"Hmph~ Emma, I'm going to teach you a lesson today!"
"I've thoroughly studied Trapinch's moves this time!"
Lily brushed her bangs aside coolly, her pretty face full of confidence and composure.
Well… she really did look like she was putting on the airs of a big-shot champion.
Ren nodded approvingly.
Yeah—this time, at least, the confidence looked convincing.
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!"
Emma didn't even glance at Lily, immediately letting Squirtle take the initiative.
"Squirtle!"
Squirtle puffed out its cheeks, firing a fast, precise stream of water straight toward Trapinch.
"Damn it! Another sneak attack!"
Lily was still mid–trash talk when she nearly exploded in anger.
"Trapinch, fire back with Mud Shot!"
Trapinch opened its massive jaws, launching clumps of mud directly into the incoming Water Gun.
The two attacks collided midair, erupting with a dull explosion as muddy mist spread across the field.
"Is this… Pokémon battle tactics?" Lucas murmured, eyes gleaming as he watched.
So this was what real Pokémon battles looked like.
"As expected, long-range attacks won't decide it," Emma thought.
Even though it was her first time commanding a real battle and her heart was pounding, her mind remained surprisingly calm.
"Squirtle, advance through the smoke!"
Squirtle responded with a short cry and hurried forward on its stubby legs, charging toward Trapinch's last known position.
The dust hadn't fully dispersed yet—perfect cover.
But strangely enough, Lily didn't give Trapinch any orders.
Until—
"Got you!"
Lily stared intently into the smoke as a blurry figure slowly came into focus.
The corner of her mouth curled into a confident smile.
"Too naive, Emma. You're still too young!"
"Trapinch, use Astonish!"
Lily grinned, revealing a neat row of teeth.
Emma frowned—
And suddenly, a sharp, piercing shriek tore through the air without warning.
Even Lucas and Jason, who were just spectators, flinched. Let alone Emma, who was fully focused on the battle.
What the hell was that?!
Even humans were startled—Squirtle was caught completely off guard. In its sudden panic, it stumbled mid-run and tumbled forward.
"Squirtle! Be careful!" Emma shouted in alarm.
But it was already too late.
Trapinch surged forward on all fours, a faint glow surrounding its head as it slammed directly into Squirtle's bald forehead.
"Squirtle!!"
The unexpected hit dealt solid damage, leaving Squirtle reeling.
"Don't stop! Trapinch, follow up with Mud Shot!" Lily ordered decisively.
"Squirtle! Retreat—hide in your shell!" Emma yelled anxiously.
Whoosh—!
Mud bombs shot out one after another. Squirtle endured the pain and quickly withdrew its head and limbs into its shell.
Only two of the shots actually landed—but all of them struck the shell.
And hitting the shell… clearly wasn't very effective.
"What? That works?"
Lily, who had been certain she was winning, stared wide-eyed.
"Brilliant!" Jason's eyes lit up.
"If Squirtle had taken those hits head-on, it would've been completely overwhelmed."
"Indeed," Ren nodded in approval.
"Miss Emma adapted extremely quickly. For her first real battle, that decision-making is impressive."
"And Miss Lily has improved too. Compared to yesterday, her battle sense is much clearer. Today's match is finally worth watching."
Ren wasn't stingy with praise—though he did glance at Lily in mild surprise.
There was no doubt about it: compared to yesterday's awkward beginner scuffle, today's fight was on an entirely different level.
"She has gotten stronger," Jason admitted, pushing up his glasses.
"But if it were my Vulpix, I'd still win."
But in the very next moment, the battlefield changed—and all three spectators froze.
Mud shots continued to pound against Squirtle's shell.
After the final impact—
The entire shell was knocked aside.
And worst of all—
Squirtle landed flat on its back.
"Squirtle…? Squirtle Squirtle!!"
Squirtle poked its head out, spat out two mouthfuls of mud that had gotten inside the shell—
Then realized something was very wrong.
It flailed its short limbs desperately, trying to flip over.
But… it couldn't.
The scene was both hilarious and tragic.
"Ah—this…" Emma felt her soul leave her body.
Lily was stunned for half a second—then a massive grin spread across her face.
"Hahaha~ Emma, even the heavens are on my side!"
"Trapinch, bury that turtle with Sand Attack!"
Lily laughed wildly as she gave the order.
Mud Shot and Astonish would risk knocking Squirtle back upright—but Sand Attack was perfect.
"Trapinch!"
Trapinch let out a low cry, turning around and furiously kicking dirt backward. Sand and dust sprayed continuously toward Squirtle.
"Squirtle, flip over! Hurry!" Emma shouted, completely flustered.
"Squirtle… squirtle…"
Squirtle struggled desperately—then entered a state of tearless panic-dancing.
I can't do it!!
Time passed bit by bit as Trapinch continued its assault.
Soon, most of Squirtle's body was buried under sand and dirt, leaving it completely unable to fight back.
"That's dirty, Lily! How can you be this shameless?!"
Emma's face flushed red with frustration.
"You're too naive, Emma. This is called tactics," Lily replied smugly, flicking her bangs aside and lifting her chin.
"After all, your opponent is me. The outcome was decided from the start."
"If heaven didn't give birth to me, Lily, the path of trainers would be nothing but endless night~"
Jason: "..."
Lucas: "..."
Ren: "(o__o)"
Emma's face turned even redder.
Not from embarrassment—
But from pure rage.
If she was this good at showing off, why didn't she just ascend to the heavens already?!