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"This time it's Lapras? Alright then! In that case—let's begin! Shuckle, Rock Throw!"
As usual, Ginko announced the start of the battle. The next moment, Shuckle unleashed an overwhelming barrage of Rock Throw.
A glowing white ring formed above Shuckle's head, and countless sharp little stones tore through the air, striking Lapras's body one after another.
"Wuuu!!"
Lapras cried out in pain as the rocks pelted her—clearly taking significant damage.
"Lapras is part Ice-type—Rock-type moves are super effective! Even if Shuckle's Attack stat is low, you can't underestimate it! She can't take any more hits!"
Liam called out with concern as he watched Lapras being bombarded.
"I understand! Lapras, hang in there! Use Confuse Ray!"
Delia immediately reacted to Liam's warning.
"Wuuu!!"
Despite the rain of rocks, Lapras forced her head up. Her large eyes gleamed, unleashing two shimmering black-violet beams of energy. They cut through the falling rocks and struck Shuckle dead-on.
"Shuuuckle~"
Caught by the eerie rays, Shuckle entered a state of confusion just as expected. The Rock Throw barrage came to a halt, and Shuckle began wobbling as if drunk—swaying unsteadily on its stubby legs.
"Huh? It's confused? That's going to be a problem…"
Ginko frowned slightly at the sight of his swaying Shuckle and murmured under his breath.
"Now's our chance, Lapras! Use Water Pulse!"
Delia didn't hesitate. Seeing the attack stop, she quickly seized the opportunity and shouted her next command.
"Wuuu~"
A deep blue orb of water rapidly formed in Lapras's mouth. She swung her head with force, launching the Water Pulse toward Shuckle at high speed.
"Shuckle! Use Withdraw!"
Seeing the incoming attack, Ginko quickly gave the command—despite knowing Shuckle was still confused, he was hoping it could respond in time.
But that hope was in vain. Instead of retreating into its shell, the confused Shuckle raised both front legs and smacked itself on the head—twice—making its dizziness even worse.
A moment later, the deep blue Water Pulse smashed directly into its body, sending a massive splash of water flying in all directions. The dazed Shuckle didn't even react before it was blown backward, crashing into a nearby tree trunk and leaving a shallow dent. It slid down slowly, eyes spiraling.
"Shuckle is unable to battle. Please hold on…"
Ginko shouted as soon as he saw Shuckle collapse, then gave a short wave toward Delia before turning to walk over and retrieve his Pokémon.
"Yay! Lapras, that was awesome! You beat one opponent as soon as you came out! But don't get cocky—there are still two more to go! Let's keep up the pace!"
"Wuuu~~"
Delia bounced up in excitement, praising Lapras with a big smile. Lapras responded happily, her eyes gleaming with pride.
"Alright, the battle continues. Time for my second Pokémon—go! Pineco!"
Ginko returned to his spot without wasting time or words and tossed out his second PokeBall.
Pop!
"Pine! Pine!"
With a flash of light, a brownish-gray Pineco appeared on the battlefield.
"This is my second Pokémon, Pineco! I'm attacking right away, so get ready! Pineco, use Pin Missile!"
Ginko's style hadn't changed—he always went on the offensive first. As soon as the command left his mouth, Pineco began to vibrate rapidly, launching white-glowing Pin Missiles at Lapras.
"I knew you'd try something! Lapras, use Mist!"
Delia had been anticipating the strike. The moment Ginko gave his command, she shouted her own.
"Wuuu~~"
Lapras opened her mouth, releasing thick white mist that spread rapidly across the battlefield—half the field was blanketed in seconds.
"Pine!"
With its line of sight completely blocked, Pineco's Pin Missiles lost their target and flew blindly into the mist before disappearing without a sound. Pineco grew irritated—red anger marks formed on its heavily armored shell as it glared into the fog, clearly itching to charge in. If Ginko weren't holding it back, it probably would've already stormed in just to make noise.
"Calm down, Pineco. Since we can't see the target, use Iron Defense first—boost your defense!"
Sensing Pineco's restlessness, Ginko gave a low command.
"Pine!"
Pineco nodded, then its already-tough shell began to shine with a metallic glow—its defenses growing even stronger.
"Counterattack, Lapras! Use Confuse Ray again!"
Delia couldn't see what was happening inside the fog either—but that didn't matter. As long as Lapras could see, it was enough. The previous Confuse Ray had worked well, and she was hoping for a repeat.
"Wuuu~"
Following the command, Lapras let out a low hum. Two black-violet rays burst through the mist, heading straight for Pineco.
"Block it, Pineco! Use Protect!"
Just as the rays were about to strike, Ginko's order came through.
"Pine!!"
A pale blue barrier surrounded Pineco just in time, completely blocking the Confuse Ray.
"We've got your location now! Pineco, use Pin Missile!"
Lapras's attack had revealed her position, and in this grassy field without water, her movement was limited. Ginko quickly followed up with a counterstrike.
"Pine!"
Pineco launched another volley of Pin Missiles into the mist. This time, there was no mistake—thudding impacts followed, and then came Lapras's cries of pain. The attack had landed.
"Lapras! Darn it—we can't see anything in there… What should we do? What should we… Wait! Lapras, use Sing!!"
Delia clenched her fists, struggling to come up with a plan—until inspiration struck. Her eyes lit up as she called into the mist with a big grin.
A soft, ethereal melody floated out from the mist. The serene singing seemed to purify the hearts of all who heard it—humans and Pokémon alike.
"No! Pineco, don't listen! You'll fall asleep!"
Ginko blinked, caught off guard by the song. He quickly covered his ears and shouted in warning.
But his Pineco was already swaying on its feet, drowsy. It turned slowly, glancing at Ginko holding his ears, then cast him a look of disdain before letting its eyes droop and collapsing into a deep sleep.