As Diancie's voice echoed across the field...
The students instantly raised their arms and burst into cheers.
Surprisingly, most of the support was directed at Grotle.
Even Liu Yunlan and the others joined in—cheering for Grotle too!
Su Bai could only smile wryly.
"Why do I feel like I'm playing the villain here?"
Then again, it made sense.
Many of these students had survived the siege of the Death Beasts thanks to Grotle holding the front lines.
If Grotle hadn't stood firm, the death toll on campus would have been unimaginable.
As for Liu Yunlan and the others, their reason for cheering was simpler: sympathy for the underdog.
After all, the Prinplup that Ditto had transformed into wasn't that scary on its own…
But standing behind that Prinplup—was Su Bai.
At the center of the field, Wang Tao's expression was one of complete seriousness.
Like Liu Yunlan, he wasn't just worried about "Prinplup"… but the Trainer commanding it.
Especially since he'd already been outplayed by Su Bai once before.
You couldn't be too cautious with someone like him!
"Grotle, use Growth!"
Wang Tao immediately chose to stack buffs.
Partly to observe Su Bai's next move, and partly because Grotle wasn't a glass cannon.
Even with a type advantage, it wasn't likely to one-shot a well-trained Prinplup.
So it made more sense to boost his strength and land a decisive blow later.
"Ditto, use Charm."
Su Bai gave the command with a smile.
Ditto, in its Prinplup form, raised its flipper and gave Grotle a big wink.
Though Prinplup was far from Piplup in cuteness, the unexpected act made the students burst out in laughter.
A pink aura rippled out with the wink and wrapped around Grotle.
Its growth halted momentarily as layers of Fairy energy swirled around its body.
This was the real-world effect of Charm.
These kinds of status moves didn't rely on a Pokémon's looks.
Even a Pokémon like Ursaring could make Charm work—because it functioned like a rule-based skill.
As Su Bai commanded, he casually explained to the crowd:
"Wang Tao seems easygoing on the outside…"
"But he's actually very cautious. I figured he'd open with a stat buff."
"Growth raises both Attack and Special Attack, but Charm sharply lowers Attack."
"And since Charm has a stronger debuff than Growth's buff, this first round already cost him one level of Attack."
As he spoke, Su Bai had Ditto move in.
"Also, due to the difference in speed, our moves land faster."
"Prinplup may not be a speedster—but it's faster than Grotle."
"Use Peck!"
Ditto leapt into the air, flapped its stubby flippers with comedic flair, and dove like a chubby torpedo toward Grotle's head.
Boom!
The attack connected, slamming into Grotle's skull.
The bulky turtle flinched in visible pain—but as expected, its solid defense held strong.
Green lights flickered around it as energy began to surge.
Wang Tao's voice rang out next—somewhat annoyed.
"Grotle, use Razor Leaf!"
He cursed inwardly.
I should've known he'd mess with me right out of the gate.
Still, he wasn't too worried.
Even though Peck was super effective against Grass-types, Grotle's thick defenses made it manageable.
Across the field, Su Bai grinned as he saw the Razor Leaf starting to charge.
"Once Wang Tao realized he was falling behind in the stat trade, he opted for a quick strike."
"But Grotle's base Attack was never very high—and after losing a stage from Charm, it won't hurt as much."
"Ditto, use Charm again!"
In real combat, there's no strict turn order.
Moves had execution speeds.
And a move like Razor Leaf required a bit of setup.
But Charm didn't.
Taking advantage of Prinplup's superior speed, Ditto once again struck first.
A second wave of pink energy washed over Grotle—lowering its Attack by another stage.
Now Grotle was down three full levels of Attack.
And just then, the Razor Leaf hit.
Ditto-Prinplup's round body trembled under the impact. Even with Grotle's Attack crippled, the damage was still noticeable.
But far from fatal.
"Damn…"
Wang Tao broke into a cold sweat.
His Trainer instincts told him that if he let this continue, he might actually lose.
"Grotle, use Leech Seed!"
A spray of seeds burst from Grotle's shell, and even with Ditto's best efforts to dodge, several found their mark.
Tiny green sprouts took root on Ditto's body.
Wisps of green light began to drain its energy—returning it to Grotle.
"Smart move. That's Wang Tao for you."
Su Bai nodded in approval.
Leech Seed wasn't affected by Attack or Special Attack. It provided passive healing—perfect for turning the tide while debuffed.
"But… if we keep dragging this out, that Leech Seed will turn the tide."
"So it's time to gamble."
Su Bai chuckled.
"Ditto, use Swagger!"
Ditto raised its flippers and struck a pose that screamed: Come at me!
Its arrogant expression was so over-the-top that even the real Prinplup, watching from the sidelines, was stunned.
"How is this imposter even cockier than me?!"
The taunt took full effect.
Grotle's eyes burned with anger.
Normally a calm and gentle Pokémon, it suddenly charged forward with a growl—ignoring Wang Tao's command.
"What the hell?! I told it to use Razor Leaf again!"
Wang Tao cried out in frustration.
Grotle had entered Confusion status.
"Swagger confuses the opponent," Su Bai explained, "but also raises their Attack by two stages."
"So overall, Grotle is now down just one stage from its original Attack stat."
"Still manageable."
"Now let's go! Use Fury Attack!"
Ditto-Prinplup's beak gleamed as it leapt forward again—taking the bite from Grotle head-on with its pudgy belly.
Then it countered with five consecutive pecks to Grotle's forehead!
Unlike in games, Fury Attack's number of hits here depended on timing and opportunity—not RNG(Random Number Generator).
And this time… Ditto landed all five.
Wang Tao immediately noticed Grotle's stamina dropping rapidly.
Meanwhile, Ditto had taken a serious beating—but held on!
"Screw it. Time to go all in!"
Wang Tao gritted his teeth.
"Grotle! You have to hear me! Keep using Razor Leaf!"
His voice cut through the chaos.
Grotle's confused eyes briefly cleared, loyalty to its Trainer surfacing for just a second.
But then it refocused on the irritating Prinplup before it.
Still, that moment of clarity bought Su Bai just enough time.
"That's the power of Trainer-Pokémon bonds," Su Bai praised.
"When the bond is strong, Pokémon can do things even beyond their limits."
"Wang Tao's bond with Grotle is deep… but—"
"Ditto, use Fury Attack again!"
Prinplup's beak jabbed repeatedly—deep cracks forming in Grotle's thick shell.
Just then, another Razor Leaf slammed into Ditto!
If they had HP bars, Ditto would've been deep in the red.
Meanwhile, Grotle's HP was stabilizing thanks to Leech Seed and its natural bulk.
"Hahaha! Su Bai, don't blame me for taking this win!"
"Opportunities to beat you are rare!"
Wang Tao grinned.
He knew even another Fury Attack couldn't knock out Grotle.
But Leech Seed + Razor Leaf? That would finish Ditto off!
"Looks like Su Bai's at a complete disadvantage now…"
"Even a miracle can't save him."
That was what everyone thought.
Then—
The Razor Leaf in the air suddenly turned around…
And slammed into Grotle.
Gasps echoed across the field.
Su Bai's voice rang out cool and steady:
"It may have looked like I left things up to fate…"
"But I've done everything I could."
"And if Confusion never triggers, then what's the point of Swagger?"