"Roar!" The Rathalos spat a fireball, intercepting the icy whirlwind from the Barioth.
Bang!
The fireball and the ice tornado collided, erupting in a cloud of steam. They were evenly matched.
"Roar!" The Barioth lunged at the Rathalos, its eyes blood-red and filled with madness.
"Something's not right with this Barioth," Zhang noted, his brow furrowing as he observed its crazed state. A faint black aura clung to its body, a clear sign that something was wrong.
"Roar!" Seeing the incoming attack, the Rathalos charged forward without hesitation.
Bang!
The two wyverns crashed into each other. Both were sent reeling back hundreds of meters, their strength perfectly equal. Fortunately, Zhang's own body was at the Gym Leader tier; an ordinary person would have been thrown from the Rathalos's back long ago.
This isn't right, he thought. My Rathalos has been buffed six times with Dragon Dance and has its ability active. Its attack power should be six times its normal state. Logically, the Barioth's attack should be weaker, yet they're fighting on par. And its speed is just as fast as my Rathalos's… there's something wrong with this monster.
Frowning, Zhang activated his system's detailed scan on the Barioth.
Barioth (Frenzy Virus active)
Level: 59 (Quasi-Elite Four Tier)
Description: A Barioth infected with the Frenzy Virus. It has fallen into a crazed state and will attack all living things. Due to the virus, its strength and speed have been significantly increased.
Tip: When a monster reaches Level 80 (Mythical Tier), it can overcome the Frenzy Virus and enter an Apex State.
"So it's the Frenzy Virus. No wonder," Zhang understood immediately. The Frenzy Virus was spread by Gore Magala, the larval form of the Elder Dragon Shagaru Magala. Infected monsters would grow stronger, but the power came at the cost of their life force, often leading to a premature death. Only those strong enough to reach the Mythical tier could overcome the virus and make that power their own.
Zhang recalled that Elder Dragons and some powerful monster variants were immune to the Frenzy Virus. The Silver Rathalos, for example, a powerful variant of the Rathalos, couldn't be infected. In the end, it all came down to a monster's innate strength.
"Rathalos, lead it to the ground," Zhang commanded. Among his quasi-Elite Four Pokémon, only the Rathalos could fly. It would be difficult for it to defeat the frenzied Barioth alone. He needed to lure it to the ground and perform a righteous group beatdown.
"Roar!" Hearing the command, the Rathalos dove toward the forest floor. The Barioth immediately followed, snapping at its heels. The moment the Rathalos neared the ground, Zhang threw out a handful of Luxury Balls.
A flash of red light, and the Brute Dragon, Nargacuga, Crimsondog Beast, and Redhelm Arzuros appeared, surrounding the area.
"Nargacuga, Dragon Dance! Redhelm Arzuros, Swords Dance!" Zhang shouted. As he gave the orders, he used a Wirebug to launch himself from the Rathalos's back, landing a hundred meters away.
"Roar!" Not long after Zhang dismounted, the Barioth crashed down from the sky, colliding with the Rathalos. The two monsters rolled across the ground, locked in a vicious struggle.
Dragon Dance!
The Brute Dragon and Nargacuga didn't immediately join the fray, instead taking the time to buff themselves. The Redhelm Arzuros and Crimsondog Beast did the same. If not for Zhang's orders, the newly captured Nargacuga and Redhelm Arzuros would have already charged in. They had not yet learned his methods.
"Strengthen yourselves to the limit before you engage! You're not qualified to join the battle yet!" Zhang yelled after landing. A frenzied Barioth was a dangerous opponent. Without maximum buffs, even his Brute Dragon could be taken out in a single hit.
"Roar!" The Rathalos opened its mouth and spat three large fireballs in quick succession at the Barioth—the move Triple Fireball.
Rumble! The Barioth swatted the fireballs with its claws, causing three explosions that dissipated the flames. Fireball was a special attack, while Dragon Dance boosted physical attack. Furthermore, being on the ground nullified the Rathalos's ability, weakening its attack, special attack, and speed. The Rathalos knew this; its goal was simply to buy time for its allies.
"Roar!" The Barioth leaped into the air and pounced on the Rathalos.
"Protect!" The Rathalos raised its wings, and a translucent barrier materialized, blocking the attack.
Boom!
The Barioth was thrown back, stumbling as it landed. Seeing its chance, the Rathalos's eyes glinted coldly as it activated Dragon Rush.
Boom! Boom! It charged forward with heavy, thundering steps. The Barioth simply raised its claws to defend.
Bang!
The Rathalos crashed into the Barioth, knocking it back more than ten steps, but the damage was minimal. The Barioth had successfully blocked the impact with its powerful forelimbs.
On the ground, the Rathalos's ability can't trigger, making it much weaker, Zhang analyzed. If they were in the air, the Barioth wouldn't have blocked that so easily.
"Roar!" The Barioth opened its mouth to bite the back of the Rathalos's neck, its long, amber fangs flashing dangerously.
"Protect!" The Rathalos used the move again, blocking the attack once more.
"Roar!" The Barioth roared in a frenzy. The invincible defensive move was infuriating, driving it further into a rage.
"Roar!" The Rathalos spread its wings, leaped back into the air, and shot a fireball at the Barioth's face.
Bang!
The Barioth was knocked back a few steps, but the damage was minor, only singeing some of its fur. It was about to fly up and give chase when a sharp pain erupted from its wings. The Nargacuga, now fully buffed from six Dragon Dances, had slashed at the base of its wings, severing the membranes and grounding it permanently.
"Roar!" The Barioth spun around and snapped at the Nargacuga.
Swish! The Nargacuga instantly twisted and appeared beside the Barioth as if it had teleported. It had used its Swallow-Tail Flash, boosting its speed by 200%.
Slash!
The Nargacuga's blade-wing lashed out, striking the Barioth's neck. The sharp edge sliced through scales and flesh, severing its aorta. Red blood gushed out.
"Roar!" The frenzied monster showed no fear, only greater rage. A creature infected with the Frenzy Virus was a true madman. But as it prepared to counterattack, the Brute Dragon's assault arrived. A torrent of hot flames engulfed the Barioth, sending it flying.
Then, the Crimsondog Beast hurled its exploding pinecones, continuing the chase.
Rumble! Rumble!
Before the blasted Barioth could even hit the ground, it was blown up again.