Boom!
Smoke swirled in the sky, and in no time, Arcanine's figure emerged, plummeting down from high above.
Altaria was still hovering in the air, but its claws were visibly scorched, and the tremendous impact left unsteady.
"This is bad."
Terrance sighed inwardly, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he quickly commanded, "Beautifly, help Arcanine."
"Awoo~~~"
Raging flames shot out as Arcanine twisted its body, its descent speeding up as the red glow in its eyes intensified. Only when a strong wind blew against Arcanine did its fall slow down.
"That move..."
Altaria groaned softly, revealing the area where it had been hit by Arcanine. Though the injury wasn't fatal, it still made Terrance's pupils contract.
This was an attack launched by Arcanine from the ground. After jumping an unknown height, it finally landed its move on Altaria.
Such destructive power...
If this attack had been directed at an opponent on the ground...Terrance drew in a sharp breath. Even a heavyweight Pokémon like Golem would have been seriously hurt.
Terrance's gaze immediately flickered between Altaria's injuries and the spot where Arcanine had jumped from, his mood heavy as he watched Arcanine crash to the ground.
Thanks to Beautifly's strong wind cushioning it, Arcanine landed relatively smoothly, without major issues. Even back when it was a Growlithe, Arcanine could rely on its coordination skills to land from high altitudes.
However, now, whether it's right after an attack or with Beautifly's help, Arcanine still crashed to the ground... There was only one possible explanation.
The side effects of Outrage were too severe.
"Is the side effect of Outrage that significant when used by a non-Dragon-type Pokémon?"
Terrance felt a pang of distress, but it was clear that the Flare Blitz, boosted by Outrage, was nearly off the charts in terms of destructive power. However, right after that one attack, Arcanine was already showing signs of confusion.
"Arcanine, can you hear me? Come here."
Despite the fall, Arcanine wasn't seriously injured.
Its thick skin and flesh was its hallmark even when it was a Growlithe, and after evolving into Arcanine, it should be as tough as steel...
The deep red glow reflected in Arcanine's brown eyes, as it panted and struggled, slowly walking toward Terrance.
Waving his hand to signal Beautifly and Mismagius not to intervene, Terrance breathed a sigh of relief. "It's okay."
"Arcanine hasn't completely lost its mind."
Noticing Arcanine's condition, Terrance quickly pulled out a prepared Persim Berry's juice from his backpack. As Arcanine slowly approached, Terrance pried its mouth open and poured the potion down its throat.
A few seconds later, the red glow in Arcanine's eyes gradually faded, returning to their original color. Stroking Arcanine's fur as it lay down, Terrance smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"Awoo~"
Arcanine suddenly lunged into Terrance's arms, its heavy body pinning him down, and nodded with a cry.
"Seems like you're fine...."
"But your old habit hasn't changed."
Arcanine's cry in Terrance's ear carried an overwhelming sense of majesty. Though Arcanine still affectionately pounced on him like it did as Growlithe, Terrance could sense that Arcanine's temperament had undergone a complete transformation.
Maybe the feeling isn't very clear right now, but...
Terrance still wanted to test what was the limit of Arcanine's body.
"Arcanine, follow me."
Picking up a stone, Terrance started drawing a path from one side of the field, circling around and around, from the outermost circle to the innermost, creating a series of circles, each surrounding the last. Arcanine followed closely behind, tilting its head in confusion.
"Starting from that position, your attack route will be confined to this pathway."
Terrance explained, pointing to the circles he had drawn, which perfectly formed six large circles that roughly matched Arcanine's size.
"Beautifly, go bring a stone. It must be last"
"Castform, Altaria, Mismagius, be ready. If Arcanine falls into Confusion, restrain it immediately."
Although the Pokémon didn't fully understand Terrance's intentions, they nodded. Soon, Beautifly, using String Shot, slowly dragged over a large stone, flying unsteadily and with great difficulty.
Boom~
Dropping the stone in the center of the circles as Terrance directed, Beautifly heaved a big sigh, exhausted.
"Alright, let's get started."
Terrance smiled slightly. Based on what he had seen earlier, a single attack didn't make Arcanine completely lose its rationality, but Terrance needed to determine Arcanine's limits while in the Outrage state.
Just like when he tested the limits of Altaria's Dragon Dance, having a clear benchmark would allow him to command them more effectively in battle.
"Awoo~~"
Arcanine stood at the starting position, ready to dash. With three successive commands from Terrance, Arcanine became a blur of motion.
Outrage!
Extreme Speed!
Flare Blitz!
At this moment, Arcanine moved so fast that, just before it took its first step, a red glow flashed in its brown eyes. Then, Arcanine seemed to hear a rumble inside its body as flames ignited within its body, and an endless surge of power coursed through its legs and body. With just one step, Arcanine felt an overwhelming urge to sprint forward with all its might.
But recalling Terrance's orders, Arcanine concentrated on controlling its body, trying to stay within the drawn pathway. However, it was too fast. In the Extreme Speed state, Arcanine found it nearly impossible to control this power. It was just like when Swablu was first born and couldn't proficiently use Agility—this unfamiliar power was something that it had encountered for the first time, causing intense discomfort.
The screeching sound of friction echoed in Terrance's ears. Arcanine, trying to stay within the path Terrance had drawn, constantly adjusted its movements, changing direction, but the intense friction between its feet and the ground was unavoidable. As flames engulfed Arcanine's body, Terrance focused on the corners where Arcanine turned, noticing the charred and cracked ground, as if it had been blasted by explosives, highlighting Arcanine's combined power and speed.
"Bang!"
As Arcanine rounded the final corner, the large stone that Beautifly had placed there cracked under the impact, with countless cracks spreading from the point of contact. Flames seeped into the cracks, invading the rock, and with a massive burst of flames, the stone exploded into pieces, sending fragments flying in all directions.
Swoosh!
Countless threads blocked the flying fragments, preventing it from reaching Terrance. Looking at Arcanine's condition, Terrance shouted, "If you're still conscious, unleash your full power! Run with everything you've got!"
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