-065- A Green Teapot? (1/3)

In the next moment, the Armored Warrior’s innate danger sense triggered, and it vanished back into the Poké Ball held by the man in the brown coat.

“What?!” The brown-coated man was utterly bewildered. What had just happened? Why had the Electabuzz unleashed a second move at the very instant it collided with the Armored Warrior?

At that moment, the green Shuckle nearby couldn’t help but gaze in awe, its eyes sparkling with stars. It was the first time it had ever witnessed such a dazzling attack.

Brick Break combined with Thunder Punch? A double assault!

In an instant, the green Shuckle became an ardent admirer of Electabuzz.

“Shuu shuu…” It immediately began to cheer enthusiastically for Electabuzz.

The rest of the Shuckles, too, seemed to sense hope for victory. Their fear faded, and they all poked their heads and limbs out of their shells, joining in to encourage Electabuzz.

“Shut up!” the brown-coated man roared, infuriated by the Shuckles’ cheers.

He was seething with rage. How could Electabuzz use two moves at once?

“Come back out, Armored Warrior!” he shouted, releasing the Pokémon once more.

At that precise instant, the Leafeon, which had been lying in wait beneath the soil, erupted from the ground.

Boom!

With a powerful tackle, the Armored Warrior was sent flying.

Leafeon’s physical attacks were far superior to its special moves. The Energy Ball from earlier had done little damage to the Armored Warrior, earning the brown-coated man’s ridicule. But now, Leafeon unleashed a furious Dig attack.

As the Armored Warrior soared through the air, Electabuzz cast out a wide net.

“Electroweb!” Though Tong Si’s voice was calm, the brown-coated man heard him loud and clear.

The moment the net appeared, the Armored Warrior was ensnared, unable to move.

“Mud Shot! Use Mud Shot!” the brown-coated man bellowed in desperation.

The Armored Warrior attempted to comply, but the electric net held it fast, rendering it helpless.

“This is it! Electabuzz, finish it with Volt Tackle!” Tong Si snapped his fingers.

The brown-coated man, having some understanding of Pokémon moves, knew well that Volt Tackle was a unique move for the Pikachu family.

Yet, before his very eyes, Electabuzz truly executed Volt Tackle.

As Electabuzz’s speed mounted, the ferocious Volt Tackle struck the Armored Warrior head-on.

Bang!

Compared to Leafeon’s earlier Dig, this Volt Tackle was far more devastating—a powerful collision, magnified by lethal electricity.

This time, the Armored Warrior did not return to its Poké Ball. Instead, it collapsed, utterly incapacitated.

“What! The Armored Warrior lost?” The brown-coated man stared in disbelief.

The Armored Warrior he’d brought for this mission was level thirty! According to reliable intel, most trainers recently seen in Viridian Forest were rookies. How could a rookie’s Pokémon possibly surpass level thirty?

His confidence was shattered, and he was left crestfallen.

Originally, he’d lingered here out of boredom, amusing himself by bullying the Shuckle herd. Who would have thought the bully would become the bullied?

A single rookie trainer had defeated him. Or… perhaps this person wasn’t a rookie at all?

But the brown-coated man had no time to ponder such thoughts.

“Tell me! Where did the others go?” Tong Si suddenly stepped forward.

Electabuzz and Leafeon flanked him, one on each side.

The brown-coated man instinctively tried to run, but the Shuckles he had tormented now pressed in, encircling him.

“You… you wretched creatures!” he shouted, stunned that even these weak Pokémon dared to block his way.

“Shuu!” Suddenly, the green Shuckle called out.

Tong Si watched as it leapt straight out of its shell. Usually sluggish, the Shuckle moved with astonishing speed once out of its shell.

“Shuu!” It delivered a brutal Reversal attack right at the brown-coated man.

“What? A Shuckle that knows Reversal?” Tong Si hadn’t expected this Shuckle to know a Fighting-type move.

Though Reversal wasn’t especially powerful, it delivered a solid thrashing to the brown-coated man.

“Shuu~” Victorious, the Shuckle touched its nose with its hand, mimicking the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee.

Wait, why would a Shuckle imitate Bruce Lee?

Tong Si was puzzled, but the Shuckle had already hurried over to Electabuzz.

“Shuu shuu…” It began gesturing animatedly at Electabuzz, as if telling a story.

Tong Si noticed the intense admiration in the Shuckle’s eyes—a look full of longing.

“Don’t tell me you’re now a fan of Electabuzz?” Tong Si frowned, perplexed.

“Bzzt?” Even Electabuzz scratched its head, uncertain how to respond.

“Yeh…” Leafeon drooped its ears, visibly displeased.

Even after evolving into Leafeon, the dream it’d held since being an Eevee—to become a world-class actress—still remained.

Leafeon was deeply aggrieved that the Shuckle had been captivated by Electabuzz and not by her.

After all, it was Leafeon who had bravely come forth to save them. Electabuzz had only joined the battle later.

If anyone deserved fans, it was her! Clearly, this Shuckle had no taste.

Leafeon shook her head, choosing to ignore the Shuckle.

Meanwhile, the green Shuckle continued to communicate with Electabuzz.

Tong Si didn’t know what to say.

The brown-coated man had been knocked unconscious by the Shuckle, and the truck nearby was empty. There was no telling when anyone else might return. Tong Si knew they needed to leave soon.

Yet the green Shuckle insisted on trailing after Electabuzz, abandoning its green shell without a second thought, determinedly following at Electabuzz’s heels.

“Shuckle, do you want to join us?” Tong Si asked.

“Shuu? Shuu shuu…” The Shuckle’s eyes sparkled, and it nodded eagerly.

“Uh…” Tong Si frowned.

He’d come to Viridian Forest intending to capture a third Pokémon, but hadn’t actually decided which kind he wanted. Shuckle had never even crossed his mind.

He opened his data panel and scanned the Shuckle’s information.

Shuckle (Green)
Level: 16
Gender: Male
Ability: Sturdy
Potential: Gym Leader grade
Moves: Wrap, Withdraw, Rollout, Struggle Bug, Rock Throw, Reversal

“A Gym Leader-grade Shuckle?” Tong Si was astonished.

Shuckle was not a Pokémon known for battle prowess; their potential was generally low. Among the dozen or so Shuckle here, almost all were of common grade, with only two being of ordinary grade. Not a single one was of excellent grade.

…to be continued…