The battlefield was tense as both sides prepared for an all-out battle. Aoki knew he needed a swift victory and wasted no time in summoning his strongest Pokémon. With a swift motion, he threw out four Poké Balls, releasing Honchkrow, Drapion, Weavile, and Florges onto the field. They joined Gengar and Slowking who were already present, bringing Aoki's full team of six elite Pokémon into battle at once.
Yang Dou's expression darkened when he saw the powerful Pokémon Aoki had summoned. Realizing taunting would be pointless, he quickly responded by sending out five Poké Balls of his own. Alongside the Houndoom that had been accompanying him, he summoned Shiftry, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Krookodile, and Manectric - all formidable Pokémon that had reached Champion level strength.
The strongest among Yang Dou's team was his ever-present Houndoom:
Pokémon: Houndoom (cyan)
Gender: Male
Level: 64
Attributes: Dark + Fire
Features: Early Bird
Held items: None
Egg Moves: Fire Spin, Destiny Bond, Feint Attack, Memento
Basic skills: Inferno, Nasty Plot, Thunder Fang, Leer, Spark, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Torment, Fire Fang, Sucker Punch, Snatch, Thief, Flame Charge, Crunch
TM moves: Iron Tail, Flamethrower, Heat Wave, Foul Play, Snarl
TM Moves: None
This Houndoom had just reached the peak of Champion level. Following it were Nidoking and Nidoqueen at level 63, Krookodile at level 62, with Shiftry and Manectric rounding out the team at level 61. This lineup clearly demonstrated Yang Dou's high status within the Hunter's Guild.
The Hunter's Guild wasn't governed by a single individual but rather managed by a council of elders. The resources available to their chosen successors matched what high-ranking officials in other organizations could access. Yang Dou's rapid growth could be attributed to his natural talent combined with the Guild's substantial support and resource allocation. His assignment as the primary liaison to Team Magma in Hoenn would have been impossible without sufficient strength to avoid being disadvantaged in negotiations.
As all twelve Pokémon took their positions across the battlefield, Yang Dou began issuing commands to his team. Aoki, meanwhile, activated his Telepathy ability to mentally coordinate with all of his Pokémon simultaneously. In terms of raw power and levels, Aoki held several advantages - particularly with Slowking being the strongest Pokémon present.
Honchkrow flapped its wings gracefully, generating a Tailwind that boosted the speed of all allied Pokémon. Weavile, benefiting from both the speed boost and its natural agility, disappeared into the surrounding forest in an instant. To counter this, Yang Dou ordered his Shiftry to also vanish into the woods. The clever Grass-type moved through the forest with the ease of a fish through water, though Weavile's Ice-type attacks would prove problematic for it.
Having set up Tailwind, Honchkrow ascended vertically into the sky, maintaining aerial superiority. Yang Dou had limited options against such a mobile flying opponent - his only airborne Pokémon, Weezing, stood no chance against Honchkrow in one-on-one combat.
Slowking calmly activated its Miracle Eye ability, then Florges changed into its Grass form at Aoki's command, spreading several Grassy Terrain patches across the battlefield. Finally, Drapion strode confidently to the front lines, fearlessly facing down Yang Dou's Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and Krookodile while Florges provided support from behind.
The battle commenced with both sides wasting no time. Nidoking and Nidoqueen charged recklessly at Drapion, underestimating the menacing scorpion Pokémon. To their surprise, Drapion roared excitedly and rushed forward to meet them head-on. Florges launched an Energy Ball at Nidoqueen to alleviate some pressure from Drapion, while Gengar vanished into the shadows with a sinister chuckle.
Yang Dou, wary of Gengar's potential sneak attacks, kept Krookodile by his side as protection. His Houndoom, however, charged directly at Slowking. While Dark-types typically held an advantage against Psychic-types, Slowking's Water typing countered Houndoom's Fire attacks. More importantly, Aoki's Slowking was no ordinary specimen - its hidden ability and Shiny status made it exceptionally dangerous.
Gengar reappeared beside Slowking rather than attacking Yang Dou directly. Following Aoki's mental command, it used Skill Swap to trade Drapion's Battle Armor ability with Slowking's Oblivious.
The first violent clash occurred between Drapion and the Nido royal pair. The massive scorpion was forced back several meters by the initial impact, its claws screeching against the ground as it dug in to halt its momentum. However, Drapion merely grinned at the shocked expressions of Nidoking and Nidoqueen - now that their initial charge had been spent, it was the scorpion's turn to attack. Muscles bulging beneath its armored shell, Drapion began overpowering both opponents simultaneously.
Before Nidoqueen could recover, it took a direct hit from Florges's Energy Ball to the face. Without its partner's support, Nidoking found itself locked in a brutal strength contest with Drapion. Though no pushover, Nidoking could only manage to resist while attempting to use Earthquake - an attack that still dealt significant damage to the grounded scorpion.
Meanwhile, Houndoom finally reached Slowking, who had been waiting patiently. The Psychic-type unleashed a devastating Psyshock that materialized into physical force. Confident in its Dark typing's immunity to Psychic attacks, Houndoom didn't bother dodging - a decision it immediately regretted as the enhanced attack connected with brutal force.
The impact sent Houndoom flying with a pained howl, blood leaking from multiple orifices. The combination of Slowking's full Champion-level power, its Shiny-enhanced abilities, and the element of surprise resulted in devastating damage. In that moment, Houndoom felt as if its skull might explode from the psychic feedback.
With this opening strike, Slowking had secured the initiative for Aoki's entire team. The battle was far from over, but the advantage now clearly lay with Aoki's carefully coordinated squad of powerful Pokémon. Each member of his team was performing its designated role perfectly, from Honchkrow's aerial support to Drapion's frontline dominance and Slowking's strategic plays. Yang Dou would need to pull out all the stops to turn this battle around against such a well-prepared opponent.