"Yup, that's my Whimsicott! Isn't it adorable?"
Selene beamed brightly—she really adored her Pokémon, to an almost ridiculous degree.
Back when she'd watched Dylan battle challengers, she'd already started imagining what her own dream team would look like one day.
And just like Gengar, Whimsicott was love at first sight.
She'd even traveled all the way to Unova just to find and catch this perfect, playful fluffball.
"It is cute, that's for sure," Mustard admitted, nodding thoughtfully—but his mind was already racing, trying to figure out what to send out against it.
Whimsicott was a Grass- and Fairy-type Pokémon, and Fairy-types were… honestly, a real pain for him.
His Single Strike Urshifu was quadruple weak to Fairy, and his other ace, Kommo-o, had the same weakness.
So Kommo-o was completely out of the question.
"Go! Lycanroc!"
Decision made, Mustard tossed his sixth Poké Ball.
A flash of light revealed a lean, tan-furred wolf crouched low to the ground—Day Form Lycanroc.
Beep—Lycanroc (Midday Form), Rock-type, Wolf Pokémon.
Ability: Keen Eye.
Moves: Stone Edge, Stealth Rock, Crunch, Sucker Punch, Accelerock…
Description: The rocks in its mane are as sharp as blades. It relentlessly pursues its prey, striking only when it's sure of victory.
Selene tilted her head slightly as she looked at the Lycanroc, her smile still sunny.
Choosing a type disadvantage, huh? Guess his luck ran out this round.
Lycanroc was weak to Grass, but Mustard had little choice. The alternatives were even worse.
The battle began.
Mustard took the initiative—Lycanroc was built for fast, aggressive strikes.
But something felt off almost immediately.
Lycanroc lunged forward with Accelerock—but Selene didn't tell Whimsicott to dodge.
Instead, the fluffy Pokémon stayed perfectly still and used Cotton Guard, its body puffing up as its defense skyrocketed.
Lycanroc's attack hit… but barely scratched it.
That speed, Mustard realized—it had to be Prankster!
Close as they were, he ordered a follow-up: "Use Iron Head!"
But Whimsicott moved first again—retreating with a giggle as purple dust fluttered toward Lycanroc.
Poison Powder!
Before its Iron Head could connect, Lycanroc was already poisoned.
A deep violet glow spread across its body as it stumbled, toxins taking hold.
Still, Lycanroc was tough—Mustard had trained it well. It could take a few poison ticks, no problem.
Then, out of nowhere—Leech Seed!
Green seeds embedded into Lycanroc's fur, sprouting vines that coiled tight around it.
"Raaaagh!" Lycanroc roared, thrashing—but glowing motes of energy were already being drained away, flowing into Whimsicott, who looked as cheerful as ever.
Mustard's face darkened.
When Lycanroc finally tore the vines off and charged again, the poison pulsed through its veins.
Still, it pushed forward, determined to crush that smug little fluffball.
Whimsicott clapped its tiny hands together, eyes sparkling.
Encore!
A mysterious energy wrapped around Lycanroc, locking it into Iron Head—it couldn't use anything else.
Mustard's jaw twitched.
Fine. If Iron Head was all it had, then it would just keep swinging!
Lycanroc roared again, sprinting forward—only for Whimsicott to suddenly pout, letting out an adorable whimper.
Fake Tears.
Lycanroc hesitated—the attack faltered for a split second. Its Special Defense plummeted.
Then the poison struck again, harder this time.
Lycanroc grit its teeth—it wasn't going down without taking that cotton ball with it!
It lunged one last time, Iron Head ready—
—but a green energy wall shimmered up in front of Whimsicott.
Protect.
Lycanroc's Iron Head slammed harmlessly against it.
The poison flared again—and again. Its breathing grew shallow.
Then Whimsicott released a cloud of soft white fluff—Cotton Spore. Lycanroc's movements slowed to a crawl.
Followed by Tailwind—the breeze picked up, swirling around Whimsicott, lifting it effortlessly as it giggled and danced out of reach.
Mustard's face was twitching.
And then…
The entire arena watched in stunned silence as Lycanroc chased helplessly after the laughing Whimsicott—until the toxins finally overwhelmed it, and the proud wolf collapsed mid-run.
From start to finish, apart from that first Accelerock, it never landed another hit.
"Lycanroc is unable to battle! Whimsicott wins!"
The referee's voice trembled slightly, his eyes darting warily toward the sweetly smiling girl on the opposite side.
For two full seconds, the stadium was silent.
Then—
"What… what the heck was that?!"
"Did that even count as a battle?!"
"Wait, isn't Selene Dylan's student?! What kind of fighting style is that?!"
"She's totally his personal disciple—no doubt about it! Anyone who's seen Dylan's old battles knows exactly where she learned that!"
"Black-hearted cotton! If you cut her open, her soul would be pure evil!"
"That poor Lycanroc! It was toyed with! She didn't even let it fight back!"
"It's somehow worse than her Gengar!"
The crowd erupted, and the livestream chat was completely melting down.
Whimsicott's innocent grin and sunny energy only made it worse.
"...Dylan," Wallace said softly, pressing his lips together. "Would you mind having a word with your student?"
Dylan blinked. "Hm?"
"I don't think I'm qualified to face her anymore."
Wallace glanced toward Mustard—whose expression was somewhere between shock and spiritual exhaustion.
Not even when his Urshifu had been cursed half to death by Gengar had he looked this shaken.
"Please, tell her not to challenge me. Have her go for Diantha instead," Wallace said solemnly.
He wasn't joking—after seeing this match, he'd sooner retire than battle Selene.
Dylan just stared at him. "…"
Lillie: (⊙.⊙)
Leaf: (—)
"…That's a bit dramatic," Dylan finally said, half-smiling.
"It's not dramatic enough!" Wallace insisted.
The rest of the match was almost mercifully quick. Mustard's final Pokémon—Single Strike Urshifu—was shredded by Whimsicott's Fairy-type attacks.
After being paralyzed by Stun Spore and "played with" for a while, a single Moonblast finished it off.
The former Galar Champion Mustard had fallen.
"Well done, sweetie!"
Selene crouched down, patting the proud Whimsicott as it floated around her happily.
It beamed even brighter, circling her like a glowing dandelion seed in the wind.
Meanwhile, Mustard silently recalled his fallen Urshifu.
He still couldn't quite process it.
How… how did he even lose like that?
He'd expected Selene to be strong—after all, she was Dylan's student, and one of Kanto's new Elite Four.
He'd even prepared himself for a crushing defeat.
But this?
This was on a whole other level of humiliation.
He'd been toyed with—by a girl who looked like she should be handing out flowers, not battlefield trauma.
Tonight, he knew, he was going to dream of her Gengar and Whimsicott's smiling faces.
"Um… Mr. Mustard, are you okay?"
The cheerful voice snapped him out of his daze.
He turned to see the bright-eyed, white-skinned girl in the flowered sunhat standing before him, hands clasped behind her back.
"Ahaha… Congratulations, Selene. You completely outclassed me," Mustard said at last, exhaling deeply and dusting off his coat.
As a senior, he had to keep his composure—at least on the outside.
"Hehe~ I'm really happy with how I did today!"
Selene giggled shyly, tilting her head as her big eyes turned to happy crescents.
But Mustard wasn't fooled anymore. That pure, sunny smile masked something far, far darker.
"I think you've got real potential to make it to the Masters Tournament, kid. Keep it up," Mustard said warmly.
"I will! I'm going to keep getting stronger—until I can challenge my mentor!"
"Dylan, huh? Not a bad goal. So who's your next target?" Mustard asked casually.
"Hmm~ I promised Mr. Wallace I'd battle him next!" she said, tapping her chin.
"Oh? The former Hoenn Champion? Excellent choice. I'll be watching that one in person!"
"Really? Yay! I'll win for sure!"
"I'm sure you will. Bring that same confidence and those same tactics—I'm very excited to see it," Mustard said, smiling slyly.
"Wait—don't you usually never leave the Isle of Armor?" she asked curiously.
"Hehehe~ From now on, I'm not missing a single one of your battles!"
Mustard gave her a big thumbs-up, grinning from ear to ear.
After such an unforgettable battle, he had to see the expressions of her future opponents in person.
(End of Chapter)