Faced with Venusaur's powerful Vine Whip, Blaziken didn't show any intention of dodging.
Blaziken had once faced a similar situation when challenging the gym and fighting against Wattson's Manectric. The difference was that this opponent's strength was greater, and the power of their moves more formidable.
Rather than taking the attack head-on like it had with Manectric, Blaziken used its powerful legs to accelerate along the length of the Vine Whip, charging straight toward Venusaur. Flames began bursting from every part of its body, quickly enveloping it completely in fire.
Flare Blitz!
At the last moment, Blaziken somersaulted through the air before landing squarely on Venusaur's back.
BOOM!
The massive impact left Venusaur no chance to dodge. The combination of fire-type effectiveness and Flare Blitz's explosive power proved nearly overwhelming. Only Venusaur's naturally high stamina and defensive capabilities prevented it from fainting immediately.
But the assault wasn't over yet.
Aggron, which had started its charge earlier, now reached Venusaur's position. The towering Venusaur found no size advantage against Mega Aggron's metallic bulk. Aggron's steel claws gleamed with deadly sharpness as it executed Metal Claw directly across Venusaur's face.
SWISH! CRACK!
The razor-sharp claws left deep gashes across Venusaur's features. Yet this was merely the opening move. Aggron pivoted sharply, its thick tail sheathed in armor plating whipping around with tremendous force.
BANG!
The Iron Tail strike launched Venusaur's massive body through the air, demonstrating Aggron's terrifying power. The steel-type Pokémon had learned proper body mechanics from training with Blaziken - by rotating its entire frame, the tail whip gained devastating momentum.
Venusaur crashed through several trees before finally stopping. Remarkably, it still hadn't fainted. Aoki found himself impressed by this Venusaur's endurance.
"Finish it! Blaziken, use Fire Punch!" Aoki commanded.
As Blaziken sprinted forward, its feet kicked up clods of earth. The ribbons around its wrists wrapped around its fists, igniting into golden flames. The superheated punch connected just as Venusaur tried to rise.
KABOOM!
The tree behind Venusaur vaporized instantly from the heat, reduced to drifting ash. Venusaur finally collapsed, completely defeated. The entire battle had lasted barely over a minute - Venusaur had managed only one Solar Beam before falling to the coordinated assault.
The rainbow glow of Mega Evolution faded from both Blaziken and Aggron as they returned to normal. Aoki wiped some sweat from his brow. Maintaining two Mega Evolutions simultaneously still drained him, though not as severely as last time.
Without hesitation, Aoki threw a Poké Ball at the unconscious Venusaur. A specimen this powerful would be invaluable for his island's development projects and breeding programs. The Bulbasaur and Ivysaur that had fled earlier were now practically guaranteed acquisitions as well.
After securing Venusaur's Poké Ball, Aoki sent Drapion to track the fleeing Grass-types. The Dark/Poison-type was clearly disappointed at missing the earlier battle - a Champion-level Pokémon like itself found little challenge against mere pseudo-Champion opponents. It longed for a worthy adversary.
That wish was soon granted. As Aoki pursued the retreating Grass-types into the heart of their territory, he encountered the tribe's true leaders. Surprisingly, the previous Venusaur had merely been a subordinate - before him stood two enormous Venusaur, one male and one female, both radiating Champion-level power.
The male Venusaur stood over three meters tall, dwarfing even the previous specimen. Aoki's system scanned them immediately:
Pokémon: Venusaur (cyan)
Gender: Male
Level: 64
Type: Grass/Poison
Ability: Overgrow
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Magical Leaf, Sludge Bomb, Power Whip, Grassy Terrain
Basic Moves: Petal Dance, Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Take Down, Razor Leaf, Sweet Scent, Growth, Synthesis, Worry Seed, Solar Beam, Petal Blizzard
Learnt Moves: Frenzy Plant, Grass Pledge, Worry Seed, Snore, Bind, Sunny Day, Seed Bomb, Giga Drain, Outrage, Bulldoze
The female Venusaur was nearly identical, though slightly weaker at level 63. "A Venusaur that knows Outrage? That's unusual," Aoki mused.
As he studied the data, movement caught his eye - a small, differently colored Bulbasaur peeking out from behind the female Venusaur's legs. Noticing Aoki's attention, the mother Venusaur quickly nudged the shiny Bulbasaur backward with her hind leg while several Ivysaur moved to block it from view.