Chapter 341
"Is this the start of a battle...?"
Qiao Ran couldn't understand what the other person was saying, and with no other Pokémon present, there was no one to help him translate.
However, he sensed a fighting spirit in the other person's eyes.
He could only stand on another part of the Battle Court.
He gripped the Poké Ball tightly in his hand.
"Since that's the case..."
When facing Pokémon, Trainer cannot possibly go into battle and fight Pokémon. Apart from some excessively powerful Monster, there are probably very few people in the Pokémon World who can do that.
"Come out!"
Qiao Ran didn't know what kind of Pokémon was inside the ball, but he still threw the Poké Ball without hesitation.
What Pokémon be inside?
Is it Rattata, or something else? Or perhaps...?
If you don't know, then just release it.
He won't linger here.
"... My Pokémon!"
As Qiao Ran Fling the Poké Ball, a beam of light emanated from it.
As the light gradually subsided, what appeared before Qiao Ran was a figure that was extremely familiar to him.
Film.
Its snow-white body, like a fluffy white ball of fur, combined with its adorable appearance and six Fluffy tails...
Just by looking at the other person's back, or even just seeing a part of them, Qiao Ran was already able to recognize their identity.
"... Six... Vulpix?"
Qiao Ran froze on the spot.
Wait... wait a minute, why did Vulpix come out of this Poké Ball???
"Master... Master?"
The other person seemed equally confused. She looked around, then at Qiao Ran, completely unaware of what had happened.
Didn't they just step into that suspicious Altar together?
How did she suddenly appear here???
"This..."
Qiao Ran didn't know how to explain it either. He was completely confused about what had just happened, let alone explain it to Vulpix.
He doesn't understand it himself!
I'll tell you later.
"Right now... let's focus on dealing with this problem first!"
Qiao Ran turned his gaze to Tapu Bulu on the other side. At that moment, a verdant energy was rapidly spreading outwards from Tapu Moo's location...
Green energy, centered on Tapu Bulu, is rapidly spreading outwards. Although it still contains a trace of unsettling dark purple substance, this is undoubtedly Ability of Tapu Bulu.
--"The Grassy Surge".
Each of the Island deity in Alola has the ability to create its own "Battle Court". For example, Tapu Lele of Akala Island, being Psychic and Fairy type, can create a "Psychic Terrain" that amplifies Psychic moves, while Tapu Fini of Poni Island can create a "Misty Terrain" that weakens the power of Dragon-type moves.
Of course, each of these special Battle Court is not just about amplifying combat abilities of the same attribute. Each Battle Court has its own unique special effects. For example, the "Grassy Terrain" created by Tapu Bulu through "Grassy Surge" has the special effect of continuously restoring health.
This Battle Court not only increases the damage of Grass-type moves, but also enhances the recovery abilities of Grass-type Pokémon, making it an ideal choice for Pokémon.
"Vulpix, do you think you can win?"
"..."
Vulpix did not answer; its small body stood in the Battle Court, trembling slightly.
The opponent's aura was incredibly terrifying, carrying the oppressive presence unique to Legendary Pokémon. When had Vulpix ever faced such an opponent? Even when it had fought against such a being, it was always alongside everyone else!
If it's Single Battle, can she really protect her master and herself?
... Vulpix didn't have that confidence.
Qiao Ran felt the same way. In a normal Competition, if the opponent sent out a Pokémon of Tapu Bulu's caliber, he wouldn't send out Vulpix to fight. It wasn't that he didn't believe in Vulpix's abilities, but rather...
This hope is far too high...
"Moo--!!"
Qiao Ran and Vulpix both had mixed thoughts, but Tapu Bulu on the opposite side had no intention of waiting for them to sort out their feelings. After the Grassy Terrain gradually expanded, its first attack was aimed at the location where Vulpix was.
Moo--
With a deep Growl, its long, pointed horns grew even sharper and were enveloped in emerald energy—it Levitate in the air, charging forward at incredible speed.
Horn Leech!
This skill not only deals a whopping 75 damage, but it can also absorb half of the damage amount's HP. Combined with the bonus from the Grassy Terrain, the power of this skill is not to be underestimated. If hit by this move, even an Ice-type Vulpix would probably not be able to escape unscathed.
"Vulpix! Get out of the way!"
Given the power of the Vulpix's skills, no single technique could withstand such a powerful attack, so at this moment, her only option was to dodge it.
Dodging the opponent's attacks—this is something the petite Vulpix excels at!
However, Vulpix's next move surprised Qiao Ran, and even herself.
With a push from her four short legs on the Floating Island's ground, she shot several meters into the air, a height far exceeding her original athletic ability... Wait, when did her body become so powerful?!
"Whoosh!"
The sharp Horn Leech sliced across the spot where the Vulpix had been, like a sword blade, but as the Vulpix Splash, its opponent missed its target.
However, even the Vulpix herself hadn't imagined the height of her Splash, so her landing was noticeably less than graceful.
"Clatter."
"Awoo!"
She fell flat on the ground and rolled several times. Luckily, the fur on her tail was quite thick, otherwise she would definitely have been injured.
"What exactly is this...?"
Qiao Ran rubbed his eyes, staring at the unbelievable scene before him.
Wait... why is the Vulpix so powerful? Has it been enhanced?
As Trainer observing the overall situation, he was clearly better able to see the changes than Vulpix. If it were the usual Vulpix...
It's clearly impossible for the tail to jump that high, right?
Qiao Ran was completely baffled and could only attribute it to this strange world. Perhaps it was because this world was so strange that it amplified the Vulpix's abilities. Moreover, if Rotom were really here, Qiao Ran could use her to determine the state of the Vulpix and Tapu Bulu on the other side.
Unfortunately, the last one who called himself Rotom has already turned into light, so even if Qiao Ran wanted to find Rotom now, it would obviously be impossible.
"Moo... Moo!! Tapu Bulu!!!"
When Horn Leech's Smack Down, Tapu Bulu naturally wouldn't give up so easily. Moreover, Vulpix' dodging movements seemed to have enraged it, and its actions became increasingly violent, with the red in its eyes becoming even more intense.
At this moment, Tapu Bulu is an enraged bull, not the so-called Island deity.
Its entire body was filled with a destructive desire, waving its two heavy hooves and shaking its huge sharp horns, as if it wanted to tear the Vulpix to shreds.
"..."
Just looking at it is enough to deter people from going there.
"Vulpix!"
"Hail!!!"
While the opponent was still in a frenzy, Qiao Ran immediately had the Vulpix use a weather skill. Although the Vulpix had been strengthened, Qiao Ran didn't think the strengthening was that powerful, to the point that the strengthened Vulpix could go toe-to-toe with Tapu Bulu.
--The difference between a legendary Pokémon and an unevolved ordinary Pokémon like Vulpix--is not something that can be bridged by a little bit of enhancement.
If the Vulpix wants to win, it must be prepared to use any means necessary.
"Hail" is one of Vulpix's winning formulas. As Pokémon with the Snow Cloak Ability, when snowflakes fall from the sky, Vulpix's chance of dodging the opponent's moves increases significantly, and this increase in probability gives Vulpix a chance to win.
"Awoo!"
With a long Howl from the Vulpix, snowflakes actually began to fall softly in the strange space. The effect of this skill had actually come into play in this world.
However, Qiao Ran and Vulpix's expressions quickly froze on the spot.
"This..."
What floated before them were not the white snowflakes of the Real World —among them were eerie dark red snowflakes.
It fell from the sky and then turned into a strange liquid on the ground.
Perhaps, this is the true snow that belongs to this Distortion World.
However, this is clearly not what Qiao Ran and Vulpix need.
How can this color possibly Snow Cloak?!
Snow Cloak.
--This is an Ability that increases the chance of Pokémon dodging moves during Hail.
While theoretically, any type of Hail might seem to produce a similar effect, it's all based on the physical Rules of the Pokémon World!
If the snow is this color, would Vulpix's fur really be able to hide in it?
On the contrary, it's much easier to be discovered!
Even if it's Ability, you have to consider the other person's eyes—and those eyes are clearly not blind!
"Oops."
Originally intending to use the Hail to increase their advantage, it now seems like another futile effort. Qiao Ran could only cover his head, his face full of helplessness. Now Tapu Bulu's next attack is already poised to strike, Vulpix must be prepared.
Emerald energy once again coalesced on Tapu Bulu's horn, and its originally gentle and calm Grass-type traits seemed to have vanished, replaced only by Rage.
"Whoosh!"
Two long bull horns, like two sharp sword blades, rushed straight towards the Vulpix beast. However, Qiao Ran, who was observing the battlefield, was slightly taken aback.
"Vulpix! Blizzard!"
A fierce blizzard Spit Up from the Vulpix's mouth, but it was quickly torn apart by Tapu Bulu, only slightly slowing down its opponent. It pushed through the blast and continued charging forward, but—just as it approached the Vulpix, its attack missed slightly.
Get out of the way!
This time, the Vulpix's dodge was not difficult, and it didn't even take much effort.
Everything was due to the deviation caused by the opponent's attack; Vulpix's dodge was merely a matter of going with the flow.
"This... could it be that the Snow Cloak has taken effect?"
From the Tapu Bulu launched its attack, he noticed that the direction of the attack had shifted slightly, something that would never happen under normal circumstances.
But—this snow is clearly a different color from Vulpix's fur. If one's vision is normal, how could they possibly be mistaken for each other?
This isn't Snow Cloak at all; it's snow manifestation!
"Etc."
Perhaps... the other person's vision is not quite right to begin with?
It is said that cows and other animals have poor eyesight and cannot distinguish many colors, but that only applies to ordinary animals. To use this to speculate about the Island deity is going too far.
Qiao Ran stared into the other person's eyes for a while.
He felt that the more likely possibility was—this bright red...
Its eyes directly blinded its vision.
After all, with its eyes so red, it probably couldn't see any other colors, and the Vulpix white fur would likely appear red to it as well.
Although Qiao Ran didn't know the truth, it was definitely good news, greatly increasing his and Vulpix's chances of winning.