Pokemon: My Strange Pokemons

The battle continued.

"Go, Happiny!"

The girl's energetic call surprised the Machop's trainer. He thought the previous match would have broken their morale.

But it didn't matter. This Happiny seemed even weaker than the Doduo from earlier. Machop should have no trouble taking it down.

If the opponents were all at this level, maybe Machop could take on ten in a row and achieve the legendary feat of "I'll take all ten of you!"

Such a record wouldn't just be rare; it'd be monumental.

And afterward, wouldn't he gain the coveted "priority dating rights" at school?

"Happiny, use Charm!"

The opponent's command pulled him back from his daydreams. He quickly refocused on the battle.

"Machop, dodge and close in!"

While the command to "dodge" might seem simplistic, the reality was that against the slow-moving fairy energy Happiny sent out, Machop could sidestep with ease.

With that, Machop's trainer grew more confident.

If this was the speed of its moves, this match was in the bag!

Although Machop wasn't particularly fast, Happiny seemed frozen in place. Even a sluggish Pokémon like Torkoal could have reached her easily.

"Machop, use Karate Chop!"

The command came when there was still some distance between them, allowing Machop to prepare its move in advance.

The advantage of this strategy was obvious: it let Machop charge up its attack and strike immediately upon contact.

However, it had a drawback—once a Pokémon focused on charging its move, it couldn't easily respond to a counterattack. For rookie-level trainers, this nuance was often overlooked.

But Machop's trainer didn't care. They were all baby-stage Pokémon—what counterattack could Happiny possibly manage? An Ice Beam or something?

At that moment, the short-haired girl controlling Happiny seemed to relax. A sly smile crept across her face, like a fisherman finally reeling in their catch.

"Happiny, use Mud Bomb!"

Mud Bomb? What kind of move was that? Wasn't it a Ground-type special attack?

The world of Pokémon was vast, with countless abilities, items, and moves. A rookie trainer couldn't possibly remember them all.

But it didn't matter. It didn't sound threatening, and Ground-type moves didn't have an advantage over Fighting-types anyway.

Machop's trainer dismissed it with a shrug. "Machop, ignore it and keep going!"

As Machop ran in a straight line, it was hardly a moving target. Missing a shot now would be akin to fumbling a ball at the goal line.

Fortunately, Happiny wasn't incompetent enough to make such a mistake. The mud-like energy formed in its tiny hands before being hurled forward.

With a splat, the yellowish mud hit Machop squarely in the face, smearing most of it over its wide-open eyes.

"Machop!" it cried out in shock, stumbling and losing its footing. Even its arms, charged with Karate Chop, wavered in confusion.

The unexpected turn of events thawed the chilly atmosphere among the Normal-Type Class.

Although the mud attack didn't seem particularly powerful, it was by far the most effective counter they'd managed so far.

"We're not just Caterpie waiting to be squashed!"

"Finally, something's working! Who knew quiet little Lizz could perform so well?"

"The first two were too dumb—no ranged attacks at all. Happiny's playing smart!"

"Wait, didn't I see Ethan whispering something to Lizz earlier?"

Their chatter grew more animated as they pieced together the scene.

Meanwhile, their teacher, Dhan, smiled approvingly at Ethan.

He'd seen Ethan advising Lizz earlier and understood that Happiny's improved strategy was his doing.

Clearly, Mud Bomb wasn't a move they'd prioritized in training. Happiny's technique was raw, and the attack lacked power.

But against a physically-oriented Pokémon like Machop, lowering its accuracy was more effective than dealing damage.

It didn't matter if Happiny's ability was Serene Grace—the mud was already doing its job of blinding Machop. Ethan's plan was working!

Machop's trainer was at a loss.

As a rookie trainer, he didn't realize he could act as Machop's eyes and guide it to attack.

Instead, he stood there frozen, watching Machop stumble aimlessly.

"Happiny, use Sweet Kiss!"

Sweet Kiss? What kind of move was that?

Most people in the audience were puzzled; the move was too obscure.

But its obscurity wasn't due to ineffectiveness—it was a Fairy-type move.

Fairy-types were only discovered last year, and most people barely recognized the Pokémon, let alone their moves.

Especially for this group of rookie high school trainers.

"Dooli" Happiny cooed as it released a pink, swirling energy.

The wave of Fairy-type energy floated gently toward Machop, landing squarely on it.

Machop's movements grew even more erratic.

"Machop, Happiny is right in front of you! Just keep charging and attack!"

"Ma… chop…"

Whack!

The sound of a punch echoed—not the sound of Machop hitting Happiny, but of Machop punching itself in the face.

Its trainer was dumbstruck. "Machop, what are you doing?! Hit Happiny, not yourself!"

Unbeknownst to him, Machop had succumbed to the confusion status.

Faced with an opponent blinded by mud and randomly attacking itself, what would you do?

Lizz didn't hesitate to do what anyone in her situation would: kick them while they were down.

"Happiny, another Mud Bomb!"

Splat!

The previous mud was still clinging to Machop's face when another glob landed squarely on top of it.

"Machop!" it cried out in frustration, helplessness, and perhaps even despair.

Machop's trainer was paralyzed. He had come prepared for a fistfight, but this was… a mud-slinging war?

"How could a Happiny be this annoying?!"

(Chapter End)