The Weather Ball rapidly descended towards Krookodile, but Lian had no time to check if it hit as Staraptor was already flying towards him.
Quickly unleashing Dragon Rage, however, he didn't direct it at Staraptor; its attack wouldn't deter Staraptor's onslaught.
Instead, he released Dragon Rage close to the ground. The resulting shockwave from Dragon Rage struck the surface, generating a powerful upward force which Lian utilized to launch himself skyward.
As Lian soared upwards, he observed Staraptor. Although it hadn't struck him initially, Staraptor swiftly changed direction and pursued him, wings glowing with white light for another Wing Attack.
Facing fast attackers like Staraptor posed a challenge for Lian, especially when this particular Staraptor matched his own speed. Attempting to maintain distance through sheer velocity seemed impossible.
Meanwhile, Lian's Weather Ball reached the ground, only to disappoint him greatly. At the crucial moment, Krookodile timely used Dig, burrowing underground. Consequently, while the Weather Ball crashed into the earth causing an energy explosion, it missed Krookodile entirely. Instead, it inadvertently affected Ninetales, rendering it unable to continue battling.
"Return, Ninetales."
Seeing this, Kalia swiftly recalled the severely injured Ninetales, her expression filled with concern. She now had to rely on Grovyle and Bisharp to continuously engage the opposing Bisharp, hoping to stall it.
Although Lian quickly defeated Weavile, he capitalized on his opponent's initial carelessness. In reality, all four Pokemon possessed strong combat capabilities and were formidable adversaries.
Lian felt disappointed that Weather Ball did not defeat Krookodile. He shifted his focus away from Krookodile and began strategizing against the approaching Staraptor.
As Staraptor neared, intense flames suddenly appeared around Lian, but instead of using them for offense, he employed them defensively.
His body rapidly spun, aided by the ease of movement in mid-air, resembling a spinning top. Simultaneously, the surrounding flames formed a tornado-like whirlwind, continuously rotating under Lian's deliberate control, enveloping him fully.
This was Lian's incomplete Flame Tornado move. However, this time he controlled the flames to concentrate around him rather than expanding outward, similar to the Protect move. By channeling energy in a spinning motion, it formed a protective barrier against incoming attacks.
With his Control Rating reaching 40%, Lian could now alter many moves' forms and simulate other moves, creating Fire-type variations.
The rapidly spinning flames created a tornado-like shield enveloping Lian, resembling an impenetrable fortress.
As Staraptor charged, it collided fiercely with the flame barrier but was forcefully repelled by the rotational force, sustaining damage from the rebound.
Success!
Feeling the flame circle withstand Staraptor's attack, Lian promptly dissipated the flames and landed on the ground, feeling slightly dizzy.
Shaking his head to regain focus, Lian realized the battle continued, and now he finally had an opportunity to counterattack.
Just as Lian prepared to counterattack, Krookodile unexpectedly used its Dig move and swiftly emerged from underground, catching Grovyle off guard with a direct collision.
Caught by surprise, despite Kalia closely observing the battle, her focus was primarily on Charmeleon's fight, leaving her unprepared for this sudden attack.
Grovyle found itself trapped between Bisharp's Slash Commander and Krookodile, quickly succumbing to defeat. As the two Pokémon aimed to continue their assault, Kalia hastily opened a Poké Ball and recalled Grovyle.
"Darn it!" Feeling powerless, Kalia realized she was facing an elite member of the Dark Guild, whose Pokémon were significantly stronger than hers. Apart from Charmeleon, neither Grovyle nor Ninetales could match up against them effectively.
Lian had no time to worry about Grovyle; he immediately launched an attack towards Staraptor. After its failed attempt, Staraptor charged back at him.
Growing increasingly frustrated, Lian knew that in one-on-one battles, he would have easily defeated each opponent. However, in this chaotic wilderness fight, he lacked a wide-range move to turn the tide.
Only after evolving would Lian fully master Heat Wave and Inferno. Currently, unless under specific conditions, he couldn't unleash these moves.
"Attack Charmeleon!" Seeing two of their Pokemon defeated, the Dark Guild member smiled and issued new orders. With only one Charmeleon remaining, victory was within reach. Once this final opponent fell, Kalia alone could not resist him.
Bisharp and Krookodile immediately charged towards Lian, intending to join Staraptor and surround him.
Lian unleashed Flamethrower, sending intense flames soaring towards the diving Staraptor. However, unlike his usual Flamethrower, this time it took on a spiral shape.
Lian had long been eager to use this Flame Spiral technique. The swirling flames resembled a spinning drill, generating greater penetrating power due to its rotation, concentrating the forceful impact.
Staraptor attempted to dodge the Spiral Flames, but with Lian controlling the flame's trajectory, Staraptor had no chance to evade. The vibrant orange flames struck Staraptor fiercely.
The moment Flame Spiral struck Staraptor, its immense force propelled the bird high into the sky.
Lian paid no further attention to Staraptor; defeat was inevitable for any Pokemon unable to withstand his direct Flame Spiral attack on the battlefield.
He focused on the two remaining opponents ahead: Bisharp and Krookodile, now positioned one in front and one behind him.
Fortunately, having eliminated Staraptor prevented being attacked from three directions, which would have left him truly cornered with no escape.
With Staraptor out of the picture, Lian felt significantly relieved. Neither Bisharp nor Krookodile could match his speed, let alone when he activated Explosive Power.
While Sunny Day still persisted, Lian needed to swiftly resolve this battle. Once Sunny Day ended, without the Fire-type boost, countering these two Pokemon would become much more challenging.
Krookodile charged first towards Lian, who immediately unleashed his explosive speed. His advantage lay in agility, and as long as he stayed within the range of Sunny Day, facing these close-combat Pokemon posed little issue.
Kalia quickly moved to the side, observing the fight at a safe distance to avoid getting caught up in the intense battle.
After creating some distance, Lian waited for his fire energy to recover and promptly launched a Weather Ball towards Bisharp. Krookodile had the Dig move, making it easy to evade the descending Weather Ball from above; thus, Lian needed to prioritize eliminating Bisharp first.
To counter Krookodile, he would have to maintain distance and use Flame Spiral. With its faster release speed compared to Weather Ball, Krookodile wouldn't have time to dig.
"Very strong, but ultimately futile." The Dark Guild member's expression turned grim upon witnessing Staraptor's defeat, but quickly regained composure as they produced a white Vigor Cube.
Vigor Cubes possess exceptional healing energy, capable of curing Pokemon injuries and restoring their vitality more effectively than Revives.
Seizing the opportunity while Lian engaged with the two Pokemon, the Dark Guild member swiftly administered the Vigor Cube to the incapacitated Weavile.
They only possessed one such cube, and under normal circumstances, it would not have been used unless absolutely necessary for completing this mission. This Charmeleon proved far superior than anticipated, and capturing it promised rewards significantly greater than the value of a single Vigor Cube.