Pokémon: I just became a Gym Leader, and Cynthia proposed to me.

The forests of the Giant Tree Battlefield are burning.

It's not fire, it's energy.

Each time the axe-splitting mantis strikes with its double axes, it tears a crack several meters long in the ground, from which green light surges forth.

That was the life force it forcibly drew from the surrounding forest, like a leaky bucket, constantly being consumed and replenished.

Its eyes were a deep purple, its carapace was covered with rampant blue-green veins, and every breath it took was accompanied by the groan of the forest.

Ma Jiamu was being carried by two guards, stumbling and running through the woods.

His robes were torn in several places by tree branches, his face was covered in mud, and his glasses were askew.

Behind him, three Starbirds from the guard group were taking turns harassing the Scyther Mantis, but they couldn't even get close.

With a casual swing of its axe, the condensed rocks shot out like cannonballs, smashing a Staraptor away, wing and body together.

"Lord Ma Jiamu! Over here!"

Berryra's long-eared rabbit charged out from the side, delivering a double kick to the scyther's hind leg joint.

The axe-wielding mantis didn't even turn around; it swung its axe horizontally, sending the long-eared rabbit flying and crashing into two small trees.

Bellila rushed forward and caught her Pokémon, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

Then, the Poké Ball fell from the sky.

Six beams of white light exploded simultaneously.

The Deviljho, Staraptor, Golduck, Little Cat, Ponyta, Zubat, and Float lined up in front of Xiao Zhao.

Xiao Zhao fell from the sky, landing on one knee with her right hand on the ground. Aura power poured from her palm into the earth, instantly covering the entire battlefield.

She sensed every muscle contraction and energy flow of the mantis, as well as the waveguide of the macaque.

Fear, exhaustion, and some other emotion she didn't have time to think about.

"Sniper Tree Owl, Swallow Return!"

The Emerald Sniper Tree Owl charged out first, its wings condensing with fighting light, shooting towards the Axe-Splitter Mantis like a silver-white lightning bolt.

Its claws landed precisely on the mantis's chest, channeling its fighting energy.

The axe-wielding mantis remained completely still.

It lowered its head, looking at the sniper tree owl on its chest, its purplish-black compound eyes devoid of any emotion.

Then it raised its right axe, and a rock the size of a human head materialized on the axe blade, which it shot out at close range.

Golduck charged forward, clasped its hands together, and unleashed a water cannon.

The high-pressure water jet struck the rock, shattering it in half, but the remaining fragments still hit Golduck in the chest, sending it flying.

The Golduck did two somersaults in the air, crashed to the ground, and slid three meters before coming to a stop.

"Starhawk, close combat! Ponyta, Flame Charge!"

The Mk Eagle swooped down from the sky, its entire body enveloped in blue and white light.

Ponyta took the lead, but was then cleaved away by Mantis's axe on its way to charge.

But the moment it hit the ground, its body burst into a blinding white light.

The flames changed from crimson to golden orange, and its mane transformed from flames into an even more intense, liquid-sunlight-like blaze.

When the four hooves tread the ground, they leave charred hoofprints.

Under the cover of the little horse pony, the Starhawk that rushed forward was also hit by the axe.

Like a flying insect swatted by a fly swatter, it flew out sideways.

After evolving, Rapidash gained confidence and used Flare Charge once again.

The Rapidash crashed into the flank of the Mantis like a burning meteor.

The mantis swayed slightly.

Its left leg stepped back, creating a shallow crater in the ground.

Then the mantis swung its weapon again.

The fiery horse was grazed on the shoulder by the axe blade, the flames were cleaved, and it rolled away with a scream.

The remaining Pokémon launched a wave-like attack: Zubat's Shadow Ball, Floatball's Magic Leaf, and Kekkon's Quick Attack.

The praying mantises were swatted away one by one, as if they were swatting a swarm of annoying mosquitoes.

Each time it flies away, it absorbs energy from the surrounding forest, the green veins on its shell light up, and its stamina is restored.

Xiao Zhao stood up.

She drew the Hidden Shadow Fang from her waist.

The dagger glowed with a dark purple light in her hand.

Waveguide power flowed into the blade, and shadow energy surged from the hilt, like a black river, spreading upwards along the blade.

The short sword extended, grew longer and wider in the shadows, eventually transforming into a three-foot-long shadow sword.

The blade was as black as ink, with a dark purple halo around its edges. Wherever the blade's energy touched, the air emitted a faint hissing sound.

Seven parts domineering, three parts sinister.

Xiao Zhao gripped the knife with both hands and charged forward.

As the axe-wielding mantis swung down, Xiao Zhao turned to the side, his blade angled to deflect the force of the blow.

The axe slammed into the ground, splitting the earth. Using the momentum from the impact, Xiao Zhao spun around, his Shadow Blade carving a deep gash into the mantis's sidearm.

The mantis's compound eyes flickered. For the first time, it looked seriously at this small, shell-less creature.

The second ax cuts horizontally.

Xiao Zhao stepped back, blocking with the blade. The axe blade struck the blade, causing the shadow energy to explode. Xiao Zhao was pushed back three steps.

But she didn't falter. On her third step back, she pushed off with her right foot, lunged forward, and thrust the tip of her knife toward the seam of the mantis's carapace.

The axe-wielding mantis parried with its left axe, the tip of the blade piercing the axe surface, sparks flying everywhere.

Xiao Zhao and the praying mantis fought each other in the burning forest, on the cracked earth.

Her strength was inferior to itss, and each block left her hands numb from the impact. But she used technique to deflect the force, angles to deflect, and waveguide power to predict the trajectory of its every axe strike.

Every now and then, she can leave two knife marks on its shell.

It was only at this point in the battle that Xiao Zhao remembered the treasure that Xingyue had given him.

She took out a treasure from her waist with her left hand and, in the brief moment when the axe-splitting mantis missed its target with its axe, smashed the treasure into its chest.

The treasure exploded, and white light seeped into its carapace. The mantis paused for a moment, and the purple light in its eyes dimmed slightly.

Xiao Zhao kept hitting and smashing the treasure. One, two, three.

The mantis's ferocious energy was gradually depleted, its movements became slower and slower, and the purple light in its eyes faded.

The last treasure struck its forehead, and the axe-splitting mantis stopped, its two axes falling, the purple light completely fading, revealing its cloudy but calm compound eyes.

It glanced at Xiao Zhao, then turned and walked into the depths of the forest.

The footsteps were heavy, but not aggressive.