You are not allowed to be a Pokémon Trainer!

Chapter 291 The Earth King with Maxed-Out Defense? Go talk to my Armor-Piercing Bow! (6.8k)

After hearing Qishu's explanation, the enthusiasm for discussion in the live chat instantly reached a new level.

[Wow, Xin Li's thinking is amazing! As long as I'm fleshy enough, you won't be able to suck me up!]

Dead flesh is useless; it's just a health pack, and you need high enough defense to even absorb it!

[As it turns out, there's a reason why he's a superstar; the comments section is still questioning it!]

[Qishu, what's with that expression? Xinli is the king of pop, and you're still looking so downcast. Are you siding with outsiders?]

[Qi Shu said that my siding with Xin Li was actually siding with outsiders!]

[Isn't anyone praising Kuga Shu? He understood Xin Li's tactical thinking immediately!]

[Sparrows eating it, it's hard to imagine this was the same tree that used to be the goalkeeper for the Master Ranked Team, lol]

[Qi Shu's progress is truly phenomenal!]

Could tactical intelligence really be transmitted through something like that?

Xia Chi had only a fleeting moment to think. A resolute glint flashed in his eyes, and he abruptly gave the order: "Magic Masked Cat, Earthquake! Wings flap, provoke the Earth King!"

It's a pity to give up the enhancement brought by the Wings-Shaking Meditation, but at this moment, breaking the deadlock is the priority.

"Meowha!"

The Magic Masked Cat responded to the call, its claws enveloped in rich Ground-type energy, and stomped heavily on the already broken rocky ground!

boom--

A visible, earthy-yellow shockwave, centered on it, roared like a ferocious earth dragon from the ground, rapidly hurtling towards the hiding place of the three ground rats!

at the same time.

"Ooh!"

A flash of purplish-black light appeared in Zhenyi's eyes, and a wave of provocative energy filled with malice shot towards the Earth King!

At the very instant the provocative energy was released, Xia Chi had already raised the Poké Ball in his hand.

A red light flashed precisely, and before the seismic waves from their own territory could reach them, the vibrating wing was safely retracted, perfectly avoiding accidental injury to their teammates.

"Tsk!"

Xin Li's expression changed slightly. "Three groundhogs, stop digging and come out first!"

"Earth King, hold the line!"

The Earthquake move is characterized by dealing double damage to underground targets in a burrowing state. We absolutely cannot let Dugtrio suffer this blow!
However, the speed at which earthquake energy travels is far greater than imagined.

Even though the three-legged mole desperately tried to burrow upwards the moment it sensed the ground shaking, the violent shockwave had already struck it solidly from below the moment its upper body emerged from the ground!
boom!
With a dull thud, the three ground squirrels were jolted senseless and let out a miserable cry.

It was a typical high-attack, low-health Pokémon, and this earthquake, which dealt double damage, took away half of its life!

Meanwhile, the Magic Masked Cat visibly absorbed a large amount of life force through the life-draining effects of the Bloodthirster and the Dance of Death!

Fortunately, the energy barrier maintained by the Earth King blocked Zhenyi's parting provocation.

This finally allowed Xinli to breathe a sigh of relief.

The battle has reached an extremely brutal stage of attrition warfare, and moves like [Poison] and [Self-Regeneration] after the Earth King are crucial.

If it's really blocked, it'll be really hard to fight.

Meanwhile, Xia Chi threw out another Poké Ball without any pause: "Bear Apprentice, prepare for battle!"

A flash of white light, and the bear apprentice, with sharp eyes and high fighting spirit, made his grand entrance!

"Meow, keep the earthquake going, then use the vines to lift up the bear apprentice!"

Xia Chi's instructions sounded rather bizarre.

Without hesitation, the Magical Masked Cat stomped its foot again, unleashing a second wave of earthquake impact!

At the same time, the flexible, whip-like vines behind it quickly stretched out, gently yet firmly wrapping around the bear apprentice's waist, and then lifting him high into the air.

While it's impossible to completely avoid the damage from earthquakes, the impact can be considered negligible.

Xin Li's expression hardened, and she instantly understood Xia Chi's intention!

This is a conspiracy!

By continuously triggering earthquakes to block the burrows of the three dummies, as long as the dummies dare to burrow underground, they will inevitably suffer double the terrifying damage from the earthquakes!
If they stay on the field, they will face direct attacks from Xiong's apprentice.

As for the Earth King, who is almost fully buffed with both defenses and is as tanky as a city wall?

Just pretend this sprite doesn't exist!

Xia Chi's tactical objective was extremely clear: prioritize eliminating the more threatening and agile Diglett!
In a flash, Xin Li made the safest move: "Three Earth Rats, hold the line! Earth King, use deadly poison on Bear Apprentice!"

hum-

A translucent, pale green protective barrier instantly unfolded, shielding the somewhat disheveled Diglett.

The Earth King opened his mouth and spat out a ball of dark purple venom that exuded an ominous aura, which rushed toward his bear apprentice who was being held high in the air by vines!
The Poison-type Pokémon's [Poisonous] attack is guaranteed to hit, so even if Xia Chi commanded Meowha to swing its vines, he couldn't avoid it, so he simply ignored it.

He then commanded, "Disciple Xiong, sword dance!"

------

The deadly poison hit its mark precisely!

The bear apprentice was immediately covered with a sickly dark purple light, and the toxins began to erode its body.

"Kuma!"

Despite the discomfort caused by the poison, Xiong's apprentice danced passionately in mid-air.

With its fighting spirit rising, its physical attack ability increased significantly with the dance. Although it couldn't dodge the poison, the enhancement of its attack end was complete!
Undoubtedly, the combination of Dugtrio's Protect and the Earthshaker's exaggerated defense meant that the damage from this earthquake primarily resulted in terrain destruction.

But Xia Chi had already achieved his goal: he had tricked the three moles out of their hiding place!

"Meow, keep the earthquake going! Bear apprentice, Ice Fist!"

Xia Chi's offensive was like a tide, one wave after another!
In fact, the situation on the field was indeed something he should be anxious about.

The Earth King is as stable as Mount Tianguan, while the three Groundhogs are in a decent state.

Meanwhile, the Magical Masked Cat's stamina is steadily decreasing—

The effect of Death Dance can only delay and spread the damage; it is not a reduction.

Her crimson eyes revealed pain, and she desperately needed to draw energy from her opponent!

The third wave of earthquakes swept across the area again, further shrinking the activity space of the three-horned rats!

With a sudden flick of its vines, the magical masked cat sent its bear apprentice flying like a boulder, carrying an astonishing momentum and a chilling aura, pouncing towards the three ground squirrels!

On the edge of the fist, extremely cold ice energy condensed wildly, as if the air itself had been frozen into countless tiny ice crystals!
Freeze punch!
Xin Li frowned deeply; Xia Chi was determined to kill the three groundhogs first.
At this moment, Dugtrio's Pokémon Switch is on cooldown, and she can't afford to give up such an important source of damage.

In a flash, Xin Li shouted, "Three Earth Rats, hide behind the Earth King!"

"Earth King, use deadly poison on the Magic Masked Cat!"

Since the start of the operation, continuous earthquakes have almost turned the rocky terrain into plowed farmland.

This also results in the fact that the three-horned voles are quite fast on the ground.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a brown streak of light and darted behind the Earth King's massive body, attempting to use the giant shield as cover.

Xia Chi frowned slightly, his mind racing as he weighed the pros and cons.

The Frozen Fist is ultimately not a move like Swallow Return that has a built-in tracking and locking effect.

Trying to precisely bypass the massive mountain of flesh, the Earth King, and directly attack the small and agile Diglett behind it is extremely difficult, almost impossible...

So... what if we abandon the three Diglett and unleash all our firepower on the Earth King itself?

This idea gave Xia Chi a solution to break the deadlock.

The Bear Apprentice's [Fighting Attribute] bond inherently possesses the ability to weaken the opponent's defense.

Furthermore, the equipment it carries, [The Last Whisper], possesses a terrifying armor-piercing effect that ignores the opponent's defense!
More importantly, the Earth King's basic physical defense capabilities are not as devastatingly high as its special defenses.

There's a chance!
With this in mind, Xia Chi no longer hesitated, his voice piercing through the roar of the battlefield: "Freezing Fist, attack the Earth King directly!"

Once the order was given, the bear apprentice, hurled with all its might by the Magic Masked Cat using vines, flew through the air like a cannonball, tracing an arc as it hurtled toward the Earth King's massive, mountain-like body!
On its fist, extremely cold ice energy was compressed and condensed wildly. Wherever it passed, the water vapor in the air instantly condensed into countless tiny ice crystals, leaving a cold trail behind it!

boom--

A dull, thunderous sound, like the beating of a giant drum, suddenly rang out.

The fist, enveloped in a chilling aura, slammed solidly into the Earth King's abdomen, which was covered by thick mud armor!
However, this powerful blow was like an icicle hitting a wall made of reinforced concrete.

The Earth King's enormous, mountain-like body didn't even sway in the slightest.

It simply turned its enormous head slowly and spat out another stream of dark purple [venomous] liquid that emitted an ominous stench towards the Magic Masked Cat in the distance!

Seeing this, Xin Li raised her eyebrows sharply, her last trace of uncertainty vanishing completely, replaced by a confident and composed demeanor.

It worked!
Xin Li's eyebrows are raised in a cool way.

Xia Chi's Magical Masked Cat and Bear Apprentice have both been corrupted by the [Poison], and their condition will continue to worsen over time.

Meanwhile, the three gophers were safely hidden under the protection of the Earth King, their location absolutely secure.

The only thing to do now is to let the three mobs unleash their fury under the Earth King's crotch.

As long as we maintain this situation... victory in this match is within our grasp!
An indescribable surge of emotion welled up in Xin Li's heart.

Unbeknownst to her, as the battle intensified, her attitude towards the match shifted from a simple friendly game to an unprecedented level of importance and desire to win!
With the situation looking very favorable, Xin Li decisively changed her strategy, shifting from a solid defense to a strong counterattack: "Three Moles, Stomp! Earth King, 100,000 Horsepower!"

As for the possible counterattack launched by Xiong's apprentice?

Xin Li was not worried at the moment.

The negligible damage from that [Frozen Fist] has proven that, with Xiong's current output capabilities, he simply cannot penetrate the Earth King's absolute defense under the triple [Charge] buff.

Even if this little bear had previously demonstrated some ability to weaken defenses, that still requires time and the number of attacks to accumulate...

Now...

Xin Li smiled confidently.

If you have something to say, go tell it to my [100,000 horsepower] and [stomping feet]!
[Oh no! The prison water level seems to be in danger again! This time it's a real crisis!]

[How am I supposed to fight this? The bear apprentice can't even touch the three dummies, he can only scratch the Earth King with maxed-out defense and healthy HP. It's not even scratching, it's polishing!]

[Most importantly, the Earth King has a self-regeneration ability that can heal him! Meowha and the Bear Apprentice are both poisoned and losing health every second! Are we even playing anymore?]

[Shin Li is too strong... the pressure of her defensive counter-attacks is suffocating! I feel she's a strong contender for the next Padilla champion!]

[Ye Ci: ? Someone wants to usurp the throne?]

------

However, Xia Chi, at the eye of the storm, was unusually calm, even a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. If Xin Li continued with her extreme defensive strategy, using the Diglett's burrowing ability and the Earth King's regeneration to stall indefinitely, Xia Chi would be in serious trouble…

But now, she's chosen to take the initiative...

All I can say is, if you have anything to say, go talk to my armor-piercing bow!

"Disciple Xiong, unleash a series of Rock-Shattering Strike!"

"Magic Masked Cat, Triple Spin!"

Faced with the Earth King charging like a heavy chariot, and the Diglett emerging from the shadows behind it, charging up to stomp the ground, the Bear Apprentice did not retreat but advanced!

Its dark, beady eyes burst forth with an astonishing, fearless fighting spirit!
"Kuma!"

With a short but powerful battle cry, Xiong's left fist was instantly enveloped in intense fighting energy!

The [Rock Smash] fist, filled with the will to penetrate and crush, slammed into the Earth King's indestructible abdomen!

Immediately followed by the second punch, and then the third punch.
clap clap-

The speed of Xiong's punches was beyond the limits of what the naked eye could perceive!
In what seemed like an instant, it unleashed dozens or even hundreds of punches!

Countless fist shadows rained down on the Earth King's massive body like a storm, producing a continuous series of dull impact sounds!

This was no ordinary rock-breaking attack. With the activation of the [Martial Arts Dual Extremes] bond, this move was broken down into countless tiny, fast punches!
Although its power and additional effects are certainly not as great as before, its most important effect has already become apparent—

With each punch from Xiong's apprentice, a deep, dark purple light began to emerge from the Earth King's thick mud armor—

That's an outward manifestation of its defense capabilities being rapidly weakened and reduced!

Xia Chi smiled knowingly. Success! The final Whisper Armor Break effect was triggered!

This item has a unique passive effect—

When an attack hits a vital point, it reduces the target's physical defense by 50%, and this effect is already in effect!
Although Rock Smash itself is not easy to hit vital points, the equipment [Last Whisper] and [Hand of Justice] provide the Bear Apprentice with a 10% guaranteed critical hit chance bonus.

The extremely high-frequency attacks enhanced by the [Martial Arts Dual Extremes] synergy amplify this probabilistic advantage to an extreme degree!

As a result, the Armor-Piercing Bow's effect was successfully triggered!
This fatal 50% armor penetration, combined with the physical defense reduction effect of the Rock Smash move itself, and the natural weakening of defensive capabilities due to the Fighting attribute synergy, makes it a fatal flaw.
At this moment, the Earth King's physical defense ability seemed to have fallen from the clouds to the mortal world. The seemingly unshakable shield of despair was now full of cracks!
And at that very moment, the Magic Masked Cat moved.

"Meowha!"

With a delicate shout, its figure transformed into a streak of emerald green light interwoven with icy cold!

The [Triple Spin Strike] is ready to be unleashed.

Carrying three layers of terrifyingly cold air, each layer increasing in power, it pierced straight towards the Earth King's already frail and massive body!
Xin Li's expression suddenly changed.

Intuition and extensive experience told her that the power of this [Triple Spin Strike] was far beyond the ordinary!
"Hold on!"

She shouted almost instinctively!

But it was too late.

The Earth King's 100,000 horsepower had already been activated, and his massive body charged out with immense force. The old power had been unleashed but the new power had not yet been generated, so it was impossible for him to change his move midway to defend himself!
Meanwhile, the icy claws of the Magic Masked Cat were already close in!

------

Meowha's figure swept past like a ghost, and the first claw strike, wrapped in frost, ripped fiercely into the Earth King's abdomen!

scoff-

Ice shards and shattered mud armor flew everywhere, and the Earth King let out his first blood-curdling scream of pain and shock since the start of the battle.

Without the slightest pause, the second spinning kick followed immediately, its power doubled!

boom--

This time, the massive body of the Earth King, which had been lying motionless on the ground, was shaken by this enormous force and slid backward, carving a deep trench in the ground!

Third swirl, Ice Blast!

Meowha leaped into the air, its body spinning rapidly, concentrating all its ice-type energy at its claws.

The [Triple Spin Strike] move's power gradually increases, making the final strike extremely terrifying. It strikes the Earth King's jaw hard from below!

boom--

To the astonishment of Xinli and Yeci, and the excitement of Qishu, the massive Earth King, as huge as a mountain, was actually lifted off the ground by this attack and thrown into the air!

Although it is not tall, the visual impact and psychological shock of this scene are unparalleled!

But the Earth King's [100,000 horsepower] and the Three Mole's [stomp] also hit the Bear Apprentice at almost the same time!

boom--

Two heavy ground-based attacks landed squarely on the bear apprentice!
This furious combined attack from the Elite Four's main Pokémon undoubtedly inflicted terrifying damage on it!

The bear apprentice's petite body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, and in just an instant, her bloodline was critically low!
But Xia Chi's offensive was like a storm, without any pause!
"Magic Masked Cat, continue with Triple Spin! Bear Disciple, One Strike Intent Hammer!"

Xin Li's brows furrowed tightly, an unprecedented pressure looming over her.

Now it was her turn to be in a dilemma.

Should we have the Earth King use [Self-Regeneration] to forcibly recover and stabilize his health first?
Or should we choose the more conservative approach of "holding out" to withstand the impending fatal attack?
No... none of that will work!

Her gaze swept over the three-legged voles, which were in extremely poor condition.

If you choose to defend, the opponent can easily turn around and focus fire on the three mobs!

Given the current precarious state and durability of Diglett, it is absolutely impossible for it to withstand the combined, overwhelming attack from Masked Cat and Bear Apprentice.

Suddenly, an extremely bold idea flashed through Xinli's mind—

A desperate, all-or-nothing strike!
"Earth King, unleash your power!"

"Gophers, dig a hole!"

The "Spray" attack is generally a variation of the move, complementing the "Charge" attack previously used by the Earth King.

He unleashed all the power he had accumulated within his body in a single, frantic burst!

The more energy it accumulates, the more terrifying its power becomes!
In theory, after the Earth King has completed three charges, the power of this [burst] will even surpass the [Big Explosion], the highest on the panel of all moves, reaching a world-destroying level!

The price was naturally extremely high—

All defense boosts accumulated through charging will be instantly reset to zero!
This means that the Earth King's already significantly reduced physical defense will become as fragile as paper; this is a true do-or-die situation!
But as long as this earth-shattering blow can eliminate the bear disciple who poses the greatest threat to the Earth King, it will be worth it!
With the boost from two gear shifts, the Magic Masked Cat, being the fastest in the entire arena, naturally made its move first.

Another fluid three-hit combo followed, the frost claws tearing mercilessly at the Earth King's incredibly vulnerable body, causing terrifying damage.

Immediately afterward, Xiong's apprentice's [Mind Hammer] was also rapidly charging up.

A dazzling super-powered light suddenly shone on his right fist. The essence of the One-Strike Style lies in concentrating all power into a single point!
In addition, there's the 300% damage bonus from the [Martial Arts Dual Extremes] synergy, and the double advantage of Superpower against poison.
boom--

With a heavy punch, Xiong's disciple fearlessly struck the already weakened body of the Earth King!

The damage was terrifying!
At the same time, the [Fighter] synergy and the [Hand of Justice] life steal effect are triggered!
Both of these lifesteal effects are Berserker attributes where "the less health you have, the more you steal."

The bear disciple's life force, which had been on the verge of exhaustion after being severely hit, surged like a rocket, almost instantly returning to full!
However, the very next second after the bear apprentice hit his target and finished sucking the blood—

The Earth King's final, well-prepared attack erupted!
Its massive maw on its scarred, dark brown head suddenly opened, and the triple energy accumulated within its body transformed into an incredibly thick and intensely blazing torrent of pure white energy!

Like a burst dam, it carried a terrifying power that could destroy everything, instantly swallowing up the bear disciple who was right next to it!
boom--

A deafening explosion swept through the entire venue, and a terrifying energy shockwave spread wildly in all directions, even causing violent ripples to appear on the venue's protective shield!

Ye Ci, who was acting as a guest referee, suddenly changed his expression.

Knowing that the power of this move far exceeded that of ordinary Elite Four level Pokémon, she immediately commanded the Crystal Flower beside her to inject energy into the shield of the battlefield that was on the verge of breaking!
Finally, the energy shield, which was on the verge of collapse, was maintained under the violent energy impact of the [explosion] move.

The Brewing Light Dojo, which encloses the strange tree.

And when the light faded, the bear apprentice's figure reappeared.

Its off-white body had been blasted black by this terrifying energy, and its body, covered in ash, swayed precariously, yet it did not fall!

It was the enormous amount of blood it had just absorbed from the Earth King that miraculously allowed it to withstand this fatal blow!
However, its vitality has once again deteriorated to the point of being like a candle flickering in the wind!
And it was at this very moment, when the old force had just passed and the new force had not yet been born.

boom--

The three-legged voles that had previously burrowed underground suddenly burst out from under the cracked rocky ground!

Its three heads were simultaneously covered with a vast, heavy, and solidified ground-type energy, carrying an unstoppable and resolute momentum, and crashed into the already dying bear disciple from bottom to top!

A sneak attack to finish him off!

It's safe to say that if this move hits, the bear apprentice will have absolutely no chance of survival!
------

At this critical moment.

A sharp, piercing sound tore through the air!
But then a thick vine, resembling a giant emerald python, shot out from behind the bear disciple at a speed beyond the limits of visual perception!

Just as the head of the three-horned rat, imbued with terrifying earth power, was about to burst out of the ground, it was only a hair's breadth away from the bear apprentice's feet.

The emerald green vines wrapped around the bear apprentice's waist with perfect precision, and then suddenly lifted him upwards!
The bear apprentice was lifted into the air with great difficulty, and the deadly shock wave from below swept past its feet.

The powerful energy blast made its fur stand on end, but it ultimately failed to harm it in the slightest!

The bear apprentice dodged this deadly digging attack!
At the same time, an incredibly fierce storm of petals instantly condensed and swept out, fiercely attacking the Diglett that had just emerged from the ground and lost all its protective abilities!
A myriad of variations!

clap clap-

The sound of heavy rain hitting banana leaves rang out, and the storm of flowers and leaves instantly engulfed the Diglett exposed on the ground!

The terrifying Grass-type energy, doubly super effective, deals fatal damage to Dugtrio, who is also in a weakened state!

In this inescapable storm of destruction, the three mole rats didn't even have time to utter a scream before they completely lost their ability to fight and collapsed to the ground!

At the same time, a red light appeared.

Almost immediately after the Earth King unleashed its [spray] energy torrent, Xinli recalled it back into its Poké Ball!

After a moment of deathly silence, the comments section erupted in a frenzy!
[Holy crap! The Earth King, who was just a wall of despair, has been knocked down?!]

[The bear apprentice's combo punches are too fast; his Rock Smash's guard-breaking ability is simply unreasonable!]

[But Rock Smash couldn't have weakened the Earth King's defenses that badly; that cheater, Prison Water, must have used some other method!]

[Bear Apprentice: My mission is complete! Hey, I'm not dead?]

[Magical Masked Cat: We've already called each other brothers, what else is there to say? I'll just rescue you, isn't that enough?]

[The Meowha's vines are so useful in doubles! They can both attack and defend. I suggest adding them to the game!]

That's too overpowered! This kind of utilization of all available elements is something you can never achieve in a game, and it's the greatest charm of real-world combat!

Why didn't they finish off the Earth King? It was driving me crazy! Now they've let the tiger return to the mountain!

[Do you even understand the game? Didn't you see Elite Four member Shinri immediately raise her Poké Ball? What, can her Transformation track into a Poké Ball?]

[He read through the prison water directly, not only saving the bear apprentice but also finishing off the three moles who were about to finish him off—perfect!]

(End of this chapter)