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After a brief rest, Corviknight and Lycanroc were swapped out.
In their place came Riolu and Aerodactyl.
Riolu—affectionately nicknamed "Coach Riolu" after all its training in support moves—had mostly been relegated to buffing teammates in practice matches and the occasional underwhelming battle.
Now, it finally had a real chance to shine in a professional setting.
But there was a catch: playing support drained energy fast. Oran Berry supplies were an absolute must.
Li Xiang had brought a large stock, and most of them were probably going straight into Riolu's stomach.
"Let's move. We're hunting for five-pointers."
He stood up, scanning the terrain before settling on a slightly steep slope. "Behind that ridge—I think I hear something."
Beside him, Song Jie approached his crouching Aerodactyl. "I'll scout ahead on this."
In open terrain like this, a Flying-type's reconnaissance power was unmatched. That was precisely why he'd insisted on fielding his newest team member.
Li Xiang nodded, watching as Song Jie mounted Aerodactyl and took off into the sky.
Most rideable Pokémon had saddles resembling those from the Alola games, complete with handlebars for grip.
Corviknight had one too, though it rarely wore it—especially since urban flight restrictions made it useless in the city.
Li Xiang waited below, staring up. He'd flown a quick lap on Corviknight earlier but hadn't dared go too high, worried about missing hidden Pokémon. A low-altitude sweep had revealed just how massive the arena was, so he'd quickly landed.
One minute later.
Aerodactyl returned at breakneck speed, as if something were chasing it.
"Found something!"
Song Jie's voice carried down before he even landed. Touching down, he lowered his voice:
"You were right. Past the slope—four Mudsdale. One five-pointer, three three-pointers. No one's spotted them yet."
'Four?! That's fourteen points in one go!'
Li Xiang was stunned, but an odd feeling crept over him. It felt like stepping into a dungeon, only to find the boss waiting patiently at the end.
"I also saw the boundary," Song Jie added, gesturing. "The shrubs blend into the wire fencing. Hard to spot unless you're looking."
'Ah, the ever-present wire mesh.'
Was metal just that cheap in this world?
Li Xiang scratched his cheek, briefly entertaining the idea of getting rich by stealing fencing—before remembering he wasn't exactly strapped for cash.
"Let's go before someone else finds them," Song Jie urged, already jogging toward the slope.
Aerodactyl followed at a low altitude, avoiding detection from the massive creatures ahead. Li Xiang trailed behind, determined to secure those fourteen points.
But Mudsdale…
These Pokémon only got tougher the more you hit them. Most had the Stamina ability, boosting their Defense with every attack. Multi-hit moves like Pin Missile could send their bulk skyrocketing in seconds.
Add their naturally sky-high durability as Ground-types, and they were a nightmare to deal with.
'No wonder they're worth five points.'
Li Xiang glanced at Riolu, who was jogging to conserve energy instead of using Magnet Rise. A short run wouldn't drain much stamina.
Soon, they reached the ridge.
Peering down, Li Xiang spotted four massive equine figures grazing peacefully in a hollow below. Their sheer size made them indifferent to their surroundings—they hadn't even noticed the intruders.
Mudsdale were already large animals, but as Pokémon, their height had ballooned to terrifying proportions.
From this angle, the smallest had to be at least 2.5 meters tall. The central five-pointer? Possibly over 3 meters, dwarfing the others in sheer mass.
In the Pokémon world, size didn't always equal strength—but among the same species, it was usually an advantage.
The gap between the three-pointers and the five-pointer was obvious at a glance.
"How do we handle this?"
Song Jie kept his voice low, not rushing in.
Li Xiang considered. "Two options. One: Go straight for the king. Buff Aerodactyl to the max and take out the five-pointer in one hit."
"But we can't use Sky Drop. These Mudsdale easily weigh over a ton."
Sky Drop, a Flying-type move, involved lifting the opponent into the air and slamming them down, immobilizing them mid-flight.
In the games, it failed against targets over 200 kg. Reality had no such hard limit—it all depended on the user's strength.
After all, if Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Rayquaza could use Sky Drop, they certainly weren't limited to 200 kg.
Right now, Song Jie's Aerodactyl could lift around 150-200 kg, limited by its level. That would improve with time.
"Option two: Abuse their Ground typing. Stay airborne and chip them down from range. Takes longer, but it's safer."
Li Xiang looked at Song Jie. "You're the primary attacker. Your call."
The first method was a high-risk, high-reward blitz. The second was slow but steady.
"Option one. Dragging it out risks unwanted attention." Song Jie jerked a thumb behind them.
Li Xiang turned. No one was there, but the implication was clear.
Too many eyes were on this area. A prolonged battle would draw spectators—and complications.
Four Mudsdale were too juicy a target to leave undisturbed.
"What Ground-countering moves does Aerodactyl have?"
"Aqua Tail and Ice Fang. Aqua Tail's stronger. At max buffs…" Song Jie narrowed his eyes. "It should be enough."
Damage calculation was a trainer's bread and butter, regardless of the world. Knowing which moves hit hardest was fundamental.
Li Xiang nodded. "Then we stack every buff we can. One-shot or bust."
The two began layering boosts onto Aerodactyl.
Aerodactyl's Speed stat was exceptionally high—unlike a certain "fast" Dragonite that somehow wasn't. Some even jokingly called it "Rocky Dragonite."
And when it came to speed-boosting moves, it was no slouch, mastering both Agility and Rock Polish, with Tailwind for extra support.
Riolu, holding a whistle Li Xiang had given it, blew softly.
A deep red energy surged from its body, flowing into Aerodactyl.
Coaching, a Gen VIII move, boosted an ally's Attack and Defense.
Paired with Prankster, it was devastating.
Soon, Aerodactyl was maxed out, its body thrumming with restless power. The primal Pokémon nearly roared in exhilaration—until Song Jie clamped a hand over its jaws.
Grunting in protest, Aerodactyl obediently folded its wings.
After six months together, it had grown close to Song Jie. Though its temper remained fierce, it knew when to behave.
"Ready? See the biggest one? Dive in and take it out with Aqua Tail."
Song Jie patted its jagged head, pointing at the alpha Mudsdale hundreds of meters away.
Aerodactyl gave a sharp nod.
Nearby, Li Xiang instructed Riolu to use Helping Hand the moment Aerodactyl lunged.
The boys locked eyes, counting down in unison.
"Five. Four. Three. Two—"
"ONE! GO!"
Aerodactyl's claws tore into the earth as its wings blurred like a Beedrill's. Its gray form shot forward like an arrow!
To Li Xiang and Song Jie, its flight was a missile launch!
The air itself screamed as it parted!
Riolu leapt up, tiny paws clapping together as pure white energy erupted from its body, engulfing Aerodactyl in an instant!
Then—
Aerodactyl's tail ignited with a brilliant blue glow. Water materialized around it, swirling like a shell before exploding in scale!
Within seconds, the watery sheath had transformed into a massive pillar of liquid, roaring like a raging river!
Only then did the grazing Mudsdale react.
They reared up with panicked whinnies, scrambling to counter—but Aerodactyl was too fast, too high. Their signature High Horsepower charges were useless here!
And in that split-second hesitation—
Aerodactyl was upon them.
Its body twisted mid-air, the watery pillar swinging down like a mountain!
Everywhere the water passed, the air shuddered!
BOOOOM—!!!
The impact sent a shockwave of water blasting outward like a tidal wave!
Even the Mudsdale's ton-weight frames were sent tumbling, their cries lost in the deluge!
And the five-pointer?
The moment the watery pillar smashed into its skull, it was out cold.
From the ridge, Li Xiang's first reaction was sheer awe. The sheer force of the attack was mind-blowing.
Then he snapped back to reality, sprinting downhill while digging out empty PokéBalls.
"Holy hell, that's what max power looks like?!" He shot Song Jie a look. "Now I get why you picked this Aerodactyl."
The stronger the buffs, the greater the strain—and the harder they were to control.
Yet Aerodactyl had not only maintained precision with its magnified power but also landed a secondary AoE hit. That level of control was rare.
Song Jie didn't reply, but his expression said it all: He was proud.
On the field—
Aerodactyl circled above, wings beating heavily from exhaustion. Below, the three surviving Mudsdale floundered in the mud, on the verge of collapse.
But Aerodactyl had no energy left for another dive. What now?
Fortunately, Riolu had its back.
Force Palm shockwaves struck like Doraemon's Air Cannon, finishing off the weakened Mudsdale one by one.
Li Xiang's Poké Balls flew out, sealing the deal.
Fourteen points—secured.