Ever since the beginning, Chen Mo had always treated Pokémon as his companions and family.
And because most Pokémon were as innocent and pure-hearted as children, Chen Mo naturally positioned himself as the parent figure.
Before Gible joined the team, among all the Pokémon at home, the ones that caused Chen Mo the most headaches were Pikachu and gengar.
Especially Pikachu.
It had been fine when it was still a Pichu, but after evolving into Pikachu, its personality had changed somewhat.
From Chen Mo's perspective, it was like a teenager entering puberty and becoming rebellious.
And paired with a gengar that had lived who-knows-how-long yet still retained the heart of a prank-loving child—
Chen Mo constantly felt like one head had become two.
Fortunately, the newly born Gible had brought him a sliver of comfort.
After clearing up the initial misunderstanding, Gible became extremely obedient.
For a brief moment, Chen Mo almost felt as though he were seeing little Pichu again.
But…
Chen Mo narrowed his eyes dangerously at the timid-looking Pikachu.
As expected—
Gible absolutely should not be left together with those two troublemakers, Pikachu and gengar.
Every single time something happened at home, those two were always the ringleaders.
This time was probably no different. Most likely, gengar and Pikachu had encouraged Gible to participate in the tournament.
"Tell me the truth. Were you and gengar the ones who put it up to this!?"
Chen Mo pinched Pikachu's cheeks.
"Pika pika…"
Pikachu felt deeply wronged inside.
This time, I wasn't even the one leading things…
Still, as the dependable big brother and Gible's greatest elder sibling (self-proclaimed), Pikachu bravely took all the blame onto itself.
"You're getting more and more disobedient. I'll deal with you properly once we get home."
Under the envious gazes of countless livestream viewers, Chen Mo fiercely kneaded Pikachu's cheeks before finally shifting his attention back to the giant screen in the studio.
What was done was done.
Now that the battle had already begun, Chen Mo naturally wasn't going to stop it anymore.
After refocusing on the match—
Watching Snubbull and Gible locked in a standoff, Chen Mo instead frowned slightly.
There was no doubt about it.
Gible had encountered a very strong opponent.
The abilities currently displayed by Wan Yushu and Snubbull were more than enough to steadily enter the main tournament.
And although Snubbull hadn't yet used any Fairy-type STAB moves, Ice Fang, an Ice-type move, still posed an enormous threat to Gible's Ground-and-Dragon typing.
Therefore, in terms of raw combat strength, Gible was weaker than Snubbull.
Of course—
Pokémon battles were never determined solely by the Pokémon's strength.
Cases where the weak defeated the strong were not uncommon.
That held true both in the original world and in this current reality.
Among all the factors—
The one with the greatest impact on Pokémon battles was the trainer themselves.
From the current situation, Wan Yushu's battlefield judgment and reactions were fairly competent.
But on the other side…
Chen Mo looked at the giant purple chubby ghost waving its tiny arms enthusiastically while cheering for Gible from the sidelines and silently shook his head.
Clearly—
gengar had absolutely no clue how to command battles.
It was standing there purely to fill the trainer slot.
The livestream comments rolled wildly.
[Then according to Teacher Mo, doesn't that mean Gible's chances in this match are pretty slim?]
[Totally normal. How long ago was little Gible even born? Even if it's a pseudo-legendary baby, there should still be limits. No matter how amazing Teacher Mo's training is, he can't possibly turn Gible into some invincible god overnight.]
[Can only blame Gible's bad luck. Its first opponent just happened to be such a troublesome combo like Wan Yushu and Snubbull. Looks like it'll probably end up like Xiaocong and Sandshrew earlier—an unfortunate defeat.]
"I only said Gible's chances of winning are low. I never said it had no chance at all."
Chen Mo glanced at the comments and slowly continued.
"A long time ago, when I was introducing Pokémon, I mentioned that if you want to become a qualified trainer, the first thing you must do is understand your Pokémon's species characteristics."
"Most people probably aren't familiar with Pokémon like Snubbull yet. We haven't encountered them much before, and the Pokédex entries are still lacking, so let me briefly explain."
"Unlike its fierce appearance, Snubbull is actually an extremely kind-hearted Pokémon. You could even say it's kind to the point of cowardice."
"To hide its timidity and fearfulness, Snubbull often bares its teeth and uses its intimidating appearance to act frightening, pretending to be strong."
"However, because its appearance is so scary, many humans and Pokémon run away the moment they see a Snubbull."
"And every time that happens, Snubbull—who actually enjoys being close to others—ends up feeling lonely."
"Of course, there are always differences between species and individuals. But generally speaking, most Snubbull have this issue."
"And from what Snubbull has shown so far, although it appears fierce, if you paid attention to the subtle little actions it made after being hit by Gible's Dig earlier, you could clearly tell…"
"This Snubbull still hasn't fully overcome the flaws engraved into its species instincts."
"And that… is Gible's only chance of victory."
Meanwhile—
As Chen Mo explained things to the livestream and audiences across the nation—
Back on the battlefield—
After receiving encouragement from Wan Yushu, Snubbull regained its courage.
Just as Snubbull was preparing to launch another offensive under Wan Yushu's commands—
A sandstorm suddenly swept across the battlefield.
"Sand Tomb! It's Gible's signature move—Sand Tomb!"
The television host shouted excitedly.
As Gible's most proficient move at the moment, Sand Tomb combined perfectly with the sandy battlefield, rapidly creating an extremely terrifying sandstorm weather condition.
The closer one got to the center of the battle—
The lower the visibility became.
"Bull…"
After accidentally swallowing a huge mouthful of sand, Snubbull nearly choked.
Seeing this scene, Wan Yushu endured the discomfort caused by the sandstorm and shouted loudly despite sand constantly blowing into his mouth.
"Snubbull! Stay alert!"
The next second—
Gible silently appeared in front of Snubbull.
"Garchomp!"
Out of the corner of its eye—
Snubbull spotted Gible's sharp head ramming toward it.
Thanks to Wan Yushu's warning, it managed to roll aside at the very last moment, barely dodging the attack.
"Iron Head missed! What a pity!"
The host in the commentary room sounded completely immersed in the battle and couldn't help sighing regretfully after seeing the potentially devastating Iron Head miss.
But at this very moment—
Chen Mo, seated nearby, instead revealed a slight smile.
Good choice, little shark.
Reality wasn't a game.
The troublesome aspect of Sand Tomb wasn't merely the various negative effects it inflicted on battling Pokémon.
It also affected the trainers giving commands on the battlefield.
Under the current conditions, Wan Yushu could no longer provide Snubbull with the clearest possible guidance.
And as time passed—
The influence of Sand Tomb on Snubbull would continuously amplify the fear inside its heart.
When that happened—
That would be the moment for little shark to strike again.
Of course—
For Gible in its current state—
Sand Tomb wasn't invincible.
Maintaining a sandstorm of this scale was also an enormous drain on Gible's stamina.
Furthermore, Gible didn't possess the Sand Veil ability.
At the start of the battle, it had even been directly hit by Snubbull's Scary Face, causing it to lose its usual agility.
So this battle—
Was a trial for both Snubbull and Gible alike.
The first side to break would lose.
"Don't worry, Snubbull! Gible can't keep this up for long! Carefully observe your surroundings, and after blocking Gible's attack, counter with Ice Fang!"
Although he couldn't provide the most precise battlefield commands, Wan Yushu still made a fairly reasonable judgment at this moment.
Snubbull's physical capabilities surpassed those of the newly born Gible.
And sometimes—
Trading a small amount of damage during battle in exchange for a greater payoff was also a valid tactic.
"Bull…"
After hearing Wan Yushu's reminder, Snubbull heightened its vigilance to the extreme.
Its ears.
Its eyes.
Its nose.
Everything was being fully utilized to track Gible's movements.
Even if it reacted slightly slower, that didn't matter.
As long as it caught Gible—
Snubbull would strike without hesitation.
Second after second passed.
Like a lurking assassin, Gible quietly hid within the sandstorm.
Its own vision was also affected by the weather.
But as a Ground-type Pokémon, its condition remained far better than Snubbull's.
However—
Facing Snubbull, whose entire body radiated caution—
Gible remembered the terrifying threat posed by Ice Fang earlier and refrained from attacking recklessly.
An opening.
Both sides were waiting for the other to expose a weakness first.
"gengar gengar!"
A shout suddenly came from outside the battlefield.
Hearing gengar's voice, Gible's eyes instantly lit up.
The reason both it and Snubbull were waiting for openings—
Was because neither side possessed effective long-range attacks.
They had no choice but to decide victory through close combat.
But—
Just as gengar had reminded it.
Right now, this was sandstorm weather.
Its home field.
Since Gible's visibility was better than Snubbull's, it could absolutely use other moves to harass Snubbull, who had effectively become a stationary target.
"Garchomp!"
Gible attacked decisively.
Its stubby legs slammed into the ground as Sand Attack activated.
The sand swirling throughout the storm immediately surged toward Snubbull.
Although the move itself couldn't directly damage Snubbull—
Combined with the environment created by Sand Tomb—
Snubbull's eyes instantly filled with panic as it helplessly looked around, searching for the figure whose presence always made it feel safe.
But the sandstorm was too strong.
Snubbull couldn't see anything.
On the other side—
The moment Gible noticed Snubbull's subtle lapse in composure—
Its battle instincts, exceptionally sharp at seizing opportunities, activated instantly.
Without the slightest hesitation, Gible shot through the sandstorm like a phantom toward Snubbull.
"Garchomp!"
Bright white light burst from Gible's pointed head.
Then—
As Snubbull flailed in panic—
Gible slammed directly into Snubbull's chest.
"Snubbull!!!"
Realizing something was wrong, Wan Yushu shouted loudly.
But—
Immediately after landing the hit, Gible flipped backward, using the recoil from the collision to launch itself away.
It cleanly avoided Snubbull's Ice Fang before vanishing back into the sandstorm.
Pain surged through Snubbull's body.
At that moment—
Snubbull completely panicked.
Its once fierce eyes were now filled entirely with terror.
It even ignored Wan Yushu's continuous shouts.
Looking around frantically at the surrounding sandstorm, it roared wildly, seemingly hoping to scare away the assassin hiding within the storm.
But the more frantic Snubbull became—
The calmer Gible grew.
If not for Zekrom's aura disappearing—
Gible might very well have remained inside its egg until the egg itself died.
Naturally cautious by temperament—
Once Gible made a move, it attacked decisively and without restraint, just like in its previous two battles.
Finally—
After Snubbull completely fell into a state of anxiety and panic—
The calm and collected Gible seized another opportunity.
It used Iron Head once more, delivering the most devastating strike yet.
BOOM!
A pink figure flew straight out of the dissipating sandstorm and crashed onto one side of the battlefield, unable to rise again.
"SNUBBULL!!!!!"
Wan Yushu's face filled with panic.
Meanwhile—
The referee, whose face was still covered in sand yet remained professionally stationed at the edge of the field, immediately rushed onto the battlefield to check Snubbull's condition.
Then—
He raised the flag in his hand high into the air and shouted loudly:
"Snubbull is unable to battle! Gible wins! Therefore, the victor is—"
At this point, the referee suddenly paused.
Looking at gengar, who was floating excitedly through the air while repeatedly winking at him—
The referee cleared his throat and declared seriously:
"Therefore, the winner is contestant Ideal!"
"gengar!"
(It should be Contestant gengar!)
gengar floated angrily toward the referee and loudly protested.
"Garchomp…"
Having fought until this point, Gible was already utterly exhausted.
But hearing the cheers around it—
The little shark's face still revealed an excited expression.
They won!
Meanwhile—
Chen Mo's livestream exploded with gifts and comments.
[Honestly, I have no clue what even happened inside that sandstorm, but Gible won! Holy crap, that was incredible!]
[Everyone says pseudo-legendaries are "late bloomers" because they grow slowly and are weak early on… weak my ass! This isn't late blooming at all—it's Shark Protagonist! That Sand Tomb was absolutely ridiculous!]
[I've got a feeling little shark definitely seized the opportunity Teacher Mo talked about. But even so, little shark is seriously strong. Its talent is basically overflowing!]
[Teacher Mo, is your little shark looking for a future partner? The Pokédex says Gible belongs to both the Dragon and Monster egg groups. I happen to have a female Nidoran in the Monster egg group—perfect match!]
[Get lost! Gible's still just a child! Please be human beings!]
As the entire audience erupted in cheers and shock—
Chen Mo, as Gible's trainer, quietly sighed while looking at the exhausted little shark on the screen.
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