Chapter 23: One-Hit KO

Chapter 23: One-Hit KO

Seeing Basalt standing there silently, Leo slapped a hand on his shoulder and said with dissatisfaction, "I'm talking to you! What's the deal, not even a reaction?"

"Hiss~"

Basalt winced in pain, sucking in a sharp breath. Boss Leo was truly Boss Leo. Even without an axe, her strength was still surprisingly great. Basalt felt his entire shoulder go numb.

It was only then that Basalt finally got a chance to observe the class president up close.

Leo was very tall, not much shorter than Basalt himself, probably around 1.7 meters. No wonder her legs were so long. And since it was summer and everyone was wearing short sleeves, her upper arms were exposed. Her well-defined biceps were definitely more developed than those of many boys in the class. It was only because she was tall with long arms that her muscles weren't as obvious.

If we were to fight one-on-one, would I even be able to beat the class president? A wild thought popped into Basalt's head, but it quickly vanished as the class president raised her hand again.

"Hey, don't hit me, don't hit me, that hurts!" Basalt quickly took a step back, creating a safe distance between them.

Can we just talk? No need to get physical, okay? You're a girl!

"That hurts? When did you become such a sissy?" The class president had a grin on her face, but her eyes held a hint of disdain.

A sissy?

Basalt was furious.

Fine, you're the tough guy, alright? Your whole family is tough guys! Basalt grumbled internally.

"Heh, look at you, getting all mad! I was just joking with you." The class president laughed heartily, then casually slung an arm around Basalt's neck in a half-joking, half-apologetic gesture, which only confused him more.

"Who the heck is the boy here? You're making me doubt my own gender!" Basalt didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was hard to say if the class president's path in life was getting wider or narrower. But one thing no one could deny was that she was walking the path of a boy, leaving all the actual boys with no path to walk.

"I'm not angry."

Basalt discreetly untangled himself from the class president's arm-lock, once again stepping back to a safe distance. He said jokingly, "Boss Leo, we're opponents in the next match. Don't think you can use your feminine charms to make me go easy on you."

"Bullshit! You think I need you to go easy on me?" Leo glared, trying to be fierce but just looking cute. It was a unique charm. "Your Drilbur is pretty strong, and it might surpass my Pidgey in the future, but not now. Its short arms can't reach Pidgey. It's destined to lose."

The class president had a clear head and was a good judge of Pokémon. She knew Drilbur had great potential and would achieve great things in the future, but before it learned a long-range move, it was definitely no match for her Pidgey.

"Who said my Drilbur doesn't have a long-range move?" A slight smile played on Basalt's lips.

Hearing this, Leo was stunned for a moment, but she quickly waved her hand. "Are you trying to bluff me? I'm not that easy to fool!" Her expression was practically begging to be punched as she said: Oh, really? I don't believe you!

Basalt just smiled and said nothing. Fine, don't believe me. You'll be crying later.

He had originally planned to be a little courteous to the class president, but with her current punchable attitude, Basalt felt he would be doing himself a disservice if he didn't give her a sound beating.

No more pretending. My little mole knows Rock Tomb… I'm laying my cards on the table!

Time to set a small goal: make the class president cry until she kneels and sings 'Conquer'!

As the competition continued, the final four were decided. Besides Basalt and the class president, Leo, there was also the Munchlax trainer, Frank, and Roland, whose Pokémon was an Electric-type Mareep.

Without realizing it, the competition had already reached the semifinals.

"Both contestants, please enter the field."

At the referee's signal, Basalt and Boss Leo walked onto the battlefield together, standing far apart.

"Go, Boss Leo! Pidgey will definitely win!"

"Our Brother Leo is a woman of few words and ruthless action! Gust that Drilbur to death!"

"What's wrong with Basalt? What's the point of having Drilbur fight Pidgey? He should just surrender."

"I agree. Drilbur is a short-ranged fighter. Without a long-range move, it can't even touch a single feather on Pidgey. How is this even a fight?"

"Maybe Basalt just likes getting played with by the class president? Who knows!"

"You think Basalt might be hiding a long-range move as a trump card?"

"Long-range move, my ass! If that Drilbur can win, I'll eat my shoes on a live stream!"

…

The match hadn't even started, but almost no one in the class favored Basalt and Drilbur. There was no helping it; at this stage, Flying-type Pokémon just had that much of an advantage.

"Go, Drilbur!"

"Come on out, Pidgey!"

After Basalt stylishly threw his Poké Ball, the class president also released her Pidgey.

Pidgey's appearance was similar to that of some small birds. Its feathers were an inconspicuous color; the feathers on its face, belly, and wingtips were cream-colored, while the rest of its body was brown. Its beak and talons were purplish. Its feet had three toes, two facing forward and one back. Pidgey had a three-tufted crest on its head; the feathers on the sides were white, and the one in the middle was brown, which made it look a bit serious. Its tail was composed of three brown feathers.

"Chari?" o(^｀)o

Drilbur looked up, a hint of confusion in its eyes. It felt that this Pidgey looked way too much like that worthless uncle of its back home. They were practically cut from the same mold.

But just because I can't hit Pidgeotto, doesn't mean I can't hit you!

Drilbur was holding in a breath of frustration. It had been practicing Rock Tomb at home for so long, and it still had a 0% hit rate against Pidgeotto. However, compared to the beginning when Pidgeotto could dodge with ease, as Drilbur's Rock Tomb became more and more proficient and swift, Pidgeotto was now having a much harder time. The key was that after its accuracy with Rock Tomb had improved, Drilbur had been secretly increasing the size of the rocks, so their power was not to be underestimated.

Basalt estimated that in a little while, Pidgeotto would probably quit. Being chased and attacked all day without being allowed to fight back was not a job fit for any living creature.

"Both sides, take your positions. Let the battle begin!"

With the referee's command, the first semifinal match of Senior Year, Class 1, officially began.

"Pidgey, use Gust!" Leo's lips curled into a smile. She could already see Drilbur trembling in the face of Gust.

"Pidgeo~"

Pidgey understood. In mid-air, it began to flap its wings violently. A fierce wind formed under its feathers, slowly gathering into a hurricane.

Just as Pidgey was about to direct the Gust towards the Drilbur on the ground, it felt a sudden flash before its eyes. Chunks of rock with a faint luster had already appeared right in front of it. In these rocks, Pidgey felt a heavy presence. The energy within seemed to be naturally super-effective against it, sending a chill down its spine and making its feathers stand on end.

Long before the match began, Basalt had already laid out a strategy for Drilbur. Whenever it faced a flying Pokémon, it just had to spam "Rock Tomb." So, although Basalt didn't say a word, Drilbur still executed the preset tactic and used Rock Tomb.

BOOM!

The chunks of Rock Tomb hit their mark. A low explosion sounded, and a cloud of black smoke appeared in mid-air. Then, Pidgey lost consciousness and plummeted from the sky.

By the time it hit the ground, Pidgey's eyes were already swirling. It had lost the ability to battle.

Pidgey, one-hit KO!