Chapter 414: Go Back, Train More

"Huh, so strong." Luo Yi stared at the shallow white scratch on Scalding Croc's chest, whispered in awe, his eyes' battle spirit burning even hotter, showing no sign of retreat.

"Scalding Croc, Flamethrower!"

"Kingler, Water Cannon!"

The two commands were issued simultaneously.

Blazing flames surged from Scalding Croc's mouth, dragging rolling heat waves forward; Kingler gathered power in its claws and spewed a massive, icy high‑pressure water stream.

The raging fire and frigid water collided mid‑air with a thunderous crash, the opposing elemental energies erupting violently, exploding and instantly raising a billowing cloud of thick smoke.

The airship already hovered between cloud layers, thin mist swirling around it.

When the plume of smoke burst, it swept the surrounding clouds outward, layers of fog spreading in all directions, and in an instant completely enveloped Huo La and Luo Yi's battle zone.

"Oh?" Si Pi Nai Er stared at the battlefield shrouded by layers of smokescreen, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly, his expression cold and sharp.

Yet from deep within the mist, fierce collision booms kept echoing, the intermittent roars of Pokemon and the muffled thuds of moves confirming the fight was still ongoing.

He weighed the situation for a moment, but remained unmoving, coldly observing the circumstances.

Within the sealed smokescreen, the sounds of battle rang on without cease. Water and fire energies continuously clashed, the Red flames and clear water streams repeatedly tearing each other, the two Pokemon's entanglement intensifying amid the hazy mist.

On the other side, Yindi and Fried's battle was equally dead‑locked.

"Fried, if you calculate, it's been three years since our last duel," Yindi said lazily, with a hint of teasing, "In three years your strength seems to have made little progress."

At this moment, the KenTaiLuo before him was charging Iron Head, firmly blocking Pikachu's downward Iron Tail, the two forces locked in a stalemate, exuding a tense sense of intimidation.

"Heh, you're no better either," Fried retorted coldly, his gaze repeatedly sweeping over the battlefield, instinctively looking toward the dense smokescreen's depths, his heart worrying about Luo Yi's safety.

"Distraction is a grave sin, fight seriously!" Yindi barked, suddenly ordering, "KenTaiLuo, Sharp Stone Attack!"

The stalemated KenTaiLuo suddenly snapped its neck, countless sharp rocks materializing around it, carried by a gust of wind sweeping outward, charging straight at Captain Pikachu.

"Move quickly!" Pikachu instantly relaxed its tail power, the long tail springing like a coil, using KenTaiLuo's head as leverage to leap, its body light and agile, barely evading the sky‑filled flying shards.

Before Pikachu could land firmly, Yindi's command came again: "KenTaiLuo, Horn Charge!"

With the order, KenTaiLuo's four limbs drove down onto the deck, charging at the still‑dodging Pikachu with a swift onslaught, attacks chaining without a moment's respite.

Watching Yindi and KenTaiLuo's impatient yet deliberately tangled tactics, Fried's expression darkened slightly.

After several exchanges, he had already realized that this Flame Ignition KenTaiLuo's solid strength, while clearly suppressing his own Pikachu, could, if the opponent went all‑out, quickly end the battle.

But Yindi deliberately tangled and delayed step by step, clearly having ulterior motives.

After just a round or two of entanglement, the smoke surrounding Huo La and Luo Yi was gradually blown away by high‑altitude gusts, and the silhouettes of the two and their Pokemon became clearly visible to everyone.

Luo Yi clutched Scalding Croc tightly, his head slightly bowed, his aura tinged with a hint of loss, his facial expression unreadable, as if he had already accepted defeat.

In Huo La's hand, he already held the Ancient Spirit Ball engraved with intricate patterns; before him, Kingler waved its massive iron claws as if proclaiming victory, yet its shell was dotted with scorch marks, clearly showing it had also paid a heavy price in this duel.

"Go back and train more," Huo La said flatly, without any bragging, then withdrew Kingler, turning toward Si Pi Nai Er.

He lifted his hand and tossed the Ancient Spirit Ball to Si Pi Nai Er, who caught it steadily, his fingertips tracing the ball's patterns, idly fiddling for a moment before tossing the ball back to Huo La, his tone indifferent: "Let's go."

Huo La caught the returned Ancient Spirit Ball, freezing on the spot, his eyes full of astonishment—he never expected that Si Pi Nai Er, after all his scheming, would so easily give the thing back to him.

At the same time, the Explorer Team members engaged in the melee on the other side also halted their attacks, beginning an orderly retreat.

Yindi watched KenTaiLuo crash into Pikachu again, seized the moment to pull back his Pokemon, then turned and briskly walked toward the Explorer Team's airship, without any hesitation.

Fried watched Yindi's receding back, his expression complex; after a moment of contemplation he ultimately did not pursue, merely turning swiftly and sprinting toward Luo Yi and the others.

Only when the Explorer Team's airship drifted farther away, becoming a tiny black dot on the horizon, did Fried finally exhale a long sigh, hurried to Luo Yi's side, and asked with concern, "Luo Yi, are you okay? How's Scalding Croc?"

Luo Yi gently shook his head, then slowly lifted his gaze, his face showing no hint of loss.

And the Scalding Croc, which he had held in his arms, slowly opened its eyes, shook its head, stood up steadily, full of vigor, showing no trace of the earlier faint.

Fried looked at the unharmed Scalding Croc, then at Luo Yi's odd expression, his eyes full of puzzlement, and asked bewildered, "What… exactly happened?"

Luo Yi reached into his trouser pocket, pulled out a Pokemon Pokedex and a gleaming Pokeball, handed them to Fried, and whispered, "This is something the guy named Lai Yi who just battled me slipped to me secretly."

Fried quickly took the Pokedex, gently opened it, and on the title page a name was printed in bold—Huo La, with his detailed resume below and a clear list of all his Gym Badges, unmistakably displayed.

The other Pokeball, colored in purple, white and red, looked anything but ordinary.

"That's a Master Ball!" the purple‑haired, purple‑clad girl beside them exclaimed, her eyes full of shock.

Fried handed the Master Ball to the girl: "Dian Dian, do you recognize this Pokeball?"

The purple‑clad girl, Dian Dian, promptly nodded, and confidently explained, "This is a Silph Company exclusive from the Kanto Region, claimed to capture any Pokemon with 100% success, never failing. But because Rocket Team's blockade and monopoly in Kanto, this item has only ever been rumored, with no actual product reaching the outside world."