The year 990 in the Elven calendar.

The light of the fire swept through the magnificent buildings that stood on the island. Walls and ceilings shattered in the midst of thunderous explosions, burying countless sophisticated instruments and chemicals in the rubble.

"It's over...... It's all over......" Looking at the undeveloped test subject lying silently among the glass fragments everywhere, the researcher in white slowly fell to his knees, allowing the swirling tongue of fire to swallow his vision.

In just ten minutes, the symbol of the letter R disappeared in the red flames.

And on the distant shore where the heat could not reach, the small boat carrying the two figures had quietly left, and the slight waves of water were shattered into the sea without a trace.

"Hiss......"

"How are you?"

"It's just a broken bone, it's not a big deal. The old man in the white coat leaned on his cracked sunglasses, and his deformed and twisted left arm hung weakly at his side.

Facing his friend's worried gaze, he smiled reluctantly, "Don't worry, my platypus beast has burned all the materials, so just rest assured to escape from this sea area." ”

His friend, another old man dressed exactly like him, couldn't help but look back and look at the island surrounded by flames.

"We ...... Is that really the right thing to do?"

They gave up the lives of their friends and colleagues they worked with, gave up years of research for them, and burned all their years to follow the choices they made - all for the future of humanity and Pokémon.

"Sooner or later, Dream 2 will be born, we know all too well. The old man's voice trembled a little, but he still tried to support his injured friend, "Even if there is no us now, there will be more of us from the past." ”

The torn sunglasses revealed the tired but fiery gaze of the other man, "Fuji, do you regret it?"

"No, I have no regrets. Just ......"

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, the injured man laughed quietly and patted the other party's back with his intact right hand.

"Don't think too far, Fuji, we're not the all-powerful savior. ”

"As a leading figure in the field of biological sciences, I am convinced that we have allowed this dangerous project to be postponed for at least a decade. As for what will happen in the future-"

"Leave it to the future. ”

====================

The battle ground of the Red Lotus Dojo Hall is suspended in the air, and the four corners of the field are fixed by four iron chains, extending all the way to the mountain rock overhead.

There are no strictly "challenger seats" on either side of the field, only two protruding rocks opposite each other for trainers to settle in. Yojin just walked to the edge of the cliff and probed his head, then gasped and quickly retreated—below was the tumbling magma, enough to terrify any mortal human.

And Xiao Ye still looked calm, standing on the edge of the precarious cliff without pause.

Before starting the battle, she took out two Poké Balls and released Leolu and Snow Boy who had been subdued on the other side.

The two Pokémon suddenly found themselves on the shore of the magma lake, and their expressions were a little dazed. Xiao Ye squatted down and touched the heads of the two little ones.

"This is the gym battle I talked about earlier. Xiao Ye smiled and explained softly, "I won't send you out this challenge, just stand next to me and watch this battle." ”

Leolu and Snow Boy are not familiar with humans, and even less familiar with the way humans command Pokémon battles, and suddenly forcing them to obey instructions will definitely not work. Therefore, it is better to start with the most basic observation and gradual progression.

"It might be a little hot here, so let me know if you don't feel well. Xiao Ye said to the Snow Boy.

Snow Boy is an ice-type Pokémon, and he should be more difficult about the environment of the Red Lotus Gym. However, perhaps curiosity overcame the heat, and Snow Boy seemed to be in good spirits, nodding at Saya by jumping up and down, and even daringly poking out to see the hot lava beneath the cliff.

Frightened, Leo Lu rushed forward and hurriedly pulled the little guy back, who didn't know whether he was bold or ignorant.

"Ahem. Yojin cleared his throat, trying not to look at the scene below, and stood beside Xiao Ye in a straight manner, "This hall seems to be quite interesting. I'm just here watching, and if I can't beat it, I can give you some ideas. ”

"Thank you. Xiao Ye smiled and nodded, "That sounds so reassuring." ”

“...... It's no good to praise me!Three times, three times at most!I won't help if I have more!!"

"Okay~"

The first year of a trainer's debut is a rookie period, and someone is allowed to be a coach when conducting the Gym Challenge. Xiao Ye had been traveling alone before, and he had never been able to use this so-called "novice assistance system", but this time he could experience it once.

"Well, please advise. After bowing deeply to the old man opposite, Xiao Ye stepped into the challenger seat.

"The rule is three against three, and only the challenger can change Pokémon - well, the following is omitted, and you must have known it for a long time. Xia Bo said with a smile, waving his hand and throwing the red and white balls, "Come out, Nine-Tails!"

The golden demon fox with nine tails stepped lightly on the battlefield, its narrow red eyes narrowing as it scanned its opponent.

The first is the Nine-Tails, as expected.

"Dabi Bird. ”

The golden light escaped the bondage of the Poké Ball, and the birds spread their wings over the lava lake, making a crisp cry.

"Oh, that's pretty cool. Yojin looked at the glittering golden feathers of the bird and whistled.

The heterochromatic Dabi does have quite bright and gorgeous long plumage, and if you participate in the Gorgeous Contest, you may be able to get extra extra points. However, the heterochromic individuals of one of the most common races are not too rare, and the well-informed Xia Bo doesn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

The heat wave in his face stunned Dabiniao. It lowered its head, its gaze slicing over the crimson mountain rocks, and saw the familiar, blinding, scorching magma below.

Xia Bo, who was standing opposite, suddenly felt that the momentum of the big bird had changed.

The bird's sharp black pupils had locked on him tightly—not his Nine-Tails, but the Nine-Tails trainer himself, and the sharp sword-like air currents stirred in the wind.

Although the sharp aura only flashed for a moment and disappeared, Xia Bo, who had experienced several battles, could vaguely feel that in just a few seconds, Dabi Bird really regarded this place as a battlefield.

The old man raised his eyebrows with interest, and his moving gaze finally fell on the calm-looking trainer behind Tabitori.

The referee standing on the sidelines raised the flag, "Game - begin!"

"Nine-Tails, use the flame vortex!"

"Dabi Bird, Storm. ”

Before the referee's words fell, the instructions of the two trainers had already sounded at the same time. The Nine-Tails spewed out fiery flames that swirled and spread forward, blocked by the wind barrier created by the Tabito.

Although there was a moment of emotional agitation due to the overly familiar field, the speed at which Tabitori executed Saya's orders did not decrease in the slightest, but like a sophisticated machine, the attack was more tightly matched with the instructions.

This is the sky above the magma lake, and it is the place where Dabiniao fought to the death with many comrades before it evolved. How could it be that the many platypus beasts, the laser beams in the sky, and the hideous face of Dr. Apero Kandy were still flashing in front of his eyes.

"Boom!"

The power of the storm suddenly increased, dispersing the vortex of flames. At the same time as the air wave rushed towards his face, Nine-Tails keenly sensed that the air flow on the battlefield was not going in the right direction, and immediately opened his red eyes cautiously.

Xia Bo immediately realized that Tabi's attack was followed by another move, the tailwind.

That being said, the challenger's intent is –

After the thought flashed, Xia Bo's voice almost overlapped with Xiao Ye.

"Moving at high speeds. ”

"Immobilization!"

Before the bird turned into a streamer, a faint red light had enveloped it. The bird's body suddenly stagnated, and the force that had been able to propel it to move quickly was gone.

Moving at high speed is a continuous move, and the longer you cast it, the more obvious the speed increase will be. The immobilization method accurately interrupts the high-speed movement at the moment when it is just activated, and for a short time, the Tabitori can no longer use the high-speed movement move.

"I was read first. This hall owner has a set, and too direct a way of fighting won't work for him. Yang Zhen stared at the old man who was smiling leisurely on the other side and said in a deep voice.

After tailwinding, you can move at high speed and increase your speed to the maximum value in one go, which is actually a very simple beginning. According to the information consulted before the challenge to the gym, Xia Bo's Nine-Tails possessed extremely high flames, and in the face of such an opponent, choosing a high-speed guerrilla attack could only be regarded as a decent response, and it was not surprising that it was predicted one step ahead.

Hearing Yoshin's prompt, Sayo immediately changed her direction. And Xia Bo didn't give Xiao Ye time to grind, the command of "Jet Flame" was issued, and the Nine-Tails once again unleashed his extremely threatening high-heat attribute attack.

"Tornado. ”

Dabi bird waved its wings and set off a whirlwind over the magma lake. Orange sparks and golden feathers were swept in, dispersing the menacing flames and submerging the entire magma lake into the realm of the wind. Even Leo Lu and Snow Boy, who were standing beside Xiao Ye, were dazzled and hurriedly used their hands to block the strong wind.

Xia Bo squinted his eyes suddenly, his eyes keenly catching the shallow feathers mingling with the wind.

"Flame vortex, enveloping. ”

The Nine-Tails let out a long groan, and flames rose from the soles of his feet, shielding his form.

Xia Bo could see at a glance that there was a feather dance hidden beneath the tornado. Dabi Bird's combo is quite proficient, but it still can't escape Xia Bo's spicy eyes.

Yojin, who was standing beside Xiao Ye, couldn't help but snort. In his opinion, the timing and strength of Dabi Bird's sneak attack were just right, but unfortunately it was still recognized by Xia Bo - just from the few rounds of combat after the opening, it can be seen that the strength of the owner of the Red Lotus Dao Pavilion is unusual.

The flames scorched the feathers, burning out all the feather dances with sticky power. And this action has just begun, and the next command of Xiaoye has already arrived.

"Yan returns. ”

The interval was not even half a second, and the Nine-Tails had already been knocked over by the force from the side. Its own vortex of flames obscured its view, preventing it from reacting in time - or, rather, with the speed of Tabitori's all-out swallow return and the downwind support, it would be difficult for it to dodge even if it saw it.

"Nine-Tails, adjust your posture ......"

"There was a flash of lightning. ”

The speed of the first move was so fast that the Nine-Tails didn't even have time to listen to the trainer's instructions, and after another blow in the back, the graceful golden fox let out a painful whimper.

"Yan returns. ”

"Hold on!"

The third combo of the Tabi Bird slammed into the sturdy light green mask. Seeing that Yan Hui was blocked, the bird immediately flapped its wings and retracted its attack, just in time to dodge the flames that erupted like the Nine-Tails instinctively.

The fast-paced exchange stopped for a few seconds, and Xia Bo looked at the young challenger, and couldn't help but secretly admire in his heart.

So fast.

Both the speed at which Tabito attacks and the speed at which trainers give instructions are far more like the usual newcomers, more like a fighter with plenty of experience. When the Nine-Tails was enveloped in a vortex of flames, the challenger named "Tsubame Return" did not hesitate at all, and Dabitori also decisively rushed into the fire, giving the Nine-Tails a fierce blow in the face of the pain of the flames.

Of course, Xia Bo did not think that the trainer's instructions were cruel, injuries were an essential part of the battle, and reasonable sacrifice could lead to the final victory. However, it is not easy for a moth to fight a fire, and even if you know this truth, it still requires a great courage that ordinary people cannot imagine when you really face the flames.

Neither Sayo nor Dabitori lacks this courage, and even regards it as ordinary. There was no process of making up a mind, there was no time to hesitate, and there was no need to even put on a decisive expression, it was just the most ordinary attack for them - that's why Xiao Ye's instructions were so fast that Nine-Tails ate two moves in a row.

There is no doubt that the young trainer and her partner have either seen big scenes before or are born with extraordinary awareness.

Seeing that the young man standing next to the challenger also showed a somewhat surprised expression, Xia Bo raised his eyebrows with interest.

Young warrior, let me see you all!

"Nine-Tails, unfold the web of supernatural power!"

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Small Theatre:

Although the sharp aura only flashed for a moment and disappeared, Xia Bo, who had experienced several battles, could vaguely feel that in just a few seconds, Dabi Bird really regarded this place as a battlefield.

Tabito: That's right, this is the battlefield of life and death, and I will fight to the end in order to have something to eat!

Leolu watching the battle: (glaring) Carrying the fear of hunger and cold all the time, is this the secret of our master's strength......

Snow boy watching the game: (stunned) I always feel so powerful......

Pichu: What nonsense are you talking about, the master just has an inherent attribute called poverty. It's too late to change jobs, so it's good to get used to it. (Half-Moon Eye)