Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

As soon as Pikachu heard the word "battle," it instantly woke up.

It leaped up from the grass with a whoosh, its tail held straight up, and the electric sacs on its cheeks crackling with tiny sparks.

Here it comes!

The owner was talking to that mushroom crab for so long, and kept pointing in my direction. He must have been praising me!

As Pikachu pondered this, it puffed out its chest even higher.

I must perform well today.

Let that naive mushroom crab see what real strength is.

Three bursts of light flashed by, followed by a 100,000-volt burst. If this mushroom crab doesn't get dizzy, then I'll consider my meal today a waste.

Pikachu trotted onto the grass with its short legs, clenched its two paws into fists, touched them together, and its eyes were full of fighting spirit.

When Paras saw Pikachu's posture, his legs started shaking again.

That yellow guy... he looks really fierce...

Jiang Chuan almost burst out laughing when he saw Pikachu's serious face.

This Pikachu gets into character way too fast.

He quickly used his aura to secretly send a message to Pikachu.

"Pikachu, today is not the day for you to show off your strength."

Pikachu paused for a moment, then its ears twitched.

Ok?

"It's for you to showcase your acting skills."

Acting skills?

"See that Paras? It's too timid and needs to regain its confidence. Your task today is—to lose to it."

Pikachu's eyes widened instantly.

lose?

Pikachu has hardly ever lost in its life!

"And you have to lose in a very convincing way, so it can't tell you're doing it on purpose."

The sparks on Pikachu's cheeks went out instantly.

It tilted its head and looked at Jiang Chuan, its eyes filled with grievance.

Master... are you making me an actor?

Pikachu thought for a moment and said, "Performing is also one of my hobbies!"

Pikachu took a deep breath and completely suppressed its fighting spirit.

The change was so rapid, it was like a face-changing act in a second.

Jiang Chuan saw that Pikachu had switched to its new mode and turned to wave at Paras.

"Paras, go!"

Paras swallowed hard, his four short legs trembling as he moved forward.

It looked at Pikachu, and Pikachu looked at it too.

The two Pokémon's eyes met in the air.

One is genuinely false.

One is that it's all an act.

Jiang Chuan cleared his throat and called out, "Begin!"

Pikachu launched the first "attack".

It lunged forward, raising its claws, looking quite fierce, but when it actually landed, it felt light and airy, almost like a tickle.

Paras instinctively raised his pliers to block.

Snapped.

Pikachu's claws slapped against Paras's pincers, making a soft sound.

Then Pikachu yelled "Ouch!" and took two steps back.

Paras was stunned.

It looked down at its pliers.

I...I blocked it?

Pikachu was internally screaming: Master, look how well I acted! I didn't even have to use a tenth of my strength!

But its expression seemed to say, "Wow! This guy actually blocked my attack!"

Seeing Pikachu's shocked expression, Paras' confidence increased slightly.

So... I can block its attacks too?

Pikachu charged again, this time using Quick Attack.

It moved very fast, and in a flash it was in front of Paras.

But just as they were about to collide, Pikachu secretly reduced its strength and only lightly brushed against Paras.

Then it jumped back two steps, making "Pika Pika" noises, its face showing an expression that said, "This guy is strong."

Paras was completely dumbfounded.

It realized that it seemed... it could actually keep up with Pikachu's speed?

It did see that lightning flash attack just now, and it did react to it.

Although the reaction was a beat slow, at least it moved.

In the past, it would have been terrified and curled up into a ball.

Paras took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and charged towards Pikachu.

It raised its pincers and clamped them onto Pikachu.

It used all its strength this time.

Pikachu pretended to be caught off guard and let the pincers lightly touch its shoulder.

Then, its performance began.

"Pikachu!!!"

It let out a miserable scream, the sound of which was drawn out for a long time.

Then his body started swaying from side to side, his eyes rolled back, and his tongue stuck out.

After spinning around twice, it collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Upside down.

It even twitched twice.

Paras stared at Pikachu lying on the ground, completely dumbfounded.

It stood there, holding its pincers, not daring to move.

I...I won?

I defeated the nemesis of insects...?

At that moment, Hanako's Eevee, who had been watching from the side, ran over.

Eevee had been wondering why Pikachu, which is usually quite strong, was suddenly defeated today.

It ran up to Pikachu, tilted its head, and looked closer.

Pikachu was pretending to be dead with its eyes closed, but when it sensed something approaching, it secretly opened one eye.

I see it's Ibrahimovic.

Pikachu quickly raised one paw and put it to its mouth.

"Shh..."

Ibrahimovic paused for a moment.

Then it understood instantly.

Oh, so it was just acting!

Ibrahimovic blinked, and immediately understood.

It instantly put on a dramatic performance, pounced on Pikachu, and began to cry out in a "sad" voice.

Bui—Bui—

The sound of that cry was incredibly heartbreaking.

It's like it's saying, "Pikachu, what's wrong with you! Don't die!"

An award-winning actor and a master of acting, their collaboration is seamless.

Seeing Eevee crying so sadly, Paras became even more certain: I really defeated Pikachu!

Oh my God!

I'm actually this strong!

Jiang Chuan almost lost his composure when he saw this.

These two guys are both actors.

Kiyomi, who was in the distance, cheered the moment she saw Pikachu fall to the ground.

"Paras!!! You're amazing!!!"

Kiyomi shouted loudly, her voice trembling with tears.

She ran to Paras, picked it up, and hugged it tightly.

"You did it! You really did it!"

Paras was held in Kiyomi's arms, feeling the warmth of her body and hearing her trembling voice.

The heavy weight that had been pressing on its heart finally began to loosen.

So... I really can fight.

Turns out... I'm not that weak after all.

Kiyomi hugged Paras and spun him around twice before tears finally streamed down her face.

For the past few years, she has been trying to help Paras overcome his timidity, but without success.

Sometimes she even wondered if Paras was simply not suited for fighting.

But now, she sees hope.

Jiang Chuan walked over, looked at Paras, and nodded.

"See? I told you you're a genius, one in a million."

Paras heard Jiang Chuan's voice and looked up at him.

The human's eyes remained so certain, as if everything was within his expectations.

"That plier strike just now was powerful, at a tricky angle, and timed perfectly."

Jiang Chuan continued to praise.

"Pikachu has fought countless battles in the Kanto region, and has never been defeated so cleanly and decisively before."

Pikachu, who was lying on the ground pretending to be dead, twitched at the corner of its mouth upon hearing this.

Master, you can praise it if you want, but don't praise it in a way that makes me look bad.

Don't I have any pride?

But there's no way around it; the play has already gone this far, and we have to see it through to the end.

It remained lying there, motionless.

Ibrahimovic was still "sadly" calling out beside him, until his voice was almost hoarse.

Jiang Chuan added, "But just defeating one isn't enough."

Paras looked at him.

"Your ability is more than this. You're in such good form today, it would be a shame if you didn't play a few more matches."

As he spoke, Jiang Chuan pulled a Poké Ball from his waist.

With a "snap," Bulbasaur was released.

Bulbasaur landed on the grass, yawned, and looked like it hadn't woken up yet.

It was sleeping soundly in its Poké Ball when it was suddenly called out, and it was a little confused.

Jiang Chuan crouched down and whispered in Bulbasaur's ear, "Act it out, lose to that Paras."

Bulbasaur blinked and instantly woke up.

It glanced at Paras, who was standing in Qingmei's arms, and then at Pikachu, who was lying on the ground pretending to be unconscious. It immediately understood.

Bulbasaur nodded to Paras, meaning "Come on."

Paras jumped down from Kiyomi's arms, looked at Bulbasaur, and felt more confident than before.

I just beat Pikachu, so I should be able to beat this garlic-shaped thing too, right?

It rushed forward on its own.

Bulbasaur begins its performance.

It first lashed out with its vine whip, looking fierce, but when it actually struck Paras, it was as light as a feather.

Paras gripped the vine whip with pliers and pulled.

Bulbasaur was "just in time" pulled and stumbled forward two steps.

Paras seized the opportunity to rush forward and touched Bulbasaur with its pincers.

Bulbasaur cried out "Ouch!" and fell to the side, landing on its back with its legs in the air, sticking out its tongue and rolling its eyes.

It fell down even faster than Pikachu.

Paras stared at the Bulbasaur lying on the ground, his mouth agape.

They won again?

That's too easy!

Jiang Chuan clapped his hands from the side: "Great! That was an even stronger swipe than before!"

Then he took out Wartortle's Poké Ball.

"Come on, let's continue! Wartortle, go!"

When Wartortle was released, it looked around blankly.

Jiang Chuan whispered another instruction: "In the acting, lose to it."

Wartortle looked at Bulbasaur and Pikachu and instantly understood.

Paras is now bursting with confidence.

After winning two games in a row, it felt full of energy.

It charged forward, its pincers lashing out at the Wartortle.

Wartortle begins its performance.

It first pretended to block with its shell, then was "shocked" and took several steps back.

Then they pretended to spray water, and the spray was quite big, but it all went astray and didn't hit Paras at all.

Paras seized the opportunity to rush forward and slapped Cammy's glans with the pliers.

Wartortle let out an "Ah!" sound, rolled its eyes, stuck out its tongue, and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Three-game winning streak.

Paras stood on the grass, looking at the three Pokémon lying in front of him, and his whole body seemed to float away.

I... I'm actually this strong?

They defeated Pikachu, the bug killer!

We defeated that garlic-headed monster!

We beat that turtle!

So I've always been this strong, I just didn't know it before?

No, this human is right. He was in a bad state because he ate that rotten grass before.

I ate some energy cubes today, and my energy level returned, so my power exploded!

Paras became more and more excited as he thought about it.

When Kiyomi saw Paras win three games in a row, she couldn't stop crying.

She rushed over and picked Paras up in her arms.

"Paras! You're amazing! You're my pride!"

Paras had never felt this sense of recognition before.

So this is why the master is so happy after winning the battle.

So this is what it feels like to make your owner happy.

Jiang Chuan breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this scene.

Paras's confidence has been largely established.

I still need to strengthen my skills a bit more, but my remaining Pokémon like Primeape, Pidgeot, and Charizard are either too big or too temperamental! They're not really suitable!

He turned to look at Xiaoxia.

"Xiaoxia, do you have any more Pokémon? Let two out so it can practice some more."

Xiaoxia nodded.

She had been watching from the side the whole time. Although she felt that Pikachu's fall looked a bit fake, she understood Jiang Chuan's intention.

This is about building confidence in the gang.

She took out a Poké Ball, thought for a moment, and released Psyduck.

Psyduck landed on the grass, covering its head with its hands, looking completely bewildered.

"Huh?"

It looked around and had no recollection of how it got out.

Xiaoxia crouched down and patted Psyduck's head: "Psyduck, go fight that Paras. Remember, hold back, don't really hurt it."

Psyduck tilted its head and looked at Misty.

"Huh?"

Releasing water? What does "releasing water" mean?

When Paras saw a Psyduck standing opposite him, he felt no fear whatsoever.

After winning three games in a row, it now feels like it can beat anyone.

It rushed forward on its own.

Psyduck was still standing there, covering its head and lost in thought, completely unaware that Paras was rushing over.

Paras clamped its pincers onto Psyduck's tail.

Psyduck let out a pitiful "quack" and jumped up from the ground in pain.

"Gagagagagagaga!!!"

Psyduck started wagging its tail wildly, but Paras held it tightly and couldn't shake it off.

Then Psyduck started running around everywhere, dragging Paras all over the grass in circles.

As it ran, Psyduck crashed headfirst into a big tree next to it.

"Bang!"

The sound was quite loud.

Psyduck rolled its eyes and wobbled to the ground.

Paras loosened its grip, stood next to Psyduck, and panted heavily.

Won again.

Four-game winning streak.

Paras looked down at his pliers, his eyes shining.

So... I'm actually quite good at fighting.

The reason I couldn't beat those Caterpie and Weevil wasn't because I was outmatched, it was because I wasn't in good condition!

Yes, that's it!

Paras completely regained his confidence.

It raised its head, straightened its chest, and stood firmly on the grass with its four legs. The timidity and fear in its eyes were gone.

When Kiyomi saw Paras looking like this, she couldn't help but cry again.

She knelt down and hugged Paras tightly.

"Paras...you're so amazing..."

"I have never thought you were weak, and I have never looked down on you."

"Whether you win or not, you're my Paras."

Even if one day you really lose and fail, I will always take care of you and stay by your side.

"You will always be my Pokémon."

As Qingmei spoke, her voice choked with emotion.

She buried her face in Paras' mushroom, her shoulders shaking.

Paras stiffened upon hearing these words.

Then, its eyes also got wet.

So... my master never disliked me.

So... even if I lose, my master won't dislike me.

It keeps scaring itself.

Paras extended his pincers and gently touched Kiyomi's face.

It's saying: I'm sorry for making my owner worry.

Kiyomi looked up at Paras and burst into laughter through her tears.

"Why are you saying sorry?"

"It's okay if you don't want to fight in the future. Just say so if you do, and I'll go with you."

Paras shook his head vigorously.

"Crackling sound!"

It was trying to say: No need, I can fight now.

Because I know that no matter whether I win or lose, my master will be by my side.

Jiang Chuan stood to the side, watching this scene, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

nailed it.

While everyone on this side is happy, things aren't so harmonious on the other side.

Xiaoxia walked over to Psyduck, squatted down, and patted its head.

"Psyduck, you acted pretty well!"

Her voice was full of surprise.

"I didn't expect that! You always seem so clueless, but you're actually quite good at acting!"

"That scream from being caught by the tail was so realistic, and the timing of that crash into the tree was perfect!"

Xiaoxia became more and more excited as she talked.

Psyduck was lying on the ground when it heard Misty's words and slowly opened its eyes.

It tilted its head and looked at Xiaoxia with a puzzled expression.

"Huh?"

What acting?

What happened?

Xiaoxia thought Psyduck was being modest, so she smiled and patted its head again: "Alright, alright, stop acting, the problem is solved."

Psyduck was even more confused.

"Huh?"

Acting? Acting about what?

Also, my butt hurts so much!!!

……