong with this yellow Pokémon in front of them? Despite their keen sensitivity to negative emotions, they could not detect the slightest hint of fear in this fellow. It made no sense at all!
Since startling Agumon alone was not working, the three Misdreavus decided to use their mouths.
With piercing shrieks, the three Misdreavus rushed at Agumon from three directions.
"Qingliu, can I burn these guys?"
Agumon turned back and pointed at Agumon's head and arm with a somewhat helpless look.
Two Misdreavus had opened their mouths and latched onto Agumon's head, while the third had bitten down on Agumon's arm. Their faces wore vicious expressions that would send a chill through anyone who saw them.
Yet Agumon seemed completely oblivious to the sight, awkwardly scratching Agumon's cheek with a claw while asking for Qingliu's permission.
And from what Qingliu had learned about Agumon over the past few days, Agumon's slight aversion to dirt meant that while their scare tactics might not be frightening, the drool they left behind while biting might well be annoying.
"Go ahead. Pepper Breath," Qingliu said.
Seeing Qingliu nod, Agumon stopped hesitating and spat a fireball straight at the Misdreavus clinging to Agumon's arm.
"Muma!"
Faced with the attack, the Misdreavus immediately released its bite and let out a shrill cry, dodging the Pepper Breath with a few drifting movements.
Seeing this, the other two also backed away from Agumon. Then all three lined up overhead and opened their mouths, releasing a chorus of chilling screams at Agumon.
Despite taking the brunt of it, Agumon showed no sign of being frightened into flinching or retreating, instead raising a claw and immediately fighting back.
Qingliu, standing behind Agumon, was the one startled by the sudden noise.
"Even from this far away, Astonish still reached me."
Qingliu quietly put some more distance between himself and the fight, then ordered Agumon, "Keep using Pepper Breath."
Fireball after fireball burst from Agumon's mouth, shooting toward the three Misdreavus in an unbroken barrage.
Facing the attacks, the Misdreavus drifted lightly from side to side, dodging every single Pepper Breath.
After dodging, they hid in the surroundings, then suddenly appeared again in an attempt to frighten Agumon.
"No wonder those trainers were all wiped out on the first floor. Even against Agumon, who feels no fear and renders their main method of attack useless, they can still use their uncanny speed to maneuver and counterattack."
Qingliu quickly analyzed the three Misdreavus's evasive movements and the information on the panel.
Although the Misdreavus's Speed stats were considerably lower than those of Candice's Sneasel, their almost negligible weight made their movements more nimble and agile.
One side attacked while the other dodged; the other counterattacked while the first was immune. The battle gradually settled into an endless loop.
But as the fight between Agumon and the three Misdreavus shifted toward a corner, the stalemate came to an end.
"Agumon, charge toward that corner on the left."
Agumon lowered both claws and jumped back to create some distance, then ran in the direction Qingliu had indicated.
The three Misdreavus exchanged glances and hurried after Agumon, preparing their moves to attack.
Two flickering Confuse Rays and a blue beam of Confusion shot straight toward Agumon's back.
Agumon showed no intention of stopping, instead accelerating toward the wall.
"Use the corner as a foothold! Run up the walls, get close to Misdreavus, and use Pepper Breath!"
As Qingliu's words rang out, Agumon sprang into action, leaping hard onto the left wall before planting another step against the wall on the right.
By the time the Misdreavus realized something was wrong and stopped advancing, Agumon had already turned completely around, wisps of flame swirling inside Agumon's mouth.
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