"Bui bui!"
(Hahaha, Larvitar, you don't want to lose this match… do you?)
AJ strutted forward step by step, a wicked grin curling up the sides of his mouth.
Lin Feng slapped a hand to his forehead.
Where did he even learn this stuff?
From the Hero Squad shows?
This little guy was leaning a bit too naturally into the villain role…
In truth, AJ had always had a streak of mischief in him.
This wasn't something he picked up from Snowtail.
It was something built right into his personality.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have led his two friends on a runaway adventure the day he met Lin Feng.
"Lar…vitar?"
Across the field, the small Larvitar froze, staring at AJ in confusion.
Fighting was one thing, but why was this Eevee smiling like such a… maniac?
Luna, Larvitar's trainer, issued a quick command at that moment.
"Larvitar, use Tackle!"
Larvitar stopped thinking and charged forward on its short legs.
Lin Feng refocused.
"Use Sand Attack. Throw it right in its face."
"Bui!"
As Larvitar rushed in, AJ angled his stance, then used both hind paws to kick up a burst of fine sand.
The soil scattered like a net of dust, slapping straight across Larvitar's face.
"Guh… lar?"
Startled by the sudden sand, Larvitar staggered, wiping at its eyes.
As a Ground-type, it recovered quickly.
It raised its head again, ready to try another charge.
But then… AJ spoke.
After sidestepping the Tackle with a light hop, he looked at Larvitar mockingly.
"Bui bui?"
(Are you even trying?)
AJ tapped the ground twice with his paw.
"Bui. Bui bui."
(You fight like this and think you can protect your trainer? Watch. I'll go beat up your trainer instead.)
He turned as if preparing to sprint straight toward Luna.
"Lar!?"
(What?!)
"Larvitar!"
(You better not!)
Larvitar panicked.
Wasn't this supposed to be a normal battle?
Why was AJ threatening its trainer?
The audience couldn't understand AJ's words, but his body language combined with his earlier behavior told them everything.
The murmurs began immediately.
"See? Just like his other Pokémon. First Goodra, then Blaziken, and now even his Eevee is like this…"
"Why… why does such a cute Eevee act like this?"
"Give me back the adorable Eevee image I had!"
All of the chatter drifted into Lin Feng's ears.
His expression twitched.
For the first time, he started to understand how protagonists and antagonists in anime must feel when the narrative goes off script.
Luna, flustered but focused, called out again.
"Larvitar, Bite!"
Lin Feng reacted just as quickly.
"Quick Attack to dodge, then use Swift!"
Larvitar tore across the battlefield, jaws wide and snapping as it chased AJ, terrified AJ might actually attack its trainer.
But against an Eevee using Quick Attack, its speed simply wasn't enough.
AJ's tail swished. A cluster of shining stars burst outward, crashing into Larvitar.
The Rock-type tumbled across the ground several times.
It hadn't expected AJ, who had just been threatening to attack its trainer, to suddenly turn around and counter with a clean combo like a proper battler.
"Good. AJ, follow up with Charm!"
Larvitar pushed itself up, furious.
But AJ blinked innocently, eyes glittering, cheeks softening as pink energy hearts spiraled toward Larvitar.
Larvitar froze.
Then its eyes went dreamy, little heart spirals spinning inside.
The hostility it had been feeling began to melt.
So cute…
How could something this adorable be an enemy?
But then AJ opened his mouth again.
"Bui…"
(Ugh… pathetic.)
"Bui bui."
(You got charmed that easily? And you think you can protect your trainer?)
AJ flicked an ear.
"Bui."
(If you don't snap out of it, I'll really go attack your trainer.)
"Lar!?"
(What?!)
Larvitar shook its head violently.
The sound of AJ's taunt echoed in its mind, and its blood boiled so hard that the Charm effect shattered instantly.
Before Luna could even issue a new command, Larvitar charged with clenched fists and blazing fury.
It was using Payback.
Lin Feng blinked.
Okay… that was unexpected.
By logic, Charm plus a follow-up attack should have pushed Larvitar to the brink.
He never imagined AJ's trash talk alone would make Larvitar snap out of the move and regain full combat focus.
Still surprised or not, Lin Feng quickly ordered,
"Dig. Get out of its attack range!"
AJ grinned and dove straight into the ground, disappearing from sight.
Left with no target, Larvitar slammed its fists into the dirt and roared,
"Larvitar!"
(Get out here!)
Its energy surged wildly, visible even to the audience. Its level spiked from roughly 20 to around 22 in seconds.
Lin Feng blinked in silence.
AJ popped up from the earth and flinched at the sight of Larvitar's rage.
So this was what a "main-character-style power-up" looked like.
Seeing AJ return to the surface, Larvitar grabbed a lump of soil.
Rock-type energy hardened it into a heavy stone.
Then it hurled it straight at AJ.
"Quick Attack!"
Danger Sense activated instinctively.
AJ burst into white light and dashed aside just in time, the boulder crashing hard into the ground where he'd been.
AJ swallowed.
That definitely would have hurt.
Lin Feng exhaled.
"Good. Now use Return."