Chapter 12: A Major Flaw
His lips trembled slightly. For the first time in his life, Frank felt a sense of powerlessness.
"I… I give up!"
Though he was extremely unwilling, Frank ultimately conceded. His Munchlax was completely trapped by Sand Tomb. Dragging it out would only lead to more embarrassment. Since that was the case, it was better to be decisive.
"Since Frank has surrendered, the winner of this match is… Basalt!"
Ms. Anya gave Basalt a deep look before announcing her decision. She took out a pen and placed a small star next to Basalt's name, indicating that he had performed well, had potential, and was worth keeping an eye on. However, after a moment's thought, she also placed a star next to Frank's name. It seemed she also had a good impression of Frank and wasn't solely judging based on the result.
"Whoa, Frank lost again? Am I seeing things?"
"Forgive my ignorance, but what was that move Drilbur just used? How did it turn flat ground into a sandpit in an instant? It changed the terrain!"
"I think I heard it. It was called Sand Tomb?"
"That move, Sand Tomb, is way too broken, isn't it? Even though the range isn't huge, it actually changed the battlefield!"
"This Drilbur is so strong! I've decided, the second Pokémon I raise is going to be a Drilbur!"
"Hey, buddy, wake up! Drilbur is a Pokémon from the Europe and America regions. You can barely find them in our country. The few that are here are specially bred by major research institutes. If you don't have high-level connections at home or abroad, you can stop daydreaming."
"I'm so jealous! Why is that Basalt kid both handsome and strong? He gets all the good stuff!"
…
This was the discussion among the boys. Although they were still annoyed with Basalt, this time they had to admit that he had real strength. The Mud-Slap kiting strategy from last time was only effective against slow, close-range Pokémon and could be written off as a dirty tactic. But Sand Tomb was a move effective against all Pokémon except Flying-types and those with the Levitate ability. That was a true display of power, and no one could deny it.
"Wow! Basalt is so handsome, and his Drilbur is so strong!"
"I'm suddenly feeling that Drilbur is actually pretty cute. I really want to pet it."
"Hey, isn't my Phanpy also a Ground-type? After school, I'm going to go find Basalt to exchange some tips on raising Ground-type Pokémon. Hehe!"
"Are you really going to 'exchange tips'? I think you're just thirsty for his body, you hussy!"
…
At this moment, most of the girls in the class had become Basalt's little fangirls, their eyes twinkling like stars.
Meanwhile, Basalt had already recalled Drilbur and stepped off the battlefield.
"Basalt, that was brilliant!" Gavin gave him a discreet thumbs-up.
"It was alright. Munchlax is very strong, too. I just got lucky. If its Rollout had successfully picked up speed, Drilbur would have been in trouble." Basalt smiled, his face a mask of humility.
However, to the surrounding male students, these words and expressions just looked like he was showing off. You beat Munchlax in a single move, forcing it to surrender, and you call that lucky?
It's one thing to beat him, but do you have to rub it in? There's showing off, and then there's whatever you're doing!
…
The first battle ended, and the second one immediately began. The two Pokémon in the next match were a Mankey and a Nidoran♂. The Fighting-type Mankey knew Scratch, Leer, and Focus Energy. The Poison-type Nidoran♂ knew Peck, Leer, and Double Kick. Neither Pokémon had mastered a move of its own type yet. It was a bit awkward.
However, their battle was a perfect example of the novice trainer level. The Mankey first used Focus Energy to increase its critical hit ratio, then used Scratch to deal damage. Its opponent, the Nidoran♂, fought back with the Flying-type move Peck. There were no tactics to speak of; both sides just traded blows in a chaotic slugfest.
In the end, the Nidoran♂, thanks to its Poison Point ability, managed to poison the Mankey. Combined with the fact that Peck was super-effective against the Fighting-type Mankey, it ultimately secured the win.
Just a couple of noobs pecking at each other, huh? Basalt thought with a chuckle. Looking back now, he had to admit that while Frank was annoying, he did have some skill and at least understood basic tactics.
After four or five more matches of similar "noob fights," Basalt lost interest. One match in particular, between Chloe's Cleffa and another girl's Igglybuff, was… simply unwatchable. This was a battle competition, not a cuteness contest, okay?
It wasn't until the sixth match that Basalt's interest was finally piqued. It wasn't because the contestants were particularly strong, but because both of their Pokémon were Flying-types.
Pidgey VS Zubat.
The Pidgey's trainer was the class president, Leo, a girl with a nice face and figure but who walked with her feet pointed slightly outwards. She had a very outgoing personality and was nicknamed "Brother Leo" by her friends. She had a good personality and was popular with both the boys and girls.
It's a real shame she walks like that, Basalt thought, glancing at the class president and sighing internally. Such a waste of good legs…
The Zubat's trainer was Frank's little follower, Chad, a guy who looked a bit sleazy and was a professional bootlicker.
"Zubat, Poison Sting!"
At the start of the match, Chad attacked first, hoping to poison his opponent and reduce its strength before slowly finishing it off. Objectively, this was a sound strategy, but he had underestimated the class president.
"Gust!"
At Leo's command, Pidgey began to flap its wings violently. A fierce wind formed under its wings, transforming into a small whirlwind that swept across the field. Zubat's poison needles were instantly blown off course by the gust of wind, and then Zubat itself was caught in the whirlwind.
Zubat was too fragile. After taking damage, Pidgey finished it with a couple of pecks, and it fell from the sky, unable to battle.
Watching the magnificent display from the Pidgey, Basalt was silent for a long time. He had just realized that although his Drilbur was strong, it seemed to have no way of dealing with flying Pokémon.
Take the class president's Pidgey, for example. The opponent could just stay in the air and continuously use Gust, and it would hammer his little mole to defeat without breaking a sweat.
His Drilbur, as it was now, had a major flaw.
It seems I have to find a way to teach Drilbur a long-range move, Basalt thought, pursing his lips, his eyes glinting. Mud-Slap was a long-range move, but it had no effect on Flying-type Pokémon.
Soon, all sixteen matches for the thirty-two students in the class were completed. The final bell rang right on time, the timing perfect.
"Through this practical class, I now have a general understanding of everyone's abilities. Moving forward, I will focus my teaching on the common issues I observed to help you improve. As for individual problems, I will speak with some of you privately."
"Oh, right. Please take the class battle tournament in two weeks seriously. There will be rewards for the top four students, and the prize for first place is especially generous. Alright, that's all for today. Class dismissed!"
With that, Ms. Anya turned and left without giving the students a chance to ask about the rewards.
Helpless, the students could only disperse, flooding out of the battle classroom. As they left, however, many couldn't help but glance at Basalt. Because on this day, Basalt was the "coolest kid on the block." Defeating Frank in a single move—you had to respect it.
…
After the practical combat class, there were still many theory classes on Pokémon knowledge. Being a high school senior wasn't easy.
"Sure enough, getting into a university is hard no matter what world you're in," Basalt lamented.
When school finally ended, Basalt slung his small backpack on, hopped on his bike, and headed straight for the Pokémon Department Store. In response to Ms. Anya's call to action, he was going to buy some training equipment for his little mole.