Chapter 284: Fireburst Beast vs. Claw‑Tail Scorpion 2

The imagined scene of the Claw‑tail Scorpion being knocked into the air and falling did not occur; instead, it used its small agile body to spin in midair, adjust its posture, and channel the downward thrust entirely into its two claws.

The pair of claws instantly erupted with intense violet light, the surging energy crossing and overlapping over its chest; using the momentum, it slammed a Cross Poison Blade into the top of the Fireburst Beast's head, which was briefly stiff after completing Flare Blitz.

"The Cross Poison Blade, using leverage, timed perfectly," Huo La nodded in appraisal, his eyes showing clear approval, evidently very pleased with the Claw‑tail Scorpion's on‑the‑spot move.

He continued his commentary while swiftly surveying the battlefield: although Flare Blitz is a powerful attack, the user becomes briefly rigid afterward, and the Claw‑tail Scorpion precisely seized that window.

The precisely aimed Cross Poison Blade struck the top hard, the Fireburst Beast let out a muffled grunt, was pushed back three steps by the impact, its paws carving two shallow grooves in the ground, and the flame around its neck dimmed slightly from the hit.

The Claw‑tail Scorpion, using the recoil of the impact, landed lightly, its hind legs pushing off the ground, its body shooting forward like an arrow toward the Fireburst Beast; its tail snapped tight, flashing Dian Dian cold metallic sheen—indeed the Iron Tail skill, clearly aiming to follow up while the Fireburst Beast was still unsteady.

"Oh? Followed immediately by Iron Tail, the judgment of attack‑defense transition is sharp," Huo La crossed his arms, fingertips tapping his chin, his gaze locked on the battlefield, eyes full of praise, clearly approving the Claw‑tail Scorpion's on‑the‑spot reaction.

But the Fireburst Beast is an evolved Pokemon; though it took a hit, it quickly readjusted.

Seeing the Claw‑tail Scorpion's Iron Tail sweeping with a gust, it instantly raised its right claw, the back of the claw glowing with faint Shadow Energy, hard blocking the strike.

"Clang"—a crisp, sharp metallic clang rang, and the Claw‑tail Scorpion felt a tingling force in its tail, the offensive thrust instantly nullified.

Without waiting for the Claw‑tail Scorpion to retract its tail, the Fireburst Beast's eyes hardened, its left claw suddenly flashed with deep black aura, energy condensing into a sharp claw blade that slammed toward the Scorpion's torso—indeed Shadow Claw.

The Claw‑tail Scorpion reacted extremely fast; using its small agile body, it leapt sideways, barely evading the fierce claw strike, the Shadow Claw grazing its carapace and stirring a gust of wind.

After landing, it immediately retreated several steps, creating a safe distance from the Fireburst Beast; its tail remained taut, the Poison Needle glinting coldly.

For a moment, the training arena fell into brief silence.

The two Pokemon faced each other across several meters, each having taken a move from the other, breathing slightly rapid, their gazes growing ever sharper and vigilant.

The purple flame around the Fireburst Beast's neck flared again, its two claws lifting slightly; the Claw‑tail Scorpion lowered its center of gravity, its tail swaying gently, constantly watching the opponent's every move.

Neither dared to strike first, the air thick with a tension ready to ignite.

After the brief standoff, it was still the Claw‑tail Scorpion that first broke the deadlock.

It arched its body, gathering power, raising its tail's Poison Needle high; the pale violet poison liquid churned and coalesced at the tip, forming a thick stream that blasted toward the Fireburst Beast—Poison Liquid Impact, laced with a pungent odor, hurtling at the Beast's face.

"Long‑range wear‑down opening, a solid choice," Huo La stepped forward half a pace, his eyes fixed on the skill's trajectory.

The Fireburst Beast neither dodged nor evaded; it opened its mouth and spewed a swirling vortex of purple flame, the fire expanding rapidly in the air, instantly forming a circular fire wall that enveloped it—indeed Flame Vortex.

"Using Flame Vortex as a shield, not a bad idea."

Poison Liquid Impact struck the fire wall, instantly vaporized by the high heat into White Fog; amid the sizzle, the Poison Mist was drawn in by the suction of the Flame Vortex and completely extinguished within the blaze.

Seizing the gap, the Fireburst Beast's right claw hardened, a black‑purple Shadow Ball formed in response, bearing a gust as it slammed toward the Claw‑tail Scorpion.

The Claw‑tail Scorpion was already prepared; its tail spun rapidly, also gathering a Shadow Ball to meet it.

The two Shadow Balls collided midair with a thunderous blast, the black‑purple energy exploding into debris, the shockwave scattering dust in all directions.

That strike was only the beginning; in the blink of an eye, the Fireburst Beast launched a series of attacks— the Flame Vortex that had surrounded it began pushing toward the Claw‑tail Scorpion, continuously compressing its maneuvering space.

The Claw‑tail Scorpion's tail Poison Needle fired at full power, the pale violet poison liquid surged in dense streams, spewing out repeatedly; each poisonous jet hammered the Flame Vortex laid out by the Fireburst Beast, instantly splashing toxic foam everywhere, the sizzling burn sounds continuous, the acrid stench mingling with a charred odor spreading outward.

Huo La hurriedly raised his hand to cover his mouth and nose, brow furrowed, yet his gaze never wavered, still locked firmly on the two Pokemon in the arena, lest he miss any detail of offense or defense.

On the other side, the Fireburst Beast stood steady, its limbs firmly rooted to the ground, the purple flame around its neck burning ever brighter, driving the Flame Vortex ahead to push forward slowly.

The circular fire wall rotated more steadily, bearing scorching heat, inch by inch pressing toward the Claw‑tail Scorpion.

Compared to the Fireburst Beast's composure, the Claw‑tail Scorpion now showed signs of panic.

It poured all its strength into spraying Poison Liquid Impact, but the poisonous streams hitting the Flame Vortex were either instantly vaporized into Poison Mist by the heat or deflected by the fire wall's rotational force, unable to breach the flame barrier, let alone launch a close‑range attack.

Undeterred, the Claw‑tail Scorpion quickened its poison spray rhythm, the tail tip's Poison Needle trembling, several Poison Liquid Impacts simultaneously hammered the same spot of the Flame Vortex, attempting to force a breach.

But the Fireburst Beast's flames already somewhat suppress poison types, and having deliberately solidified the fire wall, the targeted flame area only quivered slightly, instantly replenished by surrounding blaze, remaining airtight.

No breach formed, yet the Flame Vortex, propelled by its forward thrust, gradually narrowed the Claw‑tail Scorpion's evasion space.

Until the swirling purple blaze came within arm's length, the scorching heat nearly searing the Scorpion's carapace, it finally panicked, trying to retreat but finding it impossible to escape.

But in a moment, the Flame Vortex closed in completely, enveloping the entire Claw‑tail Scorpion.

The purple blaze wrapped the Claw‑tail Scorpion, rotating half a circle before slowly dissipating— the Scorpion collapsed on the ground, limbs trembling, its carapace heated, the tail's Poison Needle drooping limp, clearly utterly defeated.

The Fireburst Beast retracted its flames, the purple fire around its neck returning to a steady pulse, it walked slowly to the Scorpion's side, gently nudging its back with its head, showing no trace of victor's arrogance, but rather a hint of consolation.

Huo La lowered his hand from his nose, hurried forward, and, looking at the collapsed Claw‑tail Scorpion, laughed, "Losing isn't unfair; this time we at least saw the problem clearly."