Chapter 181: Invincible Under the Sandstorm
"A Sandstorm?" Sterling stared at the swirling sand, momentarily stunned. Is this guy for real? I'm a Rock-type specialist. You're just setting up a Sandstorm to boost my Graveler's Special Defense for me? It was his Pokémon's biggest weakness, and his opponent was shoring it up for him.
"He sets up a Sandstorm faster than I can? Is he in a hurry to lose?" Sterling thought, a cruel smile spreading across his face as he cursed Basalt's ignorance.
The battle resumed with renewed ferocity.
"Manectric, Thunder Wave! Golbat, Supersonic!" Wally yelled, launching a full-scale counterattack. Thunder Wave was aimed at Bronzor, Supersonic at Excadrill. The crafty trainer was trying to cripple both of Basalt's Pokémon with status effects in one fell swoop.
At the same time, Ron's Hitmonchan began to weave through the chaos, its fists held tight as it closed in on Excadrill, its eyes sharp as a hawk's.
Sterling's Pokémon were even more aggressive. A Rock Slide from Graveler, a Shadow Ball from Lunatone, and a Whirlpool from Corsola all converged on Basalt's two Pokémon, a merciless barrage intended to bury them.
"Wide Guard!" Basalt gritted his teeth, his face grim. This was the disadvantage of being outnumbered. In a one-on-one fight, he was confident either of his Pokémon could win. He could tell that the trio's average skill level was far below Rex's. Sterling was probably a lower A-Group level trainer back at camp. Wally and Ron were B-Group, at best.
But this was a wild battle. It was a numbers game, plain and simple.
BOOM!
A massive rock shield erupted from the ground, enveloping Excadrill and Bronzor and deflecting the onslaught of attacks.
"It even knows Wide Guard?" Sterling gasped. As a Rock-type specialist whose grandfather had founded the "Blackstone Dojo," he knew the move was a high-tier technique, its value on par with Dragon Dance or Swords Dance. For a trainer at the intermediate level to have mastered it was unheard of.
But even a genius move couldn't withstand the combined assault of six Pokémon. The Wide Guard shattered in a matter of seconds. As it crumbled, a metallic sheen flashed over Bronzor as it used Iron Defense. Excadrill, however, was already gone.
"It dug a hole and escaped!" Sterling's face turned ugly. Normally, he would have immediately ordered an Earthquake. But now, he hesitated. An Earthquake would cripple his own team. His Manectric, Corsola, and Hitmonchan would all be hit hard. It wasn't worth the trade.
Basalt saw his hesitation and knew he had him. That was part of his gamble. But the more important reason was—
"You have no idea," Basalt's lips curled into a smirk, "what Excadrill's real speed is in a Sandstorm."
Graveler closed its eyes, sensing the vibrations, and located Excadrill's position. It turned to warn Hitmonchan, but it was too late.
CRUNCH!
The ground beneath Hitmonchan exploded, and Excadrill, in its drill form, shot out, impaling the Fighting-type and sending it flying. In the same instant, Graveler's Rock Blast slammed into Excadrill, sending it tumbling back. But as a Steel/Ground-type, the Rock-type move did very little damage. Hitmonchan, on the other hand, was knocked out instantly.
Excadrill landed, and though it stumbled, it unleashed a powerful Bulldoze. The already-weakened Manectric was finished.
The Golbat and Lunatone were unaffected by the ground-based attack, and Sterling's Graveler had protected the Corsola.
"Four left," Basalt licked his lips, his eyes cold.
But his victory was short-lived. A Bubble Beam from the Corsola struck Excadrill, dealing significant damage. At the same time, the Golbat swooped down and hit Bronzor with a Bite, followed by a Psywave from the Lunatone that sent it reeling. But with its high defenses, further boosted by Iron Defense, Bronzor was able to tank the hits.
In less than a minute, Basalt had taken out four of their Pokémon. It was an incredible feat, even if it had started with a surprise attack.
"Excaaa!"
"Brooonz!"
Excadrill and Bronzor stood back-to-back, one on the ground, one in the air, gathering their strength. Though their stamina was halved, their fighting spirit burned brighter than ever, completely overwhelming their opponents.
"Who... who are you?" Ron, now out of the fight, asked, his voice trembling. The power Basalt was displaying was on par with their own regional champion. No, maybe even stronger.
"I told you. I'm Basalt, from the Jiangnan region," he replied, offering no further information.
"Sterling, what do we do? Should we keep going?" Wally asked, looking to his leader.
"We fight!" Sterling's face was grim, his voice firm. "We can't back down now. If word of this gets out, we'll be laughingstocks back in the Savanna Province."
Wally nodded. Surrendering now, in a three-on-one, was unthinkable. Besides, Sterling's grandfather was a Gym Leader. He could handle the fallout.
"Golbat, Taunt!" Wally commanded, targeting Bronzor.
But Basalt was a step ahead. "Rock Slide!"
Countless boulders rained down, forcing the Golbat to abandon its attack and dodge.
"Gravity!" Basalt's eyes narrowed. It was time for another Meteor Crash.
But to his surprise, the move failed.
"I was waiting for that," Sterling sneered. "My Lunatone knows Imprison, too. Corsola, Brine!"
A jet of saltwater shot towards Excadrill, but in the Sandstorm, it was too fast to be hit.
"Graveler, Rock Tomb!"
The rocks from Graveler were just as useless. Excadrill, in its drill form, simply smashed through them. The super-salty Brine just sizzled and evaporated against its spinning metal body.
"Brick Break!" Sterling yelled, his voice trembling as Excadrill closed in. The sheer pressure it was exuding was suffocating.
BOOM!
Brick Break met Drill Run. And Drill Run won. Overwhelmingly. In terms of power, move synergy, and pure energy control, Excadrill was in a different league. The Graveler was sent flying.
That left the slow-moving Corsola.
"Excaaa," Excadrill growled, its gaze cold. You're the one that hit me with Bubble Beam.
A sphere of pure green energy formed in front of it.
BOOM!
The four-times super-effective Hidden Power (Grass) was more than enough to take out the Corsola, even in a Sandstorm.
Meanwhile, Bronzor was losing ground against the Lunatone and Golbat. Excadrill temporarily ignored the battered Graveler, sent a Rock Tomb at the Golbat, then leaped into the air, its metal claws aimed at the Lunatone.
The Lunatone tried to counter with Psyshock, but Excadrill was too fast.
BOOM!
Metal Claw and Psyshock collided in a massive explosion. Excadrill landed, and the hard ground beneath it instantly turned to quicksand, absorbing the impact. The Lunatone was sent reeling back, and Bronzor seized the opportunity to finish it off with a Gyro Ball, followed by a Flash Cannon for good measure.
"Two left," Basalt said, a grin spreading across his face. A nearly-fainted Graveler and a Golbat. The victory was his.
But to his surprise, one of his opponents had already given up.
"Brother Basalt, it was all a misunderstanding! Let's talk this out," Wally stammered. "We're all pillars of the nation, trainers with bright futures. There's no need for this to get ugly. It's bad for morale..."
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