Under the dual impact of the flames and the energy beams, the remaining Sharpedo could not reform their formation, and their offensive was immediately shattered. Seizing the opportunity, Annihilape struck again, defeating another Sharpedo.
"Sylveon, Alakazam, Annihilape! Disperse these Sharpedo and defeat them individually. Use this as the catalyst for your breakthrough to the Leader Rank!"
With only six Sharpedo remaining, Gu Yuan ordered the trio to stop collaborating so they could use the power of these Pokémon to facilitate their own breakthroughs. Guided by Ditto, Sylveon quickly found two worthy opponents. A giant serpent formed from Psychic surged out, tightly binding two Sharpedo.
Annihilape, on the other hand, appeared even more domineering. With a simple punch, it shattered a Sharpedo's Liquidation and forced it back instantly. Then, it stood its ground, waiting for the two Sharpedo to attack again, exuding the aura of a god of war.
Ceruledge and Gengar floated in the air as instructed by Gu Yuan, but looking at the situation, they would likely have no chance to provide support. Liquidation was unleashed again as two Sharpedo launched a pincer attack from the front and back. Pivoting its body, Annihilape threw two punches simultaneously, once again crushing the Sharpedo's assault.
Looking at the Annihilape floating in place, the two Sharpedo felt a sense of despair. Gu Yuan felt somewhat helpless as well; for an Annihilape that had raised the power of Rage Fist to its limit, these two Sharpedo truly struggled to provide enough pressure.
"Finish them off, Annihilape!"
Despite his thoughts, Gu Yuan gave the order for the final blow. Rage Fist was unleashed once more. Facing an all-out Annihilape, the two Sharpedo were unable to resist and were instantly defeated. Seizing this timing, Gu Yuan used his points to help Annihilape take that final step. Surging power coursed through its body as Annihilape successfully stepped into the Leader Rank.
At the same time, the battles for Alakazam and Sylveon were nearing their end, allowing Gu Yuan to shift his focus to Charizard. A storm gathered, trapping the Sharpedo leader within its center. Flames raged, continuously bombarding the shark. Finding the right opening, Charizard dove rapidly, executing a Dragon Rush.
The Sharpedo launched a Hydro Pump, but against a Charizard that had maxed out its Attack stat with Dragon Dance, the water was useless. The moment the Hydro Pump was shattered, Charizard slammed into the Sharpedo. Sharp claws lunged forward, piercing the Sharpedo's body before Charizard forcefully threw it into the air.
Enduring the sharp pain, the Sharpedo tried to retaliate, but Charizard took flight first. Its speed advantage allowed it to toy with the slower Sharpedo. Once in the air, it wouldn't be so easy for the Sharpedo to return to the sea. Hurricane swept up, merging with the seawater to form a waterspout that trapped the leader inside.
Forcing itself to stay calm, the Sharpedo identified a direction and fired a Hydro Pump to blast a hole in the waterspout. However, the moment it escaped using Aqua Jet, Charizard struck from below with another Dragon Rush, knocking the Sharpedo even higher.
Looking at the azure sky, the Sharpedo felt it much preferred the deep blue sea, but it could not withstand Charizard's "hospitality," which prevented it from returning to its familiar battlefield. Its few long-range moves failed to hit the agile Charizard; instead, the flame Pokémon repeatedly found openings to rush in, deliver a beating, and knock it a bit higher.
As its wounds multiplied, the Sharpedo's aura grew increasingly weak. After dodging another Hydro Pump with Aerial Ace, Charizard took the opportunity to get above the Sharpedo and released Blast Burn, instantly engulfing the shark.
A series of explosions followed, making the flames even more ferocious. Then, the Sharpedo, now a ball of fire, crashed into the sea, kicking up a massive cloud of steam. When the smoke cleared, the Sharpedo was floating belly-up on the water, incapacitated.
Before Charizard's battle had even concluded, Alakazam and Sylveon had already finished their opponents and successfully broke through to the Leader Rank with Gu Yuan's help. These Sharpedo, the overlords of this sea, never expected that they would one day become stepping stones for other Pokémon to grow stronger.
Adhering to his frugal "plucking feathers from a passing goose" style, Gu Yuan managed to collect half of the Sharpedo into Poké Balls to send to Shadow, including the one with Leader Rank strength.
Having achieved his goal, Gu Yuan was in no hurry to return. He had already taken leave, and going back now felt like a waste. Therefore, he decided to continue his hunt while allowing Sylveon and the others to familiarize themselves with their newfound power.
Two days later, Gu Yuan returned to the ship and stopped going out. This surprised Dar, but it also gave him some peace of mind. After a smooth final few days of travel, Dar's team successfully arrived in the Unova region.
The city they chose to dock in was Castelia City, a coastal city in the south-central part of the Unova region. Compared to other cities, the first impression of Castelia City was its sheer size, with skyscrapers standing shoulder to shoulder.
As the commercial and economic hub of the Unova region, the streets were filled with countless hurried pedestrians, creating a picture of bustling noise. It is located on the central peninsula of Unova, with a desert to the north and the ocean to the south, making it a key port city.
Castelia City is also one of the most grand and culturally diverse cities in the Pokémon world; one can see many things here that aren't found in other regions. The core of the city is the Central Business District, filled with skyscrapers and office buildings, with a park in the center. The southern outskirts serve as the port.
Furthermore, there is a Castelia Gym for gym battles, which attracts many trainers to the city. There is also a battle company here that primarily researches battle items and provides battle services for trainers of all levels. They even hold occasional battle tournaments, earning quite a reputation in the Unova region.
Thinking about the fact that he would be competing in the Regional Battle Tournament here, Gu Yuan planned to visit this battle company after the competition was over. For the current Gu Yuan, Poké Dollars were becoming less useful. Rare items, TMs, and Pokémon all required contribution points. Thus, he was more than willing to trade Poké Dollars for points if possible.
Soon, the ship docked at the pier, and Dar led Gu Yuan's team off the vessel. The people from the Unova region responsible for hosting them were already waiting. Standing behind the official in charge was the Unova team participating in the Regional Battle Tournament. Judging by their aura, they seemed to be putting on a show of force.