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Sen raised his hand, pointed in Ariel's direction, and issued commands to Drak and Cenk.
The Charizard let out a low growl from its throat, with sparks leaking between its teeth.
The Sceptile's leg muscles tensed, ready to exert force and charge.
Ariel looked at the two poised Starter Pokémon opposite him, raised his right hand, and gently hooked his fingers backward twice.
The Krookodile snorted, flicked its tail in slight dissatisfaction, but still took heavy steps back a few meters.
The Malamar coiled its tentacles, its body drifting backward, vacating the front position.
In the center of the arena, only the Frogadier remained, its size completely disproportionate to the two behemoths opposite.
Drak was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.
Cenk was even more dramatic, clutching his stomach and pointing at the solitary Frogadier, laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight.
In their eyes, this was an act of giving up resistance, or perhaps an extremely foolish tactical error.
Using an incomplete evolution pokémon to fight two Superior-level Starter Pokémon was tantamount to sending it to its death.
The wind blew through the forest again, creating a rustling sound and kicking up dust from the ground.
The Frogadier stood in place, its white foam scarf swaying gently in the wind.
It ignored the ridicule from ahead, simply placing a hand on the white foam at its waist.
Ariel stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the Frogadier's back.
It stood motionless, concentrating a focused fighting spirit around its body—not anger, but a deep resolve.
Ariel knew this battle held great significance for the Frogadier; it carried certain unspoken past events, a long-suppressed revenge.
Sen's brow furrowed. Seeing Ariel's overly calm expression, a bad premonition surfaced in his heart.
But he quickly suppressed this thought.
He was aware of the strength of Drak and Cenk, and the Charizard and Sceptile were even more powerful.
Dealing with this single Frogadier would be effortless.
Drak and Cenk raised their hands, pointing their fingertips toward Ariel, their voices tight:
"Take care of it quickly!"
"Tear it to shreds for me!"
Their tone brooked no argument.
The Charizard's throat vibrated, a low roar accompanied by sparks escaping its teeth.
It fanned its wide wings, and the sand beneath its feet was swept up by the airflow, revealing scorched earth.
The Sceptile's leg muscles were taut, ready to strike. Its sharp eyes locked onto the Frogadier, as if assessing the prey's escape route.
The Frogadier moved.
Its movements were swift and decisive, without any unnecessary probing.
Its figure flashed, turning into an afterimage, rushing straight toward the Charizard.
Its chosen target was clear: Water-type against Fire-type, the most direct counter.
"Water Pulse!"
Ariel's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the Frogadier's ears.
The Frogadier flipped its palm, and azure energy gathered in its palm, instantly condensing into a rapidly spinning water sphere. It shot toward the Charizard's face with a sharp whistling sound.
The Charizard reacted swiftly. It opened its large mouth, and a torrent of scorching flames erupted, colliding head-on with the Water Pulse.
Water and fire intertwined, and the air filled with steam and a burnt odor.
Most of the Water Pulse was vaporized by the flames, but the residual impact still forced the Charizard's head to tilt back.
"Flare Blitz! Burn it to ashes!"
Seeing this, Drak immediately commanded the Charizard to counterattack.
The Charizard was engulfed in roaring flames, transforming into a gigantic fireball, charging toward the Frogadier with astonishing speed.
The scorching heat wave washed over them, making even the onlookers Sen and Yuno feel a sense of pressure.
The Frogadier did not meet the attack head-on. Its figure traced several incredible arcs on the ground, like a blue flash of lightning, avoiding the Charizard's direct charge.
The Charizard's Flare Blitz struck empty air. The massive impact forced it to overshoot several meters before it could barely stop, and the flames covering its body weakened slightly.
"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!"
Cenk saw the Frogadier's Agility and immediately ordered the Sceptile to launch a pincer attack.
The Sceptile was already prepared. The Leaf Blades on its arms gleamed coldly. It exerted force with its feet, its speed equally astonishing.
It charged from the flank, its target aimed directly at the Frogadier's waist.
"Quick Attack!" Ariel's command followed closely behind.
While dodging the Charizard, the Frogadier's momentum did not completely halt.
It used the momentum to rush toward the Sceptile at an even faster speed.
Two high-speed shadows intersected in the air. Quick Attack met Leaf Blade head-on. A metallic collision sound echoed through the woods, sending sparks flying.
The Sceptile's power was clearly Superior; the Leaf Blade knocked the Frogadier back a few steps, but the Frogadier also used this to dissipate the impact force, sustaining no substantial damage.
Its speed and reaction caused Cenk and Drak's mocking laughter to abruptly stop.
Sen's expression darkened.
The Frogadier's combat rhythm and grasp of timing were far beyond the standard level of ordinary pokémon.
It was not overwhelmed by the powerful aura of the two Starter Pokémon; instead, it took the initiative, acting with a clear strategy, prioritizing the pokémon it could counter.
"Spit Foam!" Ariel commanded again.
The Frogadier opened its mouth, and countless tiny white foam bubbles erupted, assaulting the Charizard like a sudden storm.
These bubbles appeared harmless but carried stickiness. Once attached to the Charizard's wings and eyes, they immediately affected its vision and flight capability.
"Charizard, shake it off! Use Dragon Claw!"
Drak shouted anxiously.
The Charizard let out a frustrated roar, desperately fanning its wings, trying to fling off the foam, but the bubbles clung like maggots, difficult to shake.
It swung its sharp Dragon Claws, but due to restricted vision, its attacks became blind and sluggish.
The Frogadier seized the opportunity, accelerated its body again, executed a beautiful leap, evaded the Dragon Claw, and landed precisely on the Charizard's back.
"Sceptile, pursue!"
Cenk's voice held a hint of anger.
Seeing this, the Sceptile immediately launched a pursuit. It leaped onto a tree trunk, using the leverage to weave through the forest, its speed so fast only an afterimage remained.
It intended to launch an attack from a higher position.
Ariel's gaze followed the Sceptile's figure. He knew the Frogadier could not be pinned down.
In a one-against-two situation, the greatest taboo was getting caught in a pincer attack.
One must be defeated first!
Ariel immediately gave the order.
"Water Pulse! Attack the Charizard's wing!"
The Frogadier understood, gathering Water-type energy in its hand! It unleashed its full strength, blasting the Charizard's side wing!
With a sharp "Puchi" sound, the solidified Water-type energy actually pierced through one of the Charizard's wings!
"Roar!"
Pain surged through it. The Charizard instantly lost its balance and dropped uncontrollably to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The Frogadier took advantage of the moment and leaped into the air.
At that instant! The Sceptile had already arrived nearby!