But Monferno's movement once again rendered Marowak's preparations useless.
As Monferno lunged toward Marowak, its left foot took a large stride forward, kicking up a cloud of sand. Utilizing the momentum of the impact, it spun 180 degrees, appearing behind Marowak.
Sssss——
The orange flames met the ghostly green flame, hissing like fire meeting cold water, creating an extinguishing sound.
Monferno, its arms wrapped in flames, reached into the ghostly green flame, its muscular arms bulging as it forcefully grabbed Marowak's arm. It not only interrupted its "Flame Wheel," but also forced Marowak to face its own rebounding bone staff.
"Gala?!"
Marowak could hardly accept the power Monferno had just unleashed.
Even though its flames had already scorched Monferno's arms to the point of being skin-deep.
Thud!
The bone staff collided with the skull, Marowak's eyes flickering with duplicates.
It wasn't dizzy.
It was when Marowak, forcefully stepping on the ground causing it to cave in, destabilized Monferno's footing, freeing itself from the bind and catching the fallen bone staff, as dense shadows emerged upon it.
Shadow Bone!
Boom!
The revolving strike carried an attack on the soul.
Swinging Monferno away.
Heavily crashing into a patch of shrubs.
"Oss!"
"Buyi!"
"Howl!"
Natsuhiko held onto his hat, preventing it from being blown off by the gust from the collision.
Psychedelic halos flickered in his eyes.
Through telepathy, constantly connecting with Monferno, he perhaps understood Monferno's state better than Monferno itself at this moment.
After the gust passed.
Natsuhiko calmly opened his backpack.
"Melo?!"
Meloetta's energy block slipped from its hands.
Staring blankly as Natsuhiko took out a large, fused piece of dark red stone from the backpack, then watched him take out a palm-sized blue-green scale.
Using the scale as a blade, Natsuhiko easily sliced off about one-third of the stone.
This...
Using Rayquaza's scale as a knife to cut Groudon's shell fragments, perhaps this is the only instance of its kind in the whole Pokemon Realm?
"That's about right, Monferno." Natsuhiko said softly.
Under Meloetta's puzzled gaze, he tossed the cut stone toward the shrubs.
"Gakiki!"
Soon, Monferno performed a nimble forward flip, leaping out of the bushes, simultaneously catching the stone Natsuhiko tossed over.
Landing on the ground, flames left a deep, charred mark.
The "Fierce Fire" trait was truly activated!
"Ka!"
"Melo?!" Meloetta covered its mouth, overwhelmed with disbelief.
It watched as Monferno walked towards Marowak, leaving footsteps with each step, while the stone in its hand seemed like an ordinary fruit. Monferno chewed it piece by piece, swallowing it as its throat contracted.
What kind of people and Pokémon are these?
Meloetta couldn't help but feel bewilderment rising within.
After the stone was consumed, Monferno's already surging flames intensified, with even the flame's color undergoing a subtle change.
The color deepened, becoming a very profound dark red.
"Gala!"
Marowak could sense that Monferno's aura had completely changed.
If previously Monferno was among the elite, it now had reached the Gym Leader Level.
Natsuhiko squinted his eyes.
It hadn't evolved, but instead broke through its own limitations, reaching Gym Leader Level in body constraint?
As Monferno swallowed the last piece, its pace quickened, and the flames engulfing its body became even more vigorous.
Natsuhiko's eyes gleamed slightly.
"Flashing Flame Charge."
Monferno, enveloped in flames, charged towards Marowak at lightning speed while Marowak raised its bone staff, burning with ghostly green flames in defense.
Sss——
The sound of flames clashed inevitably.
However, the outcome was completely different this time, with Monferno's flames instantly gaining the upper hand, Marowak's expression dumbfounded as it was severely knocked away.
Monferno stood firm, not pursuing.
"Gakiki—!!" A commanding roar burst from its body, accompanied by a milky white light from within, intermingled with wisps of dark red streams.
Evolution!
Monferno's evolution occurred swiftly, validating the saying that things happen smoothly when conditions are ripe. As a fist wrapped in what seemed like dark red armor-like flames extended, the light of evolution abruptly dissipated.
Infernape!
"Buyi..."
Eevee blinked, suddenly reminded of the story Natsuhiko frequently told them about "a master being captured by a monster."
Isn't this the same as the Elder Brother Monkey?!