"Hmph! My Growlithe might not be as well-trained as my Monferno," Liu Yunlan declared confidently, "but beating a little Fletchling like yours should be no problem!"
"Growlithe, use Howl!"
Thanks to Wang Tao's sneaky tactics in previous battles, most of the regulars had learned not to rush in recklessly anymore. They now made it a point to boost their stats first before launching attacks.
"Awooo~!"
Growlithe threw back its head and let out a long howl. A red aura began to build up around its body.
That was the attack buff effect from Howl!
Once completed, it would enhance Growlithe's offensive power—enough to make up for its lower overall training level.
Liu Yunlan might be dramatic, but she clearly wasn't a total amateur when it came to battling.
On the other side, Ding Yue didn't bother powering up. She simply raised her hand and pointed sharply.
"Fletchling, use Quick Attack!"
In an instant, Fletchling shot forward like an arrow, a blur of red streaking across the sky toward Growlithe!
While Growlithe was still "chanting" its Howl, Fletchling's sharp beak struck it squarely on the nose!
Though Growlithe wasn't technically a real dog, its nose was still one of the most sensitive spots on its body. That jab drew a sharp yelp of pain!
The Howl was interrupted, and the red energy that had begun to gather around Growlithe faded away completely!
"Huh?! It got interrupted?!"
Liu Yunlan was stunned.
"How can that tiny Fletchling be so fast?!"
She hurriedly ordered a counterattack:
"Growlithe, use Tackle!"
But by then, Fletchling had already pulled back and soared gracefully into the air under Ding Yue's command.
Growlithe's tackle struck… nothing—just a lingering trail of Ember left behind!
Even though Growlithe was a Fire-type and naturally resistant to flames, the embers still managed to scorch its fur, leaving it looking battered and singed.
Right from the start, the supposedly weaker Fletchling had taken full control of the battle!
"Whoa! Fletchling is that strong?!"
Li Xiaoyu clutched her Eevee tightly, staring wide-eyed at the fierce exchanges between the Pokémon on the field.
She had gotten her Eevee at the same time Ding Yue received Fletchling, but hers hadn't shown anything special yet.
Fletchling's growth had clearly been… explosive.
"This is the first time I've ever seen a move get interrupted…"
Even Wang Tao was wide-eyed.
Buffing moves were usually seen as essential power-ups in battle. Having one get interrupted like that? That was rare.
Even Su Bai didn't expect this outcome.
"This isn't like the games…"
He muttered under his breath.
In the games, buffing moves can't be interrupted—they just take up a turn.
But come to think of it, it made sense.
In real life, skills need to be channeled. If a Pokémon gets hit mid-preparation, it's only natural for the move to fail.
Quick Attack always goes first. Compared to the time it takes to execute Howl, the interruption made sense—surprising, but perfectly logical.
"Looks like Ding Yue didn't just rush in blindly!"
Su Bai watched her closely, a bit impressed by how calm she remained.
Could it be that this heiress of the Ding Corporation had put in serious work training her Fletchling?
Back on the field, Ding Yue watched as Fletchling darted back into the sky after its successful strike. She clenched her fist in quiet celebration.
"Yes!"
Her face lit up with satisfaction—a plan confirmed by results.
She was, after all, the daughter of a wealthy conglomerate. Her family background wasn't far off from someone like Zhang Qun.
But instead of a rare, powerful Pokémon, her draw had given her a common "yard bird."
Honestly? She had felt a little bitter about it at first.
But the fact that she'd joined Haicheng No. 1 High as an Awakener and climbed so far up the rankings showed one thing:
She was not someone who gave up easily.
Everyone trained hard, but if anyone had gone all-in on refining their partner's abilities—it was her.
Despite her wealth, she had gone all-in on this "ordinary" Fletchling.
"You think that's all I've got?" she called out confidently.
She looked at Growlithe, still howling futilely at the sky, and smirked.
"Even a so-called 'yard bird' has its advantages!"
"That first hit was just the appetizer! Watch this—the unique edge of Flying-types!"
"Fletchling, use Ember again!"
A blazing ball of fire rained down from the sky, slamming into Growlithe before it could dodge!
Liu Yunlan was utterly dumbfounded.
She quickly realized—as long as Fletchling stayed in the air, Growlithe's options were limited.
Aside from Ember, which both Pokémon shared as Fire-types, Growlithe had no way to reach it!
"G-Growlithe, use Ember!"
Trying to stay calm, Liu Yunlan gave her order.
Growlithe opened its jaws and launched a ball of flame skyward.
But this wasn't a turn-based game. In real battles, Fletchling's aerial agility mattered—a lot.
Fletchling in the air was like a bomber jet.
Growlithe on the ground? Not exactly a surface-to-air missile.
Ember might be a basic Fire-type move, but its speed and power weren't particularly impressive.
Unlike Growlithe, Fletchling could move in all directions with ease—dodging from any angle.
Growlithe's Ember fizzled out uselessly in the air.
But Fletchling's Ember? It hit dead on—again.
Attacking from the sky gave Fletchling far more flexibility in targeting. Meanwhile, Growlithe's grounded attacks were easy to predict.
More and more fireballs rained down like meteor showers.
Soon, the battlefield looked downright comical—two Pokémon spitting flames at each other.
But the difference in hit rate was night and day.
Growlithe needed three or four tries to land a single Ember.
Fletchling? It rarely missed at all!
"Awoooo~~!!"
With a pitiful cry, Growlithe collapsed to the ground, defeated.
Liu Yunlan, clearly distressed, recalled Growlithe to its Poké Ball and stared, dumbfounded, at the triumphant little bird circling overhead.
She couldn't help but complain:
"This is so unfair! You're just bullying my Growlithe for not knowing how to fly!"
Ding Yue grinned from ear to ear.
"Exactly! That's the power of flight! Flying-types are just that awesome!"
"Eh? Fletchling?"
Just as Ding Yue was basking in the glory of a well-executed strategy, Fletchling suddenly let out a sharp cry.
A brilliant white light enveloped its body in midair.
Inside that cocoon of light, its shape began to shift and stretch—
Su Bai blinked in surprise.
"Huh? It's… evolving?!"