"Charizard, Mega Evolve!"
A dazzling light emerged, and Mega Charizard X appeared before Vileplume. Feeling the aura emanating from Mega Charizard X, the Vileplume, which had been somewhat dismissive, suddenly became serious.
"Mega Charizard X, Sunny Day, then Blast Burn!"
Flapping its wings, a special power radiated from Mega Charizard X, causing the falling sunlight to become increasingly intense. Upon feeling the strengthening sunlight, a smirk actually appeared at the corners of Vileplume's mouth.
Solar energy gathered, and Solar Beam was fired. The pure white light looked as if it intended to purify Mega Charizard X. However, the moment it collided with Blast Burn, the power of the Solar Beam was swallowed by the exploding flames.
Pristine white petals danced as Vileplume used Petal Blizzard to block all the scattered flames. Seizing this opening, Mega Charizard X had already circled behind it and unleashed Dragon Rush.
Turning its head, Vileplume was able to fire Solar Beam instantaneously thanks to the buff from Sunny Day, yet it could not stop a Dragon Rush enhanced by the Tough Claws ability.
Due to a lapse in judgment, Mega Charizard X charged right in front of Vileplume. Dragon Claw thrust out, directly tearing through the defense formed by Petal Blizzard and leaving three deep gashes on Vileplume's body.
"Pin it down with Flamethrower and keep attacking with Dragon Claw. Don't give it a chance to breathe."
A string of commands rang out. Searing fire quickly erupted from Mega Charizard X's mouth, turning into snakes of flame that kept Vileplume's attention occupied. Dragon Claw condensed again, shattering the scorched white petals and striking Vileplume once more.
Under the stimulus of intense pain, Vileplume's focus actually became sharper. However, with the bonus from Tough Claws, Mega Charizard X's offensive was not something that could be blocked just by being focused.
Dragon Claw swung relentlessly. Vileplume was not naturally suited for close combat, and it now felt completely overwhelmed, unable to catch its breath. Even though Vileplume's Chlorophyll ability was triggered in the Sunny Day, it simply could not pull away from Mega Charizard X, who was using fire to distract it while constantly attacking with Dragon Claw.
"Prepare to end this, Mega Charizard X! Blast Burn!"
Seeing Mega Charizard X repel Vileplume once again, Gu Yuan prepared to finish the fight quickly. Searing flames surged out once more. Realizing Mega Charizard X's intent, Vileplume used every ounce of its strength to resist.
It first combined Petal Dance with Petal Blizzard, making it look as if a world of flowers had descended. Unfortunately, the moment they touched the Blast Burn, they melted away as quickly as snowflakes meeting fire.
Finally, after a great deal of effort, Vileplume managed to block the Blast Burn. When the flames dissipated, Vileplume realized that Mega Charizard X had already vanished from its line of sight.
The side effects of Petal Dance began to manifest, causing Vileplume's thoughts to become muddled. Seizing this chance, Mega Charizard X launched an attack from behind Vileplume using Dragon Rush.
The moment it sensed danger, Vileplume spun around, using the last of the strength from Petal Blizzard and Petal Dance to defend. In the next second, its confused state began to erode its reason.
The draconic charge tore through Vileplume's defense, and sharp Dragon Claw pierced its body. The intense pain brought the confused Vileplume a moment of clarity, but what awaited it was Mega Charizard X's Blast Burn.
The raging fire swallowed it. Gu Yuan did not stop there; instead, he had Mega Charizard X continuously increase the intensity of the fire and eventually used Heat Wave to gather the flames together.
By the time the fire died down, Vileplume had lost consciousness under the roasting heat. Mega Charizard X subsequently reverted from its Mega Evolution.
"Great job, Charizard!"
Patting Charizard's shoulder, Gu Yuan grew increasingly satisfied with its performance. Since the incident with the Hunter's Guild stronghold, Gu Yuan had led Charizard to challenge many opponents with initial Elite Rank strength. With the power provided by Mega Evolution, Charizard won repeatedly.
The only pity was that even with the boost from points, Charizard was still one final step away from breaking through to the Elite Rank. In the terms of the Pokémon world, this was a bottleneck limiting growth that could only be worn down with time.
For Gu Yuan, however, it was merely a matter of needing more points. Gu Yuan was confident that he could make Charizard successfully take this step within three months, which was well before the one-year agreement he had made.
Moreover, Roaring Moon and Moltres, who were close in strength to Charizard, might also be able to take that final step by then.
After healing the unconscious Vileplume, Gu Yuan walked straight out of the forest. He didn't ignore the Leader Rank or Ace Rank Pokémon encountered along the way, treating them as entertainment for Roaring Moon and the others. It was a shame the weakest member of his team was already at the Ace Rank; otherwise, challenging Senior Rank Pokémon would have been a decent source of points.
Just as Gu Yuan stepped out of the forest, Agatha called.
"What is it, Master? Is there something I need to handle?"
Picking up the phone, Gu Yuan asked curiously.
"I'm looking for you this time to send you toward a good opportunity."
"You probably remember me mentioning that I would arrange for you to enter some spatial rifts. Well, the chance has arrived."
"I have already secured a slot for you. I don't care where you are; you must reach Vermilion City within half a month. I will arrange the rest for you then."
"I'll send the data regarding this spatial rift directly to your Trainer ID. Take a good look at it."
"Yes! Master!"
Gu Yuan, having tasted the benefits once before, agreed excitedly upon hearing he could enter another spatial rift. At this moment, he once again realized the value of having a backer.
Places like spatial rifts are extremely precious and rare. Most people are lucky to enter one in their lifetime, yet he could access two in a short period, and both of high quality.
Based on Agatha's tone, Gu Yuan could tell this slot was very valuable and involved traveling overseas. He wondered if he would have the same luck this time to encounter beings like Moltres or Roaring Moon.
However, he knew that was likely impossible. That spatial rift had probably been explored by the League many times. If such Pokémon still existed there, Agatha surely would have told him already.
Hanging up, Gu Yuan checked the distance between himself and Vermilion City and marked a few forests along the way. With Teleport at his disposal, he wasn't worried about being late and even had time to challenge a few more forests.