After one Mightyena clamped its jaws onto Lian's wing, he swiftly broke free. Lian possessed considerable physical strength; although these Mightyenas were fierce, they weren't exceptionally powerful.
Their advantage lay primarily in their Intimidate Ability, instilling fear in opponents to facilitate hunting. However, if faced with Pokemon immune to Intimidate, these Mightyenas might struggle in one-on-one battles.
Once freed, Lian assessed the ongoing battle. Currently, Linden's Pokemon were having a tough time, as expected from a beginner trainer. Although his Pokemon showed promise, they had yet to fully develop their potential.
Sceptile and Ninetales were effectively holding off several Mightyenas, but Combusken seemed strangely out of sorts, struggling as if entangled, rendering it virtually incapable of fighting.
This perplexed Lian. Combusken was already at level 35, just one step away from evolution. Today's battle could potentially trigger its transformation, so why was it faltering at this crucial moment?
There was no time for further contemplation; Lian needed to quickly resolve the situation with these Mightyenas. It wasn't overly challenging, and once dealt with, they could continue their journey.
Regaining his flying-type energy swiftly, Lian unleashed another Air Slash, but this time not at the nearest Mightyena before him. Instead, he targeted one close to Linden.
Just moments ago, one of Linden's Pokemon made a mistake, allowing a Mightyena to approach her directly. Although Lian didn't care about Linden herself, if she got injured, their mission might fail.
Shunk!
The Mightyena was struck squarely on its waist by Lian's Air Slash, causing its charging body to be propelled backward, collapsing onto the ground and losing its combat ability.
Of course, it wasn't an instant kill from Lian; the Mightyena likely had a high level but was already wounded during the battle. By aiming the Air Slash at the injury, Lian managed to defeat it with a single move.
With ten Mightyenas initially present, only two were previously defeated by Air Slash, leaving nine remaining. However, Lian anticipated that soon there would be just seven left.
As he formed this thought, Sceptile executed a powerful Fighting-type Brick Break move, instantly defeating one Mightyena. Immediately afterward, using the same arm, it performed Brick Break again, precisely hitting another advancing Mightyena.
Two Mightyenas were defeated, but unexpectedly, one of them managed to bite Sceptile and unleashed Ice Fang.
Clearly, this Mightyena had inherited the Ice Fang ability. Unfortunately for Sceptile, within seconds, the Ice energy spread, enveloping it with frost and freezing solidly.
The sudden freezing of Sceptile was unforeseen, although it did manage to take out two Mightyenas before being incapacitated, leaving one free to seize an opportunity for a surprise attack.
Ninetales faced increased pressure as the unoccupied Mightyena immediately targeted it, transforming Ninetales's battle from against one to simultaneously battling two.
While Ninetales possessed decent fighting capabilities, its defense was relatively low, making close combat unfavorable. Moreover, on such steep terrain, it couldn't fully unleash its true potential.
Most crucially, Kalia was nearby, and if Ninetales fell, she would instantly become the first target for the Mightyenas' attacks.
Lian couldn't provide immediate support either, as he still had four Mightyenas to contend with. If not for Linden's peril earlier, Lian would have already eliminated one of his opponents.
Currently, Lian was grappling with two Mightyenas, leaving him unable to assist his other Pokemon immediately. He swiftly unleashed an Air Slash towards one of them.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for an instant kill. Lian temporarily lacked any moves specifically targeting dark types, and using other attacks proved less effective than Air Slash.
Facing two Mightyenas, Ninetales struggled as one seemed significantly stronger, increasing the pressure. It appeared overwhelmed, while Lian also found it challenging to quickly defeat the Mightyenas due to the restricted terrain.
In an open area, Lian could have effortlessly taken out multiple Mightyenas at once. However, the current situation prohibited the use of Fire-type moves, not only risking accidental harm but also posing a fire hazard amidst the dry surroundings.
The battle continued relentlessly. With three Pokemon against two Mightyenas, Linden's team had an easier time, although they couldn't end the fight swiftly either.
On Lian's side, he had already defeated one Mightyena, leaving just three remaining. Victory now seemed within easy reach.
Sceptile, still frozen, showed signs of weakening ice on its surface, indicating that it might soon break free.
"Ninetales!"
Suddenly, Kalia let out a startled cry as two Mightyenas simultaneously bit Ninetales. Refusing to release their grip, this immobilized Ninetales and caused its Stamina to rapidly drain.
Not good.
Lian glanced at Ninetales, realizing it was about to lose. This wasn't due to insufficient fighting power; rather, Ninetales is inherently a Special Attack focused Pokemon with lower defense. To have endured so long against two Mightyenas' onslaught was already commendable.
In terms of talent, compared to Sceptile and Lian himself, Ninetales fell significantly short. Even its Drought Ability was granted by Lian using the system's capabilities.
As expected, Ninetales quickly lost its ability to fight, leaving the Mightyenas now focusing on Kalia.
Hoooo! With a prolonged howl, the Mightyenas charged forward.
Instantly, Lian burst into action, sprinting directly towards Kalia, disregarding the three remaining Mightyenas. He couldn't allow anything to happen to her.
Just as the situation turned critical...
Pip!
Out of nowhere, Combusken beside Kalia suddenly erupted with energy, emitting a dazzling glow that momentarily stunned the two Mightyenas.
Within seconds, Combusken was enveloped in the radiant light, indicating it seemed ready to evolve.
Kalia was momentarily stunned as her Combusken finally evolved. She had been eagerly waiting for this moment to transform it into a Blaziken.
However, the two Mightyenas didn't pause due to Combusken's evolution; only briefly startled, they continued their charge towards Kalia.
Her face paled at the relentless attack.
This brief interruption provided Lian with enough time to react swiftly. His burst of speed allowed him to cover the short distance instantly.
Lian braced himself against the Mightyenas' bites directly. Having just executed his move and not fully recovered, he could only rely on his body to withstand the assault.
The damage inflicted by the two Mightyenas felt like mere scratches to Lian. However, since he moved away, the remaining three Mightyenas also charged in his direction.
Now facing five Mightyenas, Lian prepared to unleash his full power. Just then, Combusken completed its evolution.
Combusken transformed into a Blaziken, significantly taller and more robust in stature.
Flames surged around Blaziken, completely altering its gaze compared to before the evolution. The negative effects from Intimidate seemed to vanish instantaneously.
Without hesitation, Blaziken turned towards the nearby Mightyenas and launched an immediate attack.