As soon as Pei Jingguo gave the command, a metallic sheen appeared over Bisharp's body.
Countless densely packed points of light emerged across that reflective surface, completely enveloping Bisharp.
Seeing that something was wrong, the two wild Bisharp hurriedly tried to retreat.
But in the very next instant, those terrifying points of light suddenly erupted!
"Tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk!!"
A deafening barrage of impacts rang out.
The countless points of light were like sharp swords, violently piercing into the bodies of the two wild Bisharp!
Under the incredulous gazes of everyone watching, the two wild Pokémon were blasted backward by the terrifying explosive force like arrows loosed from a bow, crashing heavily into the middle of a group of Pawniard that wore equally astonished expressions.
"Metal Burst… That means Pei Jingguo and his Bisharp came up with this countermeasure in that instant?!"
"That kind of battle instinct… It's terrifying!"
Su Bai stared at the screen and couldn't help but praise him aloud.
There was more than one way to deal with a one-vs-three situation, but Pei Jingguo's choice was undoubtedly the most decisive and straightforward.
Although his Bisharp was certainly better trained than the wild ones, that didn't mean a Bisharp that had just evolved could take on three members of its own species at once.
If they fought normally, it would definitely lose.
Not to mention that Bisharp were one of the few types of wild Pokémon that were completely devoted to battle!
First, it sent one Pokémon flying, creating an opening for itself.
Then, it used the limited damage it had taken to trade for the greatest possible result…
That was Pei Jingguo!
Whether it was his own battles or battles involving his Pokémon, he remained frighteningly calm and composed.
And Metal Burst was a move Bisharp hadn't possessed before evolving. Yet Pei Jingguo had instantly grasped how to use it, which was remarkable in itself.
Used on its own, the move dealt practically no damage.
But it could return the damage Bisharp had suffered with even greater force, turning the opponent's own strength against them.
And on top of that…
Their luck had been excellent!
The wild Bisharp's Night Slash had already landed a critical hit, greatly increasing the damage. Combined with the amplification from Metal Burst…
The resulting attack had been several times more powerful!
Among the group of Pawniard, the two Bisharp struggled to their feet.
If they had health bars, both of them would have been completely empty by now!
But as the "commanders" of their group, their pride made them unwilling to show such a miserable state in front of their own kind.
However, in the very next second, their movements abruptly stopped.
The blade-like horns on their heads began to develop fine cracks.
Then—
A tiny piece of one of the horns broke off.
And along with that broken fragment…
It seemed that their fighting spirit had shattered as well.
In that instant, the murderous aura in their eyes transformed into bewilderment.
Even their forward momentum came to a sudden halt!
............
"Huh? Why is that?"
Liu Yunlan tilted her head in confusion as she watched the wild Bisharp suddenly stop moving.
"Yeah. It's only a small chip in its horn. Why does it look like something incredibly serious happened to them?"
Wang Tao looked equally puzzled.
Pokémon possessed incredibly vigorous life force. Just like his Torterra—even if the little tree growing on its back were damaged, it might have some effect, but it certainly wouldn't react like this!
"That's because Bisharp are different from other Pokémon."
Su Bai looked at the two bewildered Bisharp and chuckled.
Even he hadn't fully anticipated the power of Metal Burst.
According to the way the game players would put it, a critical hit and Metal Burst were independent damage multipliers.
A normal critical hit alone had already inflicted serious damage on Pei Jingguo's carefully trained Bisharp. With the additional boost from Metal Burst, its power had already surpassed that of any move these Bisharp could currently wield.
Given that result…
It was actually quite normal!
"Pei Jingguo's Bisharp is essentially appearing as a challenger to the entire group."
Su Bai explained, "All those Pawniard aren't here for show. And Bisharp aren't the kind of Pokémon that possess power without knowing how to use it."
"Normally, the way it deals with enemies is by leading a large group of Pawniard and attacking its prey in numbers."
"Then, when the prey is completely exhausted, Bisharp delivers the killing blow!"
"That is the normal hunting method of this species."
"From the perspective of their natural habits… Bisharp are actually quite similar to the lion prides described in the Paradise Era."
"Bisharp is the sole male lion in the pride. No one is allowed to challenge its authority."
"But…"
"When another male lion appears…"
He pointed toward the Bisharp on the screen.
Despite the cracks and chips scattered across its waist, it still stood proudly and defiantly.
"They have no choice but to accept the other's challenge!"
"The loser has to leave the group it spent so long building."
"And the symbol of defeat…"
"Is the blade on its head!"
As Su Bai finished speaking, the Pawniard that had originally gathered around their leader began looking from one side to the other.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, they surged toward Pei Jingguo's side.
The situation had changed in an instant.
These Pawniard were clearly beginning to cheer for this newly arrived Bisharp!
Their pairs of murderous eyes were now filled with admiration.
One against three!
And it had taken down two in a single move!
The new leader was practically their idol!
Pei Jingguo's Bisharp didn't even spare the Pawniard a glance.
It raised its arm once more and pointed toward the wild Pokémon it had sent flying at the very beginning.
In the next moment, two figures suddenly burst into motion and collided with tremendous force!
There could not be two tigers on the same mountain.
And within a single group, there could not be two Bisharp!
This time, Pei Jingguo folded his arms across his chest and gave no further commands.
In a one-on-one battle, there was no longer any need for him to do so.
Although Bisharp had been injured, its opponent wasn't exactly in good shape either!
And when it came to battle experience…
His Bisharp had undoubtedly been through far more battles than this wild one!
From the television came the constant clashing of metal.
The Trainers watching finally began to understand what made Bisharp so special.
A Pokémon covered from head to toe in blades could always attack from angles its opponent never expected.
Sometimes, simply getting close to one another was enough to trigger an intense clash!
The battle itself was undoubtedly spectacular.
But the outcome had been decided from the very beginning.
In a one-on-one fight, the wild Bisharp had no chance of winning.
When Pei Jingguo's Bisharp finally struck the wild Pokémon directly in the head with a powerful Iron Head—
A tiny fragment broke loose from the wild Pokémon's long blade-like horn.
The symbol of leadership belonging to the third Bisharp…
Was shattered!
The Pawniard erupted into cheers with their strange, shrill cries, instantly filling the entire area.
This unfamiliar Bisharp had earned their allegiance through sheer strength!
At that moment, lines of text appeared on the television screen.
[Trial complete. Time taken: 23 minutes and 57 seconds. Trial passed!]
[The Trialist will have thirty minutes to make adjustments, or may choose to begin the trial immediately.]
The first stage of the trial…
Had been cleared!