Chapter 47
[Route201Camper: Streamer, what exactly just happened?]
[RankedBattleVictim: You didn’t use cheats, did you?]
"So if I win with a ’weak’ Bug type, that automatically means I’m cheating?"
Mike put down the controller and looked at the comments.
[PiplupSupremacy: Incredible! Someone call the developers—we’ve got a cheater here!]
[BerryJuiceAddict: Explain yourself, or I’m unfollowing!]
[DragonTypeOnly: How was that not cheating? That was a Hydreigon—a pseudo-legendary! And it got one-shot by a bug you can find beside the road?!]
[GlameowFanatic: Lady Glameow, don’t let him pet you until he explains!]
[Penance_Stair: The opponent is probably filing a report right now.]
[Keyos: Reason for report: got folded by Kricketune!]
"It’s actually very simple."
The moment Mike spoke, the comments began to quiet down.
He opened Kricketune’s information page and started explaining.
"Kricketune has the Ability Technician, which increases the power of moves with a base power of sixty or less by fifty percent."
"It can also learn a move called Fell Stinger."
"If Fell Stinger knocks out an opponent, the user’s Attack rises sharply. The move has a base power of fifty, so Technician boosts it to seventy-five."
"Combine that with Peppa Pig—sorry, Drowzee—using Trick Room to reverse the move order. Then Drowzee uses Endeavor to lower the opponent’s HP, allowing Kricketune to come in and finish it off."
"Once Kricketune gets that Attack boost, it becomes much easier for him to sweep the rest of the opposing team."
[Propht: He really built an entire strategy around feeding kills to a violin bug.]
[Pikune: Don’t call him a violin bug. Put some respect on Kricketune Man!]
[SinnohNetizen: Then why did Kricketune lose HP even when it wasn’t attacked?]
"Because I gave it a Life Orb. It increases the power of its moves, but it also damages the user after every successful attack."
Mike raised a finger.
"There is one catch, though. This strategy is only at its strongest while Trick Room is active, and Trick Room lasts for just five turns."
"After setting it up, using Endeavor, and getting Kricketune safely onto the field, there are only a few turns left."
"If Kricketune can’t defeat the opposing team before Trick Room ends, then even Kricketune Man will eventually go down."
[SilentWatcher: ...]
[BugTypesAreTheCoolest: So Kricketune really does have an entire strategy built around it?]
"Please remember this."
Mike looked into the camera with a completely serious expression.
"His name is Kricketune Man! Thank you."
[MurkrowAfterDark: ...]
[GreatBallGrinder: Damnnn...]
[Definitely Not a Fairy-Type Fan: You really can make anything sound convincing...]
[Akabara: He gave one explanation and turned Kricketune into a superhero!]
[MaryCrossoverAddic: Kricketune Man’s origin story is better than half the movies I’ve watched.]
[DragonTypeOnly: I don’t believe you. Play another match!]
[Route201Camper: Agreed. One more match.]
Mike checked the time.
The rain outside still hadn’t stopped.
He lowered his head and looked at Glameow, who was yawning in his arms.
"Are you tired? Should I end the livestream so you can get some sleep?"
[PiplupSupremacy: ???]
[BerryJuiceAddict: You really are shameless!]
[GlameowFanatic: How dare you even think about ending the stream?!]
[Yopleasee: He wins once and immediately tries to retire undefeated.]
Glameow shook her head and pointed toward the holographic screen with her bandaged paw.
"Meow~"
[Keep playing!]
"All right. One more match."
Mike glanced toward Gengar.
Gengar was outside the tent wearing Grandma’s straw hat, holding Kakuna in one arm while swinging his bamboo staff with the other.
He had no interest in the livestream. Playing in the rain was far more entertaining!
[Genie_Unshackled: Meanwhile, Gengar is outside living his best life.]
[LightningGodWolf: Holding Kakuna in the rain while swinging a stick around sounds insanely unsafe.]
[Genie_Unshackled: You’re just jealous because you don’t have a straw hat!]
...
The next opponent led with Dragapult.
Mike once again sent out the pink Drowzee.
[DragonTypeOnly: Let’s see how you use Endeavor now!]
[GhostTypeMain: Normal-type moves can’t hit Dragapult. Have you lost your mind?]
Mike sighed but still ordered Drowzee to use Trick Room.
Dragapult struck Drowzee with U-turn before returning to the opponent’s team.
"U-turn to break my Focus Sash?"
Mike looked at Drowzee, who had thirty-two HP remaining, and smiled.
"Honestly, U-turn helps me. I was wondering how I was supposed to lower Drowzee’s HP enough for Endeavor to work properly."
[RankedBattleVictim: Amazing. Even the matchmaking system is helping him now...]
[Xerotia: The opponent accidentally joined Mike’s team.]
The opponent’s second Pokémon was Scizor.
"Scizor? Take this Endeavor!"
Drowzee charged forward and reduced Scizor to thirty-two HP.
Scizor immediately used U-turn and returned to its team.
"Scizor has U-turn too? Then what’s the third Pokémon?"
The opponent’s final Pokémon entered the battlefield.
Rillaboom.
The moment it appeared, grass spread across the entire field.
Mike recalled Drowzee and sent out Kricketune, who stared coldly at the dark green gorilla standing across from him.
Mike pressed his lips together, desperately trying not to laugh.
"Rillaboom?"
The opponent clearly hadn’t expected Mike to bring out Kricketune and quietly sent a question-mark emote.
Mike responded with the same emote before pointing toward the screen.
"Kricketune Man, use Fell Stinger!"
Under Trick Room, Kricketune moved first.
Fell Stinger struck Rillaboom and instantly emptied its entire HP bar.
"Another critical hit?"
The moment the yellow text appeared, Mike finally burst out laughing.
[EarlyRouteTrainer: Incredible. Does Kricketune secretly have Serene Grace too?]
[DragonTypeOnly: Are we still playing the same game? Another critical hit?!]
[Pikune: Rillaboom spent more time activating Grassy Terrain than actually battling!]
"Scared now?"
Mike grinned.
"The opponent probably thought that as long as they didn’t leave anything at low HP, Kricketune wouldn’t have anyone to finish off."
"But how could they possibly know that Kricketune Man is a monster of raw power?"
He pointed dramatically at the screen.
"Full HP is already within execution range!"
[Dao_Of_The_Turtle: The fool believes safety lies in a full health bar, unaware that death has already chosen him.]
[Akabara: Please.. he got hit by Fell Stinger, not marked for death by fate!]
The opponent sent out the weakened Scizor next.
Mike had Kricketune finish it off with Aerial Ace.
The final Dragapult was defeated by Night Slash.
"Another narrow victory."
Mike looked at the result screen and let out a relieved breath.
[PiplupSupremacy: Excuse me, where exactly was that narrow? Kricketune taking Life Orb recoil counts as nearly losing now?]
[BugTypesAreTheCoolest: Who dares claim invincibility? Who dares call themselves undefeated? Only our Bug King, Kricketune Man!]
[DragonTypeOnly: I’m sorry, Kricketune. I misjudged you. I’m going to catch two right now and challenge a Gym.]
[Route201Camper: From this day forward, I am Kricketune’s most devoted follower!]
[BerryJuiceAddict: You were the one insulting it the most earlier, dumbass!]
[Mimikyu_DCX: DragonTypeOnly switched sides faster than Scizor used U-turn!]
[Genie_Unshackled: Imagine being the Gym Leader who has to deal with two completely untrained Kricketune tomorrow lmao!]
Mike smiled at the joking comments, exited the game, and adjusted Glameow’s position so she could lie more comfortably in his arms.
Then he began to speak.
"I’ve actually been reading all of your comments."
The messages scrolling across the livestream slowly came to a stop.
"I’m not here to say that one side is completely right and the other is wrong. Honestly, I never expected the first episode of The Wide World of Pokémon to cause such a huge argument."
"As everyone knows, I’m not really a battling specialist. Many of you probably understand competitive Pokémon battles much better than I do."
"But I am a photographer."
"My responsibility is to photograph as many Pokémon as possible, record the way they live, and study their behavior so that I can offer at least a little useful information to new Trainers."
"I also want people who can’t own a Pokémon or leave home on a journey to watch my videos and experience what it’s like to see a Pokémon grow."
Mike gently ran his hand along Glameow’s back.
"I know Bug-type Pokémon are generally considered some of the weakest Pokémon."
"There’s nothing wrong with Trainers who want to become stronger choosing Pokémon with greater potential. Everyone has different goals, and there’s nothing wrong with building a strong team."
"But do you still remember your first Pokémon?"
"For many people, it may have been a Bug type. After all, Bug-type Pokémon are usually easy to find, and many of them are gentle enough for young Trainers to approach."
Mike smiled softly.
"Do you remember how you felt when you caught your first Pokémon?"
"When I caught Weedle, I was so excited that I could barely calm down. He was the first Pokémon I had ever caught through a battle."
"To me, catching a Pokémon should be something that brings you happiness."
"You all know that I stayed in Twinleaf Town for a while..."
Mike briefly told them about the young Bug Catcher he had met there.
"So the Bug-type Pokémon we dismiss as weak might be someone else’s favorite Pokémon."
"I honestly think Bug types are wonderful."
"They may not always stand out in ordinary battles, but battling isn’t the only thing Pokémon can do."
"Try looking at them from another angle."
"Beautifly, for example, is a common sight in Pokémon Contests, isn’t it?"
[MaryCrossoverAddic: Okay, now I feel bad for laughing at Kricketune.]
[Xerotia: Somewhere out there, a Bug Catcher just found his new favorite streamer.]
[LightningGodWolf: Strongest Pokémon this, best stats that. Sometimes people just like their little bug buddy.]
[DragonTypeOnly: I still prefer Dragon types, but... yeah. I understand what he means.]
[Mimikyu_DCX: Character development. You love to see it.]
Mike continued speaking as he quietly held Glameow.
Some of his words came directly from his heart, while others answered questions appearing in the comments.
"Sorry, everyone. I ended up talking for much longer than I intended."
Mike smiled and prepared to end the livestream.
"Oh, right. Let me finish with the one thing I most want to say."
"A game is a game, and reality is reality."
"Just because something can’t be done in a game doesn’t mean you and your Pokémon can’t achieve it together in the real world."
"For example... standing back up after being knocked down?"
Mike looked directly into the camera.
"I believe in you. You can do it!"
[Dao_Of_The_Turtle: Though the body may fall, the spirit shall rise with the morning sun.]
"Okay, that’s all for today’s livestream."
Mike waved at the camera.
"See you next time, everyone."
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Read more Chapters ahead here... currently at Chapter 75.
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