"Zorua, use Night Slash on Bulbasaur!"
"Kirlia, use Mystical Fire on Ivysaur!"
"Servine, use Magical Leaf on Ivysaur!"
"Growlithe, use Agility then Flame Charge on Bulbasaur!"
"Frogadier, use Quick Attack on Ivysaur!"
Mu Qingzhu continued to give orders.
In the smoke, Ivysaur and Bulbasaur were forced into a defensive stance; they couldn't launch effective counterattacks and could only endure continuous assaults from their enemies.
Under the relentless damage, Bulbasaur began to grow agitated.
"Ivysaur~ Ivysaur~" (Calm down, my child!)
"Bulbasaur~ Bulbasaur~" (Mom, they're bullying us too much.)
Immediately after, Ivysaur and Bulbasaur jointly released a sweet fragrance, which transformed into a gentle breeze, softly dispelling the lingering smoke and restoring clarity to the surroundings.
Then, Ivysaur unleashed Toxic on Servine, clearly enraged by Servine's continuous harassment and determined to defeat her first.
Bulbasaur quickly followed up, unhesitatingly casting Leech Seed on Growlithe to compensate for the considerable damage it had previously sustained.
"Servine, Growlithe, use Protect!"
"Kirlia, use Psybeam on Bulbasaur!"
"Zorua, use Extrasensory on Bulbasaur!"
"Frogadier, use Night Slash on Bulbasaur!"
Mu Qingzhu hastily commanded.
Mu Qingzhu quickly adjusted her strategy, ordering two Pokémon to use Protect to defend against the incoming attacks. At the same time, the remaining three Pokémon poised to jointly attack one of the opposing Pokémon, intending to reduce their numbers.
After Bulbasaur launched Leech Seed, it reacted with extreme Agility to the attacks from three Pokémon. It first skillfully evaded the initial impact with Substitute; then, Bulbasaur bravely withstood the second wave of attacks with Protect; finally, in a life-or-death moment, it used Substitute again, successfully neutralizing the last fatal assault. However, although Bulbasaur's Leech Seed intended to restore its stamina, it was cleverly nullified by Growlithe's Protect, preventing Bulbasaur from replenishing its energy effectively. Simultaneously, due to continuously using Substitute, Bulbasaur now appeared quite fatigued, but it still gritted its teeth, persevering in this fierce battle.
Seeing her Toxic attack skillfully nullified by Servine's Protect, and witnessing her child panting with exhaustion, Ivysaur's fury erupted. In her rage, she no longer held back, launching indiscriminate attacks on Mu Qingzhu's five Pokémon, intending to avenge the earlier humiliation.
Mu Qingzhu calmly deployed her tactics, quickly instructing Kirlia, Zorua, and Frogadier to take their positions, closely surrounding Servine and Growlithe. Since Servine and Growlithe had previously used Substitute, she knew that using Substitute again at this moment would greatly increase the risk of failure. Thus, she decisively ordered these three Pokémon to simultaneously use Protect, building an unbreakable defensive line together to withstand Ivysaur's impending fierce assault.
After Ivysaur consecutively used powerful moves like Seed Bomb and Giga Drain, she also began to show signs of fatigue, panting slightly.
Mu Qingzhu, seeing Ivysaur begin to pant, ordered:
"Zorua, use Night Slash on Ivysaur!"
"Servine, use Magical Leaf on Ivysaur!"
"Frogadier, use Quick Attack on Ivysaur!"
Just as the attacks from the three Pokémon were about to hit Ivysaur, she summoned a Substitute with astonishing reaction speed, cleverly evading the first fatal blow. Immediately after, she used Protect to block the subsequent second attack. However, due to continuous pressure, Ivysaur's stamina was gradually overdrawn, preventing her from using Substitute again, and she also failed to time Protect correctly, ultimately being struck by Frogadier's Quick Attack. Despite being heavily injured, Ivysaur still stubbornly maintained her will to fight, but her attention could no longer be fully focused on the Bulbasaur in front of her. At this critical moment, Mu Qingzhu decisively issued commands to Kirlia and Growlithe:
"Kirlia, Teleport next to Bulbasaur and use Mystical Fire!"
"Growlithe, use Agility then Flame Charge on Bulbasaur!"
At that moment, all of Bulbasaur's attention was focused on Ivysaur; it naively believed that its mother could resolve the current battle for it. However, events unfolded contrary to its expectations. Kirlia Teleported behind it, unleashing a powerful Mystical Fire. Kirlia controlled the flames, fiercely engulfing Bulbasaur, catching it off guard. When Bulbasaur recovered from its shock, it immediately turned to counterattack Kirlia, but by then, Growlithe's attack had also arrived like a shadow. The powerful force slammed Bulbasaur against a sturdy tree, ultimately causing it to fall heavily to the ground.
Immediately after, witnessing Bulbasaur lose its ability to battle, Mu Qingzhu made a swift and decisive command:
"Zorua, Night Slash! Servine, Grassy Terrain! Frogadier, Quick Attack!"
Mu Qingzhu had Servine use Grassy Terrain so that Bulbasaur and Ivysaur could recover their stamina later.
Zorua used Night Slash, and at the same time, Frogadier's Quick Attack precisely hit Ivysaur. Ivysaur, suffering from the dual strike, staggered back several meters, ultimately losing the ability to continue fighting.
Witnessing Ivysaur lose her ability to battle, Mu Qingzhu's Pokémon gathered together, embracing each other to celebrate the victory. Afterward, Mu Qingzhu walked over to Ivysaur and Bulbasaur, using Tokiwa Power to inject vitality into them, making them vibrant again.
Immediately after, I gently took out two intermediate energy cubes from the system's backpack and carefully handed them to the Ivysaur and Bulbasaur beside me.
Then, Mu Qingzhu gently turned back to face her Pokémon companions, extending her hands and releasing Tokiwa Power. This power flowed like a clear spring, nourishing the body and mind of each Pokémon, allowing them to quickly recover their stamina. Next, she took out perfect-grade energy cubes from the system's backpack, carefully handing them one by one, so they could replenish their energy and prepare for the upcoming challenges.
Afterward, the system's voice was heard:
[Ding~ Congratulations on clearing Viridian Forest (Hard). You will return to the real world in 30 seconds.]
...
Mu Qingzhu returned to reality, glancing at the time and surprisingly finding that only 5 minutes had passed. However, in that instance, she felt as if she had experienced a long month.
Immediately after, Bai Ou's gentle knock on the door reached Mu Qingzhu's ears:
"Qingzhu, are you asleep? I have some questions I'd like to ask you."