Unlike Baimu, who deliberately conceals his identity.
His opponent not only wore the team uniform of his faction but also shouted out his origin.
"Remember this name of the one who will beat you today!"
Even in this short time, they have to make pre-battle trash talk?
Baimu ignored the guy who started shouting "Come and state your name" again, and took out his Pokeball and took a deep breath.
No matter how foolish the opponent, he couldn't afford to be careless.
The red light on the wall began to flash.
The opponent fell silent too, and took out his Pokeball, preparing for the battle.
In the next instant.
A green light accompanied by a long humming sound lit up.
The two rushed toward each other's position and flung their Pokeballs!
Bang bang.
A white flash.
Lairon landed first and raised its head to look at the Pokémon opposite—
A large lizard, entirely black with crimson flame patterns that looked alluring and wicked, emitting a strong hormonal aura.
Salazzle, the Fire and Poison Attribute Toxic Lizard Pokémon.
"Mmm~"
"Be careful of its poison, it might be effective against you."
Baimu turned to remind Lairon.
Though Salazzle is a Poison Attribute Pokémon, it has the Corrosion trait, allowing it to use Severe Poison on Steel Attribute Pokémon.
It cannot be ignored.
"Grumo!"
Lairon roared softly, indicating understanding.
The opponent initially seemed pleased when seeing the Steel Attribute Lairon, but upon hearing Baimu's words, his expression instantly fell.
"You actually know!"
Salazzle's trait has caught many opponents off guard, who would have thought to be seen through in the first round of preliminaries, how is this possible!
"Rock Lock!"
Baimu couldn't be bothered to waste words with this guy and decided the battle would be played against Salazzle pull away.
Close combat made it too easy to silently get poisoned, when a Pokémon releases severe poison up close it's as fast, precise, and ruthless as natural predators, leaving little room for human command.
All falling upon his own Pokémon's neural response.
Lairon stomped the ground with its two paws, countless large, hard rocks surged relentlessly toward Salazzle!
Woosh woosh woosh—
The rocks emitted intense wind-breaking sounds.
"Break them with Flame Whip!"
The opponent immediately shouted.
A long fiery whip formed swiftly, striking the incoming rocks repeatedly with Salazzle's swing, shattering them with a booming sound.
Initially succeeding in breaking one or two, but when whipping the third, it started to struggle.
The fourth and fifth lost the explosive force to shatter them, getting hit when its motion slowed down.
Rumble!
Two rocks fell successively, Salazzle showed a face of pain, retreating defensively.
"So hard!"
The opponent couldn't believe it.
Knowing his own situation, the power of Salazzle's flame whip has been verified through numerous battles.
Not just such-sized rocks, even if doubled they shouldn't pose a problem, how is this possible!?
On the other side.
Baimu raised his eyebrows slightly.
Lairon's skills improved in various aspects with increased proficiency, including choosing rock hardness and impact force after forgoing further enlargement, certified by Mawile's fist.
Unexpectedly, Salazzle being a final evolution wasn't as strong as imagined.
Just two huge rocks smashing it into dizziness and staggering walk...
So fragile.
Salazzle's Physical Resistance shouldn't be high, being restrained by Rock Attribute, if you're not unlucky, who is?
As for the opponent constantly choosing a head-on clash, never opting to dodge, he was long used to it.
These trainers each have a peculiar confidence in their own Pokémon's strength, believing your moves can be easily thwarted, mine cannot be countered.
Thus often unaware of the magic of "Quick Dodge" divine skill.
The reckless fighting style aligns with their Extreme Path identity, to emerge distinctly in the Extreme Path requires two parts reason, and eight parts "bravery".
"Rock Burst!"
"Grumo!"
Lairon growled deeply, sands on the ground and dust in the air converged into luminous, sharp rocks under invisible waves, whistling toward Salazzle.
Compared to large and hard Rock Lock, Rock Burst's advantage is quicker impact speed, shorter starting action than Rock Lock.
The opponent saw Salazzle staggered, still dizzy and hadn't gotten back to senses, and gritted his teeth.
"Hide behind the rock, don't move!"
Since movement wasn't possible temporarily, had to utilize the environment.
Upon hearing the trainer's command, Salazzle in a daze shrank behind a giant rock using it as a shield.
Unexpectedly, Rock Burst's flying rocks exceeded the opponent's expectation, two consecutive shots directly shattered that massive rock, shocking onto Salazzle's body further.
Bang bang!
"Mmm—"
Salazzle let out a hoarse scream, enveloped by the smoke from rock explosion, dispersing quickly.
Swirling eyes replaced what were once wickedly vibrant pupils.
The wall began to flash red lights.
"…"
The opponent was speechless, entirely unprepared for his Pokémon to be defeated so effortlessly.
While Lairon rather displayed a poised composure.
Baimu expected no less of Rock Burst breaking Rock Lock's massive rock because it was specially practiced.
Previously in a battle, Mawile had dodged Lairon's follow-up attacks by hiding behind rocks from Rock Lock, giving him experience for such situations.
If Mawile would hide behind rocks, opponents might likely hide behind them too.
Didn't expect it to become useful so swiftly.
He awaited the opponent's swap, surprisingly the opponent just stared at Lairon, lost in thought during an important battle!
Suddenly.
The red light flashed faster, overhead broadcast began the countdown.
The opponent awakened as if from a dream and retracted Salazzle, sending forth a new Pokémon—
Slugma, the Magma Pokémon.
Entirely composed of red magma, resembling a sort of soft-bodied creature, bearing a pair of bright yellow eyes and flame-like antennas, persistent magma movements on its surface keeping it active, a peculiar existence.
Yet upon flying out from the Pokeball and landing, the ground beneath suddenly collapsed, a gigantic ant nest formed, capable of swallowing the opponent whole.
Slugma had no chance to evade, fell within and began to struggle.
"Ah!"
The opponent awakened as if from a dream, looking at Baimu with suspicion, hadn't heard any directive sound at all?
"… Quicksand Hell."
Baimu completed his verbal command with a satisfied expression.
Then, he looked at Slugma with pity, encountering a trainer going astray during a two-on-two match, its attribute yet being restrained by Lairon's Rock Attribute.
If you're not unlucky, who is?
"Flame Splash!"
The opponent attempted to make Slugma struggle, while the latter also activated magma on its surface, forming a huge magma bubble, bursting.
Sadly, the splattered magma couldn't reach the outside of the pit where Lairon was.
"Smoke Spray!"
The opponent shouted again.
Helplessly, Lairon never approached, inaccessible to hits.
No other attribute Pokémon?
"End it, Rock Lock."
Baimu pointed skyward.
Lairon understood, severely striking the ground, countless large rocks shot upward into the sky, then in parabolic arcs plummeted into the ant nest, falling onto the struggling Slugma.
Bang bang bang!
Rock after rock submerged it completely.
Sealing Baimu's victory.
One-sided restraint, one-sided overwhelming battle.