“Get down and dodge, quickly!”
Candice spoke urgently at a rapid pace, her voice even turning somewhat shrill from how fast she was talking.
Snover itself also saw Agumon’s swinging claws, its body instinctively wanting to move.
But it was too late.
Just as Candice’s voice reached it and Snover barely shifted, Agumon’s claws had already slammed down.
*Smack!*
A crisp sound echoed across the clearing.
The terrifying force sent Snover flying backward, gliding through the air for a good ten to twenty meters before plowing a deep trench into the ground and finally coming to a halt.
Seeing this, Candice hurriedly asked, “Snover, are you okay?”
Snover clutched its chest and let out a pained groan, using its arms to prop itself up from the ground and slowly stand.
“Sno…ver…”
Seeing that although Snover wasn’t in great shape, it still had the ability to fight, Candice breathed a sigh of relief.
She then stared at Sinshi and Agumon with a solemn expression.
“So strong.”
Whether it was reaction time or speed, this mysterious Pokémon’s performance far exceeded her imagination.
With just two effortless twists and turns, he had dodged Snover’s Ice Shard.
Not only that, but even when facing a coordinated two-pronged attack, he easily evaded the first move and effortlessly crushed the second head-on.
And most importantly…
Candice looked with considerable dread at the distance Snover had been sent flying and dragged across the ground by Agumon’s frontal strike.
Just how much raw power did it take to produce such a terrifying effect with a single blow?
Their levels were clearly about the same, yet the results showed two completely different tiers of strength.
Didn’t this guy just say he was a rookie Trainer?
With such terrifying strength, he was just a rookie Trainer?
Then what did that make her?
Fortunately, it seemed this mysterious Pokémon’s primary combat style was rather monotonous.
Both of his attacks relied on agile speed and reflexes to close the distance, followed by an assault using those sharp claws combined with terrifying strength.
Meanwhile, Snover had decent defensive capabilities and mostly knew ranged moves.
As long as they maintained enough distance and attacked with those moves, they still had a chance to win.
Thinking this, Candice commanded, “Snover, use Leafage!”
Snover raised its left hand.
Guided by green Grass-type energy, the surrounding fallen leaves and weeds fluttered into the air once more, flying straight toward Agumon.
At the same time, Snover raised its other hand, whipping up a chilling wind mixed with ice crystals that followed closely behind.
It was another coordinated two-move attack.
But this time, Candice didn’t let Snover stand in place.
Instead, it kept moving, hiding its figure behind the Leafage and Icy Wind to confuse Sinshi and Agumon’s line of sight.
This way, even if Agumon had the ability to break through the two moves again, she would have enough time to have Snover dodge Agumon’s charging attack.
‘Where will he charge from?
Above?
Below?
Or straight down the middle?’
Candice’s eyes rapidly scanned up and down, preparing her next move accordingly.
But to her complete surprise, this time Agumon didn’t choose to dodge, nor did he choose to break through.
He didn’t even move.
“Agumon, Baby Flame.”
Surrounded by the incoming moves, his figure already obscured, Agumon suddenly opened his mouth.
The next moment, a blazing fireball shot out right through the center of the Leafage and Icy Wind.
Wherever the Baby Flame passed, the leaves were burned to ash and the icy wind was instantly evaporated.
Wrapped in ash and mist, it flew straight toward Snover at a speed far exceeding Agumon’s own movement speed.
For a moment, Candice couldn’t react.
In her judgment, the fact that Agumon hadn’t used ranged attacks meant he probably wasn’t very good at them.
He might have had ranged methods and moves, but Candice never imagined that Agumon’s ranged attack would be this powerful.
In just an instant, the Leafage and Icy Wind were completely disintegrated by the Baby Flame.
The crucial point was that the speed was simply too fast.
So fast that by the time she wanted to call out, it was already too late.
The Baby Flame accurately struck Snover.
As a dual Grass and Ice-type, Snover being hit by a Fire-type move meant the absolute type advantage instantly pushed the Baby Flame’s power to its absolute peak.
“Snover!”
Candice cried out in dismay.
But this time, Snover didn’t respond.
Instead, enveloped in flames, it slowly collapsed onto the grass.
Obviously, the damage caused by the Baby Flame was immense, rendering it practically devoid of any ability to fight or move.
This prompted Candice to hurriedly run forward to check on Snover’s condition, but Agumon blocked her path.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Candice glared angrily at Agumon, who only reached her abdomen, and then prepared to look up and question Sinshi as to why he was stopping her from checking on Snover.
But to her shock, the small dinosaur before her actually spoke in human language: “Sinshi naturally has his reasons for doing this.
Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”
‘It’s this mysterious yellow-skinned Pokémon?’
‘It can actually speak?!’
Hearing this voice that was completely different from Sinshi’s, and coming from right beside her, Candice was bewildered for a moment.
But she quickly realized that now was not the time to care about such things.
She had to check on how Snover was doing right now.
If necessary, she would end this battle and take it to the Pokémon Center for treatment.
However, Agumon showed no intention of making way, and Sinshi beside him remained completely silent.
“Are you trying to kill Snover?!”
Candice roared.
Reaching for the belt behind her back, she grabbed two Poké Balls, pressed their buttons to enlarge them, and prepared to release the Pokémon inside to force her way through.
But she was stopped.
The one who stopped her wasn’t Sinshi, nor was it Agumon.
It was Snover, who had been lying on the ground after being hit by the Baby Flame.
Facing Candice’s direction, it shakily raised a hand, waving it slightly to indicate that it could still continue fighting.
Then, it began to slowly, agonizingly push itself up onto its knees.
After taking several deep breaths, it shakily stood up.
Even though its entire body was scorched black, its breathing incredibly weak, and it looked like it could collapse at any moment, it had indeed stood back up.
It just looked at Candice like that.
Its eye sockets were yellowed from the smoke of the flames, and its gaze was exhausted yet unusually resolute.
As Snover’s Trainer, and with it being her very first Pokémon, Candice understood the meaning Snover wanted to convey through its eyes.
To prove that they truly could achieve their goal, it was still willing—and still able—to continue fighting.
Even if it had to pay with its life to prove it, it would not hesitate.
At this moment, Candice could no longer hold back her tears.