"Pika, Pika?" (You're ready, Huo Long?)
Wang Shóu said, solemnly looking at Huo Long in front of him.
Huo Long responded back with a solemn face too.
"Char, Char" (Ready, Lei Feng).
Two creatures looked at each other solemnly. To others, it seemed that something very serious had happened, but actually, Wang Shóu felt very awkward instead.
'Why am I looking at myself solemnly as if I had done something wrong?!'
Wang Shóu crazily complained in his heart, but he had no choice as Xiong Yong was on the sideline, watching as a bystander.
If he doesn't want his persona to collapse, he would have to make some effort in this case, which, to be honest, is very tiring.
But even so, Wang Shóu actually enjoys doing this, playing multiple personas to act according to the situation.
In his previous life, he was often suppressed and bullied in high school by many other students who were smarter than him.
So feeling resentment in his heart, he accidentally encountered a book with the title, "How to Manipulate People."
Initially, he was curious and decided to read it. It turns out that was the best choice he could ever have made. It opened a brand new world that Wang Shóu never knew was possible.
At the same time, he also gained further understanding of just how dark and terrifying humanity can be.
So it always gives him great enjoyment to see those so-called smart people dancing in the palm of his hands like a helpless puppets.
Perhaps it's one of his bad traits, a sadistic trait that derives pleasure from manipulating others.
Of course, he isn't purely bad, as sometimes he would use it to help others, like an anonymous superhero depicted in a manga.
In any case, what he chooses to do with his persona usually depends on his mood, though most of the time, he likes to use it to troll others.
Clap, Clap!
"Roar!" (Go, Boss Lei Feng and Boss Huo Long, you can do it!)
Xiong Yong cheerfully clapped from the sideline, rooting for both Lei Feng and Huo Long.
Tactfully ignoring Xiong Yong, Wang Shóu and Huo Long both looked at each other before making their move.
'Discharge!'
'Flamethrower!'
Both Wang Shóu and Huo Long burst out with their respective moves.
Countless electricity and torrents of flame rushed toward each other and formed a brilliant collision with each other.
'It worked!'
Seeing this, Wang Shóu was initially overjoyed, but his face immediately changed into an ugly expression as he sensed the situation.
He could sense that the collisions between both electricity and fire were colliding even harder against each other and were quickly growing out of control.
'Fak! Retreat!'
Wang Shóu and Huo Long quickly retreated, using trees as cover from the impending explosion.
BANG!!
A loud explosion occurred, even bigger than the collision between Wang Shóu's Discharge and Flame Lion King's flame attack, shaking several kilometers around it.
Countless trees were blown away, and even Wang Shóu and Huo Long were also blown away from the aftermath of the explosion.
Even Xiong Yong, who was cheerfully watching from afar as a bystander, was also blown away.
Soon, the whole area was covered with debris, broken trees, and dust everywhere.
Bang!
Multiple trees were blown away, and amidst the middle revealed a large red lizard, covered in dust.
Nearby, an enormous brown bear, covered with dust, was just sitting there, dumbly looking around with an innocent look that seemed to be asking what just happened.
Finally, a large broken tree was pushed away to reveal a small yellow mouse covered in dust too.
'...wow...'
Wang Shóu was speechless when he looked at the damage caused by the aftermath.
'...it seems that I have much work to do...'
He did not learn his lesson from the battle with Flame Lion King at all.
'What was I thinking for starting with a strong move?! Of course, that was bound to happen!'
Mentally berating himself, Wang Shóu clasped his forehead, feeling a headache already.
'For now, it seems it will take a long time...and I will have to start with a weaker move first.'
----
Three months later
'Thunderbolt!'
'Flamethrower!'
A singular burst of electricity ripped through the air, and even though it is only one, it is much more powerful than Discharge, which emits countless electricity.
Not to be outdone, a huge torrent of flame also tore through the air, leaving behind a scorching smell.
Two different types of energy madly rushed toward each other and collided.
Surprisingly, the two bursts of energy did not cause an explosion upon contact but instead formed a peculiar balance, intertwining with each other as one.
In a dazzling display of power and precision, Thunderbolt and Flamethrower merged into a new, powerful move. Lightning streaked across the sky as flames roared beneath, creating a fearsome combination of fire and electricity.
Strangely, the unified might of Thunderbolt and Flamethrower surged and headed toward a particular destination, as if it were being controlled.
Like a guided storm of fury, the fearsome combination move bore through the air like a raging bull, seemingly leaving nothing in its path untouched or unscathed.
BANG!!!
The explosion occurred with a deafening roar, sending shockwaves through the surroundings.
Flames and debris were hurled in all directions, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The force of the explosion was so immense that it left a lasting impact on the landscape for miles around.
In the eerie silence that followed, the forest lay in a state of profound stillness, with only the distant crackling of embers and the faint scent of smoke remaining as reminders of the explosive event.
The once lush and vibrant vegetation now smoldered in ruins, as charred tree trunks and scorched earth marked the epicenter of the explosion.
The once calm forest is now filled with dust, and a small crater-like area in the center of the explosion.
Emerging from the dust-filled aftermath, two creatures appeared, both covered with dirt and soot.
It turned out to be both Wang Shóu and Huo Long.
"Pika, Pika!" (After three long months, it is finally successful! I will call it Flamebolt!)
Wang Shóu said excitedly, wiping the dirt and soot off his body.
While wiping off the dirt, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.
"Roar!" (That was awesome, Boss Lei Feng and Boss Huo Long!)
Xiong Yong said, who just arrived with no dust or dirt on his enormous body.
Learning his lesson from last time, Xiong Yong made sure to watch from a few miles away from the aftermath.
"Pika, Pika" (Thanks, I'm just glad there's no more accident now)
Wang Shóu said modestly, but he can't contain the smile that showed on his face.
After three months of training, he finally completed the improvised move!
Of course, the place he selected to train wasn't spared, as there are countless small craters with debris all over the area.
But now with his first improvised move completed, creating another improvised move between two Pokémon will definitely be much easier than the last time.
Of course, he wasn't just purely focused on creating an improvised move. He also fought several powerful spirit beasts and once managed to defeat a 4,000-year-old spirit beast!
Now he is much stronger than before, which is evident by his status window.
'Status Window'
A blue panel popped up in the air, with a few changes compared to last time.
[Name: Wang Shóu]
[Race: Pikachu]
[Ability: Lightning Rod]
[Type: Electric]
[Level: 37 (3,500 years old)]
[Pokémon: Charmeleon (36), Clefairy (30), Rookidee (26)]
'I'm much stronger than before now.'
Wang Shóu nodded, satisfied with his status panel. But looking at the level behind Clefairy and Rookidee, he frowned.
'Hmm, it's harder to level them up now as I am in the Middle Region, and finding a spirit beast that Clefairy or Rookidee can defeat is a lot harder than I thought...'
Wang Shóu can only shake his head as he also tried to look for heaven and earth treasures, the only means to level up without fighting other spirit beasts.
But unfortunately, they are too rare, and heaven and earth treasures that he manages to find are occupied by other powerful spirit beasts above 5,000 years old!
So until he gets stronger in the future, he doesn't dare provoke them for now.
Of course, mentally Wang Shóu made a note to introduce Clefairy and Rookidee to Xiong Yong in the future so he can carry them to level up.
'Sigh...it would be nice if I could get an Exp. Share in the future. It would be definitely easier to level up underleveled Pokémon...'
But Wang Shóu shook his head and decided to think in a more optimistic direction.
Now with the improvised move under his belt, Wang Shóu is confident that even 7,000-year-old spirit beasts will have to retreat under the might of Flamebolt!