At this moment, the highway was ravaged by a sandstorm, and the wind howled.
The ground trembled violently under Super Steelix's Earthquake attack. Darmanitan, seeing the situation, did not flinch. Its entire body instantly blazed with fire, unleashing "Flare Blitz" like a burning meteor charging towards Super Steelix.
It braved the sandstorm's assault, each step leaving deep imprints in the sand, and the sandstorm would drain a portion of a Pokémon's HP each turn. Although it was already scarred and battered by the sandstorm, with several sharp stones tearing its red skin and blood seeping out, it still charged forward bravely.
Rumble rumble~
Darmanitan crashed into Super Steelix with all its might, the powerful impact causing Super Steelix to sway slightly, leaving a scorched mark on its body.
"Super Steelix, Bind."
Super Steelix swung its massive tail, directly hooking Darmanitan back and tightly coiling its body around him.
Darmanitan, unable to dodge, was tightly bound by Super Steelix. After a roar of anger, his face turned red and veins bulged from the squeezing pressure of the Bind.
Rapidash, witnessing its companion trapped, its eyes turned bloodshot. Its four hooves lifted, and the Flame Wheel on its body spun rapidly, charging towards Super Steelix with an indomitable momentum.
It weaved left and right through the sandstorm, dodging the rocks and sand carried within it. Upon getting close, it leaped high and kicked Super Steelix's back fiercely with its fiery hooves.
This kick, filled with its rage, actually left a wound on Super Steelix's back. However, Super Steelix continued to use Bind with all its might.
With a crisp snap~ The violently contracting Bind skill crushed and broke Darmanitan's bones.
Super Steelix suddenly flicked its tail, flinging Darmanitan in Rapidash's direction. Darmanitan's now limp body turned straight towards Rapidash.
Rapidash was hit in the abdomen. The two Pokémon arced through the air, spitting blood, and finally fell powerlessly onto the sand, lifeless, their condition unknown…
Cheng Feng watched his Pokémon fall, his heart filled with grief and anger. Ninetales also sensed its companions' plight; its nine tails no longer danced gracefully, and the ethereal blue Mystical Fire flickered in sorrow.
"Darmanitan, Rapidash. Are you alright!" Cheng Feng asked anxiously.
Super Steelix's Trainer's cold, electronic voice responded, "In Pokémon battles, the weak can only be eliminated."
The two fallen Pokémon did not respond. Cheng Feng gritted his teeth, knowing he could not be consumed by grief at this moment. He took a deep breath, concentrating his gaze on Super Steelix.
"Ninetales, we can't give up. Use Flamethrower with all your might!"
Upon hearing this, Ninetales suppressed its grief, and the flames in its mouth gathered again. This time, it poured all its energy into it; the originally ethereal blue flames turned into a fiery orange-red inferno, and a surging pillar of fire rushed towards Super Steelix.
Just then, an extremely powerful and violent Fire-type energy suddenly erupted! The raging flames seemed to incinerate the entire world, and even the swirling sand could not stop it in the slightest. This terrifying power accurately struck its side.
In an instant, the spewing flames, like a lit fuse, quickly spread throughout its entire body. In the blink of an eye, it was engulfed in an incredibly fierce blaze.
The raging inferno furiously licked its body, making crackling sounds, and even the surrounding air became distorted due to the high temperature. From a distance, it had transformed into a giant tower of fire.
Although Super Steelix's special defense was not as terrifying as its physical defense, it was still as high as ninety-five points. It endured the burning of the flames, but there was no expression of pain on Steelix's face.
"Wasting my time, then don't blame me."
The helmeted Trainer took another Poké Ball from his waist and tossed it into the air. Boom, a flash of white light.
A Pokémon with a large skull on its head, holding a Bone Club, with a white abdomen and a predominantly dark brown body, and sharp small claws on its limbs, about one meter tall—Marowak.
"Marowak, Bone Club Barrage."
The Bone Club held by this Marowak was instantly covered in a thick layer of Ground-type energy. The entire Bone Club glowed with white light, extending from its normal forty centimeters to over a meter.
Marowak unhesitatingly swung the long staff in its hand, creating a sharp whooshing sound. The long staff cut through the air and sped towards Ninetales. Each swing left a clearly visible trail of light in the air, making one marvel.
However, Ninetales had exhausted all its energy with this full-power attack and was completely powerless to block Marowak's Sucker Punch.
Thud thud~ Two dull thuds of Bone Club Barrage hitting Ninetales's flesh were heard, one striking its jaw, the other hitting its abdomen.
"Wooo~" With a mournful cry, Ninetales instantly flew backward like a kite with a broken string, soaring over Cheng Feng's head and crashing onto the hard asphalt road behind him, completely lifeless.
Cheng Feng looked at the fallen Ninetales, his heart filled with helplessness and sorrow. Cheng Feng clenched his fists, just about to reach for his remaining Pokémon that had not yet reached Elite Four level.
"Bone Boomerang."
Marowak, upon hearing this, directly threw a spinning Bone Club towards Cheng Feng, striking him precisely in the middle of his abdomen and ribs.
Immediately, his ribs fractured, piercing into his internal organs. Marowak leaned forward and delivered a final blow to his body, directly knocking him unconscious. Without timely treatment, he would die…
The helmeted Trainer walked over and made a satellite call. After connecting.
"I defeated Li Xingeng's disciple. Should I eliminate him?"
The other side was silent for a moment, then an equally encrypted electronic voice responded, "Li Xingeng's protégé? Eliminate him then. Killing or not killing is fine. Hurry up and bring that useless person back."
With that, the other side hung up the phone.
The helmeted Trainer kicked Cheng Feng with his foot, checking his vital signs, and found that he still had a breath left.
"Then I'll spare your life. But what will it be like when you survive and find that all the Elite Four Pokémon you painstakingly trained are dead? Heh heh, interesting."
In this world, owning just one Elite Four Pokémon is enough to be called a Elite Four Trainer. Elite Four and above (including Elite Four) are extremely rare.
Training an Elite Four Pokémon requires an immense amount of resources. The training cycle not only demands vast resources but also requires the Trainer to dedicate sufficient time.
Cheng Feng, as Li Guanjun's disciple, also had a considerable family background and the Champion's support, yet he had only managed to train three Fire-type Elite Four Pokémon.
If an Elite Four Pokémon falls in battle, it is a heavy blow to an Elite Four Trainer, because Elite Four Pokémon are very rare in this world. Even if he finds a new Elite Four Pokémon, he would still need to pour resources and time into training it.
For a Elite Four Trainer nearing 30 years old, this might mean he would never have a chance to rise again in this lifetime…