Fire Blast

After Su Hao's battle ended, the next match was Kong Lingwei's.

The extraordinary abilities unique to Psychic-type Pokémon allowed her to win without much effort.

The final four of this Third Year Grade competition were claimed by Su Hao, the other two, and Kong Lingwei.

Once the final four had been decided, the semifinal matchups were quickly assigned by computer.

Su Hao VS Li Hua, Jiang Chengcheng VS Kong Lingwei.

Jiang Chengcheng was rather unlucky to run into Kong Lingwei, whose type countered hers. It would have been fine if Pangoro had evolved; Thug Panda, with its added Dark-type, was quite effective against Psychic-type Pokémon.

The first match was Su Hao versus Li Hua. Facing Li Hua's Blue Raven and Swablu in the sky, Su Hao sent out Incineroar to maintain continuous fire coverage.

There was a saying that made perfect sense: I could fail countless times, while you could only fail once.

Under Incineroar's seemingly inexhaustible barrage of firepower, Blue Raven and Swablu were ultimately run ragged and left the field in defeat.

Jiang Chengcheng's match against Kong Lingwei was exceptionally tense.

The two sides first sent out Pangoro and Baltoy.

Pangoro and Baltoy were similarly strong, but the type disadvantage could not be ignored. After driving Baltoy to critical condition, Pangoro finally could not hold on any longer and fell.

After the evolved Machamp entered the field, it defeated Baltoy with an absolute gap in strength.

The evolved Machamp had improved considerably and had already reached Late Normal Level.

Pokémon: [Machamp]

Type: [Fighting-type]

Gender: [Female]

Ability: [Guts]

Level: [27]

Moves: [Leer, Low Kick, Focus Energy, Revenge, Low Sweep, Bullet Punch, Counter, Thunder Punch, Bullet Punch, Mach Punch, Bulk Up]

After Machop evolved into Machamp, its physique, muscle mass, and Explosive Power had all improved greatly.

But against Natu, which completely countered her, Machamp still fought with great difficulty.

At the start, Jiang Chengcheng had Machamp use Thunder Punch against Natu, hoping to prevent it from taking off.

However, Kong Lingwei used her Psychic-type power to assist Natu in creating a barrier with Confusion. Although Machamp's Thunder Punch shattered the barrier, Natu still successfully took flight.

Against the airborne Natu, Machamp was like a target.

Though the rules limited the flight altitude of Pokémon capable of flying.

When Machamp leaped into the air, she had nowhere to brace herself and was always inferior in the struggle against Natu, which had Kong Lingwei's Psychic-type assistance.

After more than ten minutes of deadlock, the battle ended with the battered Machamp falling.

Jiang Chengcheng was not saddened by her defeat. She told Su Hao and Li Hua that from the moment she had chosen the path of specializing in Fighting-type Pokémon, she had expected to encounter Trainers specializing in Psychic-type Pokémon.

Though she had lost now, she believed that one day she would grow strong enough to fear no type disadvantage. Then, she would defeat Kong Lingwei fair and square.

After a while, the finals began between Su Hao and Kong Lingwei.

The opinions in the stands had already become overwhelmingly favorable toward Su Hao.

They felt that even if Kong Lingwei could use Psychic-type power to assist her Pokémon in battle, she would still be powerless against a true Elite Level Carbink.

[Now entering the field are Su Hao from Class 1, Third Year Grade, and Kong Lingwei from Third Year Class Five.]

[Each side may use two Pokémon and switch freely. Victory goes to the side that renders both opposing Pokémon Out of Battle.]

[Now, both sides, release your Pokémon!]

Kong Lingwei chose to send Baltoy out first.

Yet Su Hao did not directly send out Carbink to crush her as the spectators had predicted.

He chose Incineroar.

After several days of high-intensity battles, Incineroar's Energy Level had reached Level 25, which was Normal Level Mid Stage.

Baltoy, on the other hand, had only just entered Normal Level.

Once both sides had released their Pokémon, the referee announced that the match had officially begun.

"Baltoy, Psycho Shock!" Kong Lingwei directly chose Baltoy's strongest offensive move, adding her own Psychic-type assistance in hopes of swiftly defeating Incineroar.

Only by making it two against one would she have any hope of defeating Carbink.

"Incineroar, Fake Out."

Su Hao slightly parted his lips and called out a move Incineroar had never used in a match before.

"Meowrrr!!!" Incineroar slammed both paws onto the ground.

Incineroar had long become adept at combining Intimidate with Fake Out.

Using Roar to blend the Intimidate Ability into Fake Out, a black wave of energy flashed past. Baltoy, which had been charging its move, instantly froze.

"Baltoy, what's wrong??"

Feeling the connection between herself and Baltoy cut off, a trace of panic appeared on Kong Lingwei's previously calm face.

But Su Hao was not one of those brainless villains who insisted on wasting time explaining what move he had used and what effects it had.

Making a snap decision, Su Hao commanded Incineroar to attack Baltoy.

"Use Flame Charge to close in, then Shadow Claw!"

Incineroar was wrapped in blazing Fire Energy, and waves of heat trailed in his wake as he charged.

Having instantly closed in on Baltoy, Incineroar did not pause. Ominous violet-black energy appeared on his right claw as he viciously struck Baltoy.

After the explosion, Baltoy, lying on the ground, was clearly already Out of Battle.

A flash of red light from the center of the Poké Ball swept over Baltoy as Kong Lingwei recalled it.

Her thoughts were in chaos. One of her Pokémon had been instantly defeated at the start without any explanation. Even if she defeated that Incineroar now, she would still have no way past Carbink.

After awakening her Psychic-type power and being accepted as a disciple by a Psychic Master, she had originally thought that she had no rivals left in Yang City.

She had never expected Gym Leader Su's son to possess such fierce Combat Power. She and Baltoy had been completely unable to withstand him.

"I'm counting on you, Natu."

No matter how turbulent Kong Lingwei's thoughts were, after being urged by the referee to release her second Pokémon, she still had to continue fighting.

Natu had a pair of long white wings with red and black stripes at their tips. Its neck was black, while the marking on its chest resembled a pair of red eyes. Two long red feathers grew behind its head, and two yellow stripes circled its waist.

Its claws were red, and its toes were white. Female Natu had two stripes, while males had three.

Kong Lingwei's Natu was female, and her personality was rather Zen as well.

Through their Psychic-type link, the usually laid-back Natu unexpectedly told Kong Lingwei not to lose heart. She was still here.

Encouraged by her own Pokémon, Kong Lingwei steadied herself and decided that no matter what, she would fight with everything she had and win!

"Natu, take off and use Calm Mind!"

That strange black energy flashed again, and Natu's takeoff movement was delayed for an instant.

But in that instant of error, a heat wave swept in, and Incineroar had already arrived before Natu.

Since Incineroar had not left the field, without Fake Out's support, Intimidate could now only make Natu stiffen for an instant.

But that instant alone was enough for Incineroar to reach Natu with Flame Charge.

"Shadow Claw."

It was still a plain and simple Shadow Claw, but in most cases, Type Advantage was king. Shadow Claw directly sent Natu flying.

"Use Nasty Plot!"

After sending Natu flying, Incineroar did not press the advantage. Following Su Hao's command, he remained where he was and used Nasty Plot to strengthen his Special Attack.

Without Incineroar pursuing her, Natu finally managed to take flight. A pinkish-purple glow flashed, enhancing Natu's Special Attack and Special Defense.

"Psychic!"

Pinkish-purple radiance spread from Natu's black pupils, and invisible Confusion instantly rushed toward Incineroar.

"Flamethrower!"

A beam of searing fire shot from Incineroar's mouth. For a moment, Flamethrower and Psychic were locked in a stalemate.

Seeing that even Natu after Calm Mind could not suppress Incineroar, Kong Lingwei immediately channeled her own Mental Power into Natu's body to assist her.

With Kong Lingwei's support, the light in Natu's eyes flared. Her powerful Confusion actually seized control of part of the flames and pushed them back.

Watching Kong Lingwei and Natu work together to force back Incineroar's Flamethrower, Su Hao was somewhat amazed.

But this was as far as it went.

Through Wave Power, Su Hao signaled Incineroar that he could release the energy within his Flame Bag.

Amid the exhilarating battle, Incineroar's emotions surged ever higher.

"Ding ding... ding ding!"

A loud ringing sound came from the Flame Bag beneath the blue scarf around Incineroar's neck.

As Incineroar's most important organ, the Flame Bag's temperature rose along with his emotions, spewing flames while producing a loud sound like a bell.

Massive amounts of flame continuously erupted from the Flame Bag, forming an enormous sphere of fire.

Seeing this, Su Hao recalled something and immediately shouted, "Incineroar, use your right paw to smack the fireball at Natu!"

"Meowrrr!"

Incineroar leaped high into the air and swung his right paw at the fireball with all his strength.

After Incineroar knocked away the flaming sphere, the massive fireball gradually formed the Chinese character for "big."

Sure enough, it was just like Su Hao remembered. In the Pokémon Sun and Moon anime he had watched before transmigrating, Ash's Incineroar had also struck the enormous fiery energy released from his Flame Bag with his right claw, thereby completing the move [Fire Blast].

Fire Blast directly shattered Incineroar's Flamethrower and crashed head-on into Psychic.

Even though Natu and Kong Lingwei gave everything they had and drained all their Mental Power, they still could not stop Fire Blast's advance.

As Fire Blast pushed forward, agonizing pain struck Kong Lingwei and Natu's heads at the same time.

Amid the agony, trainer and Pokémon could no longer maintain Psychic.

Once Psychic dissipated, Fire Blast, its overall power not weakened in the slightest, slammed into Natu and created a small explosion.

After the heat radiating from Fire Blast faded, the Out of Battle Natu lay unconscious on the Battle Arena.