Victreebel reacted swiftly to the incoming [Shadow Claw].
Whoosh!
Vines shot out from its sides—predatory whips designed for capturing prey—colliding head-on with [Shadow Claw].
In midair, the two attacks clashed in a test of strength, but [Shadow Claw] was clearly at a disadvantage. After all, it had already been weakened by the previous [Razor Leaf] attack.
“Gengar, use [Confuse Ray]!”
“Ko-kyeah!”
Floating in the air, Gengar controlled [Shadow Claw] with one hand while releasing a dazzling, eerie light with the other.
The multicolored rays shot toward Victreebel, their vibrant hues creating a dizzying effect.
Erika’s eyes sharpened. “Victreebel, block your vision with your leaves! Don’t look at it!”
It was a desperate measure.
While this would obstruct its sight and put it in a passive position, falling into confusion because of [Confuse Ray] would be a far worse scenario. At that point, it wouldn’t just be a disadvantage—it would mean completely losing control of the battle!
“Decisive choice…”
August offered words of praise, but his actions showed no mercy.
“Gengar, don’t let this chance slip by!”
“Ko-kyeah!”
Gengar grinned at the blinded Victreebel, rubbing its hands together to form a [Shadow Ball] infused with ghostly energy. With a flick, it hurled the attack straight at its target.
Erika watched as the sinister, pulsating [Shadow Ball] shot forward.
August’s offensive was relentless, each move seamlessly chaining into the next, giving her almost no breathing room.
“Victreebel, [Protect]!”
Crossing its leaves in front of itself, Victreebel conjured a protective energy barrier.
Boom!
The [Shadow Ball] collided with the shield, erupting in a violent explosion.
Good. [Protect] is used up now.
August had never expected to end the match with a single strike anyway. He gestured toward Gengar, signaling the next move.
With a mischievous smirk, Gengar dove into the smoke, and moments later, the sounds of fierce battle echoed from within.
Erika’s vision was completely blocked. She had no way of knowing what was happening inside the smoke, and her attempts to call out to Victreebel received no response.
But for August, who possessed [Aura] abilities, the smoke wasn’t an obstacle—it was the perfect cover.
“Gengar, [Dark Pulse]!”
“Be careful! Don’t let Victreebel swallow you—paralyze it with [Lick]!”
“…Wait, not there! You don’t want your tongue to get corroded, do you? Ugh, forget it—just use [Shadow Ball] again!”
Another explosion rocked the battlefield as [Shadow Ball] detonated, thickening the smoke that had just begun to dissipate.
Though his control over Gengar wasn’t yet seamless—since he had only recently captured it—August still held a firm upper hand. Gengar’s ability to dive into shadows, combined with the smoke’s concealment, made it nearly impossible for Erika to turn the situation around.
Erika hesitated. She wanted to issue commands, but without knowing what was happening inside the smoke, she feared making the wrong call and further complicating things for Victreebel.
“Victreebel, clear the smoke!”
She attempted to have Victreebel disperse Gengar’s artificial fog.
But August wasn’t about to give her that chance. “Don’t let it clear the smoke! Now—use [Hypnosis]!”
One disaster after another!
Hearing August’s command, Erika felt her heart sink.
And sure enough—
Seconds later, Gengar emerged from the smoke, panting slightly, its body showing traces of corrosion.
With a triumphant expression, Gengar floated in circles above the battlefield, basking in its victory.
As the smoke gradually cleared, the scene on the battlefield was revealed—
Victreebel lay curled up in a crater, its body drenched in its own stomach acid.
Clearly, without Erika’s guidance, it had panicked and instinctively resorted to a Poison-type move.
But against Gengar, who had quadruple resistance to poison attacks, the result was inevitable.
Erika hadn’t expected her first match to end like this.
If not for Gengar’s smoke, her Victreebel wouldn’t have lost so helplessly.
She hadn’t even had the chance to use [Stun Spore]…
So frustrating!
But she knew better than anyone that Pokémon battles were all about results.
A loss was a loss.
Without dwelling on the previous fight, she recalled Victreebel into its Poké Ball and acknowledged, “Agent August made perfect use of the battlefield conditions. I can’t compare.”
As she spoke, she studied August with a curious gaze.
Both of them had their vision obstructed by the smoke, yet he had been able to see everything clearly. Could this be another one of his unique abilities?
August had no intention of explaining his [Aura] powers mid-battle. He simply smiled. “Not at all, just a small trick.”
“Your Victreebel was strong as well.”
On the sidelines, Blue watched the two exchange pleasantries and smirked.
Polite words after a fight were just formalities. The Gym examination wasn’t over yet.
Erika smiled. “Now, Agent August, you’d better be careful…”
As she spoke, she took another arrow from the attendant beside her.
Drawing her bow, she aimed at the airborne Gengar and suddenly released the shot.
Whoosh—!
The arrow flew straight at Gengar. Startled, it hurriedly dodged, then turned to glare at Erika with a look of indignation.
This evil woman actually tried to shoot me?!
That shot had definitely carried a personal grudge.
But Erika remained unfazed by Gengar’s glare, keeping her gaze calmly focused on the battlefield.
Clearly, her previously gentle demeanor was just a front—underneath, she was downright devious.
Bang!
A Poké Ball burst open.
Accompanied by a lively cry, a Pokémon emerged—a sleek, pale yellow body, ears and tail tipped in vibrant green, resembling the shape of leaves.
“Leafeon?” Blue was surprised.
This was the first time she had seen a Gym Trainer use a Pokémon not commonly found in the Kanto region during a Gym examination.
Hearing the name Leafeon, the Eevee napping in August’s arms perked up.
Leafeon? What Leafeon?
Its gaze quickly locked onto the elegant Pokémon standing on the battlefield.
“Bui!”
Eevee lifted a paw and waved excitedly at Leafeon.
Leafeon tilted its head in response, letting out a soft greeting before shifting its full attention back to its opponent—Gengar.
Having witnessed Gengar’s battle with Victreebel from inside its Poké Ball, Leafeon’s eyes sharpened.
It flicked its tail.
For a moment, Gengar wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but—
It felt like Leafeon’s tail was gleaming with an almost blade-like sharpness.
The referee, who had remained almost invisible on the sidelines, waved the flag down.
As the match commenced, Leafeon did not immediately launch an attack. Instead, it lifted its head, and a soft glow emanated from its body.
The sunlight streaming through the greenhouse’s glass ceiling intensified in response, bathing the entire battlefield in brilliant radiance. A wave of heat surged through the air.
“Gengar!”
Gengar instinctively raised its stubby arms in front of its face. While the sunlight itself didn’t harm it, something about the brightness felt inherently unpleasant.
On the sidelines, Blue observed Leafeon’s move with curiosity. “Why didn’t she use [Sunny Day] when Victreebel was on the field? Didn’t it know the move?”
Hearing this, Erika’s expression stiffened for a brief moment.
Of course, Victreebel knew [Sunny Day].
She had just… underestimated her opponent.
She hadn’t activated it at the start of the match, and by the time she realized its importance, August’s relentless attacks had left her scrambling. She simply hadn’t had a chance to set up.
Shaking off her frustration, Erika refocused on the battle.
Under the intensified sunlight, Leafeon’s body began to absorb energy through photosynthesis, releasing a fresh, invigorating scent that quickly spread across the battlefield.
Gengar’s nose twitched, and it immediately froze in suspicion.
A scent this pleasant? Definitely a trap!
Clever as ever, Gengar saw through Leafeon’s scheme in an instant.
Seeing his Pokémon’s antics, August covered his face. “No need to hold your breath—it doesn’t know [Sweet Scent].”
Gengar, who had been smugly congratulating itself, suddenly stiffened.
…Oh.
Erika chuckled softly at Gengar’s reaction, finding it oddly amusing.
But she quickly refocused. No matter how amusing Gengar was, it had still defeated her Victreebel.
Without waiting for Erika’s command, Leafeon tensed its legs and shot forward like a pale yellow blur, closing the distance in an instant.
Caught off guard, Gengar hurriedly swung its claws, summoning [Shadow Claw] in defense.
Leafeon dodged with a nimble sidestep, then lashed its tail—sending a barrage of razor-sharp leaves slicing toward Gengar.
Just as Gengar started to panic, August’s voice rang out.
“Fly up!”
Reassured, Gengar quickly soared into the air, just in time to avoid the [Leaf Blade] attack. The sharp leaves slashed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
But unlike Victreebel, Leafeon had learned from the previous battle. It made sure to keep itself out of the dust cloud’s reach.
Looking up at the airborne Gengar, Leafeon swished its tail again—this time sending out a flurry of leaves wrapped in a soft green glow.
“[Magical Leaf]?” August murmured. “So she’s prioritizing accuracy over power, opting for a special attack instead of a physical one…”
“Gengar, [Dark Pulse]!”
“Gengar!”
Gengar cackled as dark energy rippled outward from its body.
The black aura surged forward, colliding with the incoming [Magical Leaf]. The green glow flickered and faded almost instantly, and the leaves—now powerless—fluttered harmlessly to the ground.
But [Dark Pulse] didn’t stop there. It continued forward, crashing into Leafeon.
Leafeon’s body tensed, and a brief flash of fear flickered in its eyes. Its movements halted for a moment.
Erika’s expression tightened.
Not good. It flinched…
She wasn’t sure if August was simply lucky or if she was the unlucky one, but either way, she had no time to dwell on it.
“Snap out of it, Leafeon!”
Her voice cut through the battlefield, and Leafeon, determined not to worry its trainer, forced itself to shake off the fear.
But it was too late—Gengar had already conjured another [Shadow Ball].
Hovering above, Gengar grinned mischievously before hurling the ball of ghostly energy straight down.
Whoosh!
The [Shadow Ball] streaked toward Leafeon.
But this time, Erika had no intention of using [Protect].
Unlike Victreebel, which had been forced into a defensive stance, Leafeon had another option.
“[Dig]!”
At Erika’s command, Leafeon swiftly dug into the ground, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
The [Shadow Ball] slammed into the battlefield, sending another dust cloud into the air.
This time, however, Gengar had no idea how to respond.
After all, it couldn’t exactly squeeze into a narrow underground tunnel to chase after Leafeon. It wasn’t that flexible.
Seeing Gengar hesitate, August gestured for patience. He closed his eyes and activated his [Aura] abilities, scanning the battlefield.
A moment later, he located Leafeon beneath the ground.
His gaze shifted to Erika, who was watching him with a confident smile.
She was clearly trying to prevent a repeat of her last battle.
But what she didn’t know… was that his [Aura] abilities could track Leafeon even underground.
Leafeon remained hidden beneath the earth while Gengar hovered above, glancing around warily.
The intense sunlight made Gengar—whose body temperature was naturally low—visibly uncomfortable. It even stuck out its tongue, panting slightly from the heat.
And at that moment, August gave his command.
“Gengar, three o’clock, thirty meters. Use [Shadow Ball]!”
Erika’s smile faltered.
A sudden sense of unease crept into her mind.
Wait… Could August actually track Leafeon underground?
That was ridiculous… wasn’t it?
Gengar didn’t understand August’s reasoning, but its trust in his commands had already been established.
“Gengar!”
With a cackle, Gengar formed another [Shadow Ball] and hurled it toward the designated spot.
There was no resistance—nothing to indicate it had hit a solid surface.
Boom!
A loud explosion erupted, followed by a startled cry from beneath the battlefield.
Leafeon!
August had locked onto its position!
While there were no official rules against using a trainer’s special abilities during a battle… this felt completely unfair.
Especially since she didn’t have any special abilities!
Erika felt a surge of frustration.
Meanwhile, August was frowning at Gengar.
“How did you mess that up?”
Somehow, Gengar had completely miscalculated the distance, throwing the attack at nearly thirty-five meters instead of thirty.
What should have been a direct hit had instead been a near-miss, with only the blast radius affecting Leafeon.
An attack that should have ended the battle in an instant… was now just a warning shot.
As expected, Leafeon, now fully alert, quickly shifted underground.
With a sigh, August resigned himself to the inevitable.
“Alright then… looks like we’re playing Whack-a-Mole.”
—
T/N: WHAT HOW DARTE U ATTACK GENGAR WITH AN ARROW! QUICK CRUSH HER AUGUST
This is a fan translation of 人在实教，一之濑你会后悔的 by 作者：白良. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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