Xiangling and Xinyan stepped onto the battlefield to check on their pokemon.
Xinyan was especially distressed because Toxel was unresponsive. As she was checking his wounds and bruises, Rene quitely appeared beside her.
She extended her tentacle and a drop of water (Life Dew) dripped from her finger like protusion. As soon as the drop of water touched Toxel, he began to glow in a soft light and his injuries healed rapidly.
Xinyan looked at the amazing sight in confusion and delight. After the soft light dissipated, she stood up with Toxel in her arms and bowed to Rene.
"Thank you."
[You are welcome.]
Rene whispered in her mind and touched Toxel with her tentacle. A soft pink light soon emerged from her tentacle and covered the unconscious Toxel. This pink light (Heal Pulse) healed him again and he soon woke up.
"Kauu." Toxel cried out as Xinyan hugged him tighter. "How are you doing, Buddy?"
Toxel looked around his surrounding and realized that he had lost. He drooped his head and Xinyan quickly began to cheer him up.
On the other hand, Rene moved towards Stufful and Xiangling and repeated the process.
After both Toxel and Stufful were healed, Loki approached Xinyan and Xiangling.
"This battle was excellent for your first try. Good work, both of you."
Receiving his sudden praise, the 2 teens immediately blushed.
"Thank you, Loki." Xiangling
"Thanks, Loki." Xinyan
He simply nodded and reminded them. "Remember, A pokemon battle is like a real fight in the wild. You never know what the outcome will be. As long as you have the strength to fight, you have the chance to win. Don't ever forget that."
The 2 teens knew that he was talking about how the battered and paralyzed Stufful won the match. They nodded their head in understanding and promised to remember his words.
With their conversation over, both of them walked to the nearby platform and began to converse with their other friends. Loki waited a while before announcing the start of the next round.
"The second round is between Xingqiu, from the Feiyun Commerce Guild, and Yunjin, from the Yun-Han Opera Troupe. Both contestants, please step into the battlefield."
Xingqiu and Yunjin immediately looked at each other and walked towards the opposing platforms. When they reached their destination, Loki addressed them.
"Send out your pokemon."
They quickly took our their pokeball and threw them into the air. Igglybuff and Buneary soon appeared on the battlefield.
Loki looked at all four of them and announced. "Begin!"
"Buneary, use Quick Attack." Xingqiu immediately gave an order and Buneary ran towards Igglybuff at an incredible speed.
"Igglybuff, use Disarming Voice." Yunjin spoke softly. Igglybuff quickly let out a loud cry that send pink shockwaves towards Buneary.
This managed to stop Buneary for a few seconds. But as soon as he was released, he rushed towards Igglybuff with even more vigor.
"Defense Curl." Igglybuff curled into a ball exactly at the moment of impact. She minimized the damage but she was still sent rolling on the ground.
"Again, Quick Attack." Without giving Igglybuff a chance to reorient, Xingqiu gave his next command and Buneary rushed at Igglybuff.
Seeing the ruthless attack, Yunjin didn't know what to do. "Defense Curl." She shouted and Igglybuff once again fortified her defense before Buneary sent her flying.
Igglybuff crashed onto the barrier and landed on the ground lightly. Xingqiu didn't give Buneary the command to pursue this time and instead waited to check the condition of Igglybuff.
It took a few seconds for Igglybuff to stand up. She was bruised in multiple places but she stood strong and steady because she continually stacked her defenses.
Yunjin looked at her pokemon with a relieved look before giving her next command. "Igglybuff, use Sing."
"Use Quick Attack." Xingqiu shouted immediately after her. As Igglybuff began to sing the first verse, Buneary was already upon her.
"Defense Curl." Yunjin called out in worry. But this time, Igglybuff had no time to curl into a ball because she was in the middle of her singing. She closed her eyes in fear and braced herself for the attack.
A few seconds passed but the expected attack never came.
Igglypuff opened her eyes and saw Buneary hugging her with love in his eyes. There was no sign of the ruthless pokemon who beat her just some time ago.
Igglybuff was surprised. Even Yunjin was surprised. But it didn't take long for them to smile.
"Igglybuff, Sing." Yunjin didn't even need to remind Igglybuff as she had already started to sing.
"Oh no. Buneary, snap out of it."
Xingqiu shouted in a hurry. What he feared the most had happened. Igglybuff's ability, Cute Charm, managed to charm his Buneary.
"Buneary, hurry. You can do it."
Xingqiu began to shout numerous commands as well as encouragements, to snap Buneary out from his infatuation. But none of them seemed to work.
A few seconds passed and the singing had already started to show its effect. Buneary slowly began to close and open his eyes, as if he was moments away from completely falling asleep.
"Buneary, snap out of it. Don't fall asleep."
Xingqiu didn't give up even at this desperate moment. His persistent shouts seemed to finally work as Buneary finally regained a trace of clarity, at the verge of sleeping.
Buneary immediately glared at the singing pokemon and kicked (Low Kick) her into the air. There was no way Igglybuff could react.
"Igglybuff!" Yunjin called out in worry as Igglybuff crashed into the barrier for the second time today.
By the time Igglybuff landed on the ground, she was already unconscious. Buneary also dropped to the ground, asleep.
Loki looked at the outcome of the second match with an amused smile as he announed. "Igglybuff is unable to battle. The winner of the second round is Buneary and Xingqiu."
Yunjin immediately jumped onto the battlefield and picked Igglybuff in her arms. Her feelings were a rollercoaster. At first, she thought they were going to lose, then a glimmer of hope appeared and they were so close to winning, only to lose miserably in the end.
As she was thinking of the battle, Rene quitely appeared before her and began to heal Igglybuff.
Xingqiu also recalled the sleeping Buneary inside his pokeball and arrived at her side. He quickly began to give his analysis of the match to her.
"Your Igglybuff is significantly weaker among our pokemon. Instead of relying on Disarming Voice to attack Buneary, you should have used Sing first to make Buneary fall asleep. That way, your chances to win would have been higher."
His voice was calm but he was not so calm on the inside. He had to admit, he and Buneary won because of luck. But they almost lost because of luck as well.
Yunjin listened to him and found his words to be true. Her Igglybuff was indeed the weakest and slowest among the 6 pokemon. If the first move Igglybuff used was Sing, then they might have won.
"A good analysis." Loki suddenly spoke from behind them. The 2 teens immediately turned back and looked at him.
"You seemed to have realized the essence of Pokemon Battle on your first attempt, Xingqiu. Well done."
Xingqiu scratched his head, embarrased at the sudden praise. "Thank you, Mr. Loki."
Loki nodded at him and turned to Yunjin.
"Don't be discouraged by this loss. Not all pokemon are meant to fight head on. Every pokemon have their own strength and weaknesses. Pokemon like your Igglybuff relies on various tricks to defeat a stronger opponent. Once you learn to utilize those tricks, you can also dominate in future pokemon battles."
He then added. "But that is only if you and Igglybuff want to. Nobody can force the two of you if you don't want to participate in a pokemon battle. Keep that in mind."
Yunjin nodded her head in understanding and she gently embraced her small pokemon.
A few seconds passed and Igglybuff woke up. Then the 2 teens stepped down from the battlefield.
Loki then announced the start of the next round.
"The third battle is between Hutao, from the Washeng Funeral Parlor, and Chongyun, an exorcist from Tianheng Thaumaturges. Both contestants, please step onto the battlefield."
_____
(At the same time)
Two of the Liyue Qixing were walking towards the Pokemon Studio, accompanied by a small otherwordly mouse. When they reached near their destination, they began to realize a strangeness in their surroundings.
"Don't you think these streets are a little empty today?"
Usually, the streets near the harbor were packed with people. But today, they barely met a couple of people.
Keqing quickly stopped a foreigner who was running towards the harbor.
"Excuse me. Could you perhaps tell me why you are in such a rush? Is something going on?"
The foreigner didn't seem to recognize them as he spoke hurriedly.
"Haven't you heard? Some outlanders are giving a big show at the harbor. The two of you should also come. You don't want to miss such a chance."
Relaying these words quickly, the foreigner immediately turned around and ran towards the harbor.
Keqing and Ningguang looked at each other. 'Outlanders, Show?' It must be the residents of Pokemon Studio.
The two of them quickly walked towards the cliff overlooking the harbor. It took less than a minute for them to reach the wooden railing that bordered the cliff. There were a lot of people here as well and all of them were looking towards the harbor.
When the two Liyue Qixing appeared, a few people recognized them and quickly made way for them to see the harbor. And when they did, they were immediately speechless.
"That is..?" Keqing spoke in an exasperated voice. Ningguang was also flabbergasted at her side.
They could see a large crowd in the harbor. They were gathered around a platform made from ice, seemingly on the surface of the sea.
Their location was quite a distance away so they could not see the individual differences exactly. But they were able to easily recognize the various pokemon standing around the harbor and the ice platforms.
"Looks like the residents of the Studio are having fun at the harbor." Ningguang broke the silence with an awkward smile.
Keqing could only shake her head. Only the shameless owner of the Pokemon Studio had the guts to arrange such a large performance in the harbor, without even asking for the permission of the Liyue Qixing.
"Let's go."
Their destination has been changed.
As they walked towards the harbor, both Keqing and Ningguang had the same thought on their minds.
'What were the Millelith doing?'
_____
Buneary
Gender: Male
Type: Normal
Ability: Run Away
Moves: Pound, Defense Curl, Baby-Doll Eyes, Quick Attack, Low Kick
_____
Igglybuff
Gender: Female
Type: Normal/Fairy
Ability: Cute Charm
Moves: Charm, Copycat, Defense Curl, Disable, Disarming Voice, Pound, Sing, Sweet Kiss