Chapter 119. Psyduck Happy Hammer
"Let's keep going!"
While directing Venomoth to evade Charmander's attacks, Koga glanced over at Natsume's side.
"Venomoth, climb again!" Koga called, assuming the paralysis had taken effect.
Venomoth was about to reach Rotom's height.
Suddenly, its flight wobbled out of control.
"Veno—!"
Like a falling leaf, Venomoth dropped.
"What is this?" Koga was stunned.
Back when it was still a Venonat, this Venomoth had undergone willpower training and could more or less follow orders even while confused.
After all, inflicting status conditions was what he did best, so naturally he guarded against them.
"Use Electro Ball in succession," Natsume said.
From above, one Electro Ball after another rained down.
Venomoth tried to dodge, but there was nowhere to go.
Sparks kept skittering across its body to make things worse.
After a flurry of hits, Venomoth collapsed.
"Return, Venomoth."
Koga focused all his attention on the match with Ash Ketchum, and Ash suddenly felt intense pressure.
Natsume recalled Rotom.
With nothing else to do, he strolled toward the direction of the earlier blast.
"Natsume, why did Venomoth fall in mid-air?" Honora hurried after him, cradling the dozing center-parted.
"Do you know why moth- and butterfly-type Pokémon with broad wings usually roost in forests?" Natsume walked unhurriedly.
"Because their wing structure can't handle strong winds, so they need trees as windbreaks," Honora blurted out.
"Your book mentioned some of Mr. Bill's work: on certain islands, moths and butterflies with tattered wings have higher survival rates."
"So, Natsume, did you teach Rotom a Flying-type move?" Honora asked, surprised.
"No, there's just wind today." Natsume pointed at the sky.
Honora: "…"
Before they reached the spot, Natsume felt a ripple of telekinesis.
Next, Team Rocket's trio swept across the sky, each taking to the air with a Flying-type technique.
Seeing the two Pokémon behind them, Natsume narrowed his eyes.
Arbok and Weezing—so they'd evolved.
And the Gyarados given to James by that old butler—why wasn't he using it?
Natsume frowned, feeling James had let an old butler's kind intentions go to waste.
"We'll be back for sure!"
Up in the sky, a huge sack slipped from James's hand.
Natsume caught it with telekinesis and found more than a dozen Electrodes of all sizes inside.
Fuchsia Gym's trap stock—looked like the trio had come to "restock."
"…"
If those three actually succeeded and presented this stuff to Giovanni, Natsume wondered what face Giovanni would make.
"Psyduck, stop embarrassing me!"
From afar, they heard Misty's furious roar.
As they drew near, Misty's face was bright red, shouting at the top of her lungs over and over.
By her feet, a yellow Psyduck cupped its face and tilted its head, looking like it didn't know where it was.
"I was calling for Starmie," Misty groaned, covering her face.
"Don't say that," Brock tried to console her. "Psyduck at least… at least stalled Arbok."
Misty was speechless.
She'd meant to send out Starmie, but Psyduck came out instead.
And it didn't know a single Water-type move!
When she realized this, Misty felt like the sky had fallen.
Snapping back to her senses, Psyduck wagged its hips and practically delivered itself to Arbok's mouth.
Arbok didn't stand on ceremony and started gulping it down.
Halfway through the swallow, thankfully Natsume intervened, or she wouldn't be seeing Psyduck again.
"What happened to you all?" Honora stepped forward, thinking someone was hurt.
"It's nothing. Thanks, Natsume," Misty called past Honora to Natsume behind her.
"No need to thank me," Natsume nodded.
He had no idea why Misty was thanking him, but accepting thanks never hurt.
"All right, time to explain how you blasted Team Rocket into the sky."
Natsume looked at them, surprised.
"Natsume, that telekinetic launch that sent Team Rocket flying wasn't you?" Brock asked suddenly.
"Not me," Natsume shook his head.
Suddenly, he looked down at Psyduck and spotted a big bite mark on its head.
From the size and shape, it had to be Arbok's.
"It was Psyduck," Natsume said. "It may be a Water-type Pokémon, but it can also use some Psychic-type techniques."
"Ah? So that's it—but still!" Misty couldn't accept that her Psyduck didn't know any Water-type move.
"I think this Psyduck's aptitude leans more toward Psychic," Brock offered, trying to comfort her.
"Fine…"
It was at least good news of a sort, so Misty decided to raise Psyduck along the Psychic path from now on.
"…Then how do I train it?"
Misty turned, awkwardly looking to Natsume.
She'd read plenty of guides on Water-type Pokémon.
But for this particular Psyduck, she knew very little.
"Here." Natsume handed her a paving brick.
"Huh? What am I supposed to do with this?" Misty stared, baffled.
"Hit it," Natsume said, tapping Psyduck on the head.
"Hey, hey—no way we're doing that!" Misty couldn't accept it.
"Quack-quack-quack—"
Seeing the brick, Psyduck actually raised its tail at Misty and started wagging it.
At that sight, veins stood out on Misty's hand gripping the brick, and she almost couldn't stop herself from bringing it down.
Natsume crouched and patted Psyduck's head.
Sadly, Misty's Psyduck wasn't a special individual.
He'd appraised it before; it "sits at the same table" as his Dragonite.
"When Psyduck's head receives external stimulation, it erupts with psychic power," Natsume explained.
"Psyduck's training is a bit special and can't follow the general Water-type playbook."
"In practice, you can strike its head every day to raise the strength of its Psychic-type techniques."
"Though it isn't a Psychic type, Psyduck trained this way can unleash Psychic-type techniques with power on par with same-type Psychic moves."
The more Natsume spoke, the more Misty's eyes sparkled.
"Here, related papers." Natsume raised his Rotom Phone to Misty.
In a flash, Brock and Honora leaned in.
"Ah, this article was published by Bill!" Brock spotted the author at a glance.
"Wow, it's comprehensive—even a recommended training cycle," Honora nodded.
"Okay, I've sent it to you."
Natsume transmitted the paper to Misty's Pokédex.
The more she read, the more excited Misty became.
Suddenly, the excitement drained from her eyes.
This was Natsume.
"Are you sure a brick will work?" Misty eyed him skeptically.
She definitely didn't believe the paper's experiments had used something like a brick.
"I think it's equivalent," Natsume nodded.
"Hmph, I knew something was off," Misty said, smug.
"So what's the most professional option?" she asked, curious.
Seeing how much she cared, Natsume searched up an image and held it to Misty.
It was a small hammer.
"Here, the professional tool is this."
Misty frowned and sounded out the tongue-twister of a technical term on the image.
"'Psyduck Cranial Stress-Applier Functional Hammer'…"
Then her eyes slid to the price tag.
"Twelve thousand three hundred forty-five, with a whole pile of zeros after it!"
"I usually call it the Psyduck Happy Hammer," Natsume said.
"It's also known as Bill's Bankruptcy Hammer."
"This thing is expensive because every Psyduck's intracranial pressure is different, so it has to be custom-built."
"You take your Psyduck to a lab for measurements first, then specialists fabricate a unit to spec."
"In short, the process is complicated, the cost is high, and it can't be mass-produced."
"Bill once hoped to make a fortune off it, but he's only sold three."
"When people found its effect wasn't much different from a brick, he shut himself away at the lighthouse."
Natsume waved a hand.
"All right, I get it," Misty said, crestfallen, picking up the brick she'd set down.
"Psyduck, I'll find the right 'feel' for you as soon as I can."
At her earnest voice, the hip-wiggling Psyduck froze.
It stiffly turned to look at Misty.
It didn't know what had just happened, but it had a very bad feeling.
"Pika-pi—"
In Honora's arms, center-parted opened its eyes, gloating.
Finally—finally, it wasn't the only one being tormented by Natsume's training plans!
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