Chapter 235: Huo La vs Xiao Zhao

"Aunt Bei, could I trouble you with something?" Huo La leaned in front of Bei Li La's house, a flattering smile on his face, and the Cyndaquil on his shoulder poked its head out, chirping twice as if pleading on his behalf.

After changing shifts, Bei Li La was sitting on a bamboo chair at the doorway sunbathing, mending clothes in her hands. Hearing the words, she lifted her eyes: her gaze first fell on the Cyndaquil on Huo La's shoulder, then swept to Xiao Zhao behind him, and to the Oshawott affectionately rubbing at Xiao Zhao's feet. She immediately understood and teased with a smile, "Oh? This is the partner you just received from the Galaxy Team, and you're eager to try it out?"

Huo La chuckled, nodded in acknowledgment: "You guessed right! I want to have a friendly match with Xiao Zhao to practice coordination with our partners, and I'm hoping to borrow the empty space in front of your house—spacious and safe."

Xiao Zhao quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Bei Li La, and said gently, "Hello, Aunt Bei."

"Alright, alright." Bei Li La set aside the needle and thread, stood up and brushed off her clothes, her eyes full of affection. "Since this is your first battle together, I'll be the referee, and that counts as witnessing your first cooperation with the new partners."

"Great! Thank you, Aunt Bei!" Huo La replied immediately.

Bei Li La is the Team Leader of the Galaxy Team Security Corps, so having her as referee couldn't be more fitting.

Xiao Zhao also hurriedly thanked, "Then I'll be in your care, Aunt Bei."

"Still, our Xiao Zhao is so sensible and polite." Bei Li La laughed, patted Xiao Zhao's head, and said with a hint of emotion, "I really don't know how your parents Kato and Reina raised you to be so gentle and well‑behaved; you're completely different from the other wild boys and girls in the village."

When her parents were mentioned, Xiao Zhao's cheeks flushed slightly; she lowered her head shyly, gently tugged Oshawott's paw, and said, "My parents just taught me to be more considerate of others."

Bei Li La smiled, said no more, turned to the center of the clearing, cleared her throat, and announced, "Alright, I now declare the battle rules—this is a one‑on‑one friendly match. The battle ends when one side's Pokemon loses the ability to fight, or voluntarily concedes. No overly dangerous moves; Point End, understand?"

"Understood!" Huo La and Xiao Zhao replied in unison.

"Of course, you won't use any overly dangerous moves either." Seeing the two answer enthusiastically, Bei Li La added.

Huo La lifted the Cyndaquil off his shoulder and gently placed it in front of him: "Cyndaquil, it's your turn soon, no need to be nervous; we'll treat this as a game."

The Cyndaquil let out a cry toward him, puffed out its little chest, its eyes shining with eager anticipation, as if already ready.

Xiao Zhao also crouched, patted Oshawott's head, and said with a mix of nervousness and seriousness, "Oshawott, give it your all later, let's work together."

Oshawott nudged her palm, wagged its fluffy tail, and looked at the Cyndaquil with curiosity, showing no fear at all.

Bei Li La stood between them, raised one hand, and said, "Now, Huo La versus Xiao Zhao, friendly match—begin!"

Huo La looked at the Cyndaquil and Oshawott each positioned on the field, couldn't help to size them up, then let out a soft sigh.

The system has long been in sleep mode, unable to retrieve detailed Pokemon data as before;

The Rotom Phone has been dead for years due to no power (Rotom fused with a phone cannot activate without external electricity), and although his backpack was fully stocked when he time‑traveled, in this Hisui Region two thousand years ago, where could he find a place to charge?

The only possible power source might be an Electric Type Pokemon, but he currently has none at all.

Fortunately, his battle experience from his previous life remains, and his initiative to duel Xiao Zhao today isn't about winning or losing; it's more like a warm‑up after three years, also helping the two new partners get used to cooperating.

"Xiao Zhao, water beats fire; logically I should let you strike first, but I'm afraid you'll be shy to act, so I'll go first!" Huo La shouted toward the opposite side, his tone relaxed.

"Ah, o‑okay!" Xiao Zhao quickly nodded, hands trembling together, eyes fixed on the Oshawott in the arena, clearly not yet accustomed to the battle rhythm.

"Cyndaquil, use Smokescreen!"

Upon Huo La's command, the Cyndaquil immediately puffed its little chest, inflated its cheeks, and with a "wu" sound expelled a cloud of gray Smokescreen. What Huo La didn't expect was that the Smokescreen only covered about a third of the field before dissipating, never fully obscuring the arena.

He glanced at the thin Smokescreen, then looked down at the innocent Cyndaquil, realizing—this Cyndaquil must have been newly adopted by the Galaxy Team, lacking system training, and compared to the meticulously bred Initial Partners of later generations, its strength indeed lagged noticeably.

"The Smokescreen is blocking my view!" Xiao Zhao's voice trembled with panic, then she shouted, "Oshawott, use Water Gun!"

At the opposite edge of the Smokescreen, a thin stream of water suddenly shot out, but because the Smokescreen obscured the view, Xiao Zhao couldn't see the Cyndaquil's position; the Water Gun fired erratically, striking the empty ground and splashing a small spray of water.

Huo La couldn't help scratching his head, silently chuckling—Xiao Zhao truly knows nothing about battling; this kind of aimless attack could never possibly hit a target.

"Now! Cyndaquil, charge in, use Tackle!"

Huo La seized the opportunity and immediately gave the order.

The Cyndaquil reacted swiftly, slipping through a gap in the Smokescreen, agilely dashing toward Oshawott, its small body brimming with momentum.

With a muffled "boom," Oshawott was solidly hit by the Cyndaquil, its tiny body crashing to the ground, and the shell on its belly fell off with a "pat" sound.

"Oshawott! Are you okay?" Xiao Zhao's voice shot up instantly, her face full of anxiety, and she instinctively wanted to rush into the arena.

"The match hasn't ended yet," Bei Li La reminded, her tone gentle yet unmistakably authoritative.

Xiao Zhao halted her steps, anxiously staring at the center of the field.

Oshawott shook its head, propped itself on the ground and slowly rose, its short legs scurrying to the shell, picking it up, and carefully reattaching it to its belly.

After doing all that, it turned to face the Cyndaquil; its round eyes no longer held curiosity but a fierce fighting spirit, its tail stiffened straight, exuding an unyielding vigor.

"Oshawott, we'll use Tackle too!" Xiao Zhao inhaled deeply, her voice much steadier than before.

Receiving the command, Oshawott gathered its strength, limbs propelling it like a tiny cannonball straight toward the Cyndaquil.

Another "boom" rang out; the Cyndaquil couldn't dodge in time, was knocked back repeatedly, and finally staggered to the ground.

The Cyndaquil shook its head, brushed off dust, quickly got up, its little paws scratching the ground, and its gaze toward Oshawott now carried a hint of seriousness.

Huo La crouched, his eyes scanning the Cyndaquil; with years of battle experience, he instantly recognized the little creature had only taken a minor impact and was fine, so without rushing to comfort it, he commanded in a deep voice, "Cyndaquil, use Ember!"

The youngster immediately obeyed, cheeks puffed round, opening its mouth to spew a stream of tiny sparks that flew toward Oshawott.

"Oshawott, Water Gun!"

Almost the instant Huo La finished speaking, Xiao Zhao's voice rang out as well, crisp and decisive, without any hesitation.

That call made Huo La pause; he looked up at Xiao Zhao opposite, seeing her lips pressed tight, eyes unblinking on the two Pokemon in the arena, her normally gentle brows now tinged with a faint fighting spirit, no longer the flustered, hesitant look from before.

"Haha, interesting." Bei Li La crossed her arms, standing at the side of the field, watching Xiao Zhao's change, and couldn't help laughing, "That girl, when she gets serious she really looks the part."

On the field, Ember and Water Gun collided with a roar, spraying a fine mist of water.

After the vapor cleared, the Cyndaquil and Oshawott each stepped back two paces, breathing heavily, yet neither showed any sign of retreat.