Chapter 342
"Thinking about that won't do any good; the current situation is definitely in our favor anyway..."
Qiao Ran and Vulpix exchanged a glance, and both of them felt even more confident. Although Vulpix's whole body was trembling uncontrollably at the beginning of the battle, it seemed that she was not without the power to fight back.
Isn't it just Legendary Pokémon?
She's seen this all the time.
"Awoo!"
Even she is capable of killing a god!
"Good."
Seeing the Vulpix's fighting spirit rise, Qiao Ran clenched his fists. Even if the Vulpix's attacks couldn't inflict fatal damage on Tapu Bulu, with Ice-type doubly super effective against Grass-type, these attacks would certainly not be pleasant for Tapu Bulu.
If they keep going at this pace, they will win!
We really will win!
Vulpix was his first Pokémon, and its potential is far more than that.
"Vulpix! Ice Beam!!"
Taking advantage of the time it took to create distance again, Vulpix Spit Up out a blue beam of light from its mouth, shooting straight towards Tapu Bulu in the air.
However, the opponent was clearly no pushover either, dodging the Vulpix's attack with a quick movement. The extended ray only reached a Floating Island behind it, where it condensed into a large patch of pure white ice shards that seemed out of place in this world.
"..."
Vulpix's attack is clearly not weak; it could even be considered one of the best among ordinary Pokémon, let alone the fact that it is only Vulpix. However, in the arena of Legendary Pokémon, this ability is still slightly lacking.
Without even glancing behind him, Tapu Bulu began to shake his body once more.
This time, unlike before, it directly raised the huge bell hanging from its tail, and emerald green energy gathered like a tidal wave with the resounding sound of the bell.
"This is..."
"Thump!!"
Thump!
The bell rang like a heartbeat, covered in emerald green energy, like a giant green hammer. It was dragging this powerful weapon as it charged towards the Vulpix once again!
Tapu Bulu's fighting style is completely unpredictable; every attack is wide-ranging and powerful, yet each one sends chills down Qiao Ran and Vulpix's spine.
"..."
Just looking at the Vulpix made her tremble; the size of that hammer was probably even bigger than her body!
If that hits, it'll be smashed into a piece of paper!
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way right now!"
Tapu Bulu's move was undoubtedly one of the Grass-type's powerful moves— Wood Hammer. His Mimikyu also liked to use this move, and Qiao Ran recognized it almost instantly.
This move is far more powerful than the previous one with Horn Leech.
If it hits...
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Qiao Ran's cheek.
"Boom!!!!"
At incredible speed, Tapu Bulu hurtled towards what it thought was the location of the Vulpix, like a shooting star. Although there was a slight deviation, but—
"Boom!!!!!"
The deafening explosion seemed to echo throughout the entire space.
Even the entire ground trembled.
"Smack!"
The scenery in front of Qiao Ran was trembling violently, and he stumbled, almost falling to the ground.
"No... that's not right!"
Tapu Bulu's attack seemed to destabilize the entire Floating Island, and the cracks in the ground around Qiao Ran appeared to be expanding rapidly.
The power of this attack was simply too great, and as a now-enraged Tapu Bulu, its attack was utterly reckless.
"Click."
A chilling voice rang in Qiao Ran's ears. He looked down in horror at his feet, feeling as if his body had sank slightly.
"... Huh?"
Everything happened in an instant, so much so that he didn't even have time to react.
What... is this...?
Am I standing crooked?
No... no, this is the ground...
Ground!
Am I going to fall?
Qiao Ran, who had been observing the battlefield, hadn't been paying attention to himself at all. The sudden turn of events made it difficult for him to switch his focus back to his own thoughts.
His body even froze on the spot.
But--
On the other side of the battlefield, Vulpix, who narrowly escaped the attack but was still trembling from the aftershocks, witnessed the entire scene.
No, that won't do!
"Awoo!"
She opened her mouth and unleashed her prized Ice Beam with all her might, but—the distance and speed were still a bit too short.
No... no!
Vulpix's mind was completely blank. Her only thought now was to save Qiao Ran and her master.
However, she wasn't capable enough...
Why is it that her abilities are insufficient again?
"..."
In Qiao Ran's view, those few seconds seemed to move in slow motion as he observed the Vulpix's actions, which, though frustrating, were nonetheless...
The only person who would still be mindful of himself at a time like this is probably someone who stays by his side at all times, protecting his safety.
Is this my final destination?
... If possible, perhaps it would be better to fall down beside everyone.
Just as Qiao Ran's mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts, a startling scene unfolded before Qiao Ran eyes once again.
--A faint light emanated from the Vulpix fox's petite body.
The light gradually expanded.
It became increasingly bright.
"Aww--"
Vulpix drew out its voice.
Like that beam of light, her voice gradually changed as well.
At the same time, her originally petite figure also changed.
Vulpix is a very special Pokémon.
At least in the Alola Region, their race has always been referred to as "the incarnation of the gods."
In the legends of the Alola Region, they only live in the mountains where gods dwell, and have been an inviolable existence since ancient times.
However, evolving a Vulpix into Ninetales is never a simple task.
Unlike other Pokémon that can evolve simply through experience or some kind of stimulus, Ninetales requires some kind of external "stimuli" to evolve.
When it was the Fire-type Vulpix, this stimulus was the "Fire Stone"; when it was the Ice-type Vulpix, this stimulus became the even more special "Ice Stone".
In Alola, this is not a resource that can be easily obtained, so in the ancient Alola Region, each Ninetales was a very rare existence.
Moreover, her pure, immaculate, and ethereal figure was as beautiful as Emissary of the Deity.
Even Tapu, the Island deity, pales in comparison to Kurama (the Ninetales).
--Just like the scene that appeared in front of Qiao Ran.
The once petite Vulpix had vanished, and what reappeared from the light was a fox-type Pokémon with slender, tall limbs and a long body completely covered in pure, immaculate white.
Nine Limber, snow-white tails swayed gently behind her, striking various different poses.
"Aww!!"
Her demeanor had completely changed, as if she had undergone a thorough metamorphosis. Her original cute childishness had completely disappeared, replaced by determination and allure.
Just looking into those blue eyes, you can feel a mixture of holiness and strange allure.
A powerful burst of Ice-type energy erupted from her mouth, striking the cracking ground beneath Qiao Ran's feet.
The spreading Sturdy solidified the crumbling land, giving Qiao Ran time to react.
"...!"
Once recovered, Qiao Ran Splash and quickly moved away from the edge of the Battle Court, escaping the dangerous area.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
However, it's clearly not time for Qiao Ran to breathe a sigh of relief yet.
"Vulpix... no, Ninetales..."
Qiao Ran straightened up from the ground, her eyes trembling.
He couldn't help but take several deep breaths.
Qiao Ran never expected that Vulpix would do something so unexpected at such a crucial moment.
--It should be noted that the reason why Vulpix has been able to control itself from evolving is because it cannot evolve through level. The series of changes that have just occurred are clearly not something that can happen "automatically".
The only explanation is that the Vulpix had made some kind of preparation, and just now... was the time to put it to use.
"Who exactly are you...?"
Qiao Ran stared at the white fox standing in the middle of the Battle Court, also watching him from afar, and was momentarily stunned.
He knew exactly how much the Vulpix didn't want to evolve—no... perhaps that's not the right way to put it; she just wanted to stay the way she was before, to retain her unique characteristics.
Every little detail of the past seemed vivid in Qiao Ran's mind, from the first time he saw the Vulpix until now...
From her initial naivety and shyness around others when she was the first to take human form, to her complete transformation now.
She has changed a lot since then, just like she did at the beginning.
But--
Sometimes, we may still need to make difficult choices.
The Vulpix, however, made its own choice and gave its own answer.
In order to save him, and to gain even greater power, she abandoned some other things.
"Master... the battle isn't over yet."
A familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar voice echoed in Qiao Ran's mind. Compared to the previous Vulpix's childish and cute voice, this voice, while not significantly different in detail, was noticeably more mature and exuded a strangely lazy charm.
Just listening to it gives me a very comfortable feeling.
"Um..."
However, the two tacitly avoided discussing their own or each other's changes.
Instead, they turned their attention to their common enemy at this moment.
The Vulpix has sacrificed a great deal for this battle and has demonstrated its will.
"I can't hold them back either..."