Chapter 143: Phoenix King VS Delibird

The Delibird's figure just emerged from the Pokeball, and Huo La's gaze was as if magnetized, locked onto it and unable to shift a fraction—his breath even subconsciously stalled for a beat.

The system panel before him refreshed instantly, laying out all of the Delibird's data without reservation, each line striking his heart like a hammer:

Pokemon: Delibird

Gender: Female

Level: Lv. 97

Talent: S

Status: Healthy

Nature: Adamant

Type: Ice/Flying

Ability: Vitality (Pokémon with this ability gain increased attack power but have reduced move accuracy.)

Height: 0.9 m

Weight: 16 kg

Carried Item: None

Moves: Ice Beam (Proficiency 100%), Ultimate Impact (Proficiency 88%), Triple Spin (Proficiency 67%), Gift (Proficiency 100%), Brave Bird (Proficiency 86%), Blizzard…

Improvement Count: 0

Before the terrifying Lv. 97, even an S-rank Talent looks dim and lackluster.

Huo La clenched his fists, his heart roiling with turbulent waves—previously, Ariados and Houndoom at around Lv. 60 had already seemed overwhelming, prompting him to unleash all his Pokémon.

But this Lv. 97 before him was absurd beyond comprehension!

He knew all too well how hard Pokémon levels rise: although level isn't solely from training—most daily activities slowly accrue experience—once past Lv. 50, the required experience spikes geometrically.

The main Pokémon of ordinary Gym Leaders are mostly stuck at Lv. 50‑60;

The League's Heavenly King's Pokémon might reach Lv. 70‑80;

Even a Champion's core force may not exceed Lv. 80.

Anyone who breaks Lv. 80 is invariably top‑talented and has labored beyond ordinary imagination.

Take the Gastly hidden in his Shadow—after two thousand years it's only Lv. 86, yet this seemingly ordinary Delibird has already surged to Lv. 97!

This power, even the Phoenix King whose type is concealed, might not be able to reliably suppress it.

The Phoenix King clearly sensed the Delibird's threat, and its already taut emotions erupted completely— it thrust its head up sharply, each golden feather flaring, and opened its mouth to unleash a Flamethrower hotter than before, an orange‑red blaze roaring with heat straight toward the Delibird!

"Delibird, Ice Beam!" Masked Man's voice was low but carried an unquestionable command.

The Delibird's gaze mirrored his own icy coldness; it leaned back slightly, its claws gripping the cloth sack at its waist and giving it a gentle shake, then opened its mouth to emit an extremely cold beam glimmering with white frost—where the chill passed, even the air seemed to solidify.

The Ice Beam and Flamethrower collided with a roar, instantly raising a massive white Smokescreen; the sizzling vaporization sound "zzzz" was painfully shrill, and even the green stones beneath their feet were coated with a thin frost.

Meanwhile, the battlefield on the other side descended into complete chaos.

Ariados spat webs to entangle the Golem Snake, while Houndoom lunged at Pidgey; although their roughly Lv. 60 levels far outclassed Ash's and Xiao Gang's Pokémon, the three trainers had enough Pokémon and their type matchups were barely adequate.

More importantly, they regularly sparred together, so their move combos were exceptionally smooth, and they managed to hold an evenly matched stand against the two high‑level Pokémon.

In the arena, only Pikachu and Marshadow remained still.

Pikachu tensed its body, its small eyes fixed on both battlefields, ElectricArc crackling on its claws, ready for Ash's command to assist;

Marshadow hovered in place, its gray‑mist body motionless, only its orange‑red eyes locked on the Phoenix King and Delibird's clash; no one knew what it was thinking.

Soon, the Phoenix King's Flamethrower was gradually suppressed by the Ice Beam, the white chill pressing closer, about to hit it.

The Phoenix King flapped its wings sharply, its golden silhouette deftly sidestepping, and the flames retracted.

"Flamethrower that weak?" Masked Man's mocking voice rang again, tinged with contempt, "So you left me, and you haven't improved at all! In that case, today you'll just obediently come back with me!"

"Delibird, no holding back, finish this quickly! Use Gift together with Blizzard!" the Delibird chirped low, raising its claw and hurling the cloth sack at the Phoenix King's head.

The sack exploded in midair, a gigantic gift box half a person's height materializing, wrapped in biting cold wind, plummeting straight onto the Phoenix King!

At that critical moment, Marshadow, which had been quietly watching, suddenly moved! Its black "helmet" atop its head instantly glowed emerald, its form darted like a black shadow, a fierce gust trailing, and it kicked the falling gift box hard with a single foot—its action crisp and clean, without any hesitation.

"Seven Star Soul-Stealing Leg!" Huo La muttered inwardly; it's a move exclusive to Z‑Crystal, and he recognized it at a glance.

The massive gift box shattered under the kick, but before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, a raging Blizzard howled in, flinging the unprepared Marshadow through the air; it slammed heavily onto a distant dwarf pine, its gray‑mist form dimming slightly.

"Ah! Marshadow!" Ash shouted in a hoarse gasp, and Pikachu beside him cried out as well, its voice full of anxiety.

At that moment, the Phoenix King seized the Delibird's move gap, its wings cloaked in scorching energy, transforming into a golden streak that surged straight toward the Delibird!

"Now! Ultimate Impact!" Masked Man stared at the charging Phoenix King, his tone still terrifyingly calm.

Deprived of the sack, the Delibird showed no panic; a luminous white Energy Orb instantly coalesced on its wings, the energy brimming as if about to explode.

It barreled into the Phoenix King's charge, a "Boom" roaring across the summit, the shockwave scattering the surrounding dust.

"Triple Spin!" Before the Phoenix King could recover, Masked Man's command fell again.

The Delibird instantly switched moves, wings and claws alternating attacks; three cold energy blades struck the Phoenix King in succession, the sustained damage making its cry sound pained, and a few golden feathers fell.

Seeing the Phoenix King repeatedly hit by Triple Spin, golden feathers fluttering down, Huo La's heart rose to his throat—if this continued, the Phoenix King's defeat was only a matter of time.

He flicked his peripheral vision across the field: Marshadow struck head‑on by the Blizzard, its gray‑mist body encased in a thin ice layer; though its Ghost‑and‑Fire typing barely prevented severe damage, it couldn't recover quickly.

Ash's Pikachu was tensing, eyes fixed on Ariados and Houndoom, ElectricArc crackling on its claws, still awaiting orders.

Huo La shouted at Ash immediately: "Ash, ignore this side! Let Pikachu support the Phoenix King! Even if you can't beat the Delibird, you must stall until Entei, Suicune and the others arrive!"

At this moment, the three red‑yellow‑blue figures halfway up the mountain were rapidly approaching; if they could hold on a little longer, the situation would completely turn around.