Chapter 20: Floette's Smile
"Girafarig... what a troublesome fellow!" Chen Xi couldn't help but frown as he looked at the Girafarig in front of him.
Girafarig isn't considered a powerful Pokémon. With a total base stat below 500 and no outstanding abilities, it's quite unremarkable, but it possesses unique abilities that allow it to survive in this world.
Its most unique ability is the head on its tail.
If you say this head has consciousness, it can't think; if you say it's an ornament, it still has instinctive reactions.
Especially, even if the main consciousness is asleep, it can remain online 24 hours a day, requiring no rest at all.
Think about some other three-headed Pokémon, where the three heads have even been known to argue with each other.
Looking at it again, a head that can have basic reactions but won't compete for body control is truly rare.
Shi Ying specifically trained the head on Girafarig's tail to master and continuously use one ability: Confusion.
The Confusion mastered by the head on Girafarig's tail is not for offense; it merely maintains an invisible and colorless Confusion field around Girafarig. Under the effect of this Confusion field, most attacks can be weakened.
Moreover, this Confusion field doesn't need to be maintained by the main body; it can be completely entrusted to the tail, which never rests 24 hours a day.
This is the origin of Girafarig's Confusion Cloak, and also the main reason why Staryu's Bubble Beam hit Girafarig several times but caused no significant damage.
Because the attacks were significantly weakened and blocked by this Confusion Cloak, and the more special the attack, the more effective this Confusion Cloak was.
"Indeed, for a Pokémon like Staryu, which excels in special attacks, facing my Girafarig might not be a direct counter, but it must be very troublesome to deal with!"
Shi Ying smiled slightly, but his expression quickly turned serious as he looked at Chen Xi and said, "But if my Girafarig successfully lands a hit even once, your Staryu might be severely injured!"
At this point, Shi Ying decisively commanded, "Girafarig, use Zen Headbutt!"
Chen Xi couldn't help but become serious as he watched Shi Ying's performance.
To be honest, Shi Ying's Girafarig, perhaps because it was only level 29, had a simple and uncomplicated battle strategy.
But for a novice Trainer, such a battle strategy was already a nightmare.
With the Confusion Cloak on its body as its reliance, Girafarig had the capital to charge recklessly.
His Staryu could dodge the first time, the second time... but it couldn't dodge ten or twenty times.
Chen Xi now commanded Staryu, "Use Spooky Light!" (First-generation Staryu can learn Spooky Light at level 22; I usually choose settings that benefit the protagonist.)
In an instant, purple light shone from the red gem on Staryu's chest.
Under the illumination of this light, everyone who looked at it felt a bit dizzy.
"Girafarig, don't look at the light, just charge straight in with Zen Headbutt!" Shi Ying commanded decisively.
Upon hearing this command, Chen Xi sneered, "Don't look at the light, huh... Are you sure Girafarig can do that?!"
"What?!" Shi Ying was slightly stunned when he heard Chen Xi's words.
At this moment, as the light shone, the bubbles floating around also began to reflect the Spooky Light, and they all entered the eyes of Girafarig's tail.
The bubbles arranged around were not just decorative!
Girafarig, who was halfway through its charge, suddenly turned around at this moment and directly slammed into the ground with a Zen Headbutt.
Clearly, at this moment, it was confused and attacking itself!
"It worked!" Chen Xi's pupils constricted sharply when he saw this scene.
Chen Xi's target was not Girafarig's thinking head, but the head on Girafarig's tail that looked like a mere ornament.
Although it couldn't think, it shared vision with Girafarig, and this uncontrolled head kept its eyes open 24 hours a day.
So what use was it for Girafarig to close its eyes? The tail behind it would still instinctively project what it saw into Girafarig's mind.
Then, Girafarig was hit by Spooky Light and became confused!
At this moment, Girafarig had slammed itself into the ground. Even if the Confusion Cloak had a cushioning effect, it was probably not lightly injured.
Confusion, after all, originates from mental power.
If this Pokémon is in a confused state, even if its basic skills are very strong and it can still use Confusion, it will ultimately be weakened.
And the Girafarig in front of him was experiencing what Chen Xi considered the best scenario: self-harm due to Confusion.
So, at this moment, Chen Xi decisively commanded his Staryu, "Use Salt Water!"
Staryu responded, and then it lowered its head. In an instant, a geyser was sprayed out by Staryu.
Salt Water is a skill Staryu learns naturally at level 28. The principle of this skill should be derived from the idea of 'salting a wound'.
And its effect is to finish off an opponent; if the target is already injured, the attack power of Salt Water will be further increased.
Therefore, this seemingly not-so-powerful water jet landed on Girafarig's body, and Girafarig immediately let out an incredibly shrill cry.
Under the effect of this Salt Water, Girafarig, whose physique was not superior, immediately lost its ability to fight.
All of this happened in a flash: from Staryu's Spooky Light, to Girafarig's confused self-harm, to Staryu's decisive finishing blow.
The series of operations unfolded like Quick Attack.
Shi Ying had no time to issue any commands, and of course, even if he had, a Pokémon like Girafarig, which was already in Confusion, couldn't respond to Shi Ying.
At this moment, Shi Ying recalled Girafarig and looked at Chen Xi with considerable admiration.
The incident happened quickly, but as a Gym Leader, Shi Ying already understood the cause and effect: his Girafarig's greatest advantage had, in fact, been exploited by the opponent.
Thinking of this, Shi Ying quickly summoned his next Pokémon, which was Staraptor.
"A level 34 green quality Staraptor, and its ability is Dream Special... Reckless!"
Chen Xi looked at this Staraptor, frowning slightly. This was a common bird Pokémon, and a quite powerful one at that.
Because he had defeated the level 29 Staryu, Shi Ying decisively chose the stronger Staraptor.
Although Staraptor among common bird Pokémon doesn't have Pidgeot's Mega Evolution, Swellow's Guts, Unfezant's Super Luck, or the infamous 'trash wings,' it still carves out its own niche with its Intimidate ability.
For many Trainers, the first choice for Staraptor's ability is Intimidate, because this ability has a high margin for error.
But many Trainers also choose Reckless, because this ability can maximize Staraptor's attack power.
"You already got me once; I won't make the same mistake twice!" Shi Ying said decisively, "Defog!"
In an instant, Staraptor flapped its wings, and the previously abundant bubbles were all swept away by Staraptor, not a single one remaining.
At this moment, Chen Xi did not let his Staryu attack, but instead said to his Staryu, "Cosmic Power!"
"Hah!" Staryu responded, and then iridescent light patterns appeared around its body, strengthening Staryu.
Almost as Staraptor swept away all the bubbles, Staryu also completed Cosmic Power.
"Staraptor, use Brave Bird!"
Shi Ying issued the attack command without any hesitation.
At this moment, Staraptor's gaze appeared exceptionally sharp, as if it had branded Staryu into its heart.
The move Defog not only clears the bubbles from the field but also leaves Staryu completely exposed.
Even if Staryu used Shinny at this moment, as long as Staraptor stubbornly continued its attack, Chen Xi would have no way to stop it.
After all, the Shinny skill only reduces accuracy; it doesn't make Staryu truly disappear.
For the same skill, if it works once, that's a blessing; the second time, others will certainly be wary.
Another very important point is that the Staraptor in front of him was incredibly fast, as if it were a streak of light.
Staraptor traced an arc, and then it charged towards Staryu.
"Don't dodge, use Power Gem with all your might to decide the outcome!"
Chen Xi's command was simple and direct, but it made Shi Ying slightly stunned; he hadn't expected Chen Xi to be so decisive!
In fact, Shi Ying already knew from the previous battle that this Staryu's speed was not slow. If it were to dodge again with moves like Bubble Beam, there was still a chance of dodging, but he hadn't expected Chen Xi to decisively choose a head-on clash.
Of course, since Chen Xi chose a head-on clash, Shi Ying would certainly not refuse, because Shi Ying believed this was to his advantage.
But in reality, Staraptor immediately using Brave Bird, this kind of exchange, was exactly what Chen Xi was very willing to see.
Chen Xi had settled on this battle plan the moment he saw that Staraptor's ability was Reckless, not Intimidate.
Reckless-type moves were the opponent's strongest point, so the opponent would absolutely not give up using Reckless-type moves.
Facing Staraptor's Reckless-type moves, he didn't need to make Staryu dodge; instead, what he needed to do was to complete an exchange with the opponent.
To force an exchange with his HP advantage.
If he could take out the opponent, that would be best. Even if he couldn't, he had to maximize the reduction of the opponent's HP.
So Chen Xi chose the simplest tactic: a head-on clash.
He already had the advantage of one Pokémon, so he needed to consolidate that advantage and not be greedy; that was the principle.
Therefore, Chen Xi fought with the Staraptor in front of him with the will that even if his Staryu completely lost its ability to fight, it would still take a fierce bite out of the Staraptor.
He was truly putting everything on Starmie's Power Gem move!
And Shi Ying's command for Staraptor to use Brave Bird contained elements of probing, surprise, doubt, mixed with various calculations.
At this moment, the will transmitted by the Trainer to the Pokémon was completely different.
Whether a Trainer's emotions affect a Pokémon during battle is a metaphysical question.
But undeniably, with the different wills of both sides, the determination of the two Pokémon clashing was naturally completely different!
Staryu unleashed a maximized Power Gem from its core, directly blasting Staraptor's body. In the midst of Brave Bird, it had no way to dodge at this moment, and of course, Staraptor wouldn't dodge either.
In an instant, Staryu's Power Gem completely landed on Staraptor's body, and at the same time, Staraptor also directly crashed into Staryu.
In a flash, an explosion stirred up endless dust. When the dust settled, Staryu had completely lost its ability to fight.
At this moment, it was like an Ultraman overdrawn by a monster, its gem flickering weakly, like a lamp running out of oil.
At this moment, Staraptor flew gracefully out of the smoke, landed elegantly in front of Shi Ying, and then plummeted straight down, face-first, onto the ground.
At this moment, it too had lost its ability to fight.
Clearly, the backlash from instantly defeating Staryu, coupled with the impact of Staryu's maximized Power Gem, had made this Staraptor's physique unable to endure, as HP was not its strong suit after all.
"An unexpected outcome, indeed."
Chen Xi looked at the fallen Staraptor in front of him, took out a Poké Ball, and recalled his Staryu.
Then Chen Xi threw out his next Poké Ball, from which Grotle emerged.
As soon as Grotle appeared, it roared to the sky, looking completely fearless.
At this moment, Shi Ying also threw out his Poké Ball, revealing a level 35 Togekiss!
Togekiss is the final evolution of Togepi. It is covered in white fluffy fur and has broad, triangular wings, which allow it to ascend effortlessly, but it lacks the small arms it had before evolving. Its lower abdomen has red and blue triangular spots, which are the hallmark of the Togepi family.
In this era, where the Fairy type had not yet been confirmed and discovered, many Fairy-type Pokémon were classified as Normal-type.
And Togekiss was one of them.
So, while Shi Ying releasing this Togekiss at this moment surprised Chen Xi slightly, after a moment's thought, Chen Xi understood why this was the case.
However, for Chen Xi, by this point in the battle, all his preparations had been perfectly completed.
Next, all he had to do was secure a decisive victory in this battle.
So, Chen Xi decisively recalled the Grotle that was about to enter the battle, then said to the Floette beside him, "We're going to win this battle, Floette!"
"Flo~ Flo!"
At this moment, Chen Xi's level 69 Floette confidently entered the arena.
She came before the level 35 Togekiss, swaying the gracidea flower in her hand.
She wore a very friendly smile.