Wallace took a deep breath, and the fighting spirit in his eyes, instead of waning, grew even stronger.
"Remarkable Trainer, remarkable Pokémon."
He praised sincerely,
"However, the battle isn't over yet. Having just stepped into the Gym Leader Level, can you truly master this new power?"
His voice wasn't loud, yet it echoed clearly throughout the arena.
This was also the question in the hearts of all the apprentices.
Their levels had risen, but sudden surges in power often came with a loss of control; battle experience and skill proficiency couldn't be achieved overnight.
Wallace's Crawdaunt and Vaporeon were battle-hardened Gym Leader Level powerhouses!
Ariel didn't speak, only the corner of his mouth curled slightly.
Master it?
His Pokémon never had to worry about that issue.
The weight that had been hanging in his heart finally dropped completely.
"Malamar, Topsy-Turvy!" Ariel's voice was calm and clear, without a hint of agitation.
"Mala!"
A flash of light gleamed in Malamar's eyes, and the stat changes of all Pokémon on the field were forcibly reversed!
Wallace's pupils constricted.
His Vaporeon had just used the 'Acid Armor' skill to withstand attacks, significantly increasing its physical defense.
Under the influence of the bizarre skill 'Topsy-Turvy', that skyrocketing defense instantly became a plummeting one!
"Not good! Vaporeon, quick, use Haze!"
Wallace immediately ordered.
Haze could reset the stat changes of all Pokémon on the field; it was the most direct way to counter Topsy-Turvy.
Vaporeon gracefully opened its mouth, and a cloud of pitch-black mist was about to be exhaled.
But it was too late.
"Krokorok, now, use Crunch!"
"Roar!"
With a wild roar, Krokorok's figure vanished from its spot.
Ground-type energy erupted beneath its feet, granting it a terrifying speed that was completely inconsistent with its massive frame.
Almost the instant the command was given, it turned into a dark red afterimage, crossing half the field to appear right in front of Vaporeon.
Its wide-open maw, shimmering with dark energy, bit down mercilessly toward Vaporeon's fragile neck!
It was too fast!
Having just stepped into the Gym Leader Level, Krokorok's speed was actually several times faster than before!
Wallace's Crawdaunt didn't even have time to react, only able to watch helplessly as that giant figure pounced on its companion.
"Crunch!"
A tooth-aching sound of snapping rang out.
Dark-type energy erupted, and Vaporeon's proud cellular structure was as fragile as paper before 'Crunch', especially with its physical defense lowered to the freezing point.
"Vaporeon—!"
With a shrill cry of pain, Vaporeon's body was thrown far away like a broken kite, slamming heavily onto the ground. Its eyes had turned into spirals, completely losing its ability to battle.
An instant kill!
Vaporeon, which had just been dominating the field and suppressing Ariel's two Pokémon into helplessness, was instantly killed in a single exchange!
"Gulp."
Someone swallowed hard.
The entire Gym was deathly silent.
The apprentices felt their worldviews being repeatedly shattered and then reconstructed.
Is this the Gym Leader Level?
No, this wasn't just the Gym Leader Level.
This was a terrifying tactic where perfect command utilized types, skills, abilities, and timing to their absolute limits!
"Beautiful..."
Wallace looked at the fallen Vaporeon and, instead of getting angry, he smiled, his eyes flashing with excitement.
"Using 'Topsy-Turvy' to reverse my buffed states, then using Krokorok's explosive power for a one-hit victory... Ariel, you really bring me surprises every time."
He recalled Vaporeon and turned his gaze to the only remaining Crawdaunt on the field.
That Crawdaunt was currently staring fixedly at Krokorok with its giant pincers, its eyes filled with anger and a slight tremor.
The shock of its companion being instantly killed, along with the powerful, transformed aura coming from its opponent, made it feel unprecedented pressure.
"Only you are left."
Ariel's voice rang out indifferently.
"Malamar, Psycho Cut."
"Krokorok, Rock Slide."
Another double command!
But this time, it was no longer the passive defensive coordination from before, but an unreasonable, simultaneous offensive launched from two directions!
Blue light surged in Malamar's eyes as majestic spiritual power condensed into invisible blades, striking fiercely at Crawdaunt.
Simultaneously, Krokorok roared at the sky, mobilizing Ground-type and Rock-type energy at the same time. Above Crawdaunt, countless giant rocks shimmering with earthy yellow light condensed out of thin air!
Attacked from above and below, there was no way to dodge!
"Protect! Then use Crabhammer!"
Wallace's voice also became urgent.
Crawdaunt roared, and a green energy shield instantly lit up around its body.
Rumble!
Giant rocks crashed down like rain, all blocked by the 'Protect' shield, kicking up clouds of dust.
Psycho Cut followed closely, slamming fiercely into the shield and causing the light to flicker violently.
It held!
However, neither Wallace nor Crawdaunt had time to breathe a sigh of relief.
From within the dust, a figure silently glided out.
It was Malamar!
It had actually given up on long-range attacks, using the dust cover from Rock Slide to float like a ghost to Crawdaunt's side!
"What?!"
Wallace was greatly shocked.
A Pokémon like Malamar would actually choose close quarters?
In the next second, Malamar answered his doubt with action.
On its thick tentacles, a blinding white light shone, and a burst of wild Fighting-type energy was about to erupt!
"Superpower!"
Ariel's voice sounded like a final judgment.
This was Malamar's newly learned skill, the Fighting-type skill, Superpower!
120 power!
More importantly, it could perfectly synergize with Malamar's Contrary ability; the attack and defense drops that were supposed to happen were directly reversed!
They would directly become buffs to strengthen itself!
"Ma—la!"
Malamar let out a sharp hiss. Its tentacles, condensing its entire body's strength, turned into a fierce and peerless heavy punch, slamming hard into the side shell of Crawdaunt, which was still in a stiff state after finishing 'Protect'!
Bang!
A dull, heavy thud rang out.
Crawdaunt's hard outer shell actually showed spiderweb-like cracks under this strike!
The Fighting-type 'Superpower' was quadruple effective against the Dark and Water-type Crawdaunt!
Crawdaunt's massive body swayed, and it still wanted to struggle to lift its pincers, but that destructive force had already completely invaded its body, crushing its last bit of will.
Thump.
Its giant body collapsed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The battle was over.
The entire arena was deathly silent.
Ariel calmly recalled Krokorok and Malamar, gently stroking the two Poké Balls, and whispered:
"Good work, you did great."
He looked up at Wallace across from him.
Wallace was also looking at him. This future hoenn champion, the recognized strongest genius of Sootopolis City, no longer had a trace of composure or elegance on his face at this moment.
His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, it only turned into a long sigh.
He had lost.
Lost completely and utterly, without any suspense.
From the moment Ariel's two Pokémon evolved, the battle situation had been completely overturned.
No, perhaps from the moment Ariel chose to send out these two Pokémon, he had already fallen into the opponent's rhythm.
This wasn't a battle; it was a lesson.
The most vivid lesson about adversity, potential, and Bonds, taught by Ariel to everyone present, including Wallace himself.
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