Master Craftsman of the Elven World

Chapter 233 Flying Cloud Dojo Battle: Knight, God, Queen.

"Oh! I didn't have to wait too long. I rushed over as soon as I got the news that they were leaving the gallery!"

"Ugh, I haven't worn this outfit in ages. It's so uncomfortable."

In front of the Flying Cloud Dojo, the old man Shinnosuke was dressed in a formal old-fashioned suit, but he didn't seem to like this attire. The business people and Ms. Keiko beside him could only try to persuade him:

"President, please bear with it for a moment. This is an important client! They are not ordinary trainers. It would be considered impolite to meet them in your usual attire."

As people get older, they tend to develop some quirks. President Shinnosuke's hobby is dressing up as a cleaner and claiming that he has been in charge of the company's mop for over thirty years, making him a veritable mop master.

"Oh, President Shinnosuke! You..."

Yati is the gym leader of the Flying Cloud Gym. The Battle Company is a large company in Flying Cloud City, so of course he knows them. This is mainly because President Shinnosuke doesn't spend much time at the company. Since the company's main business is battles, you can basically see Battle Company people running around doing business or fighting on the street everywhere.

Even the club president himself is the same; he occasionally refreshes his profile to volunteer as a cleaner on the Sky Arrow Bridge, while Yadi often crosses the Sky Arrow Bridge to Qibao City to find creative inspiration. They frequently bump into each other on the bridge. They are extremely familiar with each other.

“You’re dressed so elegantly today. I’ve never seen you wear clothes like this before.”

"Well, because today's challenger is very important! I'm here to talk to you, nice to meet you, buddy!"

President Shinnosuke reached out his hand to Hikari, but due to the height difference, Hikari could only bend down slightly to shake hands with the president, as Shinnosuke was relatively short.

"Wow! What a handsome man! Don't worry, the rest of the company doesn't know that the person in the news is you. I'm not one to speak carelessly."

Hikari smiled politely: "Hello, President Shinnosuke. As agreed, I will be using some items in this gym challenge. Would you like to specify which items?"

"No, you're free to improvise."

President Shinnosuke stroked his beard and pondered for a moment: "You are a professional trainer and the maker of battle items. Your ability to choose items and judge the battle situation is definitely much better than mine, an incompetent trainer."

"What I hope to see is a comeback at a crucial moment, or a turn of the tide of battle, or the use of items to suppress the opponent. In short, we need to emphasize the role of items in battles, so that even a clueless trainer like me can understand it. This will definitely be of great benefit to promotion!"

Lightmoss: "Is that so? But the choice of items also tests the trainer's skill level. Choosing the right item for different battle situations is important. However, most trainers probably only use the items they like, which is not bad."

"Sometimes it might play an unexpected role."

"Hmm, that's true, that does happen, and it makes a lot of sense. Speaking of which, are you also going to challenge the United Alliance, bro?"

President Shinnosuke thought that if Hikari challenged the Unova League and used a gadget in the League, he could definitely do another big publicity campaign in Unova.

"No, no, no, I invited him to take on the challenge. He himself doesn't seem to have any intention of challenging the United States Alliance. As for me, it's for art! Mr. Hikari is not only a celebrity and prop craftsman, but he is also a little-known artist."

"When I went to Qibao City before, Sister Aloe got an ancient statue from a well-known antique dealer. Although it was called an ancient sculpture, it was actually just an imitation. The technique was so realistic that it was indistinguishable from the real thing, which inspired me to keep coming back to life!"

"If that statue were exhibited in a gallery, it would definitely cause a storm in the art world!"

"By the way, President Shinnosuke, do you have a collaboration with Mr. Hikari? That sounds good. If you're interested in promoting battle items, I can help you out!"

Yati took the initiative to explain and praised the artistry of the moss, which made President Shinnosuke's squinty eyes, which were like those of Tsuyoshi, suddenly open!
"Oh! I've never seen anything like it before, even though you, the Gym Leader, have personally invited me to a challenge! Is this a friendly sparring match between artists? It seems this battle will be quite a feast for the eyes!"

"Young man, I never knew you were an artist. Yati really admires you! Young people these days are amazing! Um, please, let me see a great match."

President Shinnosuke muttered some vague remarks about how his only skill was at making mops, and then, somewhat dejected, he went to the audience seats with the encouragement of his secretary and Ms. Keiko.

"Sister Huizi!"

"Oh, it's Nellie. You're here too? Yes, Mr. Lightmoss has a Steel-type Pokémon. Did you come to see that Pokémon?"

Nari walked over to Miss Keiko's side, listened to her question, and shook her head.

She was really curious to see what Aegislash would look like in battle, and what new moves and tactics it would pull out in its duel with the Gym Leader.
Of course, Aegislash might not appear, but if it does, Nari thought of Aegislash's terrifying golden form.

The battle would end in an instant, she thought inexplicably and with absolute certainty.

Then, she released her Scizor and watched the gym battle with her partner.

"I can use battle items too, you know. Feiyun City reveres battles. Since I said I would fight with all my might this time, let me show you my most proud artistic companions! This is the art of battle you've been waiting for!"

"Moreover, for some mysterious reason, my Pokémon have all become stronger than before, which means it's a complete upgrade of the old art!"

Yati took out three Poké Balls.

Gym leaders determine which Pokémon to send out based on the challenger's strength level. However, in some special battles, they will use their full strength, just like now!
"The battles are 3v3, with no restrictions!"

And then, the first one!
"Knight Snail!"

A majestic Bug Pokémon has appeared, clad in knightly armor, with arms transformed into two knightly lances and an exaggerated red helmet on its head.

The silver-white armor radiated a halo, revealing just how excellent the training methods of the Gym Leaders were. They were all experts in training Pokémon of their respective types, and Pokémon of the corresponding type in their hands could unleash greater power than those of ordinary trainers!

"So handsome."

Snail Knight is indeed a very cool Pokémon. And since it's this Pokémon, Lightmoss thought to herself.

Was it the Pokémon that Artemis used when he participated in the World Championships? I think Heracles was also there.

Hearing Guangtai's praise, Yati became even more proud!

"The steel knight who upholds virtue and is tough, the mighty symbol of Bug Pokémon!"

"So, here's the question: what items should I give it? Be careful! You can put items inside the Knight Snail's armor!"

"Knight Snail, what's wrong?"

Yati was initially very excited, but then he noticed that the knight snail in front of him slowly turned around and gave him a very nervous look.

It's as if it's saying, "You want me to hit this person?"
"Huh? Do you know him?"

This look conveyed a lot of information. Yati often spends time with the Bug Pokémon, so he can sense the changes in their hearts. This is not an innate ability, but an acquired ability developed through long-term interaction with Pokémon.

Water droplets seeped from the Knight Snail's steel armor; it was cold sweat.

It truly recognizes the "challenger" before it!
Not long ago, in the Strange Workshop of the Dream World, there was a special live broadcast in which three humans challenged the creator god and were recognized. At that time, the Knight Snail was also mixed in with the Pokémon watching the battle and witnessed that amazing battle.

It remembered the appearance of those three humans very clearly.

As the saying goes, people who love to fight often start fantasizing when they see someone stronger than themselves—"I really wish I could be as strong as him."

The Knight Snail is no exception.

So from that day on, responding to the call of the Queen of the Raikou, I went on a crazy spree of showing off my food, training, and even venturing into the labyrinth of training. I trained when I was awake, and I trained when I was asleep, getting stronger every day!

But now, one of the three humans who challenged the creator god is standing right in front of him!
蜗.
Knight Snail wanted to say something.

I have indeed become stronger.

But there's no need to put yourself under such pressure right now. If this guy pulls out the Pokémon that has become the "King", how am I supposed to fight him?
"Oh, so that's why you're so scared?" Yati was getting more and more puzzled. Faced with the Knight Snail's eyes and low growl, she really couldn't understand where her Pokémon had seen Lightmoy before, and why it had left such a deep "fearful impression".
Lord Lightmoss, is your characteristic tension?

"You seem to recognize me? Are you a Pokémon from my dream?"

The moss took the initiative to talk to the knight snail, and tried to comfort the uneasy and nervous knight snail:
"Fight with all your might. You seem to have undergone sufficient training. Challenging strong opponents is the time to let this effort bear fruit."

"To embody the way of chivalry."

The psychic power of the Radiant Moss soothed the restless Knight Snail, quickly bolstering its courage and dispelling negative emotions such as fear. Immediately afterward, the Radiant Moss threw out a Poké Ball.

A graceful young lady in a dress appeared, her flower crown emitting a fragrance that inspired courage.

"Ah! It's that Pokémon! So beautiful! So elegant!"

As an artist, Artie prefers insect Pokémon, but other beautiful and charming Pokémon also attract his attention! He initially invited Mossmo to challenge the gym, just to see this Pokémon again!
".between!"

The snail regained its composure and, facing the elegant, queen-like Pokémon it had never seen before, it rekindled its fighting spirit.

Yes, that's true! Hard work and training must have a place where they can be verified, even if the opponent is someone who fights against gods. Challenging the strong is the way of the knight!
I almost let fear and dread destroy my willpower. Thank you!

Yati noticed the change in Knight Snail's attitude and looked at Lightmoss somewhat awkwardly: "It seems like something complicated happened between you two, although I don't know where you and Knight Snail have met before."

“No, it’s nothing really.” Lightmoy smiled. “It’s just that your Knight Snail must have been to a wonderful new world, so it learned about me by chance.”

This statement piqued Yati's curiosity, but seeing that Guangtai didn't seem inclined to explain, he didn't intend to ask any further questions. Next up was time for the battle of art!

But before that!

"What is the name of that beautiful Pokémon lady?"

"Dole~" Upon hearing Yati's praise, Miss Skirt also gave an elegant bow.

"It's Miss Skirt, but she looks like a green-washed maiden. This is a regional style from a long time ago, and it can no longer be seen now."

Lightmoy explained with a smile, while Yati once again marveled at the wonder and beauty of Pokémon!

"Ancient regional landscape! Ah, a beautiful Pokémon from ancient history! My inspiration has been sparked! What region and era is Shiki? This is the first time I've ever heard such a beautiful name!"

"Then, beautiful lady, please allow me and my Pokémon to present you with a magnificent art!"

"Sword Dance!"

Sword light flashed around the Knight Snail, greatly increasing its attack power!
Although the Knight Snail is usually very slow, for Gym Leader Artie, who specializes in Bug-type Pokémon, this Knight Snail is one of the members of his ace team! "Iron Head!"

The Knight Snail's exaggerated Roman helmet gleamed with silver light, and steel-attribute energy surged from the helmet, crashing towards Miss Skirt like a roaring cannonball!

Lightmoss's heart connected with Miss Skirt's heart.

Keep it.

Without a word, Miss Skirt crossed her arms with leaves over her chest, and a pale green light shield appeared, easily blocking the Knight Snail's steel charge. But then, the Knight Snail's two spears lit up with a pale green insect-attribute glow!
An immense power is accumulating, waiting to be released!

"Super Corner Strike!"

"After the charge of steel, the knight's lance pierces the sky!"

Knight Snail charged forward with his twin pistols!
Super Horn Strike! This Bug-type special move, boasting a power of 120, delivers a powerful attack by piercing the opponent with its hard and ornate horn!

Bug-type characters have a natural advantage over Grass-type characters!
Thump! The heavy thrust created a shockwave that radiated outwards from the battlefield. However, to the Knight Snail's surprise, his thrust was blocked. The Skirt Lady in front of him, Futaba, emitted a dazzling green light, using offense as defense to block the Super Horn Strike!

"The effect is so-so?!" Yati was taken aback.

How can a Grass-type Pokémon block a Bug-type move?

"Miss Washing Green Skirt isn't just a simple Grass-type, but a Grass/Fighting type!"

Miss Skirt's twin leaves slashed forward with their "leaf blades"!
The immense force dented the Knight Snail's armor, startling the snail!
Grass-type moves shouldn't hurt or itch when they hit you!

The Pokémon in front of me is performing an elegant slashing dance!
The green blades formed a curtain of light before my eyes; the gorgeous leaves were both as light as feathers and as sharp as steel!

The tips of the two emerald green blades trembled slightly, emitting a subtle hum. The dancer drew countless semi-circles within the limited space, and as the air was torn apart, grass-attribute energy spread out like ripples!
".beauty!"

"What a beautiful and powerful strike!"

Even Yati was amazed by this "Dance of Leaf Blades" move. He was even momentarily stunned, not to mention that the people in the audience were completely attracted by this sudden "blade dance". The Knight Snail's strong grass resistance attribute became the perfect iron stake for Miss Skirt to show off her "dance skills"!

"Hmm! Although grass-type attacks aren't very effective, we can't just keep taking hits like this." Yati came to his senses. Although he said this, he looked at the dents appearing on the Knight Snail's body.
Is it really because the effect is not good?

"Of course! My Knight Snail's special ability is 'Hard Shell Armor'! It will never be hit in a vital spot!"

Perhaps it's just that the beautiful Pokémon lady on the other side is too strong!

"Knight Snail, seize the opportunity and use Poison Strike! Let's dance with the young lady!" Ati decisively changed her attack method!
Grass-type Pokémon aren't afraid of Bug-type Pokémon, so are you afraid of Poison-type Pokémon?
"Speaking of Bugs, they live in the forest and use poisonous stingers to protect themselves. These are the most powerful weapons of Bug Pokémon. The Knight's Lance, stained with deadly poison, symbolizes the desire to survive, and behind it lies the shadow of history!"

Just like the highly poisonous weapons used to assassinate famous historical figures, each of them has a dark, unknown past. For Aydi, the Knight Snail's poison attack has a great deal of overlap with these historical stories!
This is the source of inspiration and artistic creation!
Aydi got carried away, and Escavalier's Poison Lance seized the gap in the Leaf Blade slash and began to dance awkwardly with Miss Skirt. The two Pokémon were like a knight and a princess, but unusually, they were enemies.

Poison Strike seized the opportunity, and Knight Snail accurately struck Miss Skirt with his heavy spear!
After using Poison Strike, there is a 30% chance that the opponent will be poisoned!
However.
The poison attack was very effective, but Knight Snail suddenly saw that Miss Skirt's body was emitting a powerful enhancement effect!

"What's that? Wait, the weather!"

The Knight Snail also felt a bit hot, and upon hearing the trainer's exclamation, it suddenly looked up!
Sunny day!
The weather condition that grants Grass-type and Fire-type Pokémon the greatest power appeared silently, and sunny weather is undoubtedly the weather that Steel-type Pokémon fear the most!

Photosynthesis.

Miss Skirt absorbed the light!
"Is that a beam of sunlight?"

No! In response to Yati's doubt, three clouds of mist emerged from above Miss Skirt's head. These three clouds of mist spun around and then burst into flames!

In an instant, Miss Skirt used her leaf blades to remove the burning fireball, turning her twin leaves into blades of flame!

Weather balloon!
"Miss Skirt's item is Weakness Insurance. When her weakness is targeted, her Attack and Special Attack will increase significantly!"

"Let's dance a dance that heralds victory!"

Grass-Fighting type has too many weaknesses: Poison, Flying, Fire, Psychic, Ice, Fairy. It's safe to say that Miss Skirt has plenty of ways to trigger Weakness Policy!
They can even do it to themselves!
The dancer charged against the flow of fire, her blades creating hurricanes as they slashed, tearing the flames into fragmented streams of fire. Scorched leaves swirled with the blade tips, bursting forth with sparks of green light in the scorching heat, and swirling ash filled the battle arena!

Launch the weather balloon using a slashing motion!
Yati keenly observed that although Miss Skirt's leaves were burning, even constantly raising black and white ashes from the fire, she was also continuously absorbing the brilliant sunlight!

"Photosynthesis! She actually tied the flame to the leaf and maintained her energy through continuous photosynthesis!"

The moment the blade slices through the flames, scorch marks and new life spread simultaneously on the blade, proclaiming the ancient law that destruction is rebirth in the wildfire.

"A Grass-type Pokémon that can use fire!"

Despite being mutually exclusive attributes, they were now perfectly fused together! Ayti watched this scene unfold, including his own knight snail being scorched in the flames.
Steel, grass, fire, and battle! Sparks and green leaves fly, and new, glowing shoots emerge from the ashes. Steel melts, and the knights welcome the end of the flames, dancing and fighting in the world of embers.
Inspiration kept flowing through Yati's mind, but he didn't forget to take care of his Pokémon!
"Quickly use guard!"

A pale green shield rises around the Knight Snail, but when its stamina is low, it may be unable to withstand powerful elemental attacks!

Lightmoss asked in surprise, "The fire-attribute weather ball didn't defeat the Knight Snail?"

Yati chuckled: "This can hardly be called a weather balloon! But anyway, this dance of flames has truly opened my eyes!"

"Of course, my Knight Snail only has one weakness: fire! So, the item my Knight Snail carries is—Chocolate!"

"The magical fruit beneath that heavy steel armor can weaken all fire-related forces! So, we can hold out a little longer!"

"Huh? My Pokémon is clearly afraid of fire. Since I used Choco Berry to halve the damage from the fire, it would have been the right choice to stop now."

In the audience, President Shinnosuke looked puzzled, while Nuri, who had a talent for combat, quickly understood what the Artisan Hall was mainly doing after a moment's thought!
Normally, the Knight Snail is powerless against flames, but thanks to the Choco Fruit, it can survive in the flames for a while longer. This means that the Knight Snail can control its "stamina loss rate" in the flames!
"No, all of Gym Leader Arti's Pokémon are Bug-type, and they are all afraid of fire. Therefore, he must defeat Miss Skirt here!"

"Otherwise, the subsequent battles wouldn't have gone so smoothly! Although he should have anticipated the difficulty of dealing with Fire-type Pokémon, which is why he sent Escavalier first, precisely to give the opponent's Fire-type Pokémon an advantage!"

So, he's going to do it.

"The knight's oath resounds even in dire straits!" Artie exclaimed with ecstasy!
"Back to life!"

Attack with all your might. The lower your HP, the more powerful your attack!

The Knight Snail endured the damage from the flames, and the moment the chocolate's effects wore off, it unleashed a powerful attack!
At this close combat distance, the "Princess Dancer" in front of me is absolutely unable to use her defense!
Continuous attacks will also leave openings, and now is the time to turn the tide and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat!
Moreover, flames surged from the Knight Snail's lance!

Using the flames unleashed by Miss Skirt, enduring their power, she launched a counterattack!
The powerful fighting force caused a spatial tremor and storm, and the results of training in the dream world were fully displayed at this moment. This powerful blow amazed the audience!
Got it!
"That's hard to say."

It was Nari who discovered the problem: Miss Skirt had been hit head-on by the Knight Snail's resurrection attack, and although she had indeed suffered great damage,
The difference in their growth rates is too great.

No, no! My abilities have improved!
Nari grabbed the edge of the audience seats, trying to see what was going on. She recalled the dance Miss Skirt had used while attacking during the battle.

"Perhaps it wasn't just elegance! It was a technique!"

“That’s right, it’s the Dance of Victory!” Lightmoy responded to Nari’s guess, and looking at the surprised Gym Leader Artie, she explained simply: “A vigorous dance that summons victory, increasing your attack, defense and speed.”

"Not only that, the user will also enter a 'double power' state, in which the power of the move will be increased by 1.5 times!"

From the very beginning of the attack, Miss Skirt has been dancing non-stop, how many times has she performed her victory dance!
Aydi was utterly shocked!

"This move is practically cheating! But it's so beautiful and so powerful!"

"Sorry, Knight Snail, it seems my command was flawed. You did a great job."

As Yati's somewhat ashamed voice faded, the Knight Snail sighed.

We were still one step behind.

I thought I could turn the tables and win.

But it was certainly an eye-opening experience! Oh well, I forgive you. After all, you're an artist, and art is all about unexpected moments that spark inspiration!

You are the prince of art, and I am merely your knight who silently protects you. Failure is not your fault, but rather my strength is not enough.

Miss Skirt also unleashed her final attack, and amidst the fluctuations in her mind, Light Moss heard Miss Skirt's request.

Have you learned a new move?
By the way, if it doesn't help you with crafting, you won't get any information prompts for the moves you learn on your own. Lightmoy recalled the scene when Aegislash learned Aura Sphere and released it right in front of her, but there was no "learned move" prompt.

Unless, of course, the Pokémon actively demonstrate this newly learned move, like they are doing now.

Congratulations! Miss Skirt has mastered the "acrobatic" move on her own!

That swift, light slash contained immense power, and the Knight Snail was knocked to the ground by the final blow.

"What kind of move is that, Swallow Return?" Yati was completely captivated by Miss Skirt's figure.

"It's acrobatics," Guangtai explained.
"Attack your opponent with a light touch. You will deal significant damage when you are not carrying any items."

"The Weakness Insurance can only be used once in battle. After that, it will enter a charging state. When using acrobatics during this state, it will be treated as if there were no items, and the power of the acrobatic moves will be doubled."

Guangtai explained to the audience and Yati, but they didn't expect that they had never seen this move before!

This is an extra skill that Miss Skirt learned by studying Aegislash's Swallow Return and Air Blade!
The audience immediately began to murmur amongst themselves!
Yes, Acrobatics was a move that was only discovered in Generation V. Although many Pokémon can learn it on their own, it had no name before humans understood how to use it, and therefore could not be discovered in battles.

Just like the move "Combo Slash," although many Pokémon are born with this move, before I systematically summarize the characteristics and usage of this move, most people probably just regard Combo Slash as a weaker version of Iai Slash.

Since both are essentially grass-cutting moves, the effects seem similar, which is because the combo attack is a Bug-type move.

"That's amazing! I'm speechless with shock." Yati was truly moved. Just now, so many inspirations had come to him, and he couldn't wait to draw them on the spot!
But the battle isn't over yet! I can't let my comrades down; I've only shown a third of my fighting skills!
After the knights comes...!

Hercules!
"Please, Heracross! The ancient god of insect-type power, praised since time immemorial!"

(End of this chapter)