"Old man, you really are devious..."
Ariel cursed inwardly, his brain working at high speed.
In a head-on clash, Krookodile no longer held the advantage in strength. In a war of attrition, the opponent's experience and reactions were airtight.
He had to create an opportunity!
Now! The moment it turns right, strike!
Ariel's mental command flashed through Krookodile's consciousness like a bolt of lightning.
Beneath the sand, Krookodile's movements came to a dead stop.
On the surface, Crawdaunt was using Aqua Jet to complete a sharp turn, its body tilting slightly due to inertia.
This was the moment!
"Roar!"
Krookodile burst out from the ground, its massive head carrying immense force as it slammed hard into Crawdaunt's tilted side.
The timing was perfect!
However, a faint, almost imperceptible smile flashed across Juan's face.
At the very moment Krookodile was about to make contact, the giant pincer that Crawdaunt had kept buried in the sand suddenly pushed off with great force!
Using the giant pincer as a pivot, its entire body completed an incredible mid-air twist. Not only did it dodge Krookodile's Tackle, but its long-prepared Crabhammer came crashing down from above, straight for the head!
It was a trap!
It had deliberately shown a weakness just to lure Krookodile out!
Ariel's mind buzzed.
It's too late! At this distance and angle, there's no way to dodge!
At the critical moment, Ariel's mental power erupted without reservation, his link with Krookodile reaching an unprecedented level of closeness.
Block it! Use Crunch!
There was no time to hesitate, no time to weigh options.
This was the only choice!
A fierce light flared in Krookodile's eyes. Facing the descending giant hammer, it didn't retreat. Instead, it opened its bloody maw, sharp teeth glinting coldly, and bit down hard on the giant pincer enveloped in water energy!
This was the most primitive, most savage showdown!
A collision between sharp teeth and hard armor!
"Clang—!"
A piercing, metallic screech—like metal snapping after friction—exploded across the entire field.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
Ariel clearly saw Krookodile's teeth sink deep into Crawdaunt's giant pincer, sending bright sparks flying.
Meanwhile, Crawdaunt's Crabhammer was pressed firmly against the top of Krookodile's head.
Terrorizing force traveled through the mental link, turning into a surge of sharp pain that hammered Ariel's nerves, making his vision go dark and nearly causing him to lose his footing.
"Roar!"
Krookodile let out a pained howl, but the ferocity in its eyes was completely ignited.
It bit down on the opponent's pincer with a death grip, refusing to let go even as its gums bled from grinding against the hard shell.
They were in a deadlock!
An opportunity!
"Hone Claws!"
Ariel roared these two words with every ounce of his strength.
Taking advantage of this deadlock bought with its life, Krookodile's other free claw scraped violently against its lower jaw, making a sharp rasping sound.
A black-and-red aura, even thicker than before, erupted from its body.
Hone Claws: Attack and Accuracy both increased by one stage!
Combined with the Moxie boost, Krookodile's Attack had now stacked to a terrifying level!
"Wugah!"
Crawdaunt also felt the threat and tried frantically to pull its giant pincer away, but Krookodile's Bite force was so horrific that it couldn't break free for a moment.
"Interesting."
Juan finally spoke, a hint of approval appearing in his eyes for the first time.
"Then, let this exchange of blows become even more intense!"
As he spoke, the water energy surrounding Crawdaunt surged again!
It actually intended to forcibly detonate the energy of Crabhammer while being bitten!
Madmen! Both of them are madmen!
"Push through it, Krookodile! Counter!"
Ariel also threw all caution to the wind.
The moment Crawdaunt detonated the energy and it touched Krookodile, Krookodile's eyes turned blood-red. It released its Bite as violent Fighting-type energy rampaged through its body.
BOOM!!!
Deep blue water energy and violent fighting energy exploded between the two Pokémon.
The terrifying energy shockwave formed a visible ring of air that blasted outward in all directions.
Sand and dirt were swept into the sky, forming a wall of dust that blotted out the sun.
The entire field shook violently.
Ariel was pushed back repeatedly by the air blast. He held his arm in front of him, squinting as he stared fixedly at the center of the dust cloud.
After a long time, the dust slowly settled.
The scene in the field made everyone hold their breath.
A massive crater had appeared in the center of the field. Krookodile and Crawdaunt lay on opposite sides of the pit, their bodies covered in wounds, panting heavily. Clearly, both had lost the ability to continue fighting.
Both sides had suffered.
"Let's leave it at that."
Juan's voice rang out at the right time, bringing the intense duel to a close.
Juan's gaze searched through the dust, finally landing on the young man who, though not tall, stood perfectly straight.
He finally understood the key.
It was no fluke that this kid could survive the pursuit of two Team Aqua Executives.
That near-instinctive battle sense always allowed him to find the optimal solution in the most critical moments.
The visible, terrifying potential of the Pokémon themselves was something no opponent could afford to underestimate.
But what truly concerned Juan was the thing hidden beneath the surface—Telepathy.
In battle, there is always a delay in relaying commands. Even a fraction of a second can be fatal in a duel between masters.
But Ariel had no such delay.
His thoughts were the commands, and the commands were the Pokémon's actions.
This level of coordination could no longer be described as mere rapport; it was a true union of human and Pokémon as one.
Without any one of these three factors, Ariel would not be standing here today.
A few figures involuntarily surfaced in Juan's mind—the children of families in the Hoenn region who were likewise hailed as top-tier geniuses.
Compared to them, Ariel's fighting style was more feral, more lethal.
Like a lone wolf raised in the wilderness, he had none of the constraints of the great clans. Every move he made was for the sake of pure victory.
"That fellow Wallace actually has such a sharp eye."
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