Chapter 18: Defensive Strategy

After Charles's match, it was now Happy's turn. Thanks to Zamenza's defense of the boys, the crowd could only watch without judgment to see if his words hold true. So far, his words did ring true...for now. If Happy can win this match, then it'll become clear to the crowd that Happy and Charles were fighters that could compete with the adults. However, behind the scenes, Chilli and his subordinates had a plan in mind to get Moody, which was through Eve.

Happy's opponent is Mr. P, a Metapod who made his way through the Elimination Ring. From afar, Zamenza noticed the scratches on him, which had a story.

Zamenza: (...I wonder...That Metapod...It's amazing that he even got this far in the tournament…But I'm curious...what's his story, especially with those scars…? Is he here to win, or for something else…? Only one way to find out…)

He tuned into Mr. P's mind, trying to gain a perspective of his ambition.

Mr. P: (...I've got to win...For my family…)

Zamenza: (...His family…?)

As he dug deeper, he saw the mental imagery of what lay in Mr. P's mind. It was in a kingdom where Bug-type Pokemon were more prevalent, but in Mr. P's case, it was in a poor section of the kingdom, with several Caterpie talking to him, calling him "brother". The area was scarce of food, and it appeared that the trees were dying. There were other Bug Pokemon, who appeared to either be starving or dead.

Zamenza: (...So that's why...Those scratches must've been from him training to defeat his opponents…) *sniffs* (...Such a touching story…!)

His story was touching to Zamenza at least, since Mr. P seemed determined to do it for his family. At that moment, he felt someone poking his leg, which broke his concentration.

Charles: Old man? Are you alright?

Zamenza: H-Huh? Oh, yes.

Moody: You looked to be in thought.

Tengu: You were observing Mr. P, weren't you?

Zamenza: ...Yes.

Tengu: Mm. He comes from a place called the Sect Kingdom. Apparently, I heard they have food problems, with possible shortages and trees dying. Mr. P is wanting to win this tournament to get the money needed to feed his family. I can't blame him. I asked him about it at the time for this info.

Moody: That's some serious dedication. And a shell, no less? I'm surprised he actually made it here.

Tengu: Same here. However, he tends to bait his opponents into attacking before landing a strike to push them out of the ring. A counter-attack, if you will.

Charles: He sounds like a smart fighter.

Zamenza: I won't lie. It does sound clever. Possibly even better than I would have done.

Charles: *sweat drop, doubtful look* (...Don't lie, old man...I know you're in the tournament too...You're not fooling me…)

Tengu: But if he loses,...then he and his family will die.

Zamenza: (...Then I won't let that happen...There's probably other Pokemon who have similar ideas in mind to win…)

Back at the ring, Nester noticed that Happy and Mr. P were sharing a moment with each other.

Nester: Before this match goes under way, I think both contestants are having a moment together. Could it be a way of encouragement?

Happy: A Metapod?

Mr. P: It's the secondary stage, with Butterfree being my final form.

Happy: You seem like a tough Pokemon. Why do you want to win?

Mr. P: ...I'm afraid that it'll be too complicated for you to understand, but I have to win. I just wish the best of luck for both of us.

Happy: Alright! I'll show my stuff too!

Nester: Fighters! Are you ready?

Both took a fighting stance, or rather only Happy could, since he had arms and legs.

Nester: Get set...Begin!

As the gong was struck, Happy stood still in his fighting stance, ready for an attack. However, he noticed that Mr. P didn't even budge an inch.

Happy: Huh? Hey Mister, why aren't you attacking me?

Mr. P: Oh, I am. I don't like to move very much, so I wait here. You may attack if you'd like.

From Unhaus and the gang's point of view, they noticed that Mr. P was still.

Unhaus: What's going on? Why isn't Mr. P attacking?

Baye: I heard that Metapod don't like moving too much. I think it's to prevent their innards from spilling out.

Eve: Innards? You mean, like their intestines? Eww!

Baye: *groans, sweat drop* Tell me about it…

Unhaus: The bigger question is, how did he get this far in the tournament?

Back to the ring, Happy felt like he was fighting against an immovable object.

Happy: (...What's with him...? He doesn't like moving very much...?)

Nester: It seems that Mr. P is waiting for his opponent to make a move! How will little Happy respond?

Happy: I guess I'll attack.

He charged forward, but before he could land an attack, Mr. P suddenly slammed into Happy within the blink of an eye, almost as if he was moving faster than he normally should. To Happy, it was like he got struck by an iron wall, as he felt a sharp pain though his body, placing his hands everywhere on his body to ease the pain. Some bruises formed on him as a result of his attack.

Happy: Ouch! What's with this guy? He felt like some sort of wall! And I didn't even see him make a move!

Nester: Incredible! It appears that Mr. P is baiting Happy into attacking to deliver a counterattack of his own!

From where Zamenza and the others were, this was a surprising sight to see.

Moody: Z-Zamenza...Did you see…?

Zamenza: I did.

Charles: What's going on? It's like the Metapod didn't even make a move and somehow struck Happy!

Tengu: I heard of baiting opponents, but this? I never thought that Metapod had a strategy that could put even us to shame.

Zamenza: (...Happy took that hit harder than he should...What the hell's going on…? Perhaps moving quicker than the normal eye was part of his training…?)

Happy: If I can't attack him head on, I'll have to attack him from behind!

Happy then ran around the arena in circles, hoping to find a way to get an opening to his opponent. However, Mr. P just stood there like usual, not even fazed in the slightest by Happy's circling attempt.

Nester: Happy is circling the ring! Perhaps as a way to catch Mr. P off-guard?

Happy: He still won't move?

He kept circling around him until he decided to strike from the back. However, in an instant, Mr. P turned around and slammed into Happy once again, sending him flying a few feet, shocking the crowd from Mr. P's fast reaction. This time, the impact was stronger and Happy showed signs of bleeding from his mouth. Somehow, Mr. P was striking harder than before, and Happy was close from being out of the ring.

Nester: Ooh! But the strategy didn't pan out, as Mr. P was ready for another counter-attack! It looks like if Mr. P strikes again, Happy will either be knocked out of the ring, or collapse from the strike!

Zamenza: (...Mr. P is striking even harder than before...I wonder why…)

Charles: This isn't good! Happy's about to die out there!

Tengu: And if Mr. P strikes him again, then he'll be out of the ring.

Zamenza: (...There's got to be a way as to why his attack is striking even harder…! Hmm...)

As Zamenza looked at Mr. P, he noticed that his body was shinier than the untrained eye could see.

Zamenza: So that's how.

Charles: That's how "what", old man?

Zamenza: He's using Iron Defense.

Charles: Huh?

Tengu: So, he's using his idleness as a way to build up defense without the trained eye to notice. That's why when he rammed into Happy, his impact got stronger.

Moody: He's using defense as his greatest offense. But I thought that Metapod can only learn Harden.

Zamenza: You'd be surprised to see just how skillful the next generation is becoming. He probably used his "iron will" to learn it whilst in his training.

Tengu: So those scars aren't just for show.

Charles: Can Happy win?

Zamenza: That's what I hope to find out.

Back at the ring, Happy was trying to piece things together to defeat Mr. P.

Happy: Man, it seems like every time I try to hit him, he attacks without warning! And his attack is getting stronger! If only I could get a hit in...Hmm…

[Charles: ...Man, that thing's nimble, I'll give it that...

Happy: ...Charles, what does "nimble" mean...?

Charles: ...Oh, uh...It means someone who's fast...

Happy: ...Oh, so it's fast...?

Charles: ...Yeah...Say...that Bubble attack you used earlier...It gives me an idea…

Happy: ..Like what...?

Charles: ...Hmm...Like...We could use those to distract it...Say like, you blow it into his direction, except you could spray it all around instead of one direction...In other words, aim them in more than one direction...When it's fully distracted, I'll hit it with an Ember attack... Sounds good...?

Happy: ...Yeah...!

Charles: ...Alright...! Ready...?

Happy: ...Ready...!

Charles: ...Blow...!]

Happy: That gives me an idea!

He inhaled before exhaling a thick stream of bubbles with varying sizes that floated around the ring. It was mesmerizing to everyone, but to Mr. P, this was something new.

Baye: What's he doing? He's only blowing bubbles. Does he think this is a game?

Unhaus: I can't tell what's going on right now, but if Happy doesn't do anything, he's going to lose.

Eve: Can he even win?

Tanner: I think so. Look closely.

Baye: Huh?

Nester: Happy has blown bubbles into the arena! Whilst mesmerizing for sure, I don't know how this will serve him well.

Charles: Hey...He's blowing bubbles. Just like during our training….

Zamenza: (...You have something in mind, Happy…? Perhaps a way of strategy…?)

Tengu: I'm quite curious to know what he's planning.

To Mr. P, the idea of bubbles floating around was indeed pretty to look at, but to Happy, this served to his advantage. He noticed that Mr. P was too preoccupied with the bubbles to notice where he was. Happy decided to move through the bubbles to get a hit on Mr. P. Despite seeing Happy's reflection, Mr. P blindly struck through the bubbles to an empty spot, much to his confusion.

Mr. P: Huh? Where'd he go?

From behind, Happy sprayed a thick stream of bubbles from his mouth, which struck Mr. P directly on his cape, pushing him back a few feet.

Mr. P: (...No…! I...I can't lose here…! If I do...I'll never be able to face my brothers and sisters or those starving Bug Pokemon…!)

Strengthened by his resolve to his family, he endured the attack and managed to jump into the air, landing to face Happy with serious determination. It surprised everyone just by how he managed to make such a leap in a second.

Nester: It seems that Mr. P isn't throwing in the towel just yet! And I think he's now serious, folks!

Mr. P: ...I'm sorry, young one. But I cannot end my journey here just yet. You see, I have brothers and sisters your age. There's also Bug type Pokemon where I come from who are starving. We live in such a place that cannot sustain us any longer, and with no means of getting help from the local populace, we're doomed to crawl on barren land. So I'm afraid that you'll have to be tossed out for me to progress.

Happy: I'm gonna be the winner! I ain't losing here!

Mr. P: ...In that case, prepare to lose. I'll make sure that you still live after this.

Happy: Huh?

Nester: Whoa, folks! It seems that Mr. P has something up his sleeve that he believes will defeat Happy for the rest of the tournament!

Charles: A-A way to-

Moody: Defeat Happy-

Tengu: For the rest of the tournament?

Zamenza: (...What does he mean by that…?)

Unhaus: I...I don't believe it…!

Eve: What's going to happen?!

Unhaus: I don't know, but if that's the case, then I'd say Happy is screwed!

Tanner: What kind of move does that Mr. P Pokemon even have? I hope it doesn't break the flow!

Baye: Come on, Happy! Don't give in!

Unhaus: Keep it together! You're doing great!

Mr. P looked up into the sky before slamming into Happy once again without any signs of a warning, this time knocking him on his back and pushing him towards the edge of the ring. Shocked reactions from his friends were just enough to know that Happy was in trouble. He struggled to get back up as Mr. P leaped straight into the air, reaching a great altitude of the clouds before he turned his body to face the ground from above shouting...

Mr. P: COCOON CRAAAAAAASH!

…As he dove straight down towards Happy without any unwavering fear. It terrified Happy's friends upon seeing such a move being used on him.

Baye: *screams* Happy! Get up!

Unhaus: Get up, Happy!

Tanner: Get up before that guy knocks your equilibrium off-balance!

Charles: C'mon, Happy! Get up!

Moody: Happy!

Mr. P: (...I am sorry...But this is what I have to do...even if it hurts me…)

Nester: Looks like this might be the end! It seems that Mr. P is descending at a fast rate! Will little Happy manage to get up from his back and face the onslaught or be laid here and now?

Moody then grabbed Zamenza with a vine in a worrisome state similar to a parent. Charles also tugged at Zamenza's legs with a worried look on his face.

Moody: Zamenza! Get Happy to call off the match!

Charles: Please, old man! Happy's in trouble when he's on his back!

Zamenza continued to watch Happy as he was wondering if this could continue or not. At the same time, he believed that deep down, he knew that he could trust Happy to do something. However, as Mr. P was a few seconds away from Happy, he started withdrawing into his shell and spun around, generating water that turned into a vortex. It confused onlookers as Mr. P crashed right into the watery vortex followed by a loud boom.

Concrete dust formed by the impact as the watery vortex disappeared made it impossible to tell what happened. However, after a moment, the dust cleared, showing a surprising result that left everyone in shock. In what seemed like a desperate struggle, Happy was actually in his shell lying on his stomach side, with Mr. P on the rough part still in his diving position, with some of his shell pieces falling off. He knew the impact hurt, causing him to remain motionless with eyes wide open in pain. Small tears formed from his eyes upon the pain.

Nester: I...I don't believe it…! I-In a surprising turn of events, Happy has managed to stop Mr. P's attack! A-And I know that's gotta hurt!

The crowd groaned in pain, feeling what Mr. P was experiencing at the moment.

Tengu: He...used his shell…

Zamenza: No, not just his shell. He used Whirlpool to help himself up and unknowingly used his shell for protection.

Charles: A-Amazing…!

Tanner: Looks like Mr. P's gonna need some stitches on his shell for quite a while.

Unhaus: T-Tell me about it…

Baye: Maybe a Selzar Plant could help…

Mr. P: *groans* I...Impossible…! M-My body…!

When Happy got up, Mr. P slid right off and landed outside the ring. Of course, Happy himself looked as if he didn't feel a thing even though he still felt some pain.

Referee: M...Mr. P...out! Winner...Happy!

The crowd went from a slow clap to loud cheers, witnessing an amazing spectacle.

Nester: Happy shall advance to the next round! After this, we shall take a break!

Charles: He did it! He did it!

Unhaus: I never thought he would've done it. I guess I should give more consideration to how strong he is.

Baye: I wish he would stop giving us heart attacks…! It's beginning to remind me of a certain someone…

Tanner, Unhaus and Eve were confused by her statement. Whilst in the ring, Happy was enjoying his victory. Before he could meet up with Zamenza and the others as he ran out of the ring, he was stopped by Mr. P as he was being hoisted by a Pinsir.

Mr. P: W...Wait…

Happy: Huh?

Mr. P: ...You are...Happy, right?

Happy: Yeah!

Mr. P: ...I see...Congratulations...You beat me fair and square...It was an...awesome match…

Happy: Same here! Um, are you going to be okay?

Mr. P: ...I think so...It's not like I haven't survived worse…But tell me...what is your goal…?

Happy: My...goal?

Mr. P: Yes. Your reason for participating.

Happy: I wanna be the strongest Pokemon in the world.

Mr. P: ...Is that so…? Interesting...I wish you luck on it… *chuckles*

From behind the scenes, Lieutenant Chilli and his spider subordinates were awaiting standby for their backup. They received a Roto-Phone call from one of their members.

Chilli: ...Hello?

?: We've arrived. Where are you?

Chilli: We're at the Fighter's Hall South Wing. We'll be expecting you.

?: Certainly. We'll be there.

Chilli: Good.

The Roto-Phone hung up, leaving a grinning Chilli with a plan in mind that would go smoothly for him.

Chilli: Perfect...The old man and his friends are in a world of trouble. We are always one step ahead… *chuckles*

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