The moment Torkoal's heavy body slammed down onto the battlefield, the temperature across the entire arena surged as if ignited by invisible flames.
The already scorching air grew even hotter.
At that moment, the sun high above seemed to be infused with some kind of blazing energy.
Its light became dazzlingly intense, and the moisture in the air appeared to evaporate instantly.
Even the spectators in the stands could clearly feel the suffocating heat, like being roasted alive, with a faint stinging sensation spreading across their skin.
This was the combined power of Torkoal's Drought ability and the already sweltering midday heat of Lavaridge Town.
On the field, Larvesta, which had just relaxed slightly after easily defeating Quilava, immediately tensed up as the wave of heat swept over it.
The five horns around its head curled slightly on instinct.
In its sharp perception, although the energy within this Torkoal was still inferior to its own, the gap between them was no longer as overwhelming as it had been with Quilava.
More importantly, the opponent emitted a presence that instinctively put it on guard.
The five horns around Larvesta's head trembled faintly, and the flames at their tips flickered more rapidly. It had clearly recognized Torkoal as a true opponent.
"Torkoal, Smokescreen!"
Flannery's voice rang out clearly. She gave Theo no time to think and immediately launched the first attack.
Upon receiving the command, Torkoal took a deep breath, its massive body swelling slightly.
In the next instant, thick black smoke gushed out from its nostrils and the gaps in its shell.
The smoke spread like ink poured into water, rapidly expanding across the battlefield and, in the blink of an eye, covered half of the arena.
Within it, Torkoal completely concealed itself, making it impossible to pinpoint its exact position.
Larvesta's vision was instantly filled with rolling gray black smoke. The discomfort of losing sight of its opponent made it uneasy.
This was different from its previous wild battles.
Fighting without being able to see the opponent's position made it feel a trace of agitation.
It shook its head slightly, its six small legs shifting restlessly as it tried to change position and search for its opponent.
"Larvesta, use Flame Charge. Keep moving. We'll wear it down slowly."
Theo's command came like a stabilizing force, clearly reaching Larvesta's ears and instantly calming its agitation.
After hearing Theo's voice, the restlessness in Larvesta's eyes quickly faded.
Its six legs ignited with bright orange red flames, and its body turned into a blurred streak of fire, rapidly moving across the battlefield.
As it continued to move, the flames around it grew more intense, and its speed steadily increased under the effect of Flame Charge.
Like a snowball rolling downhill, it became faster and faster, leaving behind fleeting trails of fire across the ground.
Hearing Theo's command, Flannery could not help but frown slightly.
She naturally understood the effect of Flame Charge. If Larvesta was allowed to continuously stack its speed, the battle would become increasingly difficult to control.
"Torkoal, use Ancient Power!"
Without hesitation, Flannery issued a new command.
Before her words had even fully faded, a series of cracking and grinding sounds echoed from within the thick smoke, clearly reaching everyone present.
Immediately afterward, dozens of fist sized rocks shot out from different positions within the smoke, as if controlled by an invisible force.
With sharp whistling sounds, they surged toward Larvesta from all directions, almost sealing off every possible escape route.
Theo's gaze sharpened instantly.
He had already learned about Torkoal's move pool through the system panel and had anticipated that Flannery might use Rock type moves against Larvesta.
Without delay, he responded in a deep voice.
"Larvesta, use String Shot to assist your movement!"
Larvesta understood immediately. It spat out tough red threads from its mouth, one end sticking precisely to the edge of the battlefield.
The thread tightened instantly. Using the powerful pulling force of the string, combined with the momentum from Flame Charge, Larvesta shot sideways like an arrow released from a bow, narrowly avoiding most of the incoming rocks.
Even so, a few stray stones grazed its body, leaving several light wounds.
Larvesta let out a soft hiss of pain.
But it did not stop for even a moment. It opened its mouth again and released another string, attaching it to another edge of the battlefield.
Using the new line for leverage, it swiftly adjusted its direction and continued moving rapidly along the edges.
Under Torkoal's relentless barrage of rock attacks, Larvesta left behind brilliant trails of flame across the battlefield.
It was like dancing on the edge of a blade.
The audience erupted in astonished cries, and the livestream chat flooded rapidly.
"That was close! If that hit directly, Larvesta would be in serious trouble!"
"Gym Leader Flannery is really going all out now. First Smokescreen to block vision, then Ancient Power to seal movement. That combo is brutal!"
"The streamer's reaction is insane! Using String Shot to change direction like that is just next level!"
"It still couldn't dodge everything though. Torkoal's rock attacks are landing!"
"How could it dodge everything? Torkoal is hidden in smoke. You cannot even tell where the attacks are coming from. Larvesta is already doing amazingly well!"
This was actually a new application Theo had developed for Larvesta's String Shot during their forest training.
Similar to a certain web swinging hero, he had turned what was originally a restraining move into a mobility tool, allowing Larvesta to maneuver freely like it was using grappling lines.
This greatly enhanced its mobility in complex environments.
Standing at her position, Flannery watched Larvesta dart around the battlefield like a phantom, her brows knitting even tighter.
She had never expected Theo's Larvesta to use String Shot in such a way.
Her originally foolproof suppression tactic was being effortlessly neutralized.
"Do not give it any chance to breathe! Torkoal, use Rock Slide together with Ancient Power. Release everything!"
As Flannery's tone grew more intense, the rumbling from within the smoke became even more violent.
This time, in addition to the scattered rocks from before, dozens of massive boulders the size of millstones shot out from the smoke.
Like falling meteors, they crashed toward Larvesta with overwhelming force, almost completely sealing off all avenues of escape.
The sound of rocks tearing through the air was so dense that it made one's scalp tingle.
Even the audience gasped in unison, many of them breaking into cold sweat for Larvesta.
It was clear that Flannery intended to end the battle with this attack.
"Keep dodging!"
Theo's voice remained calm and steady, without the slightest trace of panic, as if everything was under his control.
Larvesta obeyed. With the speed boosts from Flame Charge and the assistance of String Shot, it struggled to weave through the storm of rocks, constantly searching for gaps.
However, the sheer number and coverage of the attacks made it impossible to avoid everything.
Bang!
A dull impact sounded as a rock struck Larvesta directly.
It shrank slightly from the pain, the flames on its horns dimming a little as a clear expression of pain appeared on its face.
Soon after, several more rocks followed. Although it tried its best to evade, it was still grazed multiple times, leaving visible injuries across its body.
Outside the field, many spectators looked confused and puzzled.
"What is going on? Larvesta is just getting attacked nonstop. Even if its speed increases, what is the point? At this rate, it will run out of stamina!"
"Exactly. It looks strong enough to fight head on. Why choose such a passive strategy? This challenger's tactics are really strange."
"Did it get overconfident after beating Quilava? This is an official Gym battle, not a performance match!"
Even Flannery felt puzzled. She could not understand Theo's intentions at all.
But for now, she clearly held the advantage. There was no reason for her to stop.
"Maintain the pressure! Do not give it any chance to counterattack!"
From within the smoke, waves of rock attacks surged continuously like a raging tide toward Larvesta.
Its movements became increasingly strained, and the injuries on its body continued to accumulate. It looked more and more battered.
Just when everyone thought Larvesta was about to collapse, Theo knew that the moment had arrived.
After continuously stacking the effects of Flame Charge, Larvesta's speed had reached a critical point.
Even without relying on its strings, it could now easily avoid most of the incoming attacks.
"Now!"
Seizing the brief gap between Torkoal's attacks, Theo decisively gave the command.
"Larvesta, use Morning Sun!"
Larvesta immediately stopped dodging.
It exposed its entire body to the blazing sunlight of the sunny weather. Its horns lowered slightly as a gentle and warm golden glow began to spread around it.
In the next moment, an astonishing scene unfolded.
Countless brilliant golden rays poured down onto Larvesta like a life giving rain.
They seemed to possess miraculous healing power, rapidly restoring its injuries.
Moreover, under the harsh sunlight created by Torkoal's Drought ability, the intensity of the sun far exceeded normal conditions.
Under such blazing light, the recovery speed of Morning Sun became astonishing.
In just a few seconds, the wounds on Larvesta's body healed at a visible rate.
The injuries caused by the rocks quickly closed and gradually disappeared, as if they had never existed at all.
(End of Chapter)