Chapter 303: Gyarados, Dragon King Scorpion

The white light was intense yet not blinding, like a soft full moon plunging straight into the lake, making the whole lake shine brightly.

Huo La instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes, Leafeon also stepped back half a step, while Fireburst Beast and the Claw-tail Scorpion both lifted their heads, their pupils reflecting the ever‑expanding light.

The pillar of light shot up into the sky, lasting a full five or six seconds.

When the white light finally dimmed slowly, a sleek silhouette with scales flashing metallic red light hovered silently over the lake surface.

It flicked its tail fin, splashing water everywhere and stirring a crisp breeze.

Gyarados.

The once‑innocent round eyes now became sharp and deep, and the two whisker‑like tendrils on its forehead fluttered lightly, exuding a dignity that belied its massive size.

Huo La stared at it in a daze, his Adam's apple rolling involuntarily.

Damn… Gyarados truly lives up to its name.

Even though it had just evolved, the oppressive presence alone was enough to make one's legs go weak.

Not to mention that this one before us is a rare Shiny variant—its entire body covered in crimson scales forged like blazing fire, reflecting an almost bewitching dark glow under the moon, its massive form nearly covering half the lake, and simply hovering there as if it were a moving red mountain range.

It lowered its head, exhaling a slender spray of water that carried a faint, cool dampness, gently brushing Huo La's face.

Gyarados slowly swam toward the shore, its massive body parting the water and sending heavy ripples outward.

The dragon‑head, about the size of a small car, brushed Huo La's shoulder with a feather‑light touch—though the force had been reduced to the limit, it still made Huo La sway backward, nearly losing his footing.

Huo La was stunned for half a second, then couldn't help letting out a low laugh.

He raised his hand and, without hesitation, patted Gyarados's icy, smooth yet astonishingly hard forehead.

"Good fellow…"

The voice carried a hint of helplessness, mixed with an uncontainable joy.

"Shiny Gyarados…"

At that moment, a low, wistful voice slipped silently into Huo La's ear.

Huo La snapped his head around, following the source of the voice—nearby, Beishang was carrying a flickering oil lamp, strolling slowly.

The dim yellow light quivered slightly in the night breeze, stretching his silhouette and illuminating his weather‑worn face.

His gaze, however, remained fixed on the crimson behemoth on the lake, his pupils reflecting the seductive red light flowing over Gyarados's scales, never wavering.

Huo La watched him approach, felt a sudden stir in his chest, and a smile tugged at his mouth: "Field Master Beishang, shall we have a match?"

Beishang heard him, finally turned his head, first sizing up Huo La, then sweeping his gaze over the few Pokemon beside him.

He paused briefly, nodded, and said, "Sure. I'll give you a little leeway."

Huo La shrugged, showing no intention to argue.

If another Field Master had spoken to him that way, he would probably have felt slighted and been displeased.

But the other was Beishang—one of the kings of the battle subway, so he truly couldn't object.

The two stepped back a distance, standing on the moon‑lit grass by the lake.

Huo La rolled his shoulders and said, "Field Master Beishang, I only have four Pokemon right now. How about a 4‑vs‑4?"

Beishang considered, tilted his head slightly, then shook it: "2‑vs‑2 then. I only brought two this time."

Huo La raised an eyebrow, then nodded, "Alright, your call."

Seeing Huo La had no objection, Beishang lifted his hand to his lips and whistled a short, clear note.

Not far away, on the sturdy trunk of an old tree, a black‑gray figure suddenly spread its wings, swooping in with a deep wing‑beat.

It traced an elegant arc in the air, hovering steadily before Beishang, its tail hook glinting with icy metallic sheen in the moonlight.

"Scizor!"

Huo La recognized it at a glance, his eyes lighting up slightly.

Pokemon: Scizor

Gender: Female

Level: Lv. 42

Su Xing: A

Status: Healthy

Nature: Careful

Type: Ground/Flying

Ability: Guai Li Claw (Attack won't be lowered)

Height: 2.2 m

Weight: 44.8 kg

Carried Item: None

Moves: Poison Strike (Proficiency 100%), Thunder Fang (Proficiency 100%), Frost Fang (Proficiency 100%), Electric Flash (Proficiency 100%), Multi Slash (Proficiency 64%), Acrobatics (Proficiency 91%)…

Improvement Count: 0

"This Scizor… is pretty good," Huo La said sincerely.

It truly lives up to being one of the founders of the battle subway era; even having lost most of his memories, his instinct for nurturing Pokemon and his keen eye remain deeply rooted.

This Scizor's main offensive moves are almost fully maxed, with proficiency at the ceiling, so even against higher‑level opponents it will not easily fall at a disadvantage.

Huo La's gaze swept over his own Pokemon—Leafeon, Fireburst Beast, Gyarados, and the Claw-tail Scorpion.

Finally, his sight settled on the Claw-tail Scorpion.

He thought for a moment, pulled three differently colored candies from his pocket, spread them in his palm, and said to it, "Claw-tail Scorpion, boost yourself. In this battle, you'll take on the Scizor."

The Claw-tail Scorpion first lifted its head to glance at the candies in Huo La's hand, then tilted its head to eye the massive crimson Gyarados nearby, as if making some comparison.

The next second, it unhesitatingly extended its claws, precisely snatching the three candies one by one and shoving them into its mouth.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

After three crisp chewing sounds, the Claw‑tail Scorpion's body jolted violently.

Immediately afterward, a faint white light emanated from its body; although far less earth‑shattering than the evolution of Gyarados, it was enough to cause the surrounding air to warp slightly.

Beishang stood silently in place, his gaze first falling on the Claw‑tail Scorpion shrouded in white light, then slowly shifting to Huo La's face.

He did not speak, merely squinting slightly.

Although he was some distance away, he could clearly see the earth‑shattering evolution of Gyarados.

He had already guessed a few things at that moment.

Combining the method of enhancing Pokemon in later generations that Huo La casually mentioned during the day, Beishang did not find the scene before him overly abrupt.

The white light lasted nearly ten seconds; when the glow finally receded like a tide, the once compact Claw‑tail Scorpion had completely transformed.

Dragon King Scorpion.

It slowly lifted its head, a flash of light passing through its eyes, directly meeting the hovering Sky Scorpion King not far away.

The two Scorpion‑type Pokemon faced each other under the moonlight.

The air seemed solidified by an invisible pressure, the lake‑side reeds ceased their sway, and in the distance Gyarados let out a low muffled roar from the water's depths, as if cheering for its teammate.

Beishang watched the scene, his mouth finally curving into a clear smile, revealing a genuine sense of interest.

"... Interesting."

He murmured softly, his right hand lightly resting on the Sky Scorpion King's back, his fingertips sliding along its smooth, hard carapace as if conveying a silent understanding.

The Sky Scorpion King's wings twitched slightly, emitting a low, hissing sound in response.

"Are you ready, Huo La?"

Huo La reached out, gently patting the cold, hard carapace of the Dragon King Scorpion. The sensation in his palm felt heavier than ever before, yet also more solid.

He lifted his head, his voice calm, his eyes already alight with a pure fighting spirit: "Ready at any moment."

Moonlight, like a knife, sliced obliquely across the lake's surface.

The battle, poised to erupt at a moment's touch.