"The power is way too outrageous. Even a strength-focused Rhydon gets pushed into a corner so easily by it, without even the ability to resist."
Thousand-Year Gengar looked at Tauros in shock, but then thought again—something that could earn Red's recognition and become his companion, how could it possibly be an ordinary Pokémon?
Obviously impossible. Thousand-Year Gengar even felt that Red's lineup was more like a "monster collection center," specifically gathering Pokémon with extraordinary talent who were often shunned by their own kind.
"Come back, Tauros!"
"Come back, Rhydon!"
Red and Blaine simultaneously took out their Poké Balls and recalled their respective Pokémon, preparing to send out new ones.
"The hottest flame in the world, the magma within magma—what is the blazing fire moving within it?"
Blaine raised his hands high and shouted the opening line for the Pokémon about to emerge from the magma below.
"Come out, Magmar!"
The magma below began to boil like ocean waves. Soon, it surged upward like a waterfall, and from within the boiling magma, a fiery red Magmar appeared before Red and Thousand-Year Gengar.
"Boss, this round should be my turn, right?" Thousand-Year Gengar asked, looking at Red with anticipation, ready to jump into battle at any moment.
Unfortunately, Red did not give Thousand-Year Gengar the chance to fight this time. Instead, he threw another Poké Ball from his waist.
"There's only one turn per battle. Don't be so selfish!" Red criticized.
Although Red knew it was because Thousand-Year Gengar had been away from him for too long and was overly excited, he couldn't give it extra chances. After all, the other companions also wanted to battle.
As the dazzling white light faded, a Pokémon with sharp claws and serrated teeth—known as the ruler of the ancient skies—appeared. Aerodactyl soared above Magmar, looking down at it arrogantly.
"My goodness, I didn't expect this guy to come out. Looks like this Magmar has the worst luck!" Thousand-Year Gengar exclaimed in shock. It had originally thought Red would send out Marowak to train a bit.
"Excellent type advantage strategy. Judging by the powerful aura faintly emanating from this Aerodactyl, it doesn't seem like one revived from amber—it should be a truly surviving ancient Pokémon. Mr. Red, your fortune is quite remarkable!" Blaine praised.
"To be honest, I caught this Aerodactyl in the ancient Pokémon protected zone of the Great Canyon. It's also the leader of that group of Aerodactyl, so its aura is naturally stronger," Red explained calmly.
"I see. After all, that Great Canyon reserve was discovered by you. The League wouldn't risk offending you over such a small matter," Blaine said leisurely.
If it were an ordinary person without any background, their captured ancient Pokémon might have been forcibly confiscated by the League under the pretext of attempted theft.
Fortunately, such absurd situations wouldn't happen to Red.
"Magmar, use Flamethrower!"
"Aerodactyl, use Stone Edge!"
Blazing flames erupted from Magmar's mouth, instantly forming a thick pillar of fire aimed at Aerodactyl flying above.
Sharp stone blades floated around Aerodactyl. Under its control, they spun rapidly, forming a barrier that blocked the flames completely.
"What an outstanding tactic!"
Blaine was stunned for a moment, amazed by Aerodactyl's performance.
After blocking the flames, the remaining stone blades continued flying toward Magmar, attempting to wear down its stamina.
"Don't underestimate me—Magmar, use Fire Punch!"
Magmar shattered the incoming stone blades with its flaming fists, then dashed toward Aerodactyl, using its jumping power to attempt a Thunder Punch.
"Aerodactyl, use Agility to dodge, then follow up with Rock Slide!"
Magmar missed as Aerodactyl turned into an afterimage and vanished instantly. A massive rock appeared above Magmar and slammed down violently.
Fortunately, Magmar used its boiling flames to block part of the damage and smashed the huge rock apart with Fire Punch.
Although Aerodactyl didn't fear fire, being burned by Magmar's Flame Body Ability would still consume a lot of stamina. Therefore, Red's strategy was to fight at a distance rather than recklessly engage in close combat.
(Flame Body: When a Pokémon with this Ability is hit by contact moves, there is a 30% chance to inflict burn. Each hit of multi-hit moves triggers separately.)
Blaine clearly understood Red's plan and kept directing Magmar to get closer to Aerodactyl. However, Aerodactyl's speed was far beyond Magmar's reach.
If not for Magmar's familiarity with the terrain, it might not even be able to touch Aerodactyl's shadow.
"Aerodactyl, use Stone Edge again!"
The sharp blades struck Magmar once more. Enraged, Magmar unleashed Flamethrower again, sweeping the battlefield with a thick pillar of fire.
"If you've got the guts, stop dodging!" Magmar taunted, trying to provoke Aerodactyl.
A proper battle had turned into a dodging game—no wonder it was furious.
Magmar panted heavily, unwillingly staring at Aerodactyl above that looked down on it with disdain.
From the very beginning, Magmar had felt a strange pressure while fighting Aerodactyl. This pressure made its body feel fatigued, and the stamina it used for moves seemed to double, causing a faint sense of fear.
"Aerodactyl, let Magmar witness your true strength!"
"Aerodactyl, use Dragon Claw!"
Aerodactyl's sharp claws were instantly covered in emerald energy. With incredible speed, it closed in on Magmar and repeatedly struck its body with Dragon Claw.
"Magmar, now—use Thunder Punch!"
Instead of defending, Magmar moved closer and struck Aerodactyl with a powerful Thunder Punch, making Aerodactyl gasp in pain.
After all, Electric-type moves deal double damage to Aerodactyl.
(Aerodactyl is Rock/Flying type. Rock does not resist Electric, so it takes double damage.)
"At close range, use Rock Blast!"
Hardened rocks gathered before Aerodactyl and struck Magmar five consecutive times.
Five hits of Rock Blast were enough to make Magmar lose its ability to fight, yet it endured them all, refusing to admit defeat.
"This is bad! Magmar, you must hold on!" Blaine shouted anxiously.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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