Ariel held up the pokédex, the numbers on the screen flickering clearly.
Milotic, Level 48.
Charizard, Level 45.
Venusaur, Level 45.
There was a slight advantage in level, but in a one-versus-two situation, this advantage was almost negligible.
Ariel's fingertips lightly tapped the cool frame of the pokédex, but his eyes never left the battlefield for a moment.
The battle was on the verge of breaking out.
Charizard's flames arrived as expected; it wasn't a pillar of fire, but a fan-shaped sea of flames, intended to seal off all of Milotic's evasion space.
Simultaneously, the flower bud on Venusaur's back burst open, and two vines thicker than an adult's arm erupted from the ground. Like two venomous snakes lying in wait, they slithered along the ground, aiming directly for Wallace himself.
A clever move to 'Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao'.
The Hooded Man's tactical intent was clear: either Milotic would have to tank Charizard's attack, or Wallace would be hit by the vines.
Wallace didn't even twitch an eyebrow; he had absolute trust in the Pokémon he had personally raised.
"Milotic, Aqua Ring."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange rhythm.
Milotic let out an ethereal cry, and three crystal-clear rings of water appeared out of thin air around its body. The water rings rotated slowly, emitting a soft blue halo that made its already elegant body look like that of a deity.
That thin defensive circle of water vapor, the moment it touched the sea of flames, was not evaporated. Instead, it was like pouring a ladle of cold water into boiling oil; a violent 'sizzle' erupted, and a large cloud of white steam rose, instantly enveloping the entire field.
Vision was completely blocked.
The two racing vines also hesitated for a moment in the steam, having lost their target.
It was in that exact moment.
"Water Pulse." Wallace's voice rang out again.
Milotic's slender body flickered in the steam, like a fairy dancing in the clouds.
The fins on its neck flapped slightly, and a highly compressed ball of water condensed in front of it, then exploded violently, forming a visible shockwave that spread in all directions.
This was not a simple attack, but an indiscriminate area-of-effect probe and counterattack!
"Boom!"
The steam was instantly blown away by the shockwave, revealing the scene inside the field.
Charizard used its wings to protect itself, knocked back half a step by the impact. Venusaur was overturned by the shockwave, its two vines drooping powerlessly.
"Nicely done," Ariel praised softly from the back.
First using Aqua Ring for continuous recovery and defense, then utilizing type advantages to create steam to obscure vision, and finally using Water Pulse for an AOE counterattack.
The entire process was smooth and seamless, executed in one go.
This guy Wallace certainly had undeniable command abilities; beneath that flamboyant exterior was a calm and meticulous mind.
The Hooded Man's face couldn't be seen under his hood, but the atmospheric pressure around him clearly dropped a few notches.
He didn't issue any more orders, instead letting Charizard and Venusaur regain their footing, forming a pincer formation to flank Milotic from the left and right.
The atmosphere froze once again.
This was a war of attrition and a psychological war. The Hooded Man was looking for a flaw, while Wallace was waiting for an opportunity.
Against two opponents, Milotic not only didn't fall into a disadvantage but, with the continuous recovery of Aqua Ring and its elegant, agile movements, fought back and forth with the two powerful Pokémon of the same level. For a moment, it was a complete stalemate!
Above the ruins of the market, flames and water intertwined, while vines and scales collided.
Every attack kicked up a large cloud of dust, and every dodge traced a graceful arc.
This was no longer a simple Pokémon battle; it was more like a magnificent performance.
Ariel watched with great interest, even feeling like pulling out a bag of melon seeds.
This kid Wallace really fought with a sense of artistry; he truly deserved to be a future Pokémon Contest Master.
However, the situation on the battlefield changed in an instant.
Just as Milotic forced Charizard back with another Hydro Pump and its body stalled for a fraction of a second, the silent Hooded Man finally moved.
His voice became urgent.
"Venusaur, Ingrain! Charizard, Inferno!"
Two unrelated commands were issued at the same time.
Venusaur let out a low roar, several thick roots extending from its feet and plunging deep into the ground, making its entire body as stable as Mount Tai.
Meanwhile, Charizard didn't breathe fire as before. Instead, it opened its massive maw, and a crimson fireball that seemed to come from the depths of hell condensed in its throat.
The temperature of that fireball was so high that it even distorted the surrounding air.
Inferno! A Fire-type ultimate move! If it hits, it's guaranteed to leave the opponent with a burn!
Wallace's expression finally changed.
"Milotic, dodge it quickly!"
But it was too late.
Venusaur's Ingrain wasn't for defense at all.
The moment Wallace gave the order, the roots Venusaur had plunged into the ground suddenly erupted, like countless earth dragons, coiling toward Milotic from all directions!
Milotic had just released a Hydro Pump; its old strength was spent and new strength hadn't yet gathered. Facing this sudden ground assault, it didn't have time to make a complete evasive maneuver and was instantly bound tightly by several thick roots, unable to move!
"Oh no!"
Wallace's heart sank.
It was a trap! A trap that had been set since the beginning of the battle!
The Hooded Man had been using conventional attacks to lull him into a false sense of security, making him accustomed to the rhythm of Charizard attacking and Venusaur supporting, only to turn the support into the primary control at the most critical moment!
In the sky, that crimson Inferno fireball had already taken shape, carrying an aura that could incinerate everything as it whistled downward!
The bound Milotic had become a sitting duck.
Cold sweat broke out on Wallace's forehead as his brain worked at high speed, only to find that this was already a checkmate.
However, just as everyone thought Milotic was about to be heavily damaged, the expected explosion did not occur.
The Hooded Man, who held the absolute advantage, suddenly looked up just before Inferno was about to hit. His gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield and locked onto the distant Ariel.
His eyes were full of wariness.
It was as if he saw something a hundred times more terrifying than Charizard's Inferno.
"Retreat!"
A single word was squeezed out of his throat.
Charizard and Venusaur were even stunned for a moment, but they faithfully executed the order.
Charizard forcibly interrupted the release of Inferno, and Venusaur withdrew its roots.
Two flashes of red light appeared as the two Pokémon were about to be recalled into their Poké Balls, but Wallace, quick-witted, commanded Milotic to use a Water Pulse, knocking the Poké Balls out of the Hooded Man's hand and onto the ground.
What happened next left both Ariel and Wallace dumbfounded.
The Hooded Man didn't hesitate for a second. He showed no attachment to the fallen Poké Balls, his legs suddenly exerting force as he soared into the air like a cannonball!
He just lightly tapped a destroyed stall in the market, and his body rose several meters, landing steadily on the roof of a nearby two-story building.
Before even steadying himself, he exerted force again, running across the rooftops as if on level ground. With a few leaps, his figure completely disappeared into the complex shadows of the buildings.
That movement was so agile it didn't seem like a normal human at all!
The entire process took no more than three short seconds.
It was incredibly fast!
Ariel's pupils constricted.
This agile skill, this decisive retreat... this guy was definitely no ordinary thug.
"Brother Ariel!"
Wallace's voice pulled Ariel back from his shock. While commanding Milotic to use a recovery move, he said urgently,
"Those two Pokémon were left behind. I'll hold them down first; you go chase that person! There's something wrong with him!"
The Hooded Man had run so fast he had even abandoned his own Pokémon.
Ariel didn't waste words and nodded heavily.
"Alright!"
He flipped his wrist, and two Poké Balls appeared between his fingers.
"Greninja, Weavile, I'm counting on you!"
Flashes of white light appeared, and two swift figures, one tall and one short, appeared by Ariel's side, their eyes glinting with a cold light.
"Catch him!"
With an order, Greninja and Weavile turned into two afterimages, chasing like lightning in the direction the Hooded Man had disappeared.
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