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Corvisquire's taunting skills were far too effective.
It made all three of Li Xiang's Pokémon eager to jump into battle and teach this arrogant bird a lesson, but there was only one Corvisquire to fight, and even if they could take turns, deciding who got to go first became a heated debate.
To avoid infighting before they even got to beat up Corvisquire, Torracat and the others decided to settle it with rock-paper-scissors—foot edition.
This was something Li Xiang had taught them: legs together for rock, spread sideways for paper, and spread front-to-back for scissors.
"You actually taught them this?" Su Yiliu watched with amusement, barely able to hold back her laughter.
The sight of the three Pokémon standing in a circle, hopping up and down while staring intently at their own feet—and then suspiciously eyeing each other's—just to decide who got to fight first was downright adorable.
Li Xiang remained unfazed. "Had to. Sometimes, when I can't make a decision, I leave it to chance. Rock-paper-scissors, coin flips—let fate decide."
Of course, rock-paper-scissors wasn't purely a game of luck. Some people engaged in psychological warfare to secure victory, but in Li Xiang's household, rock-paper-scissors was just that—no overthinking, just reflexes and quick eyes.
And in the end…
Riolu emerged victorious.
"Riiioooouuu!!"
Riolu raised its right paw in triumph, shooting a vicious grin at Corvisquire while the other two Pokémon sighed in disappointment.
I'm gonna smash your head in today!
"Gaaah."
Corvisquire scoffed. It recognized Riolu—it had seen this species during its outings. A Fighting-type, weak as hell.
And this one didn't look particularly strong either.
Who's smashing whose head? We'll see about that!
The battle began without warning.
No arena, no boundaries, no rules—it would only end when one side was completely exhausted.
Li Xiang quickly strategized, ordering Riolu to use Double Team just as Corvisquire flapped its wings, glowing with a sky-blue aura, and dove toward it.
Corvisquire might have potential, but it was only around Level 30, having grown up without a trainer's guidance. Its diet consisted of ordinary, healthy food, and it had spent most of its life in the peaceful confines of the breeding center.
Its combat experience was limited to playful scuffles with its kin and occasional territorial disputes with other Pokémon.
Riolu, on the other hand, had clawed its way up through real battles, feasting on specially prepared nutrient-rich meals and even receiving massages from Li Xiang's mother to keep its muscles in peak condition.
So despite Corvisquire being over four years old and having a level advantage, when it came to real combat experience, Riolu was practically its grandmaster!
And sure enough—
After using Wing Attack to dispel two of Riolu's illusions, Corvisquire found itself unable to locate the real one. Frustrated, it retreated back into the air, letting out an irritated screech.
What kind of cheap move is this?!
Without keen observation skills, it couldn't tell which Riolu was real. Like a desperate gambler, it wasted energy attacking at random.
On the ground, Riolu smirked, its lips curling in disdain as it activated Agility and charged forward.
From that brief exchange, it had already gauged Corvisquire's true skill level.
—Pathetic. All bark, no bite.
I thought you were some kind of prodigy. What a waste of my time.
Countless Riolu clones closed the distance at visible speed.
Corvisquire, sensing danger, flapped its wings violently, summoning a fierce gust of wind that howled toward the approaching Riolu army.
It was trying to use Defog to blow away the illusions.
And— It worked.
The fake Riolus shattered like fragile glass under the wind's force, revealing the real one.
"Not bad, quick thinking."
Li Xiang nodded approvingly. Double Team illusions were flimsy by nature—not like Substitute or some ninja clone technique.
They were just shadows.
Even a pebble could disrupt them, let alone a gust of wind.
"Gaaah!"
Corvisquire, thrilled at having found the real Riolu, swooped down again with Wing Attack, eager to teach this mutt a lesson, but Riolu was now less than five meters away.
—Within striking range!
Precision strike!
Riolu's eyes gleamed as it kicked off the ground, electromagnetic force surging through its legs to defy gravity!
Zzzzt—CRACK!
Tiny bolts of electricity coiled around its fist like thorny vines, crackling ominously!
The distance between dog and bird vanished in an instant.
And in Corvisquire's widening eyes, thunder-charged fist rapidly filled its vision!
IMPACT!
SCREEE—BOOM!!
A piercing shriek and explosive thunderclap later, the air erupted with dazzling electricity!
A cloud of smoke billowed outward!
In the distance, the Corviknight flock stirred uneasily. Though normally calm, they weren't the type to sit back and watch one of their own get beaten.
If Su Yiliu hadn't been present, they would've already intervened.
"GRAAAK—!!"
The Alpha Corviknight—Corvisquire's father—let out a deep, grating cry, silencing the restless group with a glare.
Though visibly displeased, even shooting a dark look at Li Xiang, it understood the rules of a fair duel.
Corviknight were honorable Pokémon. Once the Alpha spoke, the others had no choice but to obey.
"Number 555 isn't happy. You might want to be careful," Su Yiliu murmured, eyeing the Alpha, but Li Xiang wasn't listening.
His gaze—along with Torracat and Frogadier's—was locked onto the battlefield, his expression shifting between shock and excitement!
Something was off.
Riolu's Thunder Punch had landed, the smoke was clearing, yet there was no sound from within.
Over ten seconds had passed!
"...I underestimated it," Li Xiang muttered, leaving Su Yiliu puzzled.
Then—
The smoke dissipated completely, revealing the two Pokémon.
On one side stood Riolu, its face a mix of disbelief. On the other hovered Corvisquire, its feathers slightly singed but otherwise completely unfazed, wings beating steadily to keep it aloft.
A super-effective Thunder Punch—yet it had barely done any damage.
Logically, a Flying-type like Corvisquire should've been paralyzed upon taking that hit, if not outright knocked down.
At the very least, it shouldn't have been able to stay airborne so effortlessly.
So why?
Because— at the moment of impact, Corvisquire had used Roost!
Temporarily shedding its Flying-type, it adjusted its posture mid-air, using the force of Riolu's punch to propel itself upward just enough to shake off the paralysis before swiftly retreating!
Insane reflexes.
Insane execution.
Pure, instinctive battle genius.
Even Riolu had been convinced the fight was over the second its fist connected, but reality proved otherwise—the battle had only just begun!
"Rio!"
Riolu barked without turning back.
"Yeah. It's the one," Li Xiang replied, voice firm. "You feel it too, don't you?"
Damn right.
Riolu's earlier mockery and shock melted away, replaced by cold focus.
—Respect every opponent. Respect every battle.
Such a simple principle, yet it had forgotten, giving the enemy an opening—how laughable.
It was still immature, no better than those reckless, shortsighted cats, but that was fine, there was still time to correct that mistake.
Starting now— No holding back!
Come!
Riolu lowered its stance, assuming the Beng Quan starting posture, eyes burning with determination. It would crush this opponent—the one who had humbled it—with everything it had!
Across from it…
"Gaaah…"
Corvisquire let out a hoarse cry, hovering in place as it locked eyes with Riolu, forcibly suppressing the shock in its gaze.
Whether its opponent could fly or not no longer mattered.
Watching Riolu shift into that strange stance, sensing the unrelenting fighting spirit radiating from it…
Something indescribable welled up inside Corvisquire.
Unlike the thrill of territory disputes or dominance struggles, this feeling was different, more intoxicating.
Its heart pounded, its nerves buzzed, and an unfamiliar heat spread through its body.
For the first time in its life… It felt alive.
Why?
Corvisquire couldn't comprehend it. Time itself seemed to slow as everything sharpened into focus.
Why was it like this? Why was it so exhilarated?
What was that itching sensation at the back of its skull? Why did its body feel stronger than ever?
And most of all—
Why did it want to win so badly?
A single word burned in its mind, impossible to ignore: —Victory!
Every muscle, every cell in its body screamed at it to attack, to push past its limits, to peck, slash, and batter its opponent into submission!
And then—
Move on to the next challenge!
To experience this euphoria again and again!
VICTORY—!!!
"GAAAAAH—!!!"
With a piercing shriek, Corvisquire charged forward, launching itself toward its rival in a desperate, glorious pursuit of triumph!