"Grr! (Big Bro Houndoom, get up!)"
"Arf!!! (Boss!!!)"
"Mag! (Houndoom got one-shotted?! No way!)"
The crowd was in disbelief. Houndoom wasn't just some rookie—it was an arena veteran. How could it lose so fast? While some mourned their lost Flame Coins, Braixen wept silently behind her tray. The payout for Su Feng's bet would bankrupt her stall for weeks.
Combusken stared at the fallen Houndoom, perplexed. Did I hit too hard? After sparring with powerhouses like Dusknoir and Kyurem, he'd underestimated his own strength.
Braixen reluctantly delivered a mountain of Flame Coins to Su Feng. "Vulpix... (Six hundred Coins, sir...)"
Su Feng waved Gengar to stash the loot in his shadow. Watching her profits vanish, Braixen gritted her teeth. "Vulpix? (Would your Combusken like another challenge?)"
"Challenge?" Su Feng raised an eyebrow. "Is there anyone stronger here?"
Braixen glanced at Magmar, who shot her a warning look. But Su Feng pressed: "I'd like to meet this 'stronger' Pokémon."
Minutes later, the arena trembled as a hulking figure climbed onto the platform.
"Vulpix! (Ladies and germs, welcome our unbreakable fortress—Turtonator!)"
The crowd erupted as a 7-foot-tall turtle with a spiked, explosive shell lumbered into view. Combusken looked like a chick next to this behemoth.
"Grr. (You beat Houndoom? Pathetic.)" Turtonator sneered.
Combusken nodded calmly.
"Grr. (He's gone soft.)" Though dismissive, Turtonator analyzed its foe—a close-range fighter. Easy prey.
[That turtle's terrifying!]
[Spiked shell = built-in thorns? OP!]
[Combusken's screwed—it's a melee fighter!]
Su Feng began his live commentary: "Turtonator, the Blast Turtle Pokémon. Fire/Dragon-type. It feeds on volcanic sulfur, storing explosive compounds in its shell. Any impact triggers a massive detonation."
"It also spews flames and toxic gas from its nostrils. Even its... droppings are high-grade explosives used in mining."
[Explosive poop?!]
[Dragon-type? Where's the dragon part?!]
[This matchup's rigged! Combusken can't touch it!]
Magmar chuckled. "Mag. (You know your stuff. For a 'part-time' doctor.)"
Su Feng smirked. "Live education's my main gig. Healing's just a side hustle."
As the crowd roared, Turtonator's shell glowed ominously. Combusken's claws ignited—this would be a blast.