There was still a clear resemblance between Pawniard and Bisharp.
Compared to other Pokémon whose evolutions seemed to completely transform them, Bisharp's evolution almost looked as though Pawniard had simply grown up.
Its blades were longer, its body was considerably more imposing, and that was about it.
But the moment one looked into those eyes, it became obvious why Bisharp required such a long period of training before it could successfully evolve.
They were eyes filled with a murderous aura, perfectly embodying the "Dark" in its Dark typing!
Every Bisharp had experienced countless battles.
After years of fighting, the blades covering its body had been honed to an extreme sharpness.
This was a Pokémon born for battle!
When the Bisharp saw Pei Jingguo's Pawniard evolve, the few Bisharp that had been sitting quietly on the rocks suddenly stood up in unison.
They pushed their way through the group and came to the very front of the gathered Pawniard.
Bisharp were simply that kind of Pokémon.
They possessed an innate cold pride and never backed down when faced with a challenge!
"Pawniard evolved… It looks so cool!"
"But why do I feel like Pei Jingguo's Bisharp gives off a completely different impression from those other ones?"
Liu Yunlan stared at the screen.
Pei Jingguo's newly evolved Bisharp was standing opposite the wild Bisharp, and she couldn't help feeling puzzled.
Compared to the undisguised killing intent of the wild Bisharp, Pei Jingguo's seemed… surprisingly composed?
"It's been with Pei Jingguo for such a long time. And since Pei Jingguo was the one who drew it, its personality is bound to be somewhat similar to his."
"Pei Jingguo is a genius among humans…"
Su Bai chuckled.
"So naturally, this Pawniard is a genius too!"
.............
"It evolved…"
Pei Jingguo stared at the Bisharp that had suddenly grown to roughly the size of an adult human, his expression slightly dazed.
This was the first time one of his Pokémon had evolved.
Naturally, he felt something about it.
However, that feeling didn't last long before Bisharp's actions interrupted him.
It glanced at Pei Jingguo, then suddenly extended one arm with complete confidence.
It pointed at each of the three wild Bisharp in turn before pointing at itself.
After overcoming the knot in its heart, Bisharp seemed extraordinarily confident!
"Is it… challenging all three at once?!"
Wang Tao clicked his tongue in astonishment.
"It was still hesitating just now. How did it change this much?!"
Su Bai raised his head slightly and glanced at the timer in the upper-left corner of the screen.
He smiled.
"They already wasted some time at the beginning. If they don't do this, they probably won't make it in time…"
"Pawniard… No, Bisharp is just like its Trainer. The more critical the situation, the better it becomes at judging the circumstances."
"But… three at once…"
"Isn't that a little too much?"
Su Bai had barely voiced his doubt when he immediately received his answer.
The trial wasn't actually forcing them to fight.
That much could be seen from the attitudes of the three wild Bisharp.
If Pawniard had absolutely refused to fight, they might have simply remained sitting on the rocks, coldly watching this unfamiliar member of their species.
But clearly, this newly evolved Bisharp…
Was challenging them!
Normally, Bisharp weren't the type to gang up on an opponent.
But since the other side had issued a provocation…
The three Bisharp exchanged glances.
Almost simultaneously, they charged toward Pei Jingguo!
"Good! Bisharp, use Night Slash!"
Pei Jingguo had never been afraid of challenges.
The more difficult the situation, the more powerful his battle instincts became.
That trait was reflected in his Pokémon as well.
Bisharp, fighting side by side with its Trainer, didn't hesitate in the slightest.
It crossed both arms in front of itself and charged straight into the encirclement of the three Bisharp!
The difference between a domesticated Pokémon and a wild one was revealed at this very moment.
The three Bisharp had simply surrounded their opponent.
They hadn't formed any kind of effective formation.
In terms of stats, the domesticated Pokémon—having experienced countless battles and received proper training—was clearly superior to the wild Pokémon.
Pei Jingguo's Bisharp had only just evolved, so naturally, its stats couldn't be said to completely overwhelm its opponents.
But that tiny difference…
Was already enough for it to exploit!
Facing the three Bisharp attacking from different directions, it moved like a phantom and crashed straight into the Bisharp in the center.
The two Bisharp behind it swung their blades and missed completely.
At the same time, the blades in its hands flashed across the central Bisharp's neck.
Using the momentum, it drove the opponent backward for a short distance before sending it flying with a vicious impact!
"BOOM!"
A thunderous crash rang out.
The Bisharp was sent flying straight into the area where a large group of Pawniard had gathered, where it lay stunned and unable to move for quite some time.
They were both Bisharp, so naturally, that single attack wasn't enough to knock it out.
But judging from the unbelievable look of pain on its face as it rubbed at its neck…
That attack had definitely hurt!
The two Bisharp that had been ignored clearly felt that they had lost face.
They swung their arms again and brought their blades crashing down toward this reckless intruder.
"Clang!"
The sound of metal striking metal rang out.
Facing another pincer attack from behind, Pei Jingguo's Bisharp decisively turned around.
Even without much coordination between Trainer and Pokémon, at such close range, trying to completely escape an attack from two Bisharp at once was simply unrealistic.
Without even needing Pei Jingguo to give an order, Bisharp's body rapidly tilted to one side.
One Bisharp's attack immediately missed.
However, the blade on the other Bisharp's arm struck it head-on!
Bisharp was a Pokémon with exceptionally high Attack.
A Pokémon capable of reaching 125 base Attack at its second evolutionary stage was rare enough that it was difficult to find another comparable species.
Even wild Bisharp were famous for their incredible offensive power.
The foundation of their species alone made them impossible to underestimate, even without systematic training.
Not to mention that every Bisharp had experienced more than its fair share of battles!
"Ah! Bisharp!"
In front of the television, Liu Yunlan and the others cried out in alarm.
The wild Bisharp's combat instincts were clearly quite sharp as well.
Against an opponent covered in blades and possessing natural defensive capabilities, it immediately targeted the one vulnerable spot—
The abdomen around its waist, where there were no blades protecting it.
Amid the metallic clash of steel, Pei Jingguo's Bisharp took a heavy slash directly to the waist!
"Ow! That has to hurt!"
Wang Tao grimaced.
Steel-type Pokémon had incredibly tough bodies, and Bisharp was a dual Dark/Steel-type Pokémon.
Even when injured, it wasn't exactly the kind of creature that would bleed like a normal human.
But the cracks appearing across its body and the fragments falling from it…
Clearly, that attack had been highly effective!
"That was… Night Slash too!"
"And it clearly triggered a critical hit!"
Su Bai frowned.
"That attack probably dealt serious damage to Pei Jingguo's Bisharp…"
Night Slash was a move that even Pawniard could comprehend after receiving enough training.
Naturally, these wild Bisharp would know it as well.
There was nothing strange about that.
Bisharp's decision had actually been very sound.
If it hadn't landed a critical hit, the damage from that attack should still have been within a range it could withstand.
But now…
It seemed its luck wasn't particularly good.
Could Pei Jingguo's hard-earned Champion trial…
Really end like this?
No matter how one looked at it, taking on three opponents immediately after evolving was indeed a little too difficult.
If Bisharp had been given more time to familiarize itself with its new body and fighting rhythm, then with Pei Jingguo's ability to train his Pokémon, there was a good chance it could have succeeded even in a one-vs-three battle.
The problem was…
There simply wasn't enough time!
Just as even Su Bai let out a regretful sigh—
Pei Jingguo's calm voice came from the screen.
"Come on…"
"Revenge, then use Metal Burst."
"Let them see…"
"What true battle really is!"