-081- Disgusting Tactics (1/3)

"Tong Si! Do you dare to have Potpot come out of its shell and fight? Stop hiding in there all the time, you’re as cowardly as a turtle!" Song Xuyang, at his wit’s end, burst out cursing.

Tong Si was speechless. Was this guy truly an idiot, or just pretending? If Potpot left its shell, could it even still be called Potpot? Of course, if one day Potpot managed to master a fighting-type move, Tong Si wouldn’t mind letting it battle outside its shell. But for now, that was simply impossible.

“It’s sleeping,” Tong Si pointed at Potpot.

At the moment, Potpot was still fast asleep.

Hearing this, Song Xuyang was so furious he nearly spat blood. Was he really incapable of defeating even a slumbering Pokémon? Tong Si’s words were a real slap in the face!

“Grotle, again! Use Energy Ball!” Song Xuyang hurriedly commanded Grotle to continue its assault. While Potpot was still asleep, he had to attack as many times as possible!

"Gya-she!" Grotle unleashed another Energy Ball. Yet, just like before, the attack barely harmed Potpot. Instead, the poison continued to sap Grotle’s strength, dealing more damage than it managed to inflict.

“Grotle, use Absorb!” Seeing Grotle’s health steadily drop, Song Xuyang realized this wouldn’t do. The Leech Seed restored a bit of health, but it was far too little—barely a tenth of what the poison was taking away.

"Gya-she!" Grotle moved closer to Potpot and used Absorb, regaining a small amount of health. But even with the Leech Seed’s effect, it couldn’t keep up with the poison’s toll.

At that moment, Potpot woke up.

“Potpot, use Rest!” Tong Si’s command was the final straw that broke Song Xuyang.

“That’s enough!” Song Xuyang roared. Sleep again? If this kept up, Grotle would be knocked out before long.

“What’s wrong? Are you admitting defeat?” Tong Si smiled with a teasing glint. He had to admit, the combination of Poison and Sleep Counter tactics was truly maddening.

Potpot didn’t need to make a move—just sleeping was enough to wear down its opponent.

“I’m done! How is this even a contest? You’re utterly despicable!” Song Xuyang cursed.

“That’s right, what a shameless scoundrel,” agreed the maids in a chorus of indignation. “Young Master Yang is so strong, you’re just scared, that’s why you’re using underhanded tricks!” “Even if you win, it’s disgraceful. If you have any guts, fight fair and square!”

The maids were in an uproar, all feeling Song Xuyang had been wronged. In their eyes, Song Xuyang was the strongest, and for Tong Si to win with such trickery was a stain on the name of any trainer.

“Really now.” Tong Si scratched his head. “If you think beating you with Potpot’s tactics is dishonorable, send out Sandslash. I won’t use Potpot—let’s have Electabuzz take on both of yours at once. Does that satisfy you?”

Song Xuyang thought Tong Si was being outrageously arrogant. One against two? Even with both his Pokémon afflicted by poison, surely no one could overturn a type disadvantage so easily.

“Go, Sandslash!” Song Xuyang released Sandslash, determined to wipe that cocky grin off Tong Si’s face.

“Come back, Potpot!” Tong Si recalled Potpot and tossed out Electabuzz’s Pokéball.

“Bzzt!” Electabuzz appeared, brimming with energy.

“Electabuzz, use Quick Attack to close the gap, then Brick Break on Sandslash!” Tong Si ordered, and Electabuzz sprang into action.

“I won’t let you get away with this! Sandslash, use Stomp! Grotle, hit Electabuzz with Energy Ball!” Song Xuyang commanded, sounding much more confident facing Electabuzz. After all, he’d studied this opponent carefully ever since losing twice before. At the very least, his ground-type Sandslash had a clear advantage against Electabuzz.

“Bzzt!” As Sandslash lifted its foot for Stomp, Electabuzz was already in front of it. With a powerful Brick Break, it struck Sandslash squarely on the head.

Sandslash collapsed instantly, knocked out with a single blow.

“What? Impossible!” Song Xuyang was stunned. How could Sandslash be taken down in one hit? Even after being weakened by poison and the Rocky Helmet’s recoil, it shouldn’t have fallen so easily! And Electabuzz—how was it this fast? Faster than in the previous two battles!

"Gya-she!"

Slow-moving Grotle finally managed to launch its Energy Ball, but Electabuzz merely glanced at it, a look that sent a shiver of fear through Grotle—after all, Electabuzz had already defeated it twice.

“Thunder Punch!” Tong Si snapped his fingers, a satisfied smile on his lips. Electabuzz’s speed training had clearly paid off.

“Bzzt!” Electabuzz leapt aside, dodging the Energy Ball, then brought its fist down in a crackling Thunder Punch. Lightning flashed, and the fierce punch knocked Grotle out cold.

Three times! Electabuzz had defeated Grotle for the third time, and with it, Tong Si had beaten Song Xuyang for the third time.

On the system panel, ten thousand points were credited as a reward. Potpot’s level had also risen to seventeen after these two battles.

“Song Xuyang, you lost! As agreed, everything that happened in the Pokéblock shop is now forgiven and forgotten.” Tong Si said in a gentle, harmless tone. With that, he turned and left, not sparing a glance for Song Xuyang or the fuming maids.

After leaving Jiujiu Pokéblock Shop, Tong Si went straight to the local Pokémon Commerce Bureau and filed a report, lodging complaints about all the shop’s shady practices. Then he headed to the department store, where he purchased all seventeen types of berries.

Of the two rarest berries, Mist Lotus and Yake, he was only able to buy five of each—they were so scarce the store imposed a monthly limit of five per customer. The other berries were plentiful, and Tong Si bought an entire crate. Compared to the maid café, the department store’s prices were much more reasonable. The huge haul of berries cost Tong Si only eighty thousand league coins in total.

With his purchases in tow, Tong Si hailed a swift Dodrio taxi and returned to the breeding house.

“System, redeem one berry blender!”

Initially, Tong Si had been reluctant to exchange for a blender. But after two failed attempts at the maid café, he realized how crucial it was. The blenders sold elsewhere varied wildly in price and quality, and Tong Si had no idea which to choose. The system shop, however, offered a brand-new blender for eight hundred thousand points.

Tong Si gritted his teeth and claimed one, setting it up beside the Pokémon Egg Incubator in the breeding house.

… (To be continued)