Ariel's expression remained unchanged as he nudged a warm volcanic rock with his toe to ensure it was stable.
Just then, a slight tremor shook the ground, and a few fragments of rock tumbled down from the adjacent cliff face.
"Wu-moo?"
Several muffled cries rang out as three Numel scurried from behind a massive, reddish-brown boulder.
Wisps of black smoke rose from the volcanic humps on their backs, their eyes fierce, clearly disturbed by the earlier battle.
Ariel's gaze swept over them, finally settling on the Numel that was slightly larger and had the most irritable look in its eyes.
He didn't release Krokorok, choosing instead the recently evolved Frogadier.
"Go, try out your new moves."
His voice was flat, devoid of any discernible emotion.
Frogadier's silhouette was like a bolt of blue lightning; as soon as it landed, its limbs clung tightly to the scorching rock surface, emitting a faint "sizzling" sound.
Its crimson scarf fluttered in the Heat Wave, and its sharp gaze locked onto one of the Numel.
This was a test of its new power and an evaluation of its worth.
"Brick Break."
The command was given, brief and clear.
Frogadier's hind legs suddenly exerted force as its body traced a sharp arc through the air. A white light shone from the edges of its palms as it struck a Numel's back with a whistling sound.
"Crack!"
The crisp sound of bone snapping rang out. The Numel let out a piercing wail, its hump tilting as its entire body slammed heavily onto the ground, twitching twice before going still.
A one-hit kill.
Ariel's brow twitched slightly.
Not bad; the power and precision exceeded his expectations.
The boost from this evolution was quite comprehensive.
"Wu-moo—!"
Seeing this, the largest Numel leading the group flew into a complete rage.
It opened its large mouth, and billowing thick smoke mixed with scorching sparks erupted from within.
Lava Plume!
This was an area-of-effect move, covering almost every possible evasion route for Frogadier.
The scorching Smokescreen instantly engulfed the surrounding space, blurring even the line of sight.
The respirator Ariel wore filtered out most of the volcanic ash and toxic fumes, but he could still feel the Heat Wave hitting his face.
He didn't give the command to dodge.
Because it wasn't necessary.
The moment the Smokescreen was about to touch Frogadier, its blue skin suddenly rippled with a water-like halo.
Ability: Protean!
"Water Pulse."
Ariel's voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly pierced through the Smokescreen and the Numel's roar.
In an instant, Frogadier's type switched from Fighting-type to pure Water-type.
It pressed its palms together, and a highly compressed sphere of water appeared out of thin air, emitting a deep blue glow.
Facing the oncoming scorching Smokescreen, it didn't retreat but advanced, its body turning into an afterimage as it leaped rapidly among the rugged rocks.
The sparks from the Lava Plume landed on it, only to steam away into white vapor, dealing negligible damage.
In the next second, Frogadier had already lunged in front of the leading Numel.
Small water bullets? No.
That sphere of water, condensed to the extreme, was like a cannonball fired from a barrel, slamming with pinpoint accuracy into the Numel's head.
"Bang!"
A dull impact sounded, and water splashed everywhere.
The leading Numel didn't even have time to scream before its eyes rolled back, and its massive body collapsed to the ground.
Almost simultaneously, a dark shadow flashed past.
Sneasel had appeared beside the last Numel at some unknown point, its sharp claws flashing across the creature's vulnerable neck.
The battle was over.
From start to finish, it had been barely ten-odd seconds.
Clean and efficient.
Ariel nodded in satisfaction and recalled Frogadier and Sneasel.
However, it wasn't over yet.
"Moo—!!!"
Two even angrier, more powerful roars echoed from the bend in the mountain path, carrying a momentum that made the ground tremble.
Two massive Camerupt emerged. The volcanic humps on their backs were several times larger than those of the Numel and were erupting with scorching magma. Lava flowed down their backs, scorching the ground black.
Their gazes were locked onto the Numel corpses on the ground, their eyes burning with intense fury.
Seeing this, Ariel didn't feel tense; instead, he let out a light chuckle.
"Oh? The elders come after the little ones were beaten? Is the whole nest here?"
He took out his pokédex and scanned them with a red light.
They're both Level 35!
Two Camerupt of the same level—they looked like a pair.
"It seems this battle is unavoidable then." Ariel's tone even sounded somewhat expectant.
He pulled out three Poké Balls.
"Come out, Krokorok, Sneasel, Frogadier."
Three flashes of white light occurred, and his main lineup appeared all at once.
As soon as Krokorok appeared, it felt the powerful pressure emanating from the two Camerupt opposite it, but it showed no fear. Instead, it bared its large mouth and let out a provocative roar.
The battle erupted instantly!
"Krokorok, head up there! Stomping Tantrum!"
"Sneasel, harass from the flanks and look for opportunities to attack their joints!"
"Frogadier, keep your distance and provide cover with Water Pulse!"
Ariel's commands were clear and swift.
Like a runaway horse, Krokorok dug its limbs into the ground, its massive body kicking up a trail of dust as it charged fearlessly toward the Camerupt on the left.
The Camerupt roared, and a pillar of scorching magma erupted from the hump on its back, shooting straight at Krokorok.
It's the Eruption move!
Krokorok didn't dodge. An earthy yellow energy glowed on its body as it endured the strike with its physical form.
The magma sizzled on its rough skin, burning black spots into it, but it seemed to feel no pain. Its speed increased rather than decreased as it bit down on the Camerupt's front leg.
Krokorok slammed its feet into the ground! A surge of energy vibrated outward!
A Ground-type move! Stomping Tantrum!
The Camerupt tried to break free, but Krokorok held on with a death grip, making it impossible to escape!
"Moo!"
The Camerupt, in pain, shook its body frantically, trying to fling Krokorok off.
On the other side, Sneasel's silhouette had turned into a bolt of black lightning.
It moved around the other Camerupt with Agility, so fast that only afterimages could be seen.
The Camerupt's reactions clearly couldn't keep up with Sneasel's speed; it could only use Lava Plume in vain, attempting to force Sneasel back with a wide-range attack.
But Sneasel always managed to find gaps in the Smokescreen, using its razor-sharp claws to leave deep, bone-exposing gashes on the Camerupt's leg joints.
Frogadier acted as support, using the complex terrain to constantly shift positions and occasionally firing a Water Pulse from a tricky angle.
Though its attack damage wasn't high, its harassment was top-tier.
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