The Garchomp leapt nimbly from the pile of gemstones, growling low. The Carbink, receiving its command, hastily cleared a battlefield within the spacious cavern.
Su Feng smiled faintly. The Garchomp's intentions were crystal clear.
"Go, Combusken!"
Combusken: "..."
Seeing the Fire-type's hesitation, Su Feng offered an encouraging grin. "Trust me!"
Combusken scratched its head. It wasn't that it doubted Su Feng, but this Garchomp was clearly on a whole different level!
The livestream chat erupted in despair.
[Combusken stands no chance! It's just a newly evolved baby!]
[LOL Combusken's reluctant face is killing me!]
[Smart streamer suddenly turned suicidal? Letting a chicken fight a dragon? Genius.]
Despite this, Combusken steeled itself and stepped onto the battlefield.
Garchomp nodded slightly in approval. At least the fire chicken had guts.
"Meh!" The Carbink referee signaled the start. Both Pokémon sprang into action.
"ROAR!"
Garchomp unleashed a Dragon Breath with zero startup lag while charging forward at blistering speed. This wasn't turn-based combat—in the real world, speed meant everything.
Su Feng's eyes narrowed. The Garchomp's battle IQ surpassed expectations. The Dragon Breath forced Combusken to defend or dodge while closing the distance to exploit its type advantage. Ground-type Garchomp resisted Fire attacks and held a clear level advantage. By all logic, Combusken was outmatched.
Yet Su Feng remained calm. Countering the onslaught was all that mattered now.
"Combusken! Quick Attack diagonally right to evade Dragon Breath, then retaliate with Flame Charge!"
Having bonded deeply with its trainer, Combusken obeyed instantly. It transformed into a white streak, narrowly dodging the draconic blast. But Garchomp stomped the ground, pivoting sharply to intercept Combusken's trajectory.
The Fire-type barely registered the sudden course correction. Remembering Su Feng's orders, it gritted its teeth and erupted in flames, crashing into Garchomp.
The dragon-monster anticipated this. Meeting the charge head-on, dark energy coalesced around its jaws.
THUD!
Combusken collided with Garchomp, flames sizzling against scales.
"GRRAAH!"
Garchomp seized the opportunity, sinking fangs wreathed in Bite's dark aura into the flaming chicken and hurling it across the arena. Combusken tumbled wildly before stabilizing, while Garchomp stood imposingly, allowing its opponent to recover.
"Kraa... kraa..." Combusken panted, inspecting the deep tooth marks on its arm. Blood seeped through singed feathers. Garchomp bore minor burns but seemed utterly unfazed.
[Ouch! That looks brutal!]
[Bro really bit a flaming chicken? His mouth okay?]
["I murder without blinking" "Does your eye get dry?" LOL]
[Is this suicide strategy? Combusken can't trade blows!]
The first exchange clearly favored Garchomp. Yet Su Feng smiled.
"Combusken! Flame Charge again—minimize damage this time!"
Though confused, Combusken obeyed. Flames reignited as both Pokémon charged—scarlet versus violet.
This time, Garchomp aimed to end it. Its claws glowed violet with Dragon Claw, targeting Combusken's chest for a knockout blow.
At the critical moment, Combusken spun sideways, evading the lethal strike. Using the momentum, it grazed Garchomp's flank with Flame Charge before darting away.
Garchomp steadied itself, eyeing Combusken warily. The fire chicken's speed... had increased?
Touching the scorch mark on its side, Garchomp's gaze sharpened. It had underestimated them.
"Combusken! Quick Attack into Double Kick!"
"KRA!"
Su Feng grinned. He hadn't expected Combusken to dodge so flawlessly while landing Flame Charge. Now, after multiple speed boosts, Combusken finally edged ahead in velocity—their lifeline to victory.
Wreathed in Quick Attack's white aura, Combusken blurred toward Garchomp. The dragon's eyes widened—this speed was real!
Too late to dodge, Garchomp crossed its arms defensively. At the last moment, Combusken vaulted skyward using Quick Attack's momentum, executing a spinning Double Kick.
THWACK-THWACK!
The impacts reverberated through Garchomp's arms, numbing them. While the damage was minimal, Combusken backflipped to safety, maintaining distance.
"GRR..."
Garchomp's eyes hardened. No more holding back. From now on, this would be a battle between equals.