Chapter 338 – Return of the Iron-Mouthed Psyduck
The battles in the super ball were no different then in common ball level.
Trainers in the Great Ball Tier had nerves far stronger than those in the lower ranks.
Take Asahi's current opponent for example—he clearly recognized Asahi, sweat dripping from his forehead. Yet, even while trembling, he stood his ground and refused to surrender.
[This battle will be officiated by World Championship Drone Referee #672. To ensure fairness and transparency, the entire match will be recorded. Loto!]
[Once both Trainers are ready, please signal with a raised hand. Loto~!]
Came the mechanical voice of the Rotom-Drone above the field.
The opposing Trainer, visibly tense, clenched his fists, raised his hand, and took a deep breath.
Asahi turned to Iono.
Seeing her give an OK signal beside her camera-wielding Bellibolt, he nodded and raised his hand as well.
[Both Trainers are ready. This is a 1v1 battle. Please send out your Pokémon. Loto!]
As the announcement ended, both Trainers threw their Poké Balls.
Boom!
Asahi's opponent sent out a Manectric.
A sleek blue body, a wild golden mane, and eyes filled with determination—it gave off an aura of power.
In contrast...
Standing in front of Asahi was a Psyduck—scratching its head with a dazed expression, looking more like a lost wild Pokémon than an actual competitor.
The moment Psyduck appeared, everyone froze.
In Iono's livestream, the chat exploded in confusion.
[??? Is that a Psyduck? Does Psyduck even have any battle potential?]
[Technically, yes. I read a paper once that said Psyduck can unleash strong psychic powers under extreme headaches!]
[Yeah, but this Psyduck doesn't look like it has a headache. It looks like it just woke up from a nap...]
Iono had similar doubts.
She didn't know much about Psyduck, but she had once exchanged notes with Tessa, a fellow Electric-type Gym Leader who used a Manectric as her ace.
She understood the basics of judging a Manectric's strength.
Manectric thrived under thunderclouds and fought using electric discharges from its golden mane. The luster and fullness of its mane was the simplest indicator of its combat prowess.
And the one on the field? While not as majestic as Tessa's, it was glossy and full—clearly well-trained.
Compared to that, Asahi's Psyduck, still scratching its head and giving off a blissfully dumb vibe...
[Is Asahi underestimating this battle...?]
The thought flashed through her mind—and the opponent's as well.
[Does he really think he can beat me with just a Psyduck?]
At first, the Trainer felt insulted—but then came the excitement. It was as if he'd just won the lottery.
The second the Rotom-Drone declared the battle start, he shouted, "Manectric—Quick Attack!"
This wasn't his first rodeo. Despite his joy, he didn't slack. He opened with Manectric's fastest move to gain initiative.
Electricity crackled through Manectric's golden mane, surging into its muscles.
ZAP!
A flash of lightning—Manectric vanished, reappearing as a streak of light lunging straight toward Psyduck.
BOOM!
To the surprise of many... it hit.
Direct contact. Psyduck was thrown backward, rolling in the dirt.
"Was I too cautious? Was Asahi actually being cocky for once?" The Trainer stared, stunned.
He looked up, hoping to see Asahi's flustered expression.
But no—the man's face still wore that same calm smile.
That's when the unease crept in.
Turning back to the battlefield, he noticed something odd.
Psyduck—was getting back up.
Its three dumb little head feathers quivered. It stood. Dazed but unharmed.
Meanwhile, Manectric was limping slightly, its front paw trembling as if it had just struck a wall.
"What...? But my Manectric is..."
He stopped mid-sentence.
Sure, his Manectric was well-trained, but did that mean Asahi would just use some random wild Psyduck?
Of course not.
Still, he refused to give up.
Psyduck was still just a Psyduck—an unevolved Water-type Pokémon. Weak to electricity.
Quick Attack may not have worked, but he still held the upper hand!
"Manectric, use Shock Wave!"
"Psyduck, use Brick Break."
The commands rang out nearly simultaneously.
Electric currents surged along Manectric's mane, a bolt forming—aimed straight at Psyduck.
Psyduck frowned.
And then—
A blur of white light.
Before anyone could react, Psyduck was gone.
By the time the battlefield came back into focus, it was already behind Manectric.
"Manectric?" the Trainer called, uncertain.
No response—only a wobble.
Thud.
Manectric collapsed, unconscious.
Psyduck gave a shiver, its three head feathers twitching.
"Kwaaah!"
Asahi interpreted easily: So tingly!
Apparently, Manectric's Static ability had left its mark.
The livestream plunged into stunned silence—
Before the chat burst into chaos.
[Did anyone record that?! What just happened??]
[Wait… Psyduck's Brick Break can do THAT?]
[Manectric, c'mon! You can't just collapse like that!]
The Rotom-Drone hovered overhead and delivered the verdict:
[Manectric is unable to battle. Psyduck wins. Asahi is victorious!]
[Congratulations to Asahi for earning points. Your rank has increased. Loto!]
Still in shock, the opposing Trainer asked, "Why… Why is your Psyduck so strong?"
He'd voiced the question on everyone's minds—including Iono's entire chat.
Asahi blinked innocently. "Strong? I guess it's... decent?"
Sabrina, just returning with a tub of popcorn: "..."
This guy showing off again was somehow even more annoying than the time he hypnotized her.
...
After seeing off the dazed Trainer, Iono couldn't help but stare at Psyduck.
Even after watching it take down a Manectric, she still couldn't figure out what made it strong.
Psyduck blinked, waddled over, and extended its hand to her.
"Eh? Are you trying to shake hands?" Iono asked in surprise.
Plenty of Pokémon liked her, but this was the first time one had actively offered a handshake.
Smiling, she reached out.
Asahi, glancing at his Pokégear, looked up just in time. "Wait—!"
Too late.
Iono's hand clasped Psyduck's.
ZAP!
Psyduck's Static transferred right into Iono.
She jolted, shivered, and gasped. "S-So... tingly…"
Like a stunned Magikarp.
Asahi sighed and handed over a PokéBlock that cures paralysis to both Iono and Psyduck.
Only then did they both return to normal.
[Replay available [Link]—go grab it!]
[Just realized… Iono might not be the sharpest Pokéball in the bag.]
[LMAO this is the first time I've seen a Trainer get duped by a Psyduck.]
Iono blushed furiously, muttering, "I was just caught off guard. Next time, I won't fall for it!"
Asahi looked down at Psyduck, who blinked with innocent confusion.
Sigh... It used to be such a good Psyduck... and now it's been corrupted by Slowbro.
Such a bad influence. Truly.
Somewhere, far away at Asahi's villa on the beach, a certain Slowbro lounging in the sun sneezed.
It cautiously looked around. Aside from a Corphish chasing a Seel across the sand, no sign of Asahi.
Satisfied, it lay back down and resumed its vacation.
...
That afternoon, Asahi matched against three more Trainers.
For each match, he used a different Pokémon—Lapras, Wingull, and even a Togepi.
He still won all three, but the Togepi match nearly turned into an upset. The opponent's Lotad was just a move away from victory before Asahi micromanaged Togepi's dodges and pulled off a win with sheer luck.
The matches were intense, thrilling, and wildly entertaining. Iono's chat lit up with cheers and excitement.
When it was over, she asked curiously, "Why aren't you using your main Pokémon? Aren't these ones a bit... underpowered?"
Asahi sighed deeply. "I take on dangerous missions often and rarely get time with them. But I can feel their desire to fight. That's why I use this tournament as a chance to fulfill their wish—to battle."
Sabrina: "..."
If she didn't know Lapras spent all day clinging to its parents, Wingull was obsessed with fries, and Togepi spent every day playing dice with Ethan's Togepi in the base—
She might've believed him too.
But Iono didn't know that.
She earnestly wrote it all down in her notes—planning to include the touching quote in the upcoming documentary.
...
Back to The villa
The moment Asahi stepped into the villa, he was greeted by the overly animated voice of Gary, who was talking enthusiastically to Diamond and Pearl.
"…I'm telling you, the second I sent out Nidoking, the guy surrendered on the spot! Didn't even last five seconds!"
"My ranking's at 1108 now. Just one more day—just one—and I'll be in the Great Ball Tier!"
"Gary-senpai is incredible!" Diamond said, eyes sparkling with admiration.
Pearl nodded as well.
Among all non-cheaters, the fastest known promotion speed was still held by Leon, who climbed tiers in a single day.
Gary's current pace? He was getting awfully close to that record.
Bathed in their reverence, Gary looked absolutely smug.
That's when he spotted Asahi and couldn't resist showing off. "What do you think, Asahi? Not bad progress, huh?"
"Not bad at all," Asahi replied calmly.
For once, there was no sarcasm in his voice. Even Asahi had to admit, advancing this far in one day was impressive.
All that training hadn't gone to waste.
Hearing Asahi praise him, Gary was on cloud nine. Then, instinctively, he asked, "So, what rank are you at now?"
"Me? Eh… not too high." Asahi sighed.
That immediately caught Gary's attention.
Wait—wait.
Was Asahi actually behind him?
Was that why he was brushing it off?
The more Gary thought about it, the more convinced he became. This was it! His moment to shine! He resisted for about five seconds before his curiosity got the better of him.
"C'mon, tell me! I promise I won't laugh."
Asahi hesitated, then sighed again. "Well, you asked for it…"
He opened his app and showed Gary his rank.
Super Ball Tier – Rank 173.
Asahi shook his head and added, "Sigh… still too slow. I spent too much time giving Wingull and Togepi some battle experience. If not for that, I'd be in the Ultra Ball Tier by now."
Gary: "..."
He felt like Asahi had climbed onto his back and was tap-dancing all over his spine.
He came looking for laughs—and found out the real clown… was himself.
"Hey, Asahi! You're back?" Ethan walked in with his fishing rod slung over his shoulder, Aipom trailing behind. "I just made it to the Super Ball Tier today!"
Another critical hit landed on Gary.
"Still a little short," Silver added, dragging in two unconscious trainers alongside his Feraligatr. "These guys were Rocket grunts tailing me. Caught 'em red-handed."
"I interrogated them already. Tight-lipped. Didn't spill a thing…"
Soon after, Green and Zinnia returned too.
Apparently, they'd gone shopping with Cynthia for a few hours—and still managed to reach Rank 1600 and 1300 respectively.
One blow after another. Gary had no words.
He just… wanted to return to his room and lie down.