Chapter 322: Next Time, We Won’t Be So Nice!

Chapter 322: Next Time, We Won't Be So Nice!

"Charizard, Flamethrower!"

The moment Sceptile was about to unleash Frenzy Plant, Hikaru's aura instantly detected the danger—

And in the very next second, he issued a precise command.

Charizard let out a long roar. Down below, Sceptile's pupils contracted sharply as it looked up at the orange figure soaring above.

The vines that had been aimed at Bellossom briefly paused before abruptly shifting their trajectory, shooting skyward toward Charizard.

Charizard didn't flinch—

A torrential blaze surged from its mouth.

The white fire tinged with golden glimmers burst out like a sea of flames, stretching across the sky like a curtain of burning fury.

But this time, the result was very different from before.

Last time, their power levels were close, and Charizard's flames had no problem burning Frenzy Plant vines into ash.

But this time—

Sceptile had reached Master level.

Charizard was still only at the Lord stage.

Though the vines were still scorched, it took significantly longer than before.

And in that window of delay, more and more vines surged upward.

Charizard's Flamethrower couldn't keep up.

Just as the vines were about to land a hit—

"Take flight! Upward!"

Hikaru gave a new command via Aura.

Charizard surged into the sky, dodging the whiplike vines.

But even so, Frenzy Plant was a huge drain, even for a Master-level Sceptile.

Its aura began to fluctuate and lose rhythm.

In contrast, Charizard—

Even after unleashing a high-powered Flamethrower—showed no signs of fatigue.

With its excellent stamina, plus the Forest Companion trait enhancing its regeneration in the Crescent Forest,

Charizard was practically a perpetual motion machine here.

The two clashed again and again—

And finally, Hikaru found his opening.

"Sunny Day!"

High above, Charizard twisted midair.

Slashing through vines with ghostly Dragon Claws, it took a hit directly to the body.

Then its wings spread wide—

The gentle sunlight of the forest suddenly intensified, burning hot and bright.

The air rippled with heat waves.

Leaves shriveled instinctively in defense.

And at the center of it all, Charizard floated with glowing eyes, its broad back blocking the sun.

It looked like a sun god descending upon the world.

With its Solar Power ability triggered,

Charizard's Special Attack rose once again!

"Fire Blast!"

Hikaru's order rang out at the peak of the momentum.

This time, the swirling flame took the form of a massive kanji, crashing down with overwhelming force.

Every vine in its path turned to ash—

From Sceptile's view, it was nothing short of death approaching.

It felt a terrifying sense of danger.

If it was heatless, then why was it so destructive?

On instinct, Sceptile dodged sideways.

The fire blast landed without so much as kicking up dust—

Instead, it sank directly into the ground, as if engraved into the earth.

Moments later, a muffled boom erupted.

Charizard had controlled the Fire Blast's detonation—

A ten-meter-wide, five-meter-deep crater was carved into the forest floor.

Sceptile, who had barely dodged, stared wide-eyed.

Even just the aftershock from that would've seriously injured it.

And this wasn't even Charizard's full power.

"Wait—let's talk—"

Hikaru tried to call a timeout,

but Sceptile's expression sharpened.

Instead of retreating, it doubled down.

Its body flickered through the canopy—

Charging Charizard with wild momentum.

Apparently, beating this Charizard had become Sceptile's new goal.

Hikaru had no choice.

"Fire Punch."

From this point on, he stopped micromanaging.

He also summoned Greninja to provide backup in case the battle got out of hand—

And Gardevoir, to teleport him elsewhere.

In a flash, Hikaru appeared near Vileplume.

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Pokémon: Vileplume

Ability: Chlorophyll

Gender: Male

Aptitude: Master

Level: 56

Moves: Sleep Powder, Poison Powder, Razor Leaf, Absorb, Acid, Solar Beam, Rest, Flash, Swagger…

Vileplume stared warily at Hikaru.

Clearly, it had realized the Charizard from earlier belonged to him.

Having lived in the Crescent Forest for over a decade since it merged with reality,

Vileplume was well aware of how powerful humans could be.

And this one?

Definitely not a lightweight.

Hikaru sent a wave of friendly intent using his psychic energy.

"Easy, easy—I'm not here to fight."

"Rrrgh…" (Human! What are you doing here?!)

Vileplume stepped defensively in front of Bellossom.

When it confirmed she was safe, it finally relaxed—just a little.

Seeing its emotions settle, Hikaru explained,

"I heard you've been driving out all the local Pokémon—some as strong as Gym leaders or Lords?"

Vileplume remained alert.

"Rrrgh!" (My mate is preparing to give birth to our offspring. I had no choice but to clear the area.)

Hikaru sighed.

"Do you realize what happens to the Pokémon you force out?"

Every ecological area forms a natural balance over time.

Disrupting it causes problems.

The Pokémon Vileplume had chased away now flooded the outskirts—

Which bordered several small towns.

Each town had hundreds of households.

Recently, wild Pokémon had begun harassing the townsfolk.

"Rrrrgh!" (That's not my problem!)

Vileplume clearly hadn't thought that far ahead.

Hikaru went quiet for a moment.

He couldn't deny Vileplume was a good father—

But it didn't seem capable of empathetic thinking.

For types like this, only one method worked:

Smack them with a stick first—then give them candy.

With no hesitation, Hikaru spoke sharply:

"So now all those displaced Pokémon are attacking human settlements."

"And the humans sent me to talk. You're lucky it's me this time."

"I'm patient. I came to talk."

"But next time?"

"They won't be talking."

He made sure to use his aura to deliver the warning loud and clear.

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