"Go, Haxorus! Bulldoze."
At the command, Haxorus charged forward and stomped heavily onto the ground. A shockwave rippled outward, centered on Haxorus, causing the earth to crack and shatter as the tremors spread. Sensing the danger, Pinsir leaped into the air to avoid the impact.
"Haxorus, Scary Face, Slash!"
Stuck in mid-air, Pinsir was unable to evade and was struck directly by the Scary Face. Seeing the jet-black Haxorus rushing toward it—its draconic pressure amplified by the blow—Pinsir's internal fear intensified. By the time Haxorus reached it and unleashed Slash, Pinsir was too paralyzed with fear to react.
Haxorus swung its head with immense force, its razor-sharp tusks executing a Slash that felt utterly invincible, sending Pinsir flying. A horrifying wound appeared on Pinsir's body. The searing pain spread quickly, making it difficult for the wild Pokémon even to stand.
Gu Yuan followed the principle of "hitting them while they're down." Haxorus attacked again as ordered, using Bulldoze. Pinsir had no way to escape and was hit squarely by the shockwave. Shortly after, Haxorus closed in with Dragon Claw, completely defeating Pinsir.
Noticing the severity of the injuries, Gu Yuan had to take out some medicine to treat Pinsir. If left alone, it might actually bleed to death. This encounter also served as a testament to Haxorus's overwhelming power following its evolution.
Once the bandaging was finished, Gu Yuan continued forward with Haxorus, seeking out more opponents to refine its strength. After half a day of trekking, the nearby Senior Rank Pokémon quickly learned that a powerful trainer had arrived. Rumors spread that his pitch-black Pokémon possessed terrifying strength; by the time the stories reached the deep forest, Haxorus was being called a "black demon."
Unaware that the rumors were becoming increasingly exaggerated, Gu Yuan had already reached the territory of Ace Rank Pokémon. Emerging from his shadow, Ceruledge, Skeledirge, and Gengar all looked impatient for their turn.
"Go, Ceruledge! Will-O-Wisp-infused Brick Break!"
Condensing spectral flames onto the strike, eerie fire danced along the blade as Ceruledge charged toward a Ursaring's chest. Watching the movements closely, the Ursaring displayed speed that defied its bulky frame. It swung down a heavy Slash, its thick paws looking ready to swat Ceruledge away.
However, when the Ursaring's Normal-type Slash landed on Ceruledge, it failed to have any effect. Ceruledge countered with a swift upward slash, its sharp blade leaving a deep mark on the bear's chest, followed by the distinctive charring of a burn.
The Burn status triggered, which in turn activated the Ursaring's Quick Feet Ability. Spinning around, the Ursaring lunged at Ceruledge again, this time utilizing one of its Egg Moves: Cross Chop. Unfortunately, just like the previous attack, it could not affect Ceruledge's Ghost-type body.
"Bitter Blade!"
Ceruledge unleashed its signature move, tearing further into the Ursaring's existing wound. As the blade struck, the effect of Bitter Blade activated, restoring a small amount of the stamina Ceruledge had spent.
"Finish it like this, Ceruledge! Bitter Blade combo!"
Keeping up the pressure, Ceruledge launched a flurry of attacks. Having seen its offensive moves fail twice, the Ursaring began to feel the first stirrings of true fear. Faced with such a relentless assault, the bear instinctively took a defensive posture.
Yet, against Bitter Blade, the Ursaring's defense was futile. Wounds multiplied across its body. The combination of the burn damage and the constant siphoning of life energy left it weak and its counterattacks feeble. Finally, Ceruledge exploited a gap in the Ursaring's guard with its superior swordsmanship, ending the battle with a thrust to the abdomen.
This was only the beginning. It was now time for the Ace Rank wild Pokémon to suffer. During the long travels of the past months, Ceruledge and the others hadn't had many opportunities for prolonged combat. Now that they had the chance, they intended to fully satisfy their battle lust.
Skeledirge took the field next to replace Ceruledge, facing off against a Tangela.
"Go, Skeledirge! Torch Song!"
At Gu Yuan's command, Skeledirge seized the initiative. Sound-wave-like flames rippled outward, crashing toward the Tangela.
Compared to Ceruledge, who relied on burns and life-stealing to wear down opponents with sword techniques, Skeledirge's style was much more straightforward and brutal. It focused on repeatedly blasting the enemy with Torch Song to boost its Special Attack to the limit, while using Phantom Force, Protect, and Substitute to stay safe.
Its Unaware Ability ensured the opponent's defensive boosts were meaningless, while Slack Off provided nearly endless sustainability. Now, this Tangela was about to experience that power firsthand.
Facing the attack, the Tangela retaliated with Power Whip. Thick vines lashed out, whipping through the flames and heading straight for the crocodile. Before the vines could land, Skeledirge vanished into the shadows using Phantom Force.
Moves like Torch Song and Phantom Force had long since been upgraded to Expert Mastery with the help of points. Reappearing from the spatial rift, Skeledirge fired another Torch Song, the flames now significantly more potent due to the Special Attack boost.
Feeling the oncoming heat, the Tangela lashed out with another Power Whip. This strike was faster and more precise than the last, yet Skeledirge evaded it again with Phantom Force. The Tangela failed to notice that its whip had missed largely because the sheer power of the Torch Song had severely weakened the vine's momentum.
As the third Torch Song launched, the Tangela tried to power through with another Power Whip. This time, the vine failed to break the flames; instead, it was consumed by the fire, which then surged toward the Tangela.
Terrified by the heat, the Tangela scrambled to the side. With the roles of attacker and defender reversed, Skeledirge lunged forward with yet another Torch Song. The mere heat from the expanding flames was enough to make the Tangela feel a mortal threat.
Desperately, the Tangela managed to steer its vines to disperse the fire, only to realize that Skeledirge had vanished once more. Before the confused Pokémon could locate its foe, a massive wall of fire erupted from behind it as a Fire Blast swallowed it whole.