Chapter 6: VS Munchlax
Since third-year high school students could receive their starter Pokémon upon turning eighteen, the school was equipped with Pokémon battle fields, located right next to the main academic building.
The standard battle field was about the size of a basketball court. Inside the white trainer boxes, Basalt and Frank stood opposite each other, Poké Balls in hand, ready for action.
"Go, Munchlax!"
"Let's go, Drilbur!"
They threw their Poké Balls at almost the exact same time. Two Pokémon, one large and one small, appeared from the flashes of red light, facing each other from a distance.
"Lax~"
"Chari~"
However, compared to the 0.6-meter-tall Munchlax, Drilbur stood at only 0.3 meters. It barely reached Munchlax's stomach. The size difference was enormous, like a child standing next to an adult. Not to mention, Munchlax was a Pokémon that developed horizontally; with its round belly and thick arms, Drilbur simply couldn't compare.
"Whoa, that Munchlax is huge! It's like a mountain of a tank."
"You're telling me! Munchlax's thick fat means it has incredible stamina and high defense. It won't be easy to beat."
"It's not just stamina and defense, did you see Munchlax's arms? They're thicker than our thighs! Its strength must be immense, so its attack power will be top-tier!"
"And don't forget, Frank's Munchlax knew four moves from birth. Its potential is off the charts."
"Sigh, what was Basalt thinking? With Drilbur's tiny arms and legs, how can it possibly fight a Munchlax?"
"I'm curious too. Isn't Basalt usually really quiet? He never even dares to talk back when Frank makes fun of him. What's gotten into him today? He actually dared to accept a battle with Frank? Did he grow a backbone?"
"Maybe he got a little arrogant after getting a rare Pokémon from another region. But from what I know, Pokémon like Drilbur are about the same as our local Sandshrew. They're common overseas, nothing special."
"Oh, so that's it. I was wondering why Drilbur looked so similar to Sandshrew. Both are Ground-types, both are mole-like Pokémon. Their moves are probably similar too."
"I hope Basalt gets crushed. I've disliked that kid for a long time."
…
Around the edge of the battlefield, the students of Class 1 stood in a line, ready for a good show. Almost all of them, however, did not favor Basalt. The visual disparity between Drilbur and Munchlax was simply too great.
Furthermore, since the Pokémon were still young, most only knew basic close-range moves. Battles at this stage were often just slugfests with no real technique involved. It all came down to who had stronger attacks, tougher defense, and more stamina.
And comparing those three aspects, Basalt's Drilbur didn't seem to have an advantage in any of them. On top of that, Drilbur didn't even have a type advantage. What was the point of fighting?
Crucially, the handsome and studious Basalt was the public enemy of nearly every boy in the class. They were practically hoping Frank would pulverize him. It would be even more satisfying if, after defeating Basalt, Frank would humiliate him thoroughly.
The girls, on the other hand, hoped Basalt could win, but looking at the size difference, they also felt it was unrealistic. They could only watch in silent observation.
"Both sides, take your positions. Let the battle begin!"
A student from the class played the part of the referee and gave the signal to start.
"Munchlax, charge forward and use Tackle!"
A cold smirk appeared on Frank's face as he waved his hand and gave the command.
"Lax~"
Munchlax let out a strange cry, its face fierce. It began to charge towards Drilbur with its surprisingly cute little steps.
Given the size difference, if this attack landed squarely, Drilbur would undoubtedly be sent flying. But unfortunately for Munchlax, its body was too bulky. Although its little legs moved quickly, its overall speed was still pathetic.
"Drilbur, rapid retreat! Keep your distance from Munchlax."
The corner of Basalt's mouth curled up slightly.
"Chari~"
Drilbur nodded, shot a glare at Munchlax, and immediately turned tail and ran.
Basalt didn't know if the concept of base stats existed in this parallel world, but Munchlax's speed was no match for Drilbur's. Even with the slight speed boost from Tackle, it was a drop in the bucket. Munchlax couldn't get within ten meters of Drilbur.
Seeing this, Frank frowned slightly and shouted, "Basalt, what's the meaning of this? Just having your Drilbur run away? If you refuse to engage, you can be disqualified for lacking the will to fight!"
In Frank's mind, Drilbur's moveset was probably similar to a Sandshrew's—a few basic, close-range moves like Mud-Slap, Scratch, and Harden. If Drilbur didn't engage in close combat, the match would be meaningless.
"Lacking the will to fight? I don't think so!" Basalt chuckled and called out loudly, "Drilbur, use Mud-Slap!"
"Chari~"
Hearing the command to attack, Drilbur immediately stopped its retreat. The Ground-type energy in its body gathered in its palm, instantly forming a dark clump of mud, which it hurled with all its might.
Splat!
The mud flew through the air and hit Munchlax squarely on the head, smearing its entire face.
"Lax~"
Munchlax cried out in pain and stumbled to a halt. It waved its hands, trying to wipe away the mud, but it had been hit so suddenly that the mud had already gotten into its small eyes, blurring its vision.
"Mud-Slap? A long-range move!"
Frank was slightly surprised.
According to his original plan, Munchlax was supposed to use its advantage in stamina, attack, and defense to beat Drilbur into submission with a few simple blows and secure an easy victory. But now, things had clearly gone off script.
If his opponent kept using long-range moves, given Munchlax's speed and agility, it was bound to be kited to death.
However, Frank was only surprised, not panicked. A normal Munchlax would, at best, know Tackle, Harden, and Lick at birth. But his Munchlax was exceptionally talented. It knew a fourth move—Rollout!
Rollout, a Rock-type move, attacks the opponent by rolling continuously. Each time the move hits, its power increases. Crucially, while Munchlax was slow on its feet, its speed would increase exponentially once it used Rollout.
Catching up to Drilbur… wouldn't be a problem!
"Munchlax, use Rollout!"
At Frank's command, Munchlax curled its body into a ball and immediately began to roll, becoming a high-speed, fleshy cannonball charging straight for Drilbur.
"Drilbur, dodge it, quickly!"
Basalt's expression changed dramatically. Munchlax's rolling speed was incredibly fast, and combined with its weight, he could tell the attack packed a serious punch.
"Chari~"
Drilbur also had a serious look on its face. It was about to dodge, but it was too late. Munchlax was rolling so fast that before Drilbur could even react, it had already… rolled right past it!
CRASH!
Munchlax rolled off the field and slammed into the wall. It stumbled out of its rolling state, dizzy, with little stars circling its head.
"Chari?" [_?]
"What?" [_?]
Everyone present was completely dumbfounded.
What just happened?
Drilbur, especially, had been about to wet itself in fear, but the result was… that's it?
"Munchlax, can you please aim before you attack?!"
Frank's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. This was a huge embarrassment. He had only just gotten the Munchlax a few days ago. He knew it had the move Rollout, but he had no idea that it… came with the risk of missing?
"Is Munchlax's Rollout just naturally inaccurate? Or was it because Mud-Slap lowered its accuracy?" Basalt stroked his chin, pondering, but he had no answer. Perhaps it was a combination of both.
However, seeing Munchlax wobbling to its feet and preparing to use Rollout again, Basalt certainly wasn't going to give it another chance.
"Drilbur, continuous Mud-Slap! Cover Munchlax's face in it!" Basalt roared, launching his counter-attack.
Splat!
Just as Munchlax got a clear view of Drilbur's position and was about to use Rollout again, another glob of mud from Drilbur arrived, hitting it squarely in the face once more. With Munchlax's lack of agility, dodging was out of the question.
"Lax~"
Munchlax was furious.
If you're a real Pokémon, come fight me claw-to-claw! What kind of hero throws mud?
Drilbur completely ignored Munchlax's taunts. At that moment, the little mole was in a state of bliss, caught in an infinite loop of forming a mud ball, throwing it, forming another, and throwing it again.
Splat! Splat! Splat!…
The Mud-Slap move hit continuously. Munchlax's entire body was caked in mud, with its face being the primary target area. At this point, Munchlax could barely open its eyes.
"Munchlax…"
It was only then that Frank's expression finally changed. He could feel it. This match… he was probably going to lose.
With its vision gone, his Munchlax had become a sitting duck.
It couldn't see, it couldn't catch up, and it couldn't aim…
How was he supposed to fight like this?