Under the continuous assault of the plant roots, even Poliwrath's Dynamic Punch could not protect it. Numerous plants bound it tightly, while the Leech Seed constantly drained its strength, making it impossible to break free from the Frenzy Plant shackles.
Staring at the Ditto ahead that had transformed back into Raichu, Poliwrath no longer held any of its previous contempt. Instead, it felt that this battle had taught it a very meaningful lesson. No matter what kind of opponent one faces, one must maintain absolute focus and never show any slight or carelessness. However, it wondered if it would ever have the chance to move freely again.
Poliwrath knew that nine times out of ten, defeated wild Pokémon would be captured by human trainers. Still, if it were to be captured by a trainer capable of training even a Ditto to be this powerful, Poliwrath found it quite acceptable.
While Poliwrath was lost in thought, the Raichu-Ditto unleashed Thunder once more. The bolt passed through the gaps in the roots and struck Poliwrath with precision. Stimulated by the intense current, Poliwrath immediately lost its ability to battle and fell unconscious.
Shortly after, Alakazam stepped in to bring Poliwrath out, and Gu Yuan patiently began treating its injuries. Contrary to Poliwrath's imagination, Gu Yuan had no intention of harming or capturing it; he merely viewed it as a tool to satisfy the battle lust of Charizard and the others, while earning a few points. If Poliwrath knew its true fate, one could only wonder what it would think.
Poliwrath soon woke up. Sensing that its injuries were fully healed and it hadn't been captured, it looked at Gu Yuan in confusion, only to see Annihilape walking toward it, overflowing with fighting spirit. Although it didn't understand the situation, Poliwrath was drawn in by Annihilape's aura, and in the blink of an eye, the two were locked in combat.
A long time later, under Poliwrath's despairing gaze, Gu Yuan finally departed with his satisfied team. After being beaten by Charizard and the others in turn, Poliwrath didn't want to fight any Pokémon again for a long time.
In the period that followed, the Leader Rank Pokémon in this forest suffered even more tragic treatment than those of the Ace Rank. Every Leader Rank Pokémon was forced to duel with Gu Yuan's five team members. It would be one thing if they could win, but regardless of who they fought, they ended in crushing defeat.
Finally, Gu Yuan found the strongest wild Pokémon in the forest. Although there were many Leader Rank Pokémon here, the strongest among them was still only at the Leader Rank, though it was closer to the Elite Rank than any other.
This Leader Rank Nidoking was accompanied by an Ace Rank Nidoqueen. Together, they were significantly stronger than the other solitary Leader Rank Pokémon, allowing them to occupy the best territory. If this Nidoking ever managed to break through to the Elite Rank, the entire forest would undergo a massive reshuffle, but that had nothing to do with Gu Yuan.
Upon finding the Nidoking, Gu Yuan used Telepathy to state his intent. Seeing Charizard and the others behind Gu Yuan, who also possessed Leader Rank strength, Nidoking wanted to refuse but found it impossible. It didn't even consider having its wife join in to win through numbers. Helplessly, Nidoking chose to duel them one by one.
Fortunately, Gu Yuan promised to heal it after the battles. Coupled with the reputation Gu Yuan had built up, Nidoking's resistance faded. After all, Nidoking also wanted to know how it measured up against Charizard and the others.
"Go, Charizard!"
As the battle began, Charizard took to the sky under Gu Yuan's command, raining down scorching flames. Sharp stones condensed as Nidoking unleashed Stone Edge to intercept Charizard's Fire Blast. Having grown up struggling in the wild, Nidoking had learned many moves to secure its title as the strongest Pokémon in the area.
"Charizard, Fire Blast!"
As the flames gathered again, Nidoking countered with Stone Edge. This time, before the stones could reach their target, the flames scattered and transformed into a fiery net that enveloped Nidoking. With the enhancement of Expert Mastery, Fire Blast could easily be shaped into various attack forms.
Nidoking condensed a Megahorn, tearing through the fire net like a sharp sword. Firelight gathered on Charizard, and another Fire Blast surged forth, transforming into a fire serpent rushing toward Nidoking. Sensing the oncoming heat, Nidoking stomped the ground firmly, using Earth Power to cut the fire serpent in half.
The flames dissipated but quickly reformed under the influence of Heat Wave, turning into a fiery vortex that trapped Nidoking. Nidoking released multiple bursts of Earth Power in rapid succession to shatter the fire storm.
"Charizard, Air Slash!"
Two blades of air cut through the gaps in the flames, flanking Nidoking from both sides. Even though Nidoking reacted quickly enough to destroy the left blade, the right one still left a wound on its body. Unfortunately, the additional effect of Air Slash failed to trigger.
"Charizard, Fire Blast!"
The speed Charizard had gained from repeatedly using Flame Charge now proved its worth. The moment Gu Yuan's command rang out, Charizard launched its assault. A fire serpent lunged out, carrying rolling waves of heat.
Enduring the sharp pain in its arm, Nidoking used Earth Power to defend again. A pillar of earth rose, forcibly crushing the fire serpent. However, the instant the flames cleared, Nidoking realized Charizard had vanished from its sight.
A sense of crisis came from behind. As Nidoking turned, it saw an Air Slash from Charizard—who had used Aerial Ace to reposition—expanding rapidly before its eyes. With no time to release a move, Nidoking could only cross its arms to block.
"Charizard, Blast Burn!"
Charizard condensed the power of fire into a small orb and rushed toward Nidoking at extreme speed. Looking at the inconspicuous fireball near it, Nidoking's instincts screamed at it to get away, but it was too late. In the moment of peril, Nidoking could only rely on Earth Power for protection.
"Boom!"
The moment the earth pillar rose, the sound of an explosion erupted. Raging flames accompanied the blast, spreading wildly and shattering the pillar before engulfing Nidoking.
"Keep attacking with Blast Burn!"
Before the fire could clear, Charizard condensed another orb of Blast Burn and launched it at Nidoking.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion sounded, and Nidoqueen's eyes couldn't help but fill with worry. But after glancing at Sylveon and the others standing behind Gu Yuan, she suppressed the urge to intervene. She could only watch helplessly as her husband suffered amidst the flames and explosions.
Wait, what is this smell of roasted meat?
To be honest, it's actually quite appetizing.