If even mice can use Mouse Dance, who can't use Dragon Dance?

Limited by their base stats, Route 1 Mice generally weren't very strong in battle.

Aside from Hyper Fang, which could occasionally work wonders, they had little else going for them.

But Maushold was definitely an exception.

At Qingyu's command, the four white mice on his side of the field calmly pulled brooms from behind their backs and sprinted off in four different directions in perfect coordination.

Wherever they went, the Stealth Rock scattered by Skarmory, the dust on the ground, and even the opposing Skarmory's body were quickly swept spotlessly clean.

The entire battlefield looked brand-new in an instant.

[Where the hell am I? Is this still a Pokémon battle? Where did he find these AAA-rated housekeeping mice?]

[The other guy's stunned too. So you can clear hazards like this? Now he'll have to switch if he wants to keep being greedy with hazards, right?]

[You know what? Maushold really is efficient at clearing hazards!]

"You didn't think that was all, did you?"

Qingyu smiled slightly, watching Maushold clean up the battlefield.

Having finished cleaning, the mice quickly returned to their own half.

But before they could catch their breath, Skarmory, still under the effects of Encore, scattered another batch of Stealth Rock.

A few stones even landed squarely on the mice's foreheads.

Maushold's eyes instantly sharpened. All four mice turned murderous gazes on Skarmory as their bodies began glowing orange.

Now you've really made us mice angry!

Tidy Up, also known as Mouse Dance.

It was one of Maushold's signature moves, though Sentret and Minccino could also learn it through breeding.

And this move was no joke.

As everyone knew, Dragon Dance was an exceptionally prestigious boosting move. Before its corresponding TM was introduced, only a handful of Dragon-type Pokémon could learn it.

For many Pokémon, the immediate combat benefits of boosting both Attack and Speed were something Swords Dance simply couldn't match.

And Tidy Up was called Mouse Dance precisely because, besides clearing every disruptive element from both sides of the field-even substitutes-it also provided the same stat boosts as Dragon Dance.

Perhaps the logic was that Maushold tended to be clean freaks who couldn't stand opponents littering the field, so they kindly sent those opponents back into their Poké Balls?

How considerate of you, master mice!

In short, it was hard to imagine a single move that could clear hazards, remove substitutes, and boost stats all at once.

Qingyu had also mentioned before that powerful moves usually came with drawbacks.

So what was Tidy Up's drawback?

The answer: it also swept away any hazards and substitutes on your own side.

Of course, the solution was simple-

If I don't set hazards or put up substitutes, doesn't that mean there's no drawback?

With a move this incredible in its arsenal, Maushold was naturally no weakling.

So let me ask you.

If even mice can use Mouse Dance, who can't use Dragon Dance?

Gosh, what a tough one~ (laughs)

Noticing that Qingyu's Maushold had boosted its stats, his opponent froze briefly, then quickly recovered and decisively recalled Skarmory.

It was already a little late, but if he didn't deal with this now, he'd really be raising a monster!

"Keep using Tidy Up!"

Qingyu seized the opening while his opponent switched and gave another command.

Not only did it clear the Stealth Rock hovering over his side, it also boosted Maushold's combat power even further.

With their Speed cranked up and their damage doubled, the mice were clearly ready to run wild.

Under pressure, his opponent chose to send out Bronzong.

"I don't even need to look. He's definitely going for Trick Room."

Qingyu shook his head.

He had mentioned in his video that this team composition was only good for catching an unprepared opponent off guard.

It was simply too predictable. Every Pokémon had a fixed role.

As long as the opponent knew to counter it, they would never let you have your way.

"Bronzong, Trick Room!"

"Maushold, Taunt!"

Both sides called their commands almost simultaneously, but the mice reacted considerably faster than Bronzong.

While Trick Room was still charging, a mass of black energy slipped into Bronzong's body, forcing it to abandon the move it was preparing.

[Huh? Are you cheating?]

[You predicted this too? Streamer, you really were holding out on us!]

[That command was so decisive. He must've already predicted what his opponent was thinking. Looks like the streamer's revealing his true skill...]

If that opening Encore lock could be chalked up to a deeper understanding of the team composition, this Taunt was pure mind reading.

Clearly, the two Trainers were on completely different levels.

His opponent was at a loss too. Only after a long silence did he issue another command.

"Protect!"

Before his opponent could speak, Qingyu's lips curled into a broad grin as he made his call first.

"Your next line is-"

"Bronzong, Explosion!"

Protect's barrier descended ahead of time, shielding the family of mice.

The opposing Bronzong slowly drew closer.

Its body began flashing white, the intervals between flashes growing shorter and shorter.

Once white light completely engulfed its body, a terrifying surge of energy erupted from its center, bringing blinding light and a thunderous explosion.

However...

When the dust raised by the blast settled, Bronzong had already blacked out and collapsed on the field, while Maushold remained completely unharmed.

Thanks to their advance preparation, even an Explosion at such close range only barely broke through Protect's barrier and had virtually no effect on Maushold.

[I'm stunned. He predicted his opponent's commands twice in a row. The other guy's mental probably used Explosion too...]

[Hacks!]

"No need to spam applause for basic plays. This is the most basic prediction, class. Play enough and it'll come naturally."

Qingyu smiled slightly. The deadliest flex was the effortless kind.

His game sense had been honed through at least ten thousand Pokémon battles. Though he was probably still well below the professional players from his previous life, he counted as a fairly skilled player.

Those two predictions hadn't just brought the score to 1-0. More importantly, they had completely wrecked his opponent's game plan.

Set hazards, and they'd be cleared away while even handing over stat boosts. Skip the hazards and go on the offensive, and facing this fully boosted Maushold was basically suicide.

Even trying to blow up alongside it would likely get predicted again, throwing away a Pokémon for nothing.

In just a few short exchanges, Qingyu had practically fried his opponent's brain.

With his brain stalled, his commands slowed considerably too.

And besides, Tidy Up wasn't the mice's only powerful move.

"Maushold, Population Bomb!"

The opposing Metagross had barely entered the field before it saw an entire family of mice charging toward it with claws and teeth bared.

They were blindingly fast, landing multiple biting attacks in the blink of an eye.

Metagross's HP plunged like a roller coaster, nearly emptying out in an instant.

And that was with its Steel type resisting Normal-type attacks, plus its own respectable Defense.

Had it been a Pokémon of another type, or more of a glass cannon, it probably would've dropped dead on the spot.

[Huh?]

[???]

[That damage is insane! Maushold is actually this strong?]

The chat instantly filled with question marks, stunned by the sight of the mice overwhelming Metagross.

Monthly votes count double for the last three days of the month, so let me shamelessly ask for a few~