Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

Then, with a thick and freezing force, the ice pillar smashed down on Garchomp.

"call--"

The ice pillars whirred as the old craftsman swung them around, but they couldn't touch the Garchomp, which was now a level faster after its scales were released.

The old craftsman almost always knew that Ice Punch was an open secret, even the cloud trainers watching the match on screen knew it.

Having fought alongside Garchomp for so long, how could Xia Shen, with his extensive combat experience, not know?

Although the scales he had Garchomp fire ahead of time reduced its defense, the increased speed was not for nothing.

Without that speed boost, Garchomp might only be able to escape by taking to the air or diving into the ground.

But it is precisely this crucial speed boost from Scale Shot that allows Garchomp to leisurely dodge the swirling ice crystal concrete pillar as it is now.

The reason he chose to maintain a seemingly distant relationship with the old craftsman was, of course,... to launch a swift counterattack!

As the ice on the concrete pillars gradually melted, Garchomp stopped dodging and retreated.

Green light shone brightly on its claws, and with a powerful kick of its legs, Garchomp unleashed a dragon claw strike in retaliation.

The old craftsman wasn't that fast. The two were already close, and the dragon claw's phantom was huge. With a casual swing, the old craftsman was hit head-on.

After its sword dance, Garchomp first unleashes its scales, then its dragon claw.

Even with the high durability of the old craftsman elf, and its body enhanced by Bodybuilding, it was starting to feel the strain.

Seeing that even the ace Pokémon in the assessment team was falling behind, the examiner pondered for a moment and suddenly said, "Old Craftsman, continue with Ice Punch!"

…………

Again?

Xia Shen was surprised. Wasn't the experience and lesson just now enough?

No, Xia Shen knew that as an examiner, his opponent was definitely not a fool.

So... what could be the variable?

Xia Shen couldn't think of a solution for the time being. For now, he could only fight and observe, and respond to any changes with a wait-and-see approach.

Before him, the stone pillar on the old craftsman's right hand turned into an ice pillar again, which he swung with great force.

Garchomp, however, continued to nimbly dodge and weave.

But the more this happened, the more worried Xia Shen became; the examiner couldn't have made a baseless accusation...

"Throw it out!" A swift and ruthless voice rang out from the trainer's command center onto the battlefield.

Alarm bells rang in Xia Shen's mind, and he finally understood what his opponent was up to.

Weapons are not such inconvenient things!

Stone pillars can be used not only to strike people, but also as concealed weapons.

Hidden weapons can only be throwing knives, daggers, and the Rain of Pear Blossoms needles?

narrow!

As long as you strike unexpectedly, you'll be in accordance with the essence of [Darkness]!

Just like this ice crystal cement pillar that sped towards the Garchomp.

…………

"state--"

The sound of the icicle colliding with Garchomp's solid body echoed throughout the arena.

What followed was a muffled groan from Garchomp due to the extremely high damage from "Ice Pillar".

Maintaining a close yet distant distance is a double-edged sword, although it allows Garchomp to launch attacks on its opponents more quickly.

However, this also left him with no time to react when faced with his opponent's hidden weapon attacks.

Thus, the Ice Punch, a different form of Ice Punch with four times the strength of the Glacial, struck Garchomp, which was right at close range.

Xia Shen really didn't expect that the instructor in charge of the assessment would be so imaginative, able to work with the old construction worker he was temporarily working with to make the Frozen Fist so interesting.

But...didn't he consider how the old craftsman would proceed if a pillar was missing?

"Garuda, don't let him pick up that pillar again."

Xia Shen's words startled the examiners and the old craftsman, and then they understood their opponent's intentions.

The old craftsman always carried two concrete pillars with him, as he simply couldn't get used to moving around with only one pillar, whether running or fighting.

Putting aside the question of whether combat effectiveness is weakened, the balance issue of one hand being heavier than the other is fatal enough.

Just as the examiner was about to ask the old craftsman to retrieve the pillar, Garchomp unleashed a powerful shot, and the heavy stone pillar rolled off the battlefield...

The old craftsman: "..."

"Old Master Builder, Freeze Punch, the other hand!" The temporary trainer's voice brought Old Master Builder back to his senses.

He instantly understood what it meant, and the icy energy in his hand condensed and transferred, turning the only cement pillar in his hand into an ice pop.

The old craftsman wielded his weapon with great force, charging towards the Garchomp not far in front of him.

He certainly didn't really expect to hit it that way. Instead, he had the same idea as before: force the opponent to move first, and then look for an opportunity to smash the "freezing stick" out.

Garchomp had no choice but to fly into the air to dodge.

…………

Thus, the situation reached a stalemate. Garchomp dared not fly too close, as throwing a pillar into the air was still a simple matter for the old craftsman.

But flying too high is pointless; the old craftsman can't hit him, but he also can't attack his opponent.

The key point is that the pillar of ice he was wielding was indeed quite intimidating.

Having just been hit by that "ice pillar," Garchomp appeared unfazed and seemingly unharmed.

But only he himself knows just how powerful this fifth-level professional construction craftsman's attacks can be!

I absolutely cannot withstand his third freezing punch!

Therefore, this "frozen pillar" should absolutely not be eaten.

[Garuda, don't rush, it's him who's in a hurry. He only has one last chance to throw that pillar. Feint an opening, bait out the pillar, and then attack freely.]

Xia Shen's sudden telepathic transmission instantly helped Garchomp regain its composure.

He glanced down at the old construction worker on the ground and saw that his face was indeed solemn.

This pillar was almost fatal to him, and it was just as deadly to him.

If you hit the target, you're guaranteed to win.

Missed the throw? Sorry, at the slow pace of the old craftsman, you'll never get your hands on a Garchomp after its Scale Shot speed boost.

Having figured this out, Garchomp, which had previously dared not stop, defiantly paused in mid-air.

I want to bet with you on the Freeze Punch, on our lives!

Dare to bet?

Faced with Garchomp's provocation, the opponent backed down.

To be precise, it wasn't the old craftsman who chickened out, but the examiner.

He dared not gamble; if he gambled wrong, he might never have another chance to stop Garchomp.

The red and white lights alternated as the old craftsman left the arena, and in his place came the last Pokémon in the assessment team, the second strongest Pokémon in the team, Toxicroak.

…………

Xia Shen pursed his lips, "This is boring. I don't even dare to gamble."

However, this was indeed the wisest choice for the opponent.

Although the opponent was unaware of this, in reality, as long as the old craftsman dared to throw it, Xia Shen, who was well prepared, was absolutely confident that he could return Garchomp to the ball before the ice pillar hit.

Superpowered person? Are you kidding me?

However, since the opponent has changed Pokémon, it would be a shame not to take advantage of the double boost from Swords Dance and Scale Shot to bully him, especially after taking that ice pillar.

The Garchomp, which shared the same thought as Xia Shen, had its dragon claw phantoms reappear on its claws.

Then, it swooped down at top speed towards the Poison Skull Frog, which had just appeared and had no time to react.

To everyone's surprise, the examiner neither flinched nor dodged, and coldly said, "Poison Skull Frog, Freeze Punch!"

Xia Shen was completely stunned as soon as the examiner finished speaking.

So every Pokémon learns Ice Punch, right?

The whole world is targeting my earth dragon!

Of course, he was just grumbling. Although Ice is a weak type for Pokémon, it is an excellent type for moves.

It has a wide reach and strong penetration.

It's not an exaggeration for a Fighting-type Pokémon to know Ice Punch.

But there's no turning back now; Garchomp has already swooped down, and it has no choice but to take the Freeze Punch head-on.

On the field, Toxicroak, facing Garchomp that swooped down like lightning, advanced instead of retreating.

He leaped high into the air, gathering cold energy in his hands once more. Facing the suffocatingly intense aura of the dragon claw, he condensed an icy fist to meet it head-on.

"Bam—"

With their fists clashing, Garchomp and Toxicroak were each hit by their opponent's move, staggering back a few steps after landing.

Xia Shen glanced at Garchomp's status and let out a soft breath.

This Poison Skull Frog is far less powerful than the old builder's attack, and it's not just because of the difference in energy level.

The training level of Ice Fist, the bonus from Bodybuilding, and if I'm not mistaken, the bonus from the [Iron Fist] trait.

These differences all contribute to making the damage caused by this poisonous skeletal frog less severe.

If we say that a well-built builder can defeat a Garchomp with just three punches.

In this state, Toxicroak can withstand five punches from Garchomp.

Xia Shen pondered for a moment. Garchomp probably still had nearly half of its stamina left. Perhaps he could try to use the speed boost from Scale Shot to kite his opponent.