Pokémon from Galar

“Buyi…”

The double kick only landed once. Although it was an excellent move, it didn't really hurt Ibrahimovic much. He only looked so disheveled because he lost his balance and footing.

Ibu shook himself, stood up panting, and assumed a running posture facing Wooloo again.

Marie was also slightly startled by Wooloo's move. It was able to change direction instantly from a headbutt and switch to a double kick. She had never seen Wooloo use a headbutt move before, when they were at the Grass-type Gym.

I don't know whether to say that this Wooloo is amazing, or that Hop's trainer skills are amazing.

While Mary was still sighing on the sidelines, the battle inside the arena continued. Although Wooloo's move was unexpected, Ibrahimovic, who had already suffered a loss once, was unlikely to fall for it again.

The only good news for Hopp is that Ibrahimovic's speed was affected by the attack, and if he could have made another shot, they might have won.

"Woolbraid! One more time, headbutt!"

"Ibrahimovic dodges, then throws sand!"

"Buyi—!"

As Eevee leaped aside, a fine sand appeared and enveloped the charging Woolpidem.

"Meow—!"

Eevee learned Sand Smash from Eevee-chan for a while. Although he can't cover such a large area like Eevee, it's relatively easy for him to simply wrap around a charging Wooloo.

puff--

Large swaths of fine sand were splashed onto the woolly sheep that couldn't dodge in time. Although they managed to turn around, they couldn't completely avoid the sand. Not only were their fur covered in fine sand, but their accuracy and vision were also affected to varying degrees.

"Now! Double kick! Ibrahimovic!"

"Buyi!"

Taking advantage of their opponent's distraction, Eevee and Yuri were of one mind. With a swift Quick Attack, Eevee transformed into a white streak and charged towards Wooloo.

"Oh no! It's turned round!"

Hop shouted anxiously. The Woolstuck sheep had just turned twice in a row and then was disturbed by the sand. This time there was no time to do anything else, so it could only try to get through it!

"Meow—!"

Upon hearing Hop's voice, the Woolstaff, who had been standing still, paused, then curled up, its energy condensing into smooth, round surfaces that appeared on its body.

Ibrahimovic's attack arrived at that very moment.

pop- pop-

The two consecutive kicks landed smoothly on the Woolstaff, and then the Woolstaff deftly flipped in the air, landing steadily in front of Yuri.

"Wow... Yuri, you and Eevee are amazing!"

"Thank you... Wooloo is really good too. That move just now startled me, and Eevee didn't even react."

Hearing Yuri's answer, Hop seemed a little excited, probably because the move he had imagined had not worked as expected. Sure enough, no matter what move it was, it needed to be tested in battle in order to be optimized and improved.

The tactic, which was exposed as flawed in its first use in an official battle, did not discourage Hop, since the idea was correct and the headbutt move could indeed make up for Wooloo's lack of speed and explosiveness to some extent.

However, its weaknesses remain a lack of flexibility and the absence of a decisive, one-hit kill move. If that previous attack hadn't been a double kick, but rather some other powerful, damaging move...

The situation would certainly be very different now.

Hop also felt it was time to buy some suitable TMs for his Pokémon to expand his tactics.

But now is not the time to think about these things. Hop is the kind of person who will never give up until he falls in battle, and luckily, he did indeed encounter Pokémon that were compatible with him.

Wooloo is in much worse shape than Eevee, and without any stronger trump cards, Wooloo really can't think of any other way to fight. But even so, it still has to keep fighting.

After all, I haven't fallen yet, so even if I can weaken my opponent's condition a little more, it's still good.

"Meow—!"

With some difficulty regaining its footing, Wooloo loudly urged its trainer on, the battle continuing.

"Woolbraided Sheep, you can't wait either, can you? Me too! Yuri! Let's continue!"

"Okay, let's continue!"

Infected by Hep's enthusiasm, Yuri's own mood gradually rose as well.

"Ibu, Swift!"

"Charge forward with your head!"

Eevee leaped into the air, waving its tail and sending a string of stars flying, while Wooloo, completely unconcerned, charged straight at Eevee.

"Ibrahimovic! Let's do another double kick!"

Although Yuri felt that it would be easier to win by continuing to play the high-speed star kite against her opponent, as Hop's opponent, she was subjectively unwilling to do so.

As for Eevee... perhaps it's just used to being reckless. It didn't seem to care about Yuri's instructions at all, and instead rushed forward even more excitedly. This sense of danger, like dancing on the edge of a knife, made Eevee unable to stop.

Wooloo naturally adjusted its direction as well, and without slowing down, it crashed into Eevee, who was actively closing the distance.

However, Eevee, who was prepared, twisted in mid-air and narrowly avoided Wooloo's attack range.

But just then, Hep suddenly shouted:

"Stomp! To the right! Crash into them!"

The sheep shouted out several keywords at lightning speed, their perfect coordination unmatched. The instant they heard the first word, their front hooves suddenly exerted force, unleashing a powerful stomp attack aimed at the ground.

Then, at the end of the second word, Wooloo successfully used this reaction force to change direction again, his gaze meeting that of Ibrahimovic, who was also preparing a double kick in mid-air.

Wooloo saw surprise and confidence in Eevee's eyes, while Eevee saw unwavering determination in Wooloo's eyes.

Bang bang—!

The impact of the headbutt and the double kick produced a dull thud.

"Buyi—!"

"Meow—!"

Both Pokémon were sent flying backwards at the same time. Eevee's forelimbs, in the instant it launched a double kick, collided with its most powerful head. Although it hit its opponent solidly, it was also hit solidly by its opponent in return.

The pain in his forelimbs was unbearable, and he collapsed to the ground, unable to even stand up.

The Woolstice sheep fared even worse. It was kicked twice on the head and pulled down, causing it to roll out dizzy and disoriented before finally passing out completely and becoming unable to get up again.

"..."

Mary remained noncommittal regarding Yuri's final offensive and defensive choices.

Ultimately, battle style depends on both the player and the Pokémon. Everyone and their Pokémon have different preferences and personalities. It's not about which battle style is better and then using that one; you also have to consider whether the Pokémon on the field can accept that tactic.

Therefore, Mari didn't see anything wrong with Yuri's current one-for-one trade, but she felt that this Eevee might need Yuri to increase its training volume.

Otherwise, with his current skill level, he wouldn't be able to pull off such a stunt.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Tearful Lizard vs. Soaring Young Warrior

Hop retrieved Woolbraid, wiped the surface of the Poké Ball with his thumb, then put it back on his waist and hung it up. He then took down another Poké Ball and held it in his hand.

"Hehe—next, it's his turn!"

The Poké Ball was thrown, and then an unexpected Pokémon appeared on the field.

Young kicker!

"Hey, your Scorbunny has evolved!"

Yuri looked with some surprise at the young athlete standing in the middle of the field, his hands clutching the small pouch on his stomach, his feet bobbing up and down as if he could run at any moment.

Not long ago it was Scorbunny, but in the blink of an eye it has evolved!

"Haha~ That's right, Scorbunny, no, I should call him Scorbunny, he's been training really hard lately, and he evolved successfully yesterday! You need to work harder, Yuri, or I'll leave you far behind!"

"Hmph—we'll talk after you win this match."

Yuri gave a soft snort, then raised her hand to poke the tearful lizard perched on her shoulder, turned her head and said with a smile:

"This round is up to you, Tearful Lizard."

"Ah...! (I understand...!)"

The fact that its opponent evolved before it probably spurred Sobble on, and it readily agreed to the battle. It hooked its tail around Marie's arm, jumped down, and easily used the momentum to land on the ground.

Although Sobble is timid, it's not to the point that it can't even fight. Otherwise, it wouldn't have become one of the starter Pokémon and been chosen by the Champion as a congratulatory gift for Yuri and Hop.

In addition, since the opponent was someone they were quite familiar with, Sobble was more motivated to compete this time than to be afraid, because the opponent's evolution had aroused its competitive spirit.

"Cha-cha—(This time I won't lose to you again!)"

Seeing his old rival step onto the field, the young Tengchu soldier took out his hands, abandoning his lazy demeanor. Due to the elemental advantage, previous battles had all ended in defeat.

Unexpectedly, this time I saw an opportunity to win.

"Ah... (I, I won't lose either...!)"

The difference between evolving once and not evolving is quite significant. Even with attribute advantage, the gap in hard stats is still widened. It's hard to say who will win, but Tengchu Junior definitely has the advantage.

Marnie also knew about the starter Pokémon. The move Charge Flame, combined with the evolved Scorbunny, was enough to give Sobble a real headache.

"Charged Flame Strike! Leaping Young Warrior!"

"Tide Whirlwind! Stop him!"

Yuri confidently gave instructions. During this period of training, although Tearful Lizard was still timid, the power of its special move had undergone a tremendous change. After all, despite its timidity, it had been training seriously.

The power of the tidal vortex did indeed give it a certain 'tidal' feel to it.

A vortex large enough to bind a person appeared out of thin air, and under the control of the Tearful Lizard, it churned wildly and enveloped the Tengchu Little General who was rushing towards him, his body surging with flames.

Pfft—Hiss—

The Tearful Lizard's ability to manipulate the whirlpool was more agile than the young Tengju had anticipated. Somewhat underestimating its opponent, Tengju, unable to dodge in time, plunged headlong into the whirlpool.

The splashing water and the sudden burst of steam completely engulfed the figure of Tengcui, while the Tearful Lizard, which was a little further away, was not affected.

However, Yuri did not dare to let her guard down, because Hop did not show the slightest sign of anxiety and seemed to have great confidence in the young Tengju.

puff--

Suddenly, amidst the smoke, a splash, masked by the roar of swirling water, rang out. The young warrior, enveloped in white light, charged towards the tearful lizard with incredible speed.

"Tearful Lizard! Hold the line!"

"ah--!"