Although Xia Huanao was brandishing his modified flail, his close-quarters combat skills were far from impressive. He had once wielded a flying water shuriken, then a gun formed from a shuriken, and occasionally a third strike to transform it into a halberd. Regardless of these transformations, Xia Huanao had never used a flail, an weapon he couldn't even classify as a hammer or a rope.
However, Xia Huanao enjoyed putting on a show. He swung the small flail with great force, sending it hurtling directly towards the head of the long-tailed monkey. Wang Zhen, watching from the sidelines, frowned and asked Meng Tianya, "Team leader, is it alright to cause such a commotion?"
Meng Tianya shook his head, "It's fine. Let him play around. This doesn't reveal his true tactical strength. What I'm more curious about is where he got this thing."
Yu Longdu shrugged, "Who knows? He always manages to come up with something strange."
Let's turn back to the two figures in the arena. Xia Huanao threw a Poké Ball at the long-tailed monkey, which quickly batted it away with a wooden stick. This was no laughing matter; a direct hit might trigger a capture sequence, and the monkey hadn't had enough fun outside yet.
Xia Huanao felt the chain in his hand yank outward and quickly tightened his grip to prevent it from slipping. Anyone who had swung such an item knew that once it was in motion, it was hard to stop. That was exactly Xia Huanao's situation now; the Poké Ball in his hand was becoming difficult to control.
The long-tailed monkey found it increasingly difficult to block Xia Huanao's Poké Ball with its wooden stick. It tossed the stick aside and decided to counter with its own skills.
Seeing the long-tailed monkey discard its stick, Xia Huanao was momentarily stunned before realizing what move it was about to unleash. He certainly didn't believe the long-tailed monkey would surrender. For the two of them, "monkey stealing peaches" and "stepping on tails" were grudges as significant as matricide and uxoricid.
Xia Huanao retreated a couple of steps, giving his flail a powerful swing. The long-tailed monkey, on the other side, punched at the head of Xia Huanao's flail. The two clashed and immediately separated. Xia Huanao's flail was sent flying back, hitting him squarely on the head and leaving a lump.
Xia Huanao reached up to touch the swelling on his head, "What was that move, Rotom!"
Rotom, who had been sleeping on Xia Huanao's bed, woke up upon hearing his name, "Who, who called me? It’s been so long since anyone called me."
Rotom zipped out with electric speed, "Who, who called me Rotom?"
Xia Huanao pointed at the long-tailed monkey, "Rotom, check what skills it has."
Rotom spent a long time searching, concluding that the monkey might have used "Fake Out." However, Xia Huanao didn't care what the move was called; he was going to get revenge for the bump on his head.
The two began to exchange furious blows again. However, the spectacle only entertained the onlookers for a while; no one watched forever. Xia Huanao and the long-tailed monkey's battle lasted only a few rounds before people lost interest and went about their own business. Yu Longdu also advised Xia Huanao, "Boss Xia, stop pretending. No one's watching anymore."
Xia Huanao and the long-tailed monkey's battle continued unabated, "No way! This guy tore up my receipt, I have to teach him a lesson."
The long-tailed monkey paused its actions, surprised by Xia Huanao's outrageous claim. "Didn't you keep the receipt yourself? Why are you pinning this on me!"
With that momentary pause, the long-tailed monkey was hit on the head by Xia Huanao's flail, its head ringing. Meng Tianya and Yu Longdu, hearing that the receipt was destroyed, also felt their anger rising, "Old Xia, why don't you step aside and let me handle it?"
Upon hearing that it would be a three-on-one, the long-tailed monkey quickly tried to explain. However, Yu Longdu and Meng Tianya couldn't understand. Rotom, who could translate, dared not speak carelessly, so its muffled sounds were interpreted as provocation.
The long-tailed monkey grew increasingly flustered and didn't notice that while Xia Huanao's flail was still swinging, he was now wielding it with only one hand, instead of the usual two.
What was his other hand doing? His left hand was behind his back, signaling to Mu Zhishui, miming the action of holding a Poké Ball and asking to borrow one. Mu Zhishui didn't see it, but Chu Xiaodie noticed Xia Huanao's gesture first. "Sister Zhishui, what does Coach Xia's gesture mean?"
Xia Huanao had intended to mime holding a Poké Ball behind his back, pressing the button in the center, and then enlarging the Poké Ball. This was a standard trainer operation, something every trainer did. Xia Huanao himself had thoroughly enjoyed it the first time he received a Poké Ball.
However, the problem was that Xia Huanao didn't have a Poké Ball in his hand. Miming movements without a physical object often resulted in distortions, which led the girls to perceive it as rather lewd. Fortunately, Mu Zhishui quickly understood and took a Poké Ball from her waist, tossing it over. It landed perfectly in Xia Huanao's hand. Xia Huanao pinched the empty Poké Ball with three fingers, a smile on his face. His right hand's flail motion became erratic. A flurry of wild punches can overwhelm even a seasoned fighter. The long-tailed monkey couldn't react in time, and Xia Huanao seized the opportunity, launching the Poké Ball with his left hand.
The Poké Ball arced through the air, accurately hitting the long-tailed monkey on its flank. The long-tailed monkey cried out in pain and was then struck by the red light emitted from the Poké Ball, before being drawn inside.
Xia Huanao didn't stop his flail movements. He stared intently at the Poké Ball. If the capture failed and the long-tailed monkey escaped, he would launch an unexpected flail strike to its head and then throw another Poké Ball. Fortunately, the Poké Ball only wobbled on the ground twice before becoming still.
The onlookers were dumbfounded. While the essence of this world was supposed to be battle and capture, and there were precedents for friendship captures, this was likely the first instance of capture through combat.
Xia Huanao bent down and picked up the Poké Ball. "Come out, Long-tailed Monkey."
The long-tailed monkey jumped out of the Poké Ball and then bolted. It didn't look much like a captured Pokémon.
Xia Huanao didn't hesitate. He raised his hand in a baseball pitcher's pose, "Come back, Long-tailed Monkey, behold my Supersonic Air-Piercing Ball!"
The red and white ball cut through the air and hit the long-tailed monkey on the head, drawing it back in. Xia Huanao wiped the Poké Ball and hung it on his waist. "I knew it. This monkey is cunning. Its entry into the ball was just a delaying tactic. It seems more effort is needed."
Xia Huanao turned back to Mu Zhishui. "Thank you for lending me the Poké Ball."
Chu Xiaodie grinned mischievously and stepped between Mu Zhishui and Xia Huanao. "Boss Xia, your gesture just now was too lewd!"
Xia Huanao lightly tapped Chu Xiaodie on the head. "What nonsense are you talking about? Your own mind is strange, always thinking of all sorts of messy things."
Chu Xiaodie stuck out her tongue. "Boss Xia, how are you going to compensate us? Should you return the Poké Ball you borrowed right now?"
Xia Huanao raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Return it now? You want the long-tailed monkey? Aren't you afraid this mischievous fellow will steal your underwear? He even stole our receipt before."
Hearing Xia Huanao's words, Chu Xiaodie shook her head. "Then forget it. I don't really like Pokémon like that." Inside the Poké Ball, the long-tailed monkey seemed to sense Xia Huanao's sarcastic remarks outside, and the Poké Ball trembled with anger.
After ending this not-quite-a-farce of a farce, Xia Huanao picked up the Poké Ball he had set aside earlier from the ground. This Poké Ball represented a significant investment, and he couldn't waste it.
"Alright, let's head back. We should also discuss the match the day after tomorrow. That should be our second match, right?"
Meng Tianya and Yu Longdu walked back. "You're right. We do need to discuss the battle the day after tomorrow. As our first true match, we must win it beautifully."
"But before that, can student Xia Huanao explain what that receipt from Lixing Country was all about? That was a lot of money!"
Xia Huanao spread his hands. "That was to provoke the long-tailed monkey, of course. I'm a human, not a Pokémon from the human group. It's impossible for me to defeat the long-tailed monkey through brute force with my bare hands. If I hadn't used a special move to provoke him, how do you think I would have employed my Xia-style capture technique? As for your receipt, I've placed it safely. I wouldn't do anything to not earn Lixing Country's money."
Yu Longdu and Meng Tianya breathed a sigh of relief. That was good, that was good.
The others, hearing this, were taken aback. "Xia-style capture technique? What is this theory? Is it very powerful?"
Teacher Xia Huanao explained, "The so-called Xia-style capture technique is to use some special methods to find common ground between you and the Pokémon, and then use that point to capture the Pokémon. In a sense, it's an enhanced version of friendship capture. Compared to friendship capture, its advantages are speed and accuracy."
Those who were familiar with Xia Huanao's nonsensical talk only listened for amusement, and then let it pass. Who would take such a thing seriously? However, Yu Longdu was more inclined to joke. "So, what's the common ground between Xia Huanao and the long-tailed monkey? Is it that they are both equally cheap?"
Xia Huanao didn't fly into a rage at this. He simply took the Poké Ball from his waist, released the long-tailed monkey, and whispered something in its ear. Then, the long-tailed monkey obediently turned and entered the house.
Yu Longdu asked, "What did you send him to do?"
Xia Huanao grinned wickedly. "I just told him that if he went and tore up that receipt, I'd let him go..."