You're not allowed to play Pokémon!

Chapter 334 Teacher Yu, you're invincible! Even the Sandstorm Team can be this high-class... (7k)

On the battlefield, Qingyu issued the start command and threw out a Poké Ball first.

"My first Pokémon is Hippowdon, so don't underestimate this kid!"

As Qingyu finished speaking, a beam of red light shot out from the Poké Ball.

A large hippopotamus appeared, its body a brownish-brown color with some blackening on its back, feet, and around its nose. It opened its exaggeratedly large, blood-red mouth, revealing the few teeth inside.

(Hippopotamus)

"Hippopotamus, the evolved form of Sand Hippopotamus, has the same Sand Stream ability as Tyranitar and is a common weather setter in Sandstorm teams."

Before the battle officially begins and the opponent throws out the Poké Ball, Qingyu doesn't forget to introduce it.

With the dustproof goggles blocking his view, Qingyu's voice sounded very muffled, but you could still hear the lightness in his tone.

"Although they are all weather operators, their functions are somewhat different. As for the specific differences..."

"You'll find out once this battle begins."

As Qingyu smiled and spoke, the appearance of the hippopotamus immediately stirred up the surrounding air currents.

Soon, a slight dust storm began to rise in the surrounding area, and it tended to intensify until it formed a small-scale sandstorm.

Upon seeing this large creature, which appeared fierce but was strangely adorable, the new challenger felt no fear, but rather subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

Great, it's not Bangiras!

If Teacher Yu really uses a powerful Pokémon like Tyranitar as the test, the difficulty of clearing the game will likely be much higher than before due to the combined pressure of stats and mechanics...

However, I came prepared this time!

"I understand!"

The challenger, who was not very tall and looked quite young, nodded and took a deluxe ball out of his pocket.

"I choose you, Tauros!!!"

The Poké Ball landed with a crisp sound, and a bull-like Pokémon with sharp horns on its head and an angry expression appeared on the field.

It has three tails, and its eyes were full of fighting spirit from the moment it appeared. It was impatiently rubbing the ground with its front paws, as if it might charge forward at any moment.

(Padiacantello)
[Is this a Tauros? I remember them being tanned yellowish-brown, so is it sun-tanned again?]

[The Tauros of Padia has several unique forms; judging from the shape of its two horns... this should be the Water-type, right?]

[Tsk tsk, this is so obviously targeted! Are all students these days so meticulous?]

Hey bro, haven't joined the Tianxing team yet? Come check out our club sometime! The students here are really friendly, and we even discuss tactics together. I love it here!

[...If you don't understand, just ask. Why does your "Tianxing Team" seem a bit unserious to me, someone from another region?]

"Kentaro?"

Qingyu raised an eyebrow, a hint of obvious admiration in her eyes as she looked at her opponent.

In Padia, Tauros, who had already appeared in the first generation, made a completely new appearance, not only with his body turned black, but also with a qualitative leap in strength.

but……

Putting aside everything else, these students are known for their unwavering obedience to advice.

Even with the Tauros's horned head structure, which makes it impossible to carry goggles that cover its entire head, this small challenger thoughtfully equipped it with "tactical goggles" that only cover its eyes.

Although it's unclear whether this "blinded by a leaf" approach can actually prevent sandstorm erosion in real combat, it at least provides psychological comfort.
While inwardly complaining, Qingyu silently observed his opponent.

Depending on their ethnicity, the local Kentero were classified by Padia scholars into three different forms: the Fighting Type, the Fire Type, and the Water Type.

They correspond to the three attributes: fighting, fire, and water.

The creature confronting Hippomon is Tauros, a Water/Fighting type.

In terms of attributes alone, it is indeed a perfect counter to Sandstorm teams that are based on Rock, Ground, and Steel types, and its combat power, speed, and ability are all very effective against them.

Judging from the hippopotamus's instinctive trembling after its appearance, it can be confirmed that it has the Intimidate ability.

Sandstorm Team fighters primarily rely on physical attacks, and the Intimidate ability can effectively reduce their combat power, thereby indirectly improving the team's survivability.

Even when facing Tyranitar, if the strength difference is not significant, this Tauros can easily kill the powerful Sand King with a single close-range attack.

So just from the choice of this one Pokémon, you can tell that the opponent has definitely done their homework.

Of course... we can also attribute this to the Tianxing team, who have made silent contributions behind the scenes.

Since Peony created this "idol-chasing group" at Orange Academy, the overall quality of the students who come to challenge have improved dramatically.

This time should be no exception.

Peony, you did a great job!

Qingyu thought to herself.

Of course, he genuinely thought the transformation of the Tianxing team was quite good, at least much better than the delinquent groups that the protagonist had to deal with in the original story.

With the challengers' skill level rising, he can play more freely and no longer needs to deliberately maintain a one-sided coaching style of play.

In other words... he can finally let loose!
"Tauro, use Raging Bull!!!"

As Qingyu's thoughts drifted, her opponent launched a surprise attack, issuing the first command.

Qingyu immediately snapped out of her daze and looked at Kentairo, who had already taken a step forward.

It is said that Tauros is a Pokémon that spends its entire life running, so they are all quite fast.

Given the hippopotamus's capabilities, it certainly wouldn't have had time to dodge.

The attributes of Tauros' signature move, "Raging Bull," will subtly change depending on its race.

For example, the one in front of me now uses the Rage Bull skill, which sprays water from the tips of its horns, changing its attack method to water-based.

This move even has a similar effect to splitting tiles, using the force of a large brick to break through the barriers set up by the opponent on the field.

It has a strong suppressive effect on hippos.

but……

"Hippopotamus, yawn!"

Faced with the aggressive Tauros, Qingyu did not command it to use Protect to try to dodge, but instead used Yawn as its starting move.

[Oh, so that's what Teacher Yu meant by "different usage"? It's no wonder Hippowdon was chosen as the Pokémon for the test because it can learn such high-quality moves...]

[So here's the question: Can a Hippo withstand being headbutted by Tauros?]

[Judging from Teacher Yu's confidence, there shouldn't be any major problems, right? Even if Tauros gets sleepy from yawning, I feel like he can still hold on and defeat Hippowdon before falling asleep...]

Thanks to Qingyu's command, Hippopotamus did not choose to back down when faced with Tauros attacking it. Instead, it tensed its body to withstand the attack.

At the same time, it was quietly accumulating some energy in its open mouth.

The distance between the two Pokémon quickly closed, and the clash began with Tauros's fierce attack.

Even with its massive size, the hippopotamus was clearly in pain after being rammed by Tauros with all its might, and its body was forced backward by Tauros's terrifying brute force.

A clear mark was left on the gravel-covered ground, and the struggle between the two sides was about to erupt.

However, even on the defensive, the hippopotamus's sturdy build clearly gave it a significant advantage in this clash of brute force.

Tauros quickly exhausted the momentum from its speed, and just as it was about to escape, it was startled by the gaping maw of the hippopotamus.

Although it did not cause any direct physical injury, after exhaling a breath of unknown taste, Tauros's expression clearly showed that he could not bear it. His already dark face showed pain, and his eyelids quickly became heavy.

After the two sides separated, the hippopotamus opened its mouth again, pulled out a hidden pomelo fruit from somewhere inside, and swallowed it in one gulp, quickly restoring much of its strength.

"Tsk..."

Seeing that the attack had not had much effect, Tauros's trainer couldn't help but click his tongue in surprise.

Although Tauros should have been able to overpower Hippomon with this move, the final result suggests that the effect was not ideal.

I did manage to get Yu-sensei's hippopotamus-like item, but it doesn't seem to have any effect on him...

So, should we try again, betting that an attack before the yawn takes effect can take down the hippopotamus?

He couldn't help but think this to himself, while subtly turning his gaze to Teacher Yu, who still had a smile on her face.

They seem confident, probably certain that they can't easily defeat the hippopotamus...

But as Teacher Yu once said, psychological warfare is also an important part of Pokémon battles. Sometimes, subtle facial expressions and behavioral gestures can be used to deceive the opponent.

Should we play it safe and recall Tauros first, or risk losing sleep and try to reduce the number of players on Teacher Yu's side first?
The game didn't allow him time to think things through; the challenger quickly made his judgment—

I couldn't take it anymore, so I snapped at Teacher Yu!

"Tauro, use Rage Bull again!"

Under the blowing sandstorm, Tauros once again gathered its strength, ready to launch a second attack at any moment.

Qingyu seemed somewhat surprised by her opponent's assessment, so much so that she subconsciously raised an eyebrow and looked at this challenger who seemed a bit reckless.

Tauros's moves are indeed effective against Hippowdon, and it also has a speed advantage, but...

Hippowdon isn't a Pokémon like Tyrion with a fourfold weakness, and with the life-saving Berry, that attack wasn't fatal to it at all.

Therefore, Qingyu was certain that it could withstand at least one more attack.

"Hippopotamus, charge up!"

Qingyu then casually gave the order.

The Pokémon on both sides moved in the same way as before, and soon they clashed head-on again, forming a power struggle.

But it was clear that Tauros, having yawned, was running out of steam. This time, it didn't even have a chance to retreat and create distance before it succumbed to sleepiness and collapsed on the field.

As for the hippopotamus...

Despite being hit by two full-force collisions, its enormous size advantage allowed it to remain standing on the ground, taking advantage of its opponent's sleep to unleash a charged attack.

In theory, the hippopotamus could not learn this move on its own, but when Qingyu rented it, she discovered that its ancestor was actually a savage squirrel, so she boldly used it and achieved good results.

As Qingyu mentioned in the video before, the Sandstorm Brothers' firepower is quite sufficient overall, but for the Sandstorm team, a more defensive tactic is also very important.

Especially for weathermen, they must find a way to survive.

The strategies of creatures like the Coal Tortoise with its Refuge Backpack and the Giant Pelipper with its Rapid Turnaround are quite similar.

When Team Sandstorm uses Hippowdon as their starting unit, its superior physical strength and various moves allow it to disrupt the opponent's tactical plans by using yawns and its durability.

What if your opponent is as stubborn as this student?
Very simple -

"Hippopotamus, slacking off!"

Of course, if Hippomon can only deter opponents by yawning while bleeding, then it is clearly not a very good weather setter.

After all, only by maintaining good physical condition can a team repeatedly play and activate the Sandstorm weather mode. If they are severely injured by their opponents at the beginning, it will have a great impact on the Sandstorm team's subsequent operations.

Therefore, laziness, similar to the self-regeneration effect, has become an important means of recovery for hippos.

Because Tauros fell asleep immediately, it had a safe opportunity to recover, and its previously dangerously low stamina quickly returned to normal.

With the added durability boost from a charged attack, dealing with this hippo will become even more difficult.

[Such high-quality tactics... I can only say that you truly live up to your reputation, Teacher Yu. Even when playing a sandstorm team, you manage to pull off some dirty tricks!]

[What nonsense are you talking about? This is just Teacher Yu's unique personal style, how can you call it dirty?]

[Actually, I'm quite curious too. Where does Teacher Yu get so many amazing ideas? It feels like she can come up with something new every week, and never repeats herself...]

[If the opponent hadn't been so greedy, wouldn't there have been fewer problems if they had rotated out?] [That's probably difficult too. If Tauros had been taken out, Yu-sensei's Hippo would have been able to recover its stamina after its buff. It all depends on whether the opponent's backline has anything that can break the deadlock...]

[Another examiner killed on first meeting! Thank you for your contribution to the strategy team, everyone in the Tianxing team will never forget your sacrifice! (Tears welling up)]

After two brief matches, both the audience at the venue and online were full of praise for Teacher Yu's Sandstorm team this week.

"Come back, Kentaro."

The little student standing opposite Qingyu had a complicated expression on his face and reluctantly recalled Tauros, which had already lost its fighting ability.

In fact, at this point, his plan had completely failed.

He originally thought that with his Tauros's attributes and strength, he should be able to severely injure or even defeat most of the Sandstorm team's Pokémon.

After all, the main assessment mode of Sunny Gym is 2v2. As long as Yu-sensei's side loses a member, he can slowly figure out the next Pokémon.

However, it seems that I was indeed a bit too confident now...

Tauros's fighting ability doesn't seem to be far from being able to handle the hippopotamus.

So, I had overthought things, but I never expected Teacher Yu's ideas to be so simple and unpretentious, which led to the current situation?

The challenger suddenly felt like crying.

Damn it, who can possibly beat this Sunshine Gym?!
If you think too little, the resulting failure will likely be used as a negative example by Teacher Yu. But if you think too much, you'll just break down in your own defenses.

I don't have any superpowers, how could I possibly understand what Teacher Yu is thinking?!
With things having come to this point, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue this battle, which seemed to have almost no suspense left.

but……

In fact, he had prepared a backup plan, and it would come in very handy in this situation.

"Next one... I choose you, Magic Masked Cat!"

One of the three starter Pokémon in Padiya, the highly popular Nekomamushi, has made its debut.

Upon seeing this humanoid Pokémon that looked a little mischievous but inexplicably adorable, Qingyu subconsciously raised an eyebrow.

If we're talking about the most popular Pokémon when "Seven/Purple" was first released, it would definitely be the Magic Masked Meowth, which was regarded as the "new era's waifu beast," right?
(Magic Masked Cat)

As a student of Orange Academy, it's quite normal to receive a grass cat upon enrollment.

but……

Gazing at this cute-looking little guy with a somewhat disdainful expression, Qingyu had a vague feeling.

It looks like it's male, right?
Of course, for students whose sole purpose is to compete, there shouldn't be any problem.

But whenever Qingyu thinks about how this fluffy, adorable creature has a male-to-female ratio of 7:1 in the game, she finds it absurd.

"Magic Masked Cat, use the Thousand Transformations Technique!"

The opponent immediately gave a loud command.

A myriad of transformations, the signature move of the magical masked cat.

Although its power is relatively average, it has two very powerful additional effects.

First, because the explosive bouquet it throws is actually part of its body, once the move is successfully executed, it will definitely hit the opponent in accordance with its intention.

Secondly, this move precisely targets the opponent's vulnerable areas, so it will definitely hit a vital spot.

It is true that the hippopotamus had previously used a charged-up attack to strengthen itself, but attacks on its weak points completely ignored the changes in its abilities.

And his magical masked cat's fighting power is even greater than that of the Tauros from before!

And indeed, things turned out just as he had thought.

Just as the explosive bouquet planted in the ground was about to burst forth and attack the hippopotamus's most vulnerable abdomen, Qingyu raised an eyebrow and decisively reached out to pull the trigger of the Poké Ball.

"Good idea. You quickly came up with the right countermeasure, which is a big plus for me."

Qingyu nodded and put the Hippowdon's Poké Ball back into his pocket.

Since these rented Pokémon will face multiple challenges in a single day, it's best to avoid them getting injured as much as possible.

This can be considered a tacit understanding that he and his students have developed.

[So that's how it is. Using Magic Masked Cat can counter this sandstorm team, right? That makes things much simpler. About a third of the students in the academy chose New Leaf Cat as their starting partner, right?]

I don't think so. It seems that there are a lot of girls who like Shin-chan's cute appearance, so the actual ownership rate might be much higher...

[The crocodile fan is crying in the bathroom, why is there no one else who loves the Bone-Patterned Giant Crocodile like me?]

There's something wrong with you!

With the departure of the hippopotamus, the sandstorm gradually showed signs of dissipating.

Both sides had only one Pokémon left, and Qingyu didn't hesitate any longer, immediately throwing out the Poké Ball that he had prepared beforehand.

"My next Pokémon is this child."

As Qingyu spoke, red light shot out from the popped Poké Ball, and soon a snake-like Pokémon with a croissant-like body and a donut-shaped head appeared on the field.

[Isn't that Sandshrew? Its ability seems to be related to sandstorm weather, right? Yu-sensei actually brought two weather setters?]

[With two Ground-type Pokémon, if the team also has a Grass or Water type, it feels like they could easily clear this week's Gym Challenge, right?]

[In a 2v2 match with two weather-type characters, is Teacher Yu going easy on us? Is she finally going to show mercy this time...?]

[Teacher Yu, you're so kind! I'll give you a good review after I finish the challenge!]

(Sand python)

After sending out this somewhat bizarre-looking sand snail python, Qingyu's expression became slightly complicated.

because--

Although normally Sand Python's main characteristic is spitting sand, when attacked, it can spew out countless sand and stones with terrifying force, forcibly creating sandstorm weather. Therefore, it can be considered a relatively common sandstorm weather maker in Padina.

But his is slightly different.

Qingyu deliberately chose a Pokémon with the Sand Veil ability, intending to have the students review the shrinking tactic he had shown Nurse Joy and the others in the game.

Due to the Sand Cloak ability, Sand Serpent becomes even more difficult to spot with the naked eye during sandstorms, and its attack accuracy also decreases.

In addition, Sandshrike's unique body structure makes it exceptionally adept at using the Shrink move, making it one of the few Pokémon capable of mastering both Shrink and Coil moves simultaneously.

If someone were to secretly use the shrinking ability during a sandstorm, the consequences would be terrifying.

It's possible that by the time its opponent finally discovers it, the Sand Snail Python has already completed its enhancement and used its terrifying power to push through the enemy ranks.

That was originally what Qingyu thought.

But in this very first match, he encountered a small problem—

The Myriad Transformations of the Magic Masked Cat have a certain level of perception, so the Sand Concealment and shrinking techniques are meaningless.

The Sand Snail Python, being a ground-type creature, is completely countered by it.

Therefore, there is only one answer—

"Magic Masked Cat, use Thousand Transformations again!"

Upon seeing that Qingyu had sent out a Sand Serpent, the opposing trainer quickly showed great joy and immediately chose to press his advantage.

As for Qingyu, after clicking his tongue in amazement, he took out another heavy sphere from his pocket.

With so many viewers in the live stream, he certainly couldn't just recall his Pokémon and admit defeat.

Therefore, it's quite obvious what he's going to do.

"Use the Crystal Armor to protect yourself, Sand Snail Python."

As Qingyu spoke casually, he suddenly threw the heavy iron ball in his hand into the air.

Indeed, after devising this somewhat unusual sandstorm tactic, he quickly discovered the problem.

If the attributes are too limited, it will inevitably make it difficult to operate on certain attributes.

Fortunately, Padia has a magical mechanism called Crystallization, which can temporarily change a Pokémon's type.

In the dojo assessment requirements set by President Yeci, it is one of the main tasks of the dojo master to make as much use of Taijinghua as possible to demonstrate this special phenomenon to students who are not yet familiar with it.

Compared to other gym leaders who use the Crystal Bead in almost every match, Qingyu actually uses it relatively infrequently.

Ground-type moves are weak to Grass, Water, and Ice. What type of move is both highly resistant to these types and compatible with Sandstorm?

That's right, the answer is of course—

Taijing Steel!
After the crystal bead traced a path in the air, it instantly burst open on the top of the sand snail python's head, and countless silvery-white fragments quickly covered the sand snail python's entire body, soon forming a thick layer of armor.

Meanwhile, the Magic Masked Cat, employing its old trick of a thousand transformations, attacked its opponent a step too late.

This move would have been absolutely fatal to the ground-type Sand Snail Python.

But now, with the armor formed by the crystallization of steel, this move didn't even make the Sand Snail Python feel anything.

After the Magical Masked Cat's offensive ended, it was naturally Qingyu's turn.

As for what he's going to do...

The answer is obvious, isn't it?
"Sand Snail Python, use Iron Head!"

Qingyu smiled, her smile growing even brighter behind her dustproof goggles.

Judging from the opponent's strategy, it should be the purest offensive training method. Moreover, crystallization can also enhance the corresponding attribute energy, providing an amplification effect for the moves.

Moreover, the Sand Snail Python's close-quarters combat ability is not bad, while the Magic Masked Cat is a real fragile little thing.

Caught off guard, the opponent's Magic Masked Cat was immediately knocked unconscious and fell to the ground, its eyes quickly turning round.

At this point, the outcome has been decided.

[666, Teacher Yu is truly amazing! He managed to make such a visually stunning mechanic as Taijingchai look so skillful. Is this what a "Sunny Gym Leader" is all about?]

[Teacher Yu, you're unbeatable! Even the Sandstorm team can be this well-behaved...]

However, I actually think this is probably the correct way to use crystallizers (or similar products).

[Indeed, avoiding one's own weaknesses and using the transformed Taijing attribute to counter the opponent—it seems like Teacher Yu's approach is sound!]

[This guy really had a tough time. He finally saw a glimmer of hope for victory, only to be quickly defeated by Teacher Yu's Crystallization. That's just too tragic...]

The match ended under the watchful eyes of the audience.

However, there is still one crucial step in Qingyu's duties as the dojo master—

Qingyu took a few steps forward and came to the young trainer who was hanging his head because of the defeat, and showed his kind smile again.

"Although we lost in the end, but..."

"As I said before during the match, I appreciate your reaction speed in actual combat."

"Moreover, using the Taijing Pearl itself shows that you have played all the cards I have prepared, which is a good start for this week's dojo assessment."

"As for winning or losing, that's the last thing you need to worry about, at least on the path to growth."

So...you pass!

Qingyu's encouraging voice rang out, quickly making the little student raise his head again in disbelief.

At the same time, the surrounding students also applauded.

Just like the name of the dojo, Teacher Yu can occasionally show her sunny side~
(End of this chapter)