The corrosive liquid collided with the Ember attack, exploding mid-air with thick smoke billowing across the battlefield.
Both Amber and Lisa's line of sight was completely obscured by the smoke.
Takashi thought to himself, "No wonder these are members of the Knights of Favonius. Though they are new trainers, having only taught them in one battle before, I am amazed by their growth." Their control over battle details was commendable. Being knights, Amber and Lisa had an innate sharpness and adaptive capacity. When they fought alongside their Pokémon, it was as if they were in complete command of the battlefield themselves.
For Kaeya and Eula, both seasoned knights, the scene before them was nothing surprising. To them, issuing one command was all it took for their Pokémon to deliver stunning moves in battle, which didn't seem all that difficult.
As the smoke slowly dissipated, Amber and Lisa immediately spotted the positions of each other's Pokémon.
"Nuzzle!" Amber shouted.
"Tackle!" Lisa countered.
The small, nimble Toxel seemed a bit slow, and before anyone could blink, Ponyta was already dashing towards it with incredible speed, aiming to tackle.
"Aim for its legs, get close!" Lisa called out quickly, noticing that Toxel's small frame and slower speed put it at a disadvantage when it came to raw strength against Ponyta. Charging head-on would only end up with Toxel being thrown aside.
But being small could become a unique advantage in chaos.
In the blink of an eye, Amber widened her eyes, watching Ponyta hit nothing but air as Toxel nimbly clung onto its leg.
Golden electric arcs emitted from Toxel's cheeks as Ponyta neighed loudly in pain. Amber quickly became flustered.
Toxel held onto one of Ponyta's legs, continuously letting out electric shocks to drain its energy, while Ponyta dashed across the battlefield in a desperate attempt to shake its opponent off.
Lisa's lips curled into a faint smile. At this rate, Ponyta's stamina would be quickly depleted. "That's it, Toxel. Hold on tight."
"Darn it," Amber clenched her fists, sweat dripping onto the grass beneath her with a soft splatter. She hesitated briefly before a thought struck her, making her grin. "Ponyta, calm down and use Ember on the grass!"
Upon hearing this, Takashi, Lisa, Eula, and Kaeya were all taken aback.
Lisa chuckled softly, "Amber, are you giving up already?"
Eula tilted her head slightly towards Kaeya and asked, "What do you think?"
Kaeya folded his arms, answering seriously, "Amber may look reckless at times, but during missions, no detail escapes her notice. I believe she must have found a countermeasure."
Takashi could tell from Amber's confident smile what she intended.
Ponyta, weakened by Toxel's Nuzzle attack, was already paralyzed, unable to use its speed advantage effectively.
But, much like the mischievous smile on Amber's face, her plan was completely unexpected.
Since the battlefield was covered in tall grass, lush and thriving — even Chikorita had loved playing there like a happy kitten — why not set it ablaze? After all, Ponyta wasn't afraid of fire.
Like a Poké Ball, the battlefield is round, and a good trainer must learn to make use of every element within.
Ponyta, paralyzed, lowered its legs, sitting on the ground and unleashing Ember.
Tiny embers scattered across the grass, which quickly ignited, spreading into an intense blaze.
In mere moments, the grassy field turned into a sea of flames.
Lisa was stunned.
What she thought had been the perfect opportunity to drain Ponyta's stamina, a slow and steady tactic to wear her opponent down, turned out to be a trap, overturned by Amber's brilliant and unexpected move.
"Toxel, use Acid! Give it one last hit!" Lisa commanded.
However, she noticed that Toxel was sweating heavily due to the intense heat, barely able to stay on its feet.
"To...xel..." it whimpered weakly.
The continuous electric arcs on Ponyta's legs gradually faded, and it finally regained its mobility.
"Now's your chance! Ember!" Amber seized her opportunity to counterattack.
Ponyta, with great effort, turned and unleashed Ember towards Toxel at point-blank range. Unable to endure the flames, Toxel finally collapsed, its eyes turning into dizzy swirls.
Takashi immediately announced, "Toxel is unable to continue fighting. The winner of this battle is Amber and her Ponyta!"
"Woohoo!" Amber ran onto the field, throwing herself onto Ponyta like a little pendant. "You did amazing, my darling!"
"Ponytaaa!" Ponyta neighed proudly.
Takashi glanced at Xerneas, signaling to take action. Xerneas used its Psychic powers to disperse the flames, while simultaneously using its healing powers to cover Toxel, preventing further burns.
Lisa straightened her wizard hat with a smile, "Sigh, lost again."
After Xerneas extinguished the flames, the battlefield was reduced to a mixture of grass ash and dirt.
Eula and Kaeya, watching from the stands, approached to check on things.
The four trainers gathered around Takashi.
Amber scratched her head, flashing her signature bright smile, "Hehe, thanks for the match, Lisa."
Lisa held her now-asleep Toxel, healed by Xerneas, and replied gracefully, "Amber, next time, I won't lose."
Takashi gave a few brief pointers, "Lisa's strategy was solid, and Amber's counterattack was also clever. A Pokémon battle isn't just about moves clashing head-on — using the battlefield effectively and minimizing weaknesses is key."
Lisa chuckled, "If it weren't for the grassy field, you'd have been crying by now, Amber."
Amber put her hands on her hips, "Hehe, luck is also a part of strength!"
Having watched the entire battle, Kaeya now had some understanding of the basics and was eager to try it himself. "Takashi, is it our turn now?"
"Machop!" Machop flexed its muscles, ready for action.
"Chikorita!" Chikorita ran excitedly onto the field, only to find it covered in ashes. Its eyes lost their sparkle, realizing the fragrant grass it loved had turned into a scorched wasteland, making it feel blue and almost on the verge of tears.
Chikorita turned and ran up to Amber, letting out a couple of sad cries.
Amber was startled and quickly lifted her leg apologetically. "Sorry, Chikorita, I didn't mean to... haha..."
Takashi smiled, stepping forward and gently stroking the leaf on Chikorita's head to comfort it. "It's okay, Chikorita. I'll restore it for you later."
Since this was a battle simulation space, it could easily be repaired, but doing it in front of the knights was a bit too complicated for now.
"Chiko..." Chikorita nodded slightly, but its eyes still seemed saddened.