Chapter 118: Huo La vs Li Jia (2)

"You'd better be careful," Li Jia said, looking at Huo La, her tone gentle yet somewhat serious, "Even though you rescued its sister, we won't hold back either."

Huo La swept his gaze over the fragrant Gloom in the arena—was it the sister of Hongzhi's Gloom......

Pokemon: Gloom

Gender: Female

Level: Lv. 32

Su Xing: A

Status: Healthy

Nature: Reserved

Type: Grass/Poison

Ability: Stench (Pokémon with this ability sometimes cause the opponent to flinch when dealing damage.)

Height: 0.9 m

Weight: 9.1 kg

Carried Item: None

Moves: Dissolving Liquid (Proficiency 100%), Petal Dance (Proficiency 100%), Stun Spore (Proficiency 100%), Hypnosis Powder (Proficiency 100%)

Improvement Count: 0

It still has four moves, each at full proficiency.

Huo La understood, and just as he was about to issue a command, Li Jia's order rang out first: "Gloom, release Stun Spore!"

Pale yellow powder drifted from Gloom's petals toward the Beedrill.

"Beedrill, take to the sky! Rise high to avoid it!" Huo La responded immediately.

Beedrill flapped its wings upward, easily evading the ground‑level Stun Spore, hovering midway in the arena.

"Just flying away can dodge it?" Li Jia shook her head lightly, "Gloom, cease Stun Spore, release Hypnosis Powder into the sky, cover the whole field!"

"Stink~" Gloom obediently turned, the pale yellow Hypnosis Powder fell like fine snow, instantly shrouding the entire battle arena.

The high‑altitude Beedrill could not escape; its wingbeat slowed, its body began to wobble uncontrollably, clearly having inhaled the Hypnosis Powder and about to fall into slumber.

"Come back, Beedrill!" Huo La decisively recalled the nearly sleeping Beedrill into its Pokeball.

He watched the dust filling the arena and unconsciously nodded— the Grass‑Poison combination, the balance of control and offense, Li Jia's tactical thinking was quite clear.

If he intended to become a Poison‑type specialist, the Li Jia before him might be the opponent who understands "Grass-Poison synergy" best. Treating her as a mirror could help refine his own tactical details.

But now is not the time for such thoughts; winning the battle is the primary goal.

Huo La raised his hand, tossed another Pokeball, his voice firm: "Your turn, Flying Mantis!"

"Swish—" A green figure landed instantly, its blade‑like forelimbs glinting coldly, wings trembling slightly, exuding sharp intensity.

"Bug type again?" Li Jia looked at the Flying Mantis, a flash of surprise in her eyes, then quickly composed herself, "Seems you're good at raising Bug‑type Pokemon. But Huo La, type advantage isn't everything—Gloom, use Petal Dance!"

"Stink!" Gloom spun its body violently, the bud atop its head blossomed, countless pink petals carrying residual Stun Spore and Hypnosis Powder swirled into a fragrant gust, sweeping toward the Flying Mantis.

If caught, one would not only take damage but also risk another status condition from the powder.

"Bad, Flying Mantis, use Rapid Spin to dodge!" Huo La hurriedly ordered.

The Flying Mantis reacted instantly, its form becoming a green afterimage, deftly weaving through the gaps of Petal Dance, barely evading the powder‑laden attack and landing steadily on the opposite side of the arena.

"Rapid Spin, huh…" Li Jia's eyes showed a hint of admiration, yet she remained unflustered, continuing, "Gloom, don't stop, keep the Petal Dance rolling! Sweep up all the dust on the field, give it no chance for Close Combat!"

The pink petals accelerated again, pulling the remaining ground powder entirely into a massive Petal Cyclone, trapping the Flying Mantis firmly outside the vortex, leaving it no opening to strike.

"The wind of swirling petals…" Huo La stared at the intensifying Petal Cyclone, his gaze suddenly sharp, "Flying Mantis, we'll use wind too! Air Blade, cut the battlefield!"

The Flying Mantis raised its heavy limbs in response, its wings thrust out a fierce gust, the Air Blade shot out like sharp blades, striking the edge of the Petal Cyclone precisely.

A crisp "shhh‑la" rang out, the rapidly spinning petals were instantly sliced open, the entrapped dust fell away, and the once impenetrable vortex was torn open with a gap.

Li Jia's pupils narrowed; she hadn't expected the opponent to break wind with wind: "Gloom, tighten the Petal Dance, seal the gap!"

Before Gloom could adjust, Huo La's command thundered down: "Now! Flying Mantis, Electric Flash, charge in!"

The green figure instantly became an afterimage, slipping through the gap torn by the Air Blade like an arrow. Though the dust inside the vortex hadn't fully cleared, it didn't impede Electric Flash's speed; the Flying Mantis surged to Gloom's front, its sharp forelimbs gleaming coldly.

"Bad! Gloom, use Dissolving Liquid!" Li Jia hurriedly tried to remedy.

Gloom frantically opened its mouth, spraying pale yellow Dissolving Liquid at the Flying Mantis, but the distance was too short to fully release it.

"Close Combat!" Huo La seized the moment, his voice decisive.

The Flying Mantis crossed its forelimbs, slamming them onto Gloom with powerful force. A muffled "boom" echoed, Gloom was driven back repeatedly, the sheen on its petals dulled instantly, and the slime at its mouth corner dripped like a broken thread.

It tried to struggle and use another move, but the Flying Mantis held it down tightly; the successive Close Combat strikes rained down, each hit landing precisely on its bud.

"Finish it! Flying Mantis, Cross Cut!" The final command was issued; the Flying Mantis crossed its limbs into a cross, cold light flaring intensely.

Accompanied by a crisp "swish," Cross Cut sliced precisely into Gloom's bud.

This powerful blow left Gloom without even a sigh; its eyes rolled white, its body collapsed limp, completely losing its fighting ability.

The Petal Cyclone, no longer controlled, gradually dissipated into the air, leaving only a few stray petals drifting to the ground.

Li Jia stared at the fallen Gloom, momentarily stunned, then a knowing smile tugged at her lips; she lifted her hand, recalled it into a Pokeball, her tone full of praise: "Impressive."

"From breaking the stalemate with Air Blade, to Electric Flash up close, then Close Combat suppression and finishing with Cross Cut—your tactical flow had no lag at all, and the Flying Mantis's execution far exceeded my expectations."

She paused, her fingertips lightly brushing another Pokeball, a sly glint flashing in her eyes as if she'd found an interesting opponent: "But since you have such strength, it's time to let this kid out to play with you, lest I say the Rainbow Gym's challenge is too easy."

Before the words finished, Li Jia flicked her wrist, the Pokeball arced through the air; as the red light touched the ground, a Pokemon with a yellow‑green skirt and a red‑pink blossom atop its head gracefully appeared, its petals trembling gently with each breath, exuding a lively aura.

"Meili Hua, it's your turn," Li Jia's voice held a hint of anticipation, "Don't disappoint our guest."