As the referee's flag sliced through the air, the Pokémon battle that had drawn the attention of every major power officially began.
"Burn everything to ashes!"
In Lie Ke's eyes—blazing with fury—the Poké Ball he hurled skyward exploded with a roar.
"ROAR!"
From the burst of red light came an ear-splitting cry, followed by a column of fire that surged straight into the night sky.
Waves of heat swept across the entire arena.
That terrifying presence—whether to the audience or the host hovering above—made their pupils shrink all at once.
[Typhlosion (Fire)]
[Gender: ♂]
[Level: 75 (≈Elite Four-tier)]
[Ability: Blaze]
[Moves: Burn Up / Inferno / Flamethrower / Flame Charge / Rollout (commonly used)]
[Tutored Moves: Blast Burn / Solar Beam]
[Inherited Move: Flare Blitz]
[Held Item: Charcoal (Elite Four-grade)]
[Potential: Elite Four]
A level 75 Typhlosion.
Perhaps in order to reclaim his lost dignity, Lie Ke's very first Pokémon was one of the strongest members of his entire lineup.
Typhlosion—a pure Fire-type Pokémon, the final evolution of Cyndaquil, one of Johto's three original starters.
Its overall appearance hadn't changed drastically from its previous form, but its frame had grown larger, and the once-scattered flickers of flame across its back had converged into one fierce, roaring blaze.
Now, those flames formed a mane around its neck—the fire burning brighter, sharper, almost alive.
According to researchers who studied Typhlosion behavior—when the heat waves around its body begin to shimmer, it means it's fully prepared for combat.
During battle, it uses the searing air it generates to obscure its form, striking from within waves of heat.
Sometimes, it even rubs its flaming fur together to trigger explosive blasts, erupting shockwaves of flame that could burn all before it.
And perhaps sensing its trainer's rage, the heat in the air began to distort and twist visibly.
Typhlosion was fully charged—ready to unleash its might the instant the opposing Pokémon appeared.
Facing that oppressive, burning aura and suffocating heat, Su Qingxue instinctively raised an arm to shield herself, trying to lessen the force pressing against her body.
"So this… is the power of an Elite Four–tier Pokémon?"
Though the pressure was crushing, her eyes shone brighter than ever before.
This sensation—this suffocating weight of presence—was something no video or distant viewing could ever convey.
Without standing face-to-face against a Pokémon of this level, one could never truly comprehend its terror.
Even if she wasn't directly battling, just experiencing this atmosphere firsthand was already invaluable to her growth.
Meanwhile, Typhlosion's fiery entrance sent Lie Ke's supporters into wild cheers.
"Didn't expect him to open with Typhlosion—looks like the old Elite Four's taking this seriously!"
"Haha! I bet he won't even need another Pokémon—this one alone can win the whole match!"
"Look at her—she can barely stand! How's she supposed to command a battle?"
"Maybe she won't even have the guts to release her Pokémon!"
...
The arena buzzed with mockery and jeers.
From the crowd's point of view, a girl like Su Qingxue—who could hardly stand under the pressure of her opponent's aura—had absolutely zero chance of victory.
Even some gamblers who had bet on Guo Yi's victory sighed, tearing up their betting slips in frustration.
"Damn it, what bad luck!"
"If I'd known, I'd have put my money on Lie Ke and made a quick profit!"
"Don't worry. After tonight, the Azure Dragon Society's finished. When that happens, we can take our losses out on them."
"Good idea—count me in."
...
At that moment, having gradually adapted to the oppressive aura of a top-tier Pokémon, Su Qingxue reached for the Poké Ball hanging at her waist—the one her teacher had entrusted to her.
"Beedrill—show the world what true terror looks like."
Her gaze was steady, her voice calm, yet brimming with conviction.
After murmuring softly to herself, she threw the Poké Ball into the air.
"Buzz!"
A faintly ordinary insect cry echoed across the Pokémon Battle Arena.
No overwhelming aura.
No blinding surge of pressure.
To the untrained eye, this seemed like nothing more than an ordinary Beedrill.
However—
In one of the VIP rooms, Bing Dehai, the Ice King, stood up abruptly the instant he saw it.
"Dehai, what's wrong?"
Shu Chengyi—his old friend—looked at him curiously.
"What, is this Beedrill something special?"
Though Shu Chengyi himself was no weakling, his strength was still worlds apart from Bing Dehai's.
To his eyes, the Beedrill before them looked completely unremarkable.
But Bing Dehai's expression was grave as he slowly nodded.
"Old Shu, do you remember that Beedrill who saved your granddaughter's life?"
Even though this Beedrill hadn't made a single move yet, Bing Dehai had recognized it instantly.
Though its appearance and aura seemed perfectly ordinary—for someone of Bing Dehai's level, intuition was far sharper than sight.
That Beedrill—the one standing there now—radiated a subtle yet undeniable sense of danger.
Hearing this, Shu Chengyi shot to his feet in shock.
"What?"
"You mean… this is that Beedrill—the one that fought Zapdos one-on-one?"
Disbelief filled his face as he stared down at the battlefield.
Who could have imagined—that the Beedrill their Shanghai Pokémon Technology Company had hunted for months without success—would appear here, now, before their very eyes?
Immediately, Shu Chengyi's gaze turned toward Lie Ke—his expression shifting to one of faint pity.
He sighed inwardly.
Lie Ke, you poor fool. You've picked the wrong enemy.
Of all people to provoke—you went after that man's disciple.
Meanwhile, in another VIP room, Shu Xinni, Bai Cai, and Leng Yue were all staring wide-eyed at the Beedrill below.
"That's him. No doubt about it!"
"Then Guo Yi really is that person's disciple!"
Shu Xinni's voice shook with excitement.
Even though she herself couldn't clearly distinguish the strength of this Beedrill, a woman's sixth sense was telling her:
This was definitely the same Beedrill who had once rescued an entire plane of passengers and battled Zapdos head-on!
Meanwhile—
Bai Cai, standing beside her, furrowed her brows deeply, eyes filled with confusion.
Why… why does this Beedrill look so much like Guo Yi's?
Although Beedrill as a species were notoriously difficult to tell apart—usually identifiable only through their aura and power—Bai Cai couldn't shake the feeling that this Beedrill was exactly the one previously following Guo Yi.
Perhaps it's time to verify this suspicion…
An absurd, yet strangely plausible, thought formed in Bai Cai's mind.
Leng Yue, however, appeared far calmer:
"Xinni, no need to rush! Whether it's true or not, we'll only know once the battle truly begins."
But Shu Xinni immediately rebuked her:
"It can't be fake! It's definitely him—I'm absolutely sure!"
Leng Yue sighed, shaking her head slightly.
There's no point in arguing with a fangirl about her idol.
Seeing Shu Xinni's starstruck expression, Leng Yue wisely chose silence.
At that moment—hovering in midair, commentator Yao Bin resumed his professional duties, raising his voice to the crowd:
"Who would've thought—Miss Su would respond to Lie Ke's powerful Typhlosion by sending out a Beedrill!"
"Keep in mind, a Bug-type Pokémon like Beedrill is doubly weak to Typhlosion's Fire-type attacks!"
"Is Miss Su extremely confident—or is she simply too nervous and grabbed the wrong Poké Ball?"
"Let's watch and find out!"
In the Flying Eagle Gang's VIP room—Ling Yun nearly couldn't contain his laughter upon seeing the Beedrill that Su Qingxue had chosen.
"Hahaha! Using a Bug-type to battle a Fire-type? Su Qingxue must've been scared senseless!"
"Just wait—my teacher's Typhlosion will demolish her Pokémon!"
Across the battlefield—Lie Ke glanced at the Beedrill and snorted contemptuously:
"A Beedrill? Such a common Pokémon dares to challenge me?"
"It seems I've vastly overestimated Guo Yi's teacher."
In Lie Ke's eyes, anyone who bothered training an ordinary Pokémon like Beedrill could only be mediocre at best. Perhaps the trainer might have stepped into the Elite Four tier, but certainly would never pose a real threat to him.
Especially—since the one commanding the Pokémon wasn't even the teacher himself.
Unfortunately for Lie Ke, he seemed to have forgotten something crucial:
Not long ago, there had been a certain Beedrill that had defeated a legendary Pokémon…
With a disdainful wave of his hand, Lie Ke barked a command:
"Typhlosion, [Flamethrower]!"
"ROAR!"
The flames around Typhlosion's neck burst violently into life, waves of heat gathering rapidly as its mouth slowly opened wide.
Whoosh!
A blazing column of red-orange fire—nearly half a meter wide—surged toward Beedrill.
Instantly, the entire Pokémon Battle Arena's temperature surged dramatically.
Spectators sitting in the front rows found sweat streaming down their faces and backs under the scorching heat wave.
Yao Bin shouted passionately from above:
"And there it goes! Lie Ke isn't holding back in the slightest against Miss Su!"
"A flame intense enough to melt iron and incinerate metal is roaring straight toward Beedrill!"
"Can Beedrill possibly withstand such an attack? Let's watch closely and see!"
Although Yao Bin already had an inkling of the battle's outcome, he expertly raised audience anticipation through his commentary.
Facing Typhlosion's powerful attack, Su Qingxue remained completely silent, standing still without uttering a single command.
To outsiders, it seemed as though she'd completely given up.
But just then—Beedrill finally moved.
Its wings rapidly buzzed, blurring at high frequency, while its twin stingers pointed sharply forward, glowing faintly blue.
It's time to end this.
Beedrill's low buzz resonated through the arena, and the blue glow intensified on its stingers.
[Fell Stinger]!
[If this move defeats the opponent, the user's Attack drastically rises.]
There was no better move for finishing a battle decisively.
Under everyone's astonished gaze, rather than retreating, Beedrill actually charged straight into the roaring flames.
Such an unexpected maneuver utterly stunned Yao Bin.
"My god!"
"Beedrill is actually charging into the flames! Is it deliberately playing out a moth-to-the-flame tragedy?"
Disbelief colored Yao Bin's voice. At this moment, he simply couldn't comprehend Beedrill's reckless action.
Then—
Right before everyone's shocked eyes, Beedrill was entirely swallowed up by the blazing fire.
Yao Bin shook his head, sighing regretfully:
"Oh no! It seems we greatly overestimated this Beedrill. This match is clearly a win for Lie Ke's Typhlo—"
Before Yao Bin could finish the final word "Typhlosion"—
A sudden explosion echoed through the battlefield.
In an instant, the Typhlosion—who had just launched such a fierce attack—flew backwards through the air as if struck by some immense force.
It slammed heavily into the thick stone wall lining the arena, embedding itself firmly within.
And where it once stood—
The Beedrill hovered quietly, wings buzzing gently as invisible currents of energy rippled around its body.
Empowered by the immense Attack boost from Fell Stinger, the Beedrill's aura had become downright terrifying.
Though Beedrill had seemed so ordinary moments ago, no one now dared underestimate it.
After a stunned silence—
A sharp scream echoed from Yao Bin's microphone, shattering the silence of the entire arena:
"A…a…one-hit KO!"
"Beedrill defeated Typhlosion in a single strike!"
Yao Bin's incredulous cry resonated endlessly through the Pokémon Battle Arena sky.