"Are you feeling unconvinced? Since that's the case... then let's battle as Pokémon Trainers, just as Fei Xiao suggested!"
Meng Xi decided to follow Little Fire's wishes, so it was time to have a proper showdown with Ceruledge!
"Fletchinder!"
Fletchinder flapped its wings and let out a cry, its fighting spirit blazing as it kept its gaze fixed tightly on Ceruledge.
"Suo."
Ceruledge seemed to freeze for a moment, but this time it formally took a stance to meet its opponent's gaze.
Perhaps it was just their imagination, but Lin Siyu and Meng Xi both felt as if the opponent had just smiled.
"Go, Little Fire! You're the best, Little Fire!"
Seeing how serious Meng Xi's expression was, Lin Siyu couldn't be bothered to try and stop her; she wouldn't listen anyway, as long as things didn't get out of hand.
Everyone in the helicopter above saw everything that had just happened below.
A monster battling a monster—everyone, including Li Zhengxin, couldn't wrap their heads around it.
Only Ye Jinnian and Jiao Wuyan watched the duel before them, looking thoughtful.
"Little Fire, Flame Charge."
"Huh?"
Seizing the initiative, Fletchinder turned into a fireball and rushed toward its opponent.
Lin Siyu clutched her head, her expression panicked as she watched Little Fire dash forward.
She couldn't help but shake her best friend repeatedly: "Meng Xi! Have you forgotten? Fire-type moves are ineffective!"
Ceruledge also rushed forward, purple flames rising on its sharp blades, ready for action.
"It's over!"
Meng Xi ignored her best friend's warning, pushing her aside with one hand while keeping her eyes locked firmly on the scene.
When the distance between the two was less than five meters, Meng Xi shouted.
"Quick, dodge!"
Upon hearing this, Fletchinder's arrow-like body quickly tilted to the side.
At a distance of less than two meters, Ceruledge slashed out with what should have been a guaranteed hit.
In the end, Fletchinder twisted its body to the limit, grazing past the sword and dodging the attack.
Seeing this, Lin Siyu slowly opened her eyes, which she had squeezed shut in tension, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Continue using Flame Charge while circling the opponent."
Meng Xi gave the command again, and Fletchinder did not hesitate; flames once again enveloped its entire body.
This time, it circled rapidly at a distance of about ten meters, with Ceruledge at the center.
Ceruledge watched the ring of fire around it, its focus intensifying for just a split second before it once again transformed into a sharp blade and thrust forward.
"Don't try to take it head-on; keep dodging."
Fletchinder lived up to expectations, once again dodging the opponent's attack at the last possible moment.
After the thrilling dodge, it continued to circle its opponent.
...
Ceruledge thrust out several more times, but Fletchinder narrowly dodged every attack.
But slowly, Lin Siyu noticed something.
Fletchinder was becoming increasingly skilled and relaxed amidst Ceruledge's continuous attacks.
Compared to the first few times when the blade had slashed right before its eyes, Fletchinder was slowly beginning to act one step ahead of its opponent.
Seeing this, Ceruledge watched as a purple vortex appeared before it, and it quickly stepped into it.
"Watch out, it's coming again; keep up Agility."
Meng Xi did not panic this time, quickly thinking of a countermeasure.
Sure enough, the vortex appeared again behind Fletchinder.
Despite being prepared, this sudden attack was still difficult to deal with.
"Suo."
The dual swords slashed down; although Fletchinder had tried its best to dodge, it was still hit.
"Little Fire!"
"Fletchinder."
But after being hit this time, Fletchinder was able to hold on because it had anticipated it.
It quickly adjusted its posture and did not fall to the ground.
"Well done! Continue circling the opponent and slowly close the distance."
Fletchinder followed instructions, this time keeping a radius of less than 5 meters.
Ceruledge intended to repeat its old trick and use the move again, the vortex manifesting.
"Don't give it a chance, use Aerial Ace."
Energy instantly gathered in Fletchinder's wings, which turned like blades as it veered to slash at Ceruledge.
Ceruledge was caught off guard, but with its extraordinary reflexes, it quickly raised its dual swords to parry.
In the end, Ceruledge still had the slight upper hand.
However, Meng Xi's goal of interrupting the move had been achieved.
"Continue using Flame Charge."
A few people in the helicopter finally noticed the clue.
It seems like that bird's speed is getting faster and faster?
Lin Siyu roughly figured out Meng Xi's strategy.
She wanted to use Flame Charge to continuously increase her speed.
Under heaven, all martial arts are unbreakable except for speed; she was currently trying to make up for the gap in strength with speed.
And while the recent clash was just the opponent's hurried defense, it also proved that in terms of raw power, Fletchinder could not go head-to-head with its opponent.
At the moment, this tactic seemed very correct for Meng Xi's first battle, but for some reason, the gap between the two still hadn't closed.
"Damn it! The speed has already been boosted to the limit!"
Meng Xi was at a loss for what to do now.
Fletchinder, having been injured, did not have the stamina for a prolonged battle, but its speed had almost reached its limit.
Although she was suppressing the opponent on the surface, if she couldn't defeat the opponent, it was meaningless.
Ceruledge looked at Fletchinder, which had stopped accelerating, and seemed a bit bored.
It stopped swinging its sword casually and prepared to end the battle.
...
Ceruledge released the move Phantom Force again, and a purple vortex appeared.
"Interrupt it, Aerial Ace!"
Fletchinder's speed was greater than ever, and it had already rushed in front of Ceruledge before the opponent could react and swing its sword.
The two locked eyes, and just as the wings were about to strike Ceruledge, an unexpected change occurred.
Ceruledge turned into darkness and vanished from the spot.
Fletchinder ended up lunging at nothing.
No one had expected the opponent to have hidden this move.
"Fletchinder."
Fletchinder was flying almost right above the ground at this moment, trying to find its opponent.
But the shadow on the ground eerily revealed a pair of purple eyes.
The next moment, Ceruledge appeared from the shadow like a ghost; this time, Fletchinder was hit before it could even react.
Ceruledge pressed the attack, its eerie aura gathering on its dual swords, and then struck directly at its opponent's vitals.
Fletchinder was unable to move and was ultimately struck by Bitter Blade.
"Little Fire!"
Meng Xi's heart tightened; she knew she had been careless. Ceruledge had been hiding other moves that it hadn't revealed, and she had been too presumptuous.
Fletchinder fell to the ground, covered in wounds, but its stubborn will held it up, refusing to let it collapse.
It used all its strength to prop itself up with its wings, wanting to stand up again, but its whole body was almost exhausted, unable to continue the battle.
Ceruledge watched this scene quietly; it hadn't expected its opponent's perseverance to be so tenacious.
Since that's the case...
Thinking this, flames swirled around the dual swords in its hands, radiating an astonishing aura.
Then it would make it completely lose the ability to battle.
The flame-imbued dual swords slashed out through the air simultaneously.
A massive flame surged toward the immobile Fletchinder.
The flames formed the shape of the character "big" and rushed rapidly toward the opponent—Fire Blast.
"Little Fire!"
Meng Xi and Lin Siyu could no longer sit still, thinking that Ceruledge was going for the kill.
Meng Xi ran quickly toward Fletchinder, but it was too late.
Fire Blast instantly engulfed Fletchinder.
The red glow of the flames shone on Meng Xi's face.
"Fletchinder."
Everyone present heard Little Fire's cry of pain.
Meng Xi fell to her knees, tears dripping from the corners of her eyes, her eyes vacant, unable to believe the scene unfolding before her.
Lin Siyu also covered her eyes in pain, not wanting to see any of this.
Suddenly, at this very moment.
"Fletchinder!"
A powerful sound reached everyone's ears.
As if grasping at a lifeline, Meng Xi stared intensely with burning eyes at the raging flames ahead.
Even Ceruledge's gaze was instantly drawn to it.
In the center of the massive vortex of flames, a brilliant, dazzling light shone forth.
The shining radiance lit up Meng Xi's clouded pupils.
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