The geology of the Vast Poni Canyon wasn't entirely composed of rock—there was also plenty of sand scattered between the stones, making it ideal for sand-based attacks.
The Lycanroc was obviously an intelligent Pokémon. After being struck by Lucario multiple times, it used Counter at precisely the right moment.
Lucario, who had been dominating the battle, didn't expect the Lycanroc to have this move in reserve and was caught completely off guard.
Lucario tried to retreat quickly, but it was too late. Three solid strikes connected with Lucario's body.
The Midnight Form Lycanroc had higher attack power than the other forms, but at the same time, its speed was significantly reduced.
The lead Lycanroc understood the gap between their abilities, so it abandoned the idea of confronting Lucario head-on.
It had clearly recognized this reality the moment they began fighting.
So the Lycanroc chose to rely on the terrain for its counterattack strategy.
The Vast Poni Canyon was low-lying with no vegetation to hide behind. There were only some large boulders that could provide temporary cover.
Even so, the gaps between these boulders were massive, offering almost no real concealment.
Lucario noticed this as well and wasn't particularly worried about what tricks the Lycanroc could pull off.
Gradually, Lucario's mentality began to relax.
Compared to the now-battered Lycanroc whose combat ability was far inferior to Lucario's, the Fighting-type's chance of victory seemed to be one hundred percent!
Apparently, the Lycanroc didn't share that assessment. It kicked up a pawful of sand and flung it toward Lucario's face.
Then it dodged and hid behind the nearest boulder.
The move Sand Attack, just like what the Lycanroc had used moments ago, was designed to obscure the enemy's vision and reduce their accuracy.
Lucario had already braced itself, but even with its defensive posture, it was still somewhat affected by the sand.
Roy frowned and stopped Blastoise, who wanted to intervene.
After all, from their vantage point, the battle scene was crystal clear.
From this angle, they could even see the Lycanroc crouching behind the rock, searching for something.
Blastoise tilted its head in confusion. Due to their height advantage, they could see much farther than Lucario could.
Moreover, Roy and Blastoise's position happened to be on relatively higher ground within the canyon.
This was why Blastoise had been able to act as a turret, striking every point in the formation that needed disruption.
What's that guy doing?
Confused turtle noises.
Roy, with his Aura powers, could perceive things even more clearly than Blastoise.
Rather than 'seeing,' he was 'sensing' every movement the Lycanroc made.
It seems to be choosing the right weapon.
Using stones as weapons?
This tactic was far more strategic compared to the simple handful of sand the Lycanroc had thrown earlier.
Roy stroked his chin thoughtfully, a vague hypothesis forming in his mind.
The standard Ability of Lycanroc was Keen Eye, while different forms had different secondary Abilities.
For example, the Midday Form Lycanroc's Abilities were Keen Eye and Sand Rush.
The Sand Rush Ability increased the Pokémon's speed during a sandstorm.
The Midday Form Lycanroc already had a terrifying base speed of 112, and coupled with Sand Rush, it became even more formidable.
Combined with the Keen Eye Ability, its accuracy couldn't be reduced.
With exceptional speed and guaranteed accuracy, even a hit-and-run strategy would eventually wear down any opponent.
This was the proper way to utilize a Midday Form Lycanroc.
Commanding group battles like the Midnight Form Lycanroc had done at the start wasn't suitable for all Lycanroc forms.
What's more, the Midday Form Lycanroc had relatively low defenses—not quite as fragile as glass, but close enough.
This explained why Blastoise and Lucario's coordinated attacks had been so devastatingly effective.
The Midnight Form Lycanroc had higher HP and stronger offensive power compared to the Midday Form. Although its speed wasn't as high as the Midday Form, it was better suited for these tactics.
Coupled with the Midnight Form's Abilities—Keen Eye and Vital Spirit—it was perfectly designed for nighttime group battles.
Compared to these two forms, the Dusk Form Lycanroc was much more ordinary, possessing only the standard Ability Tough Claws.
Its base stats were identical to the Midday Form.
Perhaps due to natural selection, Dusk Form Lycanroc were relatively rare.
However, the Sand Attack used by the Midnight Form Lycanroc earlier had still struck the defensive Lucario, which didn't make logical sense.
Moreover, Lucario's speed was much faster than the Lycanroc's—it should have been able to completely avoid that handful of sand.
After thinking it through, Roy concluded there was only one possibility.
This Lycanroc was a rare wild Pokémon with a Hidden Ability.
Searching his memory, Roy recalled the Hidden Abilities of the different Lycanroc forms. For the Midnight Form, it was No Guard.
With No Guard, all moves used by both combatants would always hit their target.
Only this possibility explained why the earlier Sand Attack had connected.
"What a pleasant surprise," Roy murmured.
He was genuinely amazed—he'd never encountered a wild Pokémon that could understand its own Ability and utilize it strategically.
Much less a wild Pokémon that had gone berserk.
Originally, Roy had thought wild Pokémon that could maintain their sanity in Alola's spiritual realm were already impressive.
But after meeting this Lycanroc, his perspective had clearly changed.
No wonder this Midnight Form Lycanroc had become the leader of a pack consisting mostly of Midday Form members.
Thinking about it more carefully, humans on Earth still had limited understanding of Pokémon Abilities—they didn't even know Hidden Abilities existed at all.
Roy let out an impressed sound, which caught Blastoise's attention. The Water-type started making similar impressed noises too.
Roy heard the sound beside him and asked, "What are you doing?"
Blastoise turned to look at Roy with a serious expression in its eyes.
Because you made that sound, so I'm making it too.
The whole family should stick together!
Roy wasn't quite sure if that phrase applied to this situation.
He felt helpless and decided he really needed to reduce Blastoise's internet time in the future.