Chapter 88. The Center-parted Immune to Sleep
"Center-parted, Fake Out!"
Whoosh!
Center-parted vanished from where he stood and slapped Gloom across the face.
"Guh—"
Gloom staggered back two steps.
"Center-parted, Iron Tail!" Natsume swept his arm.
"Pikachu—!"
Center-parted's tail flashed silver.
He leapt high and smashed it down hard on Gloom.
"Whoa, amazing!"
Around them, the kids watched Center-parted with shining eyes.
Dust puffed across the arena.
When it cleared, Gloom was barely standing.
"Very well, Sleep Powder!" Erika ordered without hesitation.
A pale yellow haze spread across the field, drifting toward Center-parted.
"Center-parted, cover your mouth and nose." Natsume's voice carried out.
But Center-parted didn't obey.
Instead, he took a deep breath.
A free sleep aid?
Why turn that down.
If he nodded off and got to stroll off the field for a nice nap, that'd be a perfect excuse.
"Center-parted what are you doing!" Natsume roared.
Ignoring his Trainer's death stare, Center-parted toppled over.
"Hahaha, you should switch him out so you don't have to go to the Pokémon Center," Erika suggested, seeing Center-parted's lack of fighting spirit.
Switch Pokémon?
On the sidelines, Misty and Honora shot Erika a sympathetic look.
Dragonite's level was very high.
And the Great Ball Rotom… better left unmentioned.
Among Natsume's team, Center-parted was the most sunny and cheerful one.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, the fallen Center-parted stood up again, dazed.
"Pikachu?"
He was puzzled.
Why hadn't he fallen asleep?
Center-parted's fur trembled.
Natsume's voice sounded in his mind:
"If you can fall asleep just because you want to, can't you also decide not to sleep?"
Center-parted hesitated, then nodded toward Natsume.
That seemed right.
He suddenly didn't feel sleepy at all.
"Once more—Iron Tail!"
"Pikachu!"
Iron Tail came down, and Gloom fainted on the spot.
"First match, Gloom is unable to battle.
Natsume wins!" Brock announced loudly.
Cheers rose from the kids outside the field.
"Did Sleep Powder miss?
Impossible." Erika's eyes narrowed.
She assumed Natsume had Center-parted holding a Chesto Berry.
"Your intel work is impressive, but that's as far as it goes."
"Go, Weepinbell!"
Erika sent out her second Pokémon.
A yellow, pitcher-plant-like Pokémon with blue speckles appeared on the field.
"Center-parted, use 'ignite'!"
Natsume shouted.
"Pikachu!"
Center-parted charged straight at Weepinbell.
"'Ignite'?" Erika was baffled.
What kind of move was that?
Center-parted rushed up to Weepinbell and pulled out… a lighter.
"Hey, hey, hey—since when are battle items like that allowed?" Brock glared.
"Natsume, don't set a bad example for the kids!" Misty stomped at the sideline.
"Hahaha."
Erika didn't react to that, and immediately commanded,
"At this range—Sleep Powder!"
The yellow haze wrapped Center-parted again.
The lighter's flame sputtered out at once.
"Pikachu?"
Center-parted took a deep breath—and nothing happened.
"Follow up with Iron Tail, repeatedly!"
This Weepinbell met the same fate as Gloom.
"Return, Weepinbell." Erika withdrew it, then stared at Natsume.
"Can your Pikachu… ignore sleep?"
"I only just found out.
I'm taking him for testing after this," Natsume called from behind.
Center-parted shuddered.
No way.
Next round he'd better suffer a serious injury and get out of this.
"I see."
Erika smiled in relief.
"In that case—go, Weepinbell!"
"Kuu-ee!"
A large Pokémon, resembling Weepinbell, appeared at center field.
"Quick Attack!" Natsume ordered at once.
"Pikachu!"
Center-parted lunged forward—
Clang!
He slammed into a transparent barrier.
"Protect?" Natsume blinked.
"Toxic!" Erika called.
A jet of purple venom shot from Weepinbell's mouth and struck Center-parted.
"...?"
A bad premonition surfaced in Natsume's heart.
Sure enough, Weepinbell's body began to fade.
"Weepinbell, use Substitute!"
In its place, a decoy doll remained on the field.
Natsume: "..."
You're using that kind of tactic in front of kids?
Really?
"Pikachu~"
Center-parted turned back, clutching his chest, looking at Natsume in agony.
Trainer…
I can't… go on…
"You've scraped off barely a sliver of HP!"
Natsume had planned to switch him out.
Seeing that pathetic act, his anger flared, and he suddenly didn't want to switch anymore.
"Pikachu—"
Center-parted tilted his head, puzzled why Natsume wouldn't recall him.
Forget it.
Time to sleep.
He glanced at the Substitute standing before him and shook his head.
Natsume often taught his Pokémon basic strategy.
Aside from Dragonite, the rest had learned the fundamentals of Trainer-devised tactics.
Center-parted knew this Weepinbell was employing Substitute + Protect + Toxic.
He couldn't beat that.
No chance.
He flopped down and went to sleep.
"Fuu~"
Across the field, Erika was baffled.
Hadn't she used Toxic?
Why had he fallen asleep instead?
Erika suddenly froze.
As Center-parted drifted into slumber, the badly poisoned condition on him disappeared.
"Does your Pikachu… know a sleep move?" Erika was stunned.
"Giga Drain!" Erika commanded.
Weepinbell's silhouette flickered.
Streams of green energy rose from Center-parted's body—
And then nothing happened.
"Huh?" Erika was taken aback.
Giga Drain failed.
Why?
Across the field, Natsume also noticed the odd phenomenon.
"Leaf Storm!"
A powerful Grass-type attack whirled toward Center-parted.
Ssshh—
Leaf Storm vanished, strangely and completely.
"What is this?" Natsume was full of question marks.
"I should be asking you!" Erika frowned.
"Again—Giga Drain!"
The battle dragged on for nearly an hour.
Weepinbell's PP ran out, yet Center-parted still didn't wake.
"I forfeit." Erika sighed and recalled Weepinbell.
"What's going on with your Pikachu?"
"No idea."
Natsume scooped up Center-parted and bolted for the Pokémon Center.
Though Center-parted hadn't taken any physical damage, his face grew uglier with every move Weepinbell used, as if trapped in a nightmare.
Even now, with Center-parted in his arms, Natsume could feel the Pikachu's body icy cold, shivering uncontrollably.
When Natsume pried open his eyelid, Center-parted's eyeball darted aimlessly, as if some great terror were chasing him in his dreams.
"Natsume, your Badge!"
"Give it to my little sister Ashley first.
She's challenging you too!"
Natsume's voice echoed from afar.
"Ashley?"
On the sideline, Misty blinked.
"Um… a-hem.
I challenge you!"
Not far away, Ash Ketchum pinched his voice up high and stood across from Erika.
Misty followed his gaze—
and burst out laughing.
"Pff—hahahaha!"
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