Pokémon: I have no choice but to do this old thing?

The ice field at Xuefeng Dojo is chillingly cold, with glistening ice pillars reflecting a cold light under the lights.

However, the owner, Xiaosong, seemed to melt away the ice and snow with her enthusiasm. Dressed in a neat outfit, her short hair like dancing flames, she welcomed the challengers in a loud voice.

"Welcome to Snow Peak Dojo! I'm Gym Leader Xiaosong! In this icy world, let's ignite our passion with fiery hearts and battles!"

Her smile was radiant, and her gaze was quickly drawn to the ice goose in Zhang Jianying's arms. "Wow! What an adorable little guy! Is it an ice goose? Just hatched?"

She carefully took the ice goose, gently stroking its square ice head, which made the little guy flap its little wings and chirp incessantly.

"Listen, when training Ice-type Pokémon, especially in their early stages," Xiaosong enthusiastically shared while teasing Goose, "the key is to gradually increase their cold resistance training. There's a natural ice spring in the mountains behind Snowpeak City; the energy there is very pure. You can take your Pokémon there to experience it..."

She shared her experience without reservation, and her smile revealed her pure love for Ice-type Pokémon.

After exchanging pleasantries, the dojo battle officially began.

Xiaosong walked to the other end of the battle arena, her eyes sharpening: "The rules are 4 vs 4, the last match is a doubles battle, and only the challenger can rotate Pokémon. Ready?"

"We can start anytime."

Zhang Jianying placed the ice-carved goose on a chair to the side and walked to the command area.

The referee's whistle blew.

"Go, Snow Hat Monster!"

"Baby Dragon, the first battle is yours!"

A flash of red light, and the adorable-looking dragon, clutching an Everstone, stepped into the Ice Arena, facing a Snowcap that resembled a frozen sapling. Dragon-type is weak to Ice-type, putting them at a disadvantage.

"Snow Hat Monster, Ice Shard!"

Sharp ice shards shot towards them swiftly.

"Baby dragon, dodge! Find an opportunity to get close!"

The baby dragon moved its short legs nimbly, dodging the continuous stream of ice shards and closing the distance.

Occasionally, ice shards would graz its skin, leaving faint white marks, but it didn't care.

"Now! Headbutt!!"

After skillfully dodging the ice shards once again, the baby dragon finally entered the attack range.

A white light emanated from its head, and the conflicting energy within its body, which it had once regarded as an obstacle, was now precisely guided and transformed into a stream of light that covered its head!

Originally a Normal-type Headbutt, its type instantly changes to Flying, making it extremely effective against Icecap!

"Bang!"

The attack hit its mark, and the Ice Hat Monster cried out in pain as it slid backward.

"It's not over yet! He'll charge forward with his life on the line!"

Zhang Jianying pressed his advantage.

Baby Dragon burst forth with dazzling white light, and Flying-type energy enveloped its entire body once again.

It kicked off the ice with its hind legs, like a white comet, and crashed into the snow-hat monster that had not yet regained its footing with astonishing force!

"boom!"

The Snow Hat Monster was completely sent flying by this full-force attack containing the power of flight, crashing heavily onto the ice wall of the arena. As it slid down, its eyes had already turned into spiral shapes.

"Well done!" Zhang Jianying praised.

Babydra proudly raised its head and gestured with its chin towards Gardevoir on the sidelines. In the spectator area, Ice Goose watched intently, its little wings flapping slightly.

"The Snowcap Monster is unable to battle, and the Baby Dragon wins!"

As the referee announced the result, Xiaosong recalled the Snow Hat Monster and sent out the extremely fast and fiercely attacking Manuela.

"Manuela, use your speed to overpower it!"

Zhang Jianying recalled his baby dragon and threw out a Poké Ball as well, saying, "I choose you."

"Hehehe~"

Gastly chuckled as it floated into the arena. Facing the menacing-looking Weavile, it flickered and instantly transformed into a shadow, merging into the ground and stealthily moving through its shadow.

"Manuela, watch out for the shadows!"

Xiao Song reminded her.

Gastly appears and disappears unpredictably, occasionally shooting Shadow Balls from various shadowy corners of the field, the effects of which are resisted by Dark-type moves.

Although the damage is not high, the angle is tricky and extremely annoying.

Enraged by this harassment tactic, Manuel irritably swung its claws, tearing apart several Shadow Balls, but it could never hit Gastly's main body.

"Manuela, calm down! Use malice to pursue and find its true form!"

Xiao Song gave the instructions.

With her eyes bloodshot and her entire body covered in dark energy, Manuela charged towards a shadowy wave!

It believed that with Gastly's fragile defenses, it would be doomed to defeat once it got close!

However, Gastly, lurking in the shadows, showed no fear; instead, it let out an even happier, wicked laugh.

Gastly recalled the teachings of Dusknoir: When your opponent thinks they have found a weakness in your defense and launches a full-scale attack, that is the best time to strike back and turn the tide of battle.

Just as Manuela's claws were about to touch the shadows.

"Heh—!!"

The shadows suddenly surged and expanded! A solid, dark "Gundam" suddenly appeared!

Gastly, controlling a modified version of Nightshade, swung its massive fist with a piercing whistle that tore through the air, striking Mallowa in the face as she charged forward with all her might!

"Bang!!!"

After taking several Shadow Balls and being punched by the Night Demon, the equally fragile Manuela didn't even have time to let out a proper scream before being smashed backward by the "Gundam" and embedded in the ice wall, her eyes instantly turning into circles.

Gastly's shadowy form slowly dissipated, and its true form floated out, proudly flicking its tongue and making a face in Xiaosong's direction.

Xiao Song stared at the Weavile that had been instantly defeated, opened her mouth, and was speechless for a moment. This Gastly doesn't play by the rules!

According to the rules, the last match is a doubles game.

Zhang Jianying had originally planned to send out Torterra and Gardevoir to showcase the results of their special training. However, the Poké Balls on his waist suddenly opened automatically.

"Sizzle~"

Pot Pot slowly crawled out, called out twice, and then approached the forest turtle. Its beady eyes blinked, as if it were discussing something.

The forest tortoise nodded in agreement.

Looking at Huhu, who rarely showed any willingness to fight, and then at Çalhanoğlu and Blizzard King sent out by Xiaosong on the other side, an extremely skillful tactic instantly became clear in Zhang Jianying's mind.

His eyes grew brighter and brighter, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up, eventually forming a kind smile.

"Isn't the point of Pokémon battles to bring smiles?"

Zhang Jianying muttered to himself, as if trying to convince himself, but the smile looked sinister no matter how he looked at it. "As for whether this smile stays on the other person's face or is transferred to mine... that's not something I can control, hehe."

He decisively adjusted the lineup: "Alright! Gardevoir, Shuckle, it's you two I choose!"

Xiao Song looked at this combination, puzzled but the lessons learned in the previous two matches made her wary: "Blizzard King, Medicham, be careful!"

"Battle begins!"

"Pot, hatched!"

Zhang Jianying gave the order first.

A flash of light appeared around the pot, and illusory cracks symbolizing the activation of a skill appeared on its shell.

Its characteristic of "contrarianism" is then triggered!

Attack, Special Attack, and Speed, which should have increased significantly, actually decreased instead of increasing, while Defense and Special Defense, which should have decreased, actually increased instead of decreasing!

In an instant, the pot's defensive capabilities were enhanced, but its offensive capabilities became weaker.

Although Xiaosong didn't understand why, her intuition told her that she had to finish this quickly: "Blizzard King, Medicham, concentrate your firepower and take down Gardevoir first!"

Abomasnow's Frost Punch and Medicham's Psychic Hammer simultaneously struck Gardevoir, who had not yet moved.

"Gardevoir, use Teleport to evade, then..."

Zhang Jianying's command came immediately: "Use 'coquetry' on the pot!"

"Sana?"

Gardevoir was clearly taken aback.

It does possess this skill, but it almost never uses it.

In its view, this deliberate display of cuteness, bordering on coquettishness, is inconsistent with its elegant and calm temperament, and always carries an indescribable sense of shame when it is performed.

Its crimson eyes held a hint of reproach as it looked at its trainer, as if asking, "Are you sure?"

Zhang Jianying clasped his hands together and looked back at it with expectant eyes, silently conveying his trust.

Gardevoir was somewhat conflicted, but ultimately, trust in its trainer prevailed.

It turned slightly to the side, a barely perceptible blush rising on its cheeks, and placed its hands lightly together beside its face, making a slightly stiff but still incredibly cute pose and expression towards the pot, thanks to its natural beauty.

Gardevoir used Charm.

It's incredibly effective for trainers!

"hiss."

Zhang Jianying clutched his chest, feeling utterly struck by the unexpected cuteness of his Gardevoir. "Who can resist this?!"

However, the real target for the teapot is the teapot itself.

Hu Hu was still pondering her own "steady and solid" combat strategy when she heard this order and was initially a little confused.

But seeing Gardevoir's unusually shy demeanor, a strange glint flashed in its beady eyes. Hmm, when the boss isn't angry, she's actually quite cute...

Immediately, a bright little light bulb seemed to pop up on Hu Hu's forehead with a "ding" sound!

It seemed to understand the trainer's "sinister" intentions!

Gardevoir's [Adorable] effect activates!

The already low attack power of the pot further diminished!

But the next moment, the [Dissenting] trait was triggered again!

The attack, which should have been declining, unexpectedly reversed and surged wildly!

At this moment, Shuckle's status: Defense and Special Defense are increased by 1 due to [Shell Spoiler]. Under the effects of [Adorable] and [Contrarian], its Attack power, which was reduced due to [Shell Spoiler], has been restored to its original state!

The trainer's command came again, and Gardevoir used Instant Teleport to dodge the attack, and once again used Charm on Shuckle.

Attack +2, and Pot Pot's beady eyes sharpened.

It transformed from an extreme tank into a prototype of a fortress that integrates offense and defense in an instant!

As Xiaosong watched the unusual light flashing and the rising momentum on the pot's body once again, an ominous premonition swept over her like a blizzard outside the dojo.

"Never mind anything else! Keep attacking! Break through its defenses!"

"Potpot, use your power to split the spoils against the Snow King!"

Potpot blinked its beady eyes, and an invisible force connected it to Blizzard King.

Blizzard King immediately felt a sense of weakness spread throughout his body, and his proud physical attack power was forcibly drained by nearly half!

Hu Hu, on the other hand, felt an unprecedented surge of immense power flowing into his body!

"Gardevoir, use your Charm skill one more time!"

Zhang Jianying pressed his advantage.

Having learned from her previous experience, Gardevoir, though still feeling ashamed, moved much more smoothly.

It once again displayed that charming and adorable posture towards the pot.

[Acting Cute] effect triggered!

The "contrarian" characteristic has once again made a powerful comeback!

With this, the "ultimate form" of the teapot has been officially achieved!

It shared the Blizzard King's attack equally, and its attack was increased by 4, while its defense and special defense were also strengthened.

A monster with excellent attack power and outstanding defenses was born!

Xiao Song commanded the attack launched by Blizzard King and Çalhöyük.

Whether it was Ice Punch or Psychic Hammer, both landed futilely on Shuckle's shell under Gardevoir's skillful guidance.

"Ding, ding, ding."

Shuttle didn't react at all; the attacks from the two Pokémon opposite it were like scraping its skin.

Gardevoir occasionally uses Life Drop to restore Shuckle's negligible stamina.

Xiao Song almost had a meltdown when she saw this.

The full-force attack of my two Pokémons not only failed to cause any damage, but seemed to actually heal the opponent.

The fiery smile on her face finally crumbled; her lips twitched, and she felt a surge of frustration stuck in her chest.

Zhang Jianying's smile grew even brighter, as if through some kind of mystical transfer from Xiao Song's face to his.

"Potpot, let them witness the power of a fully-formed Potpot!"

Zhang Jianying waved his hand, "Rockfall!"

The pot, with its seemingly clumsy body, sank slightly.

The next second, countless enormous rocks materialized out of thin air and rained down on the two Pokémon who looked utterly hopeless! The scale of the rockfall almost covered every inch of space!

"boom!"

The Blizzard King, bearing the brunt of the attack, had his screams drowned out by the deafening roar.

Its massive body was crushed instantly like paper under such a terrifying rain of stones!

As the smoke and ice fragments dissipated, Blizzard King was already deeply mired in the pit, his eyes swirling in circles.

Zhang Jianying stroked his chin, silently calculating the damage in his mind, feeling that Blizzard King should still owe Hu Hu half a bar of health.

While Çalhm managed to barely resist and dodge the Rock Slide thanks to its elemental resistances and agility, it was already badly injured and had reached its limit.

Gardevoir, without needing any commands, gracefully raised its hand and delivered a perfectly timed [Moon Power], effortlessly draining Medicham of its last stamina, causing it to slowly collapse and lose its ability to fight.

The battle is over.

A brief silence fell over the dojo, broken only by the sound of shards of ice falling.

Looking at the devastating battlefield before her, and at Hu Hu slowly grinding its armor, concealing its merits and fame, Xiao Song's expression was extremely complex.

She took several deep breaths to barely calm the urge to curse, then walked up to Zhang Jianying with a bitter face and handed him the Glacier Badge.

"The badge... is yours. I've witnessed your skill and creativity."

Her words were practically squeezed out through clenched teeth, "But this kind of battle is just too grueling! I don't want to see any more Shuttles anytime soon!"

Zhang Jianying suddenly felt a little worried. He wondered if Xiao Song would drag him into a real-life PK when they passed through Xuefeng City in the future.

He took the badge and, quick-witted, leaned closer and whispered to Xiaosong, "Xiaosong, can I ask you something? Could you please not reveal the details of my 'Bringing Smiles' tactic in your Gym Leaders' group chat? I wanted to use it to 'bring warmth' and 'spread happiness' to the other Gym Leaders as well."

He blinked. "After all, isn't it more interesting to develop more interesting tactics than simply relying on attribute advantages?"

Xiaosong's distressed expression froze instantly, and then a feeling of "I can't be the only one who suffers" welled up in her heart, making her cheeks flush.

Imagine the other owners, especially those arrogant guys, being so disgusted by this pot-pot tactic that they questioned their very existence...

Her eyes lit up, her mischievous side fully ignited. "Really? You promise you'll use this trick again?"

She confirmed in a low voice, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Of course! Smiles need to be shared!" Zhang Jianying nodded solemnly.

"Okay! It's a deal!"

Xiao Song immediately pulled out her Pokédex, her fingers flying across the screen as she quickly sent a message in the group chat: "To all my colleagues: Today I had a fierce battle with Trainer Zhang Jianying. His Pokémon were incredibly strong and his fighting spirit was high. I unfortunately lost to his direct attack, which is very regrettable. I hope that if you encounter him again, you will be careful and help me avenge this defeat! Go for it! jpg"

After sending it, she looked up and exchanged a glance with Zhang Jianying. Both of them smiled knowingly at the same time.

Zhang Jianying took the ice-carved goose back from the chair.

The little guy was completely focused, watching Shuckle transform from harmless to earth-shattering, watching Gardevoir cooperate gracefully, and finally his gaze fell on the Glacier Badge that gleamed with a cold light.

On its square, icy head, a tuft of hair swayed gently, and its diamond-shaped mouth opened, letting out a longing cry:

"Ice Cream...(✧ω✧)"

His eyes were filled with a thirst for power and curiosity about unpredictable tactics.

After a "thorough and exhilarating" battle, Hu Hu had already returned to his usual carefree and nonchalant demeanor.