Elf: Starting as the Fighting Gym Master, and being entangled by Nancy.

Chapter 447 Thick-Blooded Hippo Beast, Poison Healing Scorpion King
"Master Li Xuan, this is our first official battle. I've been waiting for this day for a long time, and I hope your performance in this fight will satisfy me."

Sakaki could clearly feel his heart beating abnormally fast, more violently and rapidly than usual.

Since that earth-shattering duel with Crimson, only today could he produce such a strong physiological reaction again.

Li Xuan, the young trainer who was appointed to take over the dilapidated gym in a time of crisis, was able to rekindle his long-dormant fighting spirit.

Sakagi fiddled with his suit cufflinks, his gaze towards Li Xuan becoming serious.

The gym leader, who was supposed to be just a hindrance, is now like a precisely thrown Poké Ball, shattering Team Rocket's grand plans time and time again.

This child must not be kept.

He really wanted to say that.

However, the Rockets have lost the ability to completely eliminate Li Xuan.

Whether it's Dream, Reshiram, or Kyurem, they can all protect Li Xuan to the death.

Should Li Xuan have been killed back then?

No, it's impossible.

With the ever-watchful Dream Tiger and the approaching Dragon Crossing, Banmu was certain that he wasn't entirely confident he could kill Li Xuan.

these days.

Banmu thought about it a lot.

What exactly is the relationship between myself and Li Xuan?
enemy?

neutral?

Or is it a relationship between seniors and juniors?

“Master Li Xuan, I am Banmu, Banmu of the Earth.”

"As long as I stand on the earth, I am invincible! Let me see if your proud Pokémon can defeat my indestructible earth army!"

By the time it came to its senses, it had already finished speaking.

There was no sense of shame, only a passion for the battle.

This time, he was not facing off against Li Xuan as the leader of the Rockets.

It is a battle unique to the Gym Leaders of the League.

A fair and square battle!
"The head coach of Itamoto-kan!"

"Overwhelmingly domineering! His imposing presence remains undiminished!"

"It's been so long since I've seen such a domineering Gym Leader Sakaki!"

Itagaki's bold words ignited the audience's emotions, and everyone cheered him on.

Many years have passed, the owners have changed, and Banmu has gone from a newcomer to a seasoned veteran.

Many people had never seen this side of Banmu before and were all looking forward to how Li Xuan would respond.

"Master Banmu, the person I am most grateful to along the way is you. It is truly an honor for me to stand on the stage of the Quartz Battle Arena and fight against you."

"Here, please allow me to introduce Fighting Pokémon to you and to everyone."

"They are tempered and refined, able to survive in desperate situations, and are Pokémon that can unleash their physical potential in the face of adversity."

"My partners and I have suffered setbacks and teetered on the brink of life and death many times, which has given us great strength."

"Therefore, please welcome Mr. Banmu and all the audience to appreciate my hard work and sweat along the way!"

The voice just fell.

Li Xuan and Banmu gripped their Poké Balls tightly and simultaneously threw them towards the center of the battlefield!
Blaziken, Mega Evolution!

The moment the red light touched the Key Stone, Li Xuan resonated with the Mega Stone carried by Blaziken.

"Cha!"

Blaziken bursts into a loud cry, and its dazzling seven-colored light transforms into fine threads that touch the Key Stone, instantly forming a giant cocoon that wraps around its entire body.

Click!

The sound of the cocoon cracking rang out, and Blaziken transformed into Mega Blaziken, its base stats skyrocketing!
Pokémon: Mega Blaziken

[Attributes: Fire, Fighting]

【Level: 71】

[Feature: Acceleration]

[Moves: Omitted]

The last time Blaziken underwent Mega Evolution, it was still in the Unova region and was at level 68.

Now, having broken through to the champion level, he stands on the battlefield of the dojo competition, demonstrating his unique abilities!
"good."

Banmu clapped his hands in celebration of Li Xuan.

In front of him stood a large, heavy-looking brown hippopotamus Pokémon, its four legs firmly planted on the ground.

Its eyes are scarlet, and its entire back, from its nose to the upper half, is black.

The moment it appeared, quicksand spewed from the holes in its body, and dust flew everywhere.

Weather: Sandstorm!
Pokémon: Hippowdon

[Attribute: Ground]

【Level: 71】

【Characteristic: Sandstorm】

【Moves: Omitted.】

The champion-level Hippowdon is even stronger than Kikuno's ace Hippowdon, one of the Sinnoh Elite Four!

"Hippomon, yawn."

"River~"

Banmu knew what Li Xuan was trying to do and wanted to block his tactics as soon as possible.

The hippopotamus yawned incessantly, and a surge of energy, accompanied by sonic waves, rushed forth.

"Hold on!"

They used up their chance to hold on in the first round.

An energy shield suddenly rose, protecting Super Blaziken from its yawning attack.

Banmu's lips curled up; he knew Li Xuan would do this: "Hippo Beast, Earthquake!"

Now that he's used up his defensive skills, he can go on the offensive.

"Flaming chicken, sword dance!"

Li Xuan's choice was unexpected.

Rumble!
The hippopotamus slammed its foot on the ground, and the earthquake waves spread outward like a raging torrent!
Super Blaziken leaps into the air, its rapidly spinning body creating a wave of sword dance energy that forms an invisible barrier in front of it.

The seismic waves collided violently with the sword dance's aura, producing a muffled roar.

Sword Dance is not a defensive move; the air wall can only temporarily block the impact.

But for Super Blaziken, that fleeting opportunity was enough!
"Brave Bird Attack!"

Super Blaziken folds its arms in front of its chest, and its body bursts with a dazzling crimson light.

The red light underwent a sudden qualitative change at the moment of extreme compression, transforming into a suffocating, ghostly blue flame!
A giant bird phantom, formed entirely from flight energy, appeared out of thin air and completely enveloped the Super Blaziken.

"Wow!"

With a cry that ripped through the sky, the giant bird swooped down with the force of burning everything in its path, heading straight for the hippopotamus!

Sakaki raised an eyebrow slightly, not expecting Li Xuan to launch such a desperate attack so early.

But he didn't panic. Instead, he calmly shouted, "Invisibility Rock!"

The hippopotamus was enveloped in brownish rock energy, and countless sharp pebbles rained down on the battlefield, but instead of directly attacking Super Blaziken, it quietly disappeared into the air.

Just as the rocks disappeared.

The giant bird crashed into the hippopotamus!

The dark blue flames engulfed the colossal creature's body, and the shockwave from the explosion swirled the sand and dust into a towering vortex!
"Fire Fist!"

Li Xuan pressed his advantage. Super Blaziken withstood the backlash from the attack, its fighting spirit only increasing.

It clenched its claws into fists, and scorching flames erupted, blasting straight at the hippopotamus's face!

Bang bang bang!
Super Blaziken's punches were so fast they left afterimages, but Hippo didn't react at all, which was quite surprising.

Li Xuan frowned and shouted repeatedly, "Take the baton!"

Everything that needed to be done has been done; it's time to cut people off.

"Cha!"

Mega Blaziken leaped into the air, unleashing a burst of energy that sent it flying back into Li Xuan's Poké Ball as a beam of light.

Immediately afterwards...

"Abandon the drink!"

The Forsaken Monkey appears, the Invisible Rock reappears, and it lunges forward!

Boom boom!

A Fighting-type Renoir resisted the Stealth Rock and didn't take much damage.

Instead, it fueled its fighting spirit.

The Abandoned Monkey unleashed ghostly energy from its fists, transforming them into two gigantic, ghostly fists that shot straight toward the Hippo Beast!
The speed was so fast that even the spectators outside the arena didn't have time to react before they saw the furious fist flying forward and about to hit the hippopotamus!

Banmu's plan was thus achieved: "Blow it away."

Having withstood those two furious punches, Hippo simply raised its leg, and Sandstorm, like a pair of giant hands, lifted Abandoned Monkey and threw it back into Li Xuan's Poké Ball.

The effect of the relay vanished instantly.

The Super Blaziken's buffs vanished. Li Xuan: "..."

Tsk.

"As expected of Master Banmu, he saw through my plan in one go. I am completely convinced."

Li Xuan clasped his hands in a fist salute and looked at the newly dispatched Pokémon.

Genesis.

Only weak to Fire-type moves, Genesect can still be used as a long-range artillery turret to whittle down the opponent as long as it doesn't get close to Hippowdon.

Banmu was not careless.

He knew about Team Plasma's artificial Pokémon.

A Champion-level Pokémon with a base stat total of 600, it lives up to the title of "Elemental Turret" even more than Nidoking in its team; it's a troublesome opponent.

"Hippopotamus, keep blowing!"

The hippopotamus's tactics are quite simple.

If you encounter a situation where you are countered by the ground or have low defenses, just launch a direct attack using an earthquake.

If you encounter someone you can't defeat in a short time, just blow them away and leave.

By taking advantage of the stealth rock and sandstorm effects, you can whittle down enemy health and achieve the effect of taking on multiple enemies at once.

Before the hippopotamus beast could land, Li Xuan quickly commanded, "Blizzard!"

The cannon barrels behind Genesect emitted a chilling glint, and an extreme cold storm, carrying ice crystals and snowflakes, roared out, carving a pale blue trail in the dim sandstorm.

The hippopotamus withstood the blizzard, growling in pain but still not collapsing.

Then, Hippo inhaled sharply, and the sandstorm spun wildly with the blow-away move, forming a sandstorm tornado that forcibly lifted Genesect and forced it back into the Poké Ball at Li Xuan's waist!

"?"

The next one to appear is Mewtwo.

It is also the fourth Pokémon in Li Xuan's team.

It’s time to say it or not.

This hippopotamus-like creature, Banmu, is really tough.

It withstood so many hits without losing its combat ability; it's definitely being trained as a tank!
"The owner of Banmu is awesome."

"The first time I met Master Li Xuan, I was unable to finish the battle quickly. As expected, experience is the best teacher."

"Oh? I didn't expect that Gym Leader Li Xuan's usual fast-paced tactics wouldn't work on Gym Leader Giovanni. And it hasn't been long since then, but four of the six Pokémon in this battle have already shown up and taken some damage."

This is the first time GuLiTV has seen Li Xuan in a passive state.

This is enough to demonstrate Banki's strength.

"Gym Leader Giovanni, this Pokémon is called Mewtwo. It has the Psychic type and its ability is Intimidate."

Li Xuan enthusiastically introduced Mewtwo to Banmu.

"Hehe, thank you so much, Master Li Xuan, for answering my question."

The wooden frame smiled without smiling, which was quite genuine.

Introducing Team Rocket's artificial Pokémon to yourself?
Hajixuan, you really know how to touch my heartstrings.

Banmu wanted to lash out, but couldn't.

His facial expression remained calm.

"Mewtwo, use your Psychic!"

Hippowdon's Special Defense is average, and its previous barrage of attacks had left it with very low stamina, making it easy for Mewtwo to finish it off.

Banmu simply gave the order: "Slack off."

This time, Mewtwo acted even faster.

Its eyes turned a deep blue, and its immense superpower enveloped the hippopotamus's entire body, hindering its actions and thoughts.

Boom boom!

The hippopotamus felt dizzy and disoriented, completely at Mewtwo's mercy, like a rag doll.

Before long, he completely lost his ability to fight.

"Hippomon is unable to battle. Please send out your next Pokémon, Gym Leader Giovanni."

"Come back, thank you for your hard work."

Banmu was satisfied with the hippopotamus's performance.

He tricked Li Xuan out of his four Pokémon single-handedly, and even wore himself out.

Not bad.

"Mewtwo...heh."

If it were Giovanni's own Mewtwo that hadn't yet switched sides, he might have to be a little more careful.

But this Mewtwo is just a copy made by Team Plasma.

His appearance is effeminate; how could it possibly compare to his perfect work?

Mewtwo: ?
I always feel like the old man in front of me is crickets chirping at me.

What other unpleasant things did they say?

"If it's the second one, then you're the one."

Giovanni casually sent out a second Pokémon.

It is a gray Pokémon with pincers.

It was standing on its tail, winking at everyone.

Pokémon: Gliscor

[Attributes: Ground, Flight]

【Level: 72】

[Specialty: Poison Therapy]

[Moves: Omitted]

The Scorpion King, with its poison healing properties...

Banki, why are you resorting to underhanded tactics now?
Who turned you into this?
Even the Poison Therapy Scorpion King has arrived!

Standing on the ground, you are invincible.

So you're using poison therapy to sustain yourself, right?

of course.

The poison healing tactic was a major strategy in the previous game.

It's also very easy to crack.

Simply knock down its item at the start.

With Mewtwo's speed, I'm sure it can do that, right?
Li Xuan still has a lot of faith in Mewtwo.

Hopefully, it won't disappoint me.

"Mewtwo, teleport over there and use Knock Down!"

Li Xuan dared not be careless and immediately ordered Mewtwo to launch a fierce attack.

"Ah."

Mewtwo disappeared from the spot and reappeared behind Gliscor.

Dark-type energy was attached to its spherical fingers, and Mewtwo aimed at Gliscor's back and slammed it down!

Bang!

Just heard a loud noise.

Mewtwo was deflected by an energy shield.

Normal-type units, hold the line!
"Master Li Xuan, you're not the only one who knows how to use the 'Guardian' skill."

Banmu's smile was ambiguous, yet also contained a hint of mockery.

"Pinch pinch~" (Hehehe, you silly goose~)

Scorpion King was full of playfulness, its entire body covered in a dense purple light, clearly indicating that it had entered a highly venomous state.

For ordinary Pokémon.

Entering a highly poisonous state means that a swift and decisive battle is necessary.

But for a Pokémon like Gliscor, which has the Poison Healing ability, this is a great tonic.

A great helper for extending your battery life.

"overtake!"

Mewtwo got a little red-hot and instantly swore.

It doesn't matter if it gets heard. Infernape's cry is "Infernape Infernape," so what's wrong with it saying "Infernape Infernape" to Mewtwo?
but……

Why is every Pokémon provoking me?!

Does it really have no face at all?!

"Mewtwo, your opponent is deliberately trying to provoke you. Don't let them get the better of you."

Li Xuan's eyes narrowed.

Giovanni is also a veteran Mewtwo expert.

It immediately reveals Mewtwo's Achilles' heel.

(End of this chapter)