Pokémon - Gingerbread Witch
Attributes: Ghost, Fairy
Skills: Bread Man Transformation, Gingerbread Man Production, Candy House Summon.
This was the panel above the Gingerbread Witch's head.
And on the other side?
Pokémon - Scarecrow
Attributes: Ghost, Grass
Skill 1 - Scarecrow Stand-in Method: You can consume a large amount of life to create a small Scarecrow Stand-in that can withstand one fatal attack.
Skill 2 - Three Shadows in the Moonlight: You can split into two avatars that only possess half of your strength, and these two avatars will not die under moonlight.
Skill 3 - Walking Through Fear: You can teleport amidst the fear others feel towards you.
Skill 4 - Illusion Creation: You can create and control illusions to a certain extent.
Itsuki: "…"
Was the Gingerbread Witch supposed to fight this guy with her head?
Just then, several white boxes appeared again next to the Scarecrow's panel.
[As everyone knows, during a Pokémon capture battle, wild Pokémon cannot attack the trainer.
Also, as everyone knows, Normal and Fighting moves are ineffective against Ghost types, and its weakness is Fire.]
Including the panel, these texts were naturally not sent by the Paradise, but were illusions conjured by Sadako in front of Itsuki using the Magic Mirror.
After all, how could a qualified reality show not have subtitles?
"The first half means this Strange Tale won't actively attack me, so I can confidently use the Gingerbread Witch to win this trial.
The second half means this Strange Tale, like the Gingerbread Witch, resists physical attacks and is afraid of fire?"
Itsuki pondered, then commanded the Gingerbread Witch to charge forward.
"Gingerbread Witch, use Bread Man Transformation!"
"…I now understand why the President uses various methods to control us."
As a Strange Tale that kills without batting an eye and eats people without salt, the Scarecrow felt completely humiliated. Why did it have to be this person's opponent?!
The key was that the Mission Illya gave it was to "be moved by the bond between Itsuki and the Gingerbread Witch after a hearty and passionate battle, lose to Itsuki in the final clash, and be captured by her."
What the hell is a bond?
Is this a demand a Strange Tale can fulfill?
This must be an obedience test!
Seeing the Gingerbread Witch's Strange Tale body continuously expand and erupt with black air currents, the Scarecrow reluctantly raised its finger, intending to use an illusion to deceive the Gingerbread Witch into a hearty battle.
Then, in the next moment, it was dumbfoundedly slammed into the ground, creating a large pit, by the Gingerbread Witch's finger, which had mutated into a baguette.
"Well done, Gingerbread Witch!"
Itsuki praised, noticing that the surrounding illusions had begun to disappear.
The most obvious sign was a red-walled, black-roofed castle suddenly appearing not far down the road. The distance from the pumpkin carriage's entrance to there was only about two thousand meters.
"Why didn't the illusion work?"
The Scarecrow, however, was different. It was lying on the ground, enduring the Gingerbread Witch's silent beating. It wasn't a real Ghost-type Pokémon; being a physical Strange Tale, resistance to physical attacks didn't mean complete immunity.
Now, it was utterly bewildered.
Because the Scarecrow clearly remembered having used an illusion to Disguise itself on the other side.
After a careful observation, it finally noticed that behind the eye patch, which the Gingerbread Witch had taken off because her body had grown too large to wear it, were two pitch-black holes.
Is the Gingerbread Witch blind?
Scarecrow: "???"
The illusions it created were the type that affected enemies through their vision.
It was like a maze in a low-martial world, where the protagonist only needed to close their eyes and perform some actions to break it.
My illusions are useless against a blind person!
But weren't you just trapped in an illusion, unable to break free? I thought the eye patch on your face was some kind of fetish accessory!
The Scarecrow was a little broken.
The more it thought, the angrier it got. It directly consumed a Scarecrow Stand-in to break free from the control… Meanwhile, Itsuki was cheering.
"That's it, keep it up."
She suddenly realized that the Gingerbread Witch had a very good chance of winning.
Hmm… the Gingerbread Witch doesn't have fear, and if this Strange Tale can't attack me, isn't your Scarecrow's third Skill directly useless?
Then she heard the Scarecrow's voice.
Its illusion didn't fool the Gingerbread Witch?
Itsuki: "???"
What was going on before then?!
Good news: The Scarecrow's fourth Skill is useless.
Bad news: The Gingerbread Witch was indeed acting!
The Gingerbread Witch and the Scarecrow began to fight fiercely.
With two Skills useless, even though the Scarecrow's aura was far stronger than the Gingerbread Witch's, it didn't have any more efficient offensive methods. However, the Gingerbread Witch's Skills were somewhat effective; her instant Candy House Summon was completed into a control Skill similar to the Blue Silver Cage, and the fireplace in the Candy House even had fire.
After a struggle, the constrained Scarecrow, with tears in its eyes, was captured by Itsuki.
[Itsuki, you have received a reward: a portion of the world view, of unknown authenticity.
The reason this world lost its sun was an accident involving Princess Maria's cosmic princess.]
As usual, it was a reality show subtitle.
The moment Itsuki read the content above, she received a true message from the Paradise.
[You have deciphered a part of this world's world view.]
[Your final evaluation has increased.]
"So the Queen is in the castle?"
Itsuki asked the Scarecrow beside her. Although the cream and chocolate on its body had been separated by the Gingerbread Witch's control, it was still a bit annoyed and wanted to know what else her trial entailed.
"There should be another battle, because they said something strange about needing three Pokémon to challenge a gym."
The Scarecrow didn't hide anything; it was better for this exhausting and socially embarrassing trial to end sooner.
Itsuki: "…"
Continuing along the road, she again asked the Gingerbread Witch about the illusion problem.
The answer she received made Itsuki wear the same expression her teachers had when teaching her.
Because the Gingerbread Witch naturally explained that she had been squatting in the Candy House for many years and was very unfamiliar with walking. Without sight, she had been circling in place and hadn't noticed any problem.
And when the Scarecrow approached, the Gingerbread Witch directly locked onto its position through its strong scent.
Since her tone didn't sound like she was lying, Itsuki opened her mouth, but ultimately gave up on discussing whether the Gingerbread Witch was acting or not.
Hmm… the second stage has arrived.
A cylindrical building with a windmill, resembling a medieval mill, was located not far from the roadside.