Restricted by their base stats, the combat power of regional rodents is generally quite weak.
Aside from the occasional surprising effectiveness of Population Bomb, they usually don't have many other standout traits.
But Maushold is an absolute exception.
After Aiden issued his command, the four white mice on his side leisurely pulled out brooms and darted off in perfect coordination toward four different directions.
Wherever they went, Skarmory's Stealth Rock, fallen dust, and even the opponent's Skarmory itself were quickly swept away with precision.
In an instant, the battlefield was spotless.
[What just happened? Is this still a Pokémon battle? Where did this AAA-rated housekeeping rodent master come from?]
[The opponent must be stunned too—so this is how you clear Spikes? Now if you want to stall for Spikes, you'll have no choice but to switch out!]
[To be fair, Maushold's Spikes-clearing efficiency is indeed very high!]
"You didn't think that was all, did you?"
Aiden smiled faintly, his gaze fixed on Maushold cleaning up the battlefield.
After finishing their cleanup, the mice returned to their half of the field.
But before they could catch their breath, Skarmory—still under the effects of Encore—scattered another round of Stealth Rock.
Some of the rocks even landed squarely on the heads of the mice.
The eyes of Maushold instantly sharpened, their collective glare at Skarmory brimming with murderous intent. Their bodies began to glow with an orange light.
Mice here are really mad now!
Tidy Up, also known as the Mouse Dance.
One of Maushold's exclusive moves, it can also be passed down genetically to Sentret and Minccino.
This move is extraordinary.
As everyone knows, Dragon Dance is a highly prestigious strengthening move. Before the TM was introduced, only a select few Dragon-type Pokémon could learn it.
For many Pokémon, the ability to simultaneously boost both Attack and Speed provides a tangible combat advantage that surpasses Swords Dance.
And the reason Tidy Up is called the Mouse Dance is because, in addition to clearing all interference factors—even Substitutes—from both sides of the field, it also grants a strengthening effect equivalent to Dragon Dance.
Perhaps the principle lies in Maushold's supposed dislike of mess, unable to tolerate the opponent leaving trash on the field, so they kindly send them back to their Poké Ball?
Maushold, how gentle you are!
All in all, it's hard to imagine a single move possessing triple effects: clearing Spikes, breaking Substitutes, and strengthening.
As Aiden had mentioned before, powerful moves usually come with drawbacks.
So what's the downside of Tidy Up?
The answer is: It will also sweep away your own Spikes and Substitutes.
Of course, the solution is simple—
Just don't set Spikes or use Substitutes, and then there's effectively no downside, right?
With such an incredible technique, Maushold's strength naturally couldn't be underestimated.
So let me ask you:
If even mice can perform the Mouse Dance, then which Dragon can't do the Dragon Dance?
Hard to guess, isn't it?
Noticing the strengthening of Aiden's Maushold, the opponent hesitated briefly before quickly reacting and decisively recalling Skarmory.
It was already a bit late, but failing to address it now would mean raising a real monster!
"Keep using Tidy Up!"
Taking advantage of the opponent's switch, Aiden seized the opportunity to issue another command.
Not only did it clear the Stealth Rock from his side of the field, but its combat power also received another boost.
With maxed-out Speed and doubled output, Maushold was clearly ready to dominate.
Under pressure, the opponent sent out Bronzong.
"I don't even need to look—the opponent is definitely going to use Trick Room."
Aiden shook his head.
He had mentioned in his videos that this lineup was only effective when the opponent wasn't prepared.
Because it was so predictable, each Pokémon's role was extremely fixed.
If the opponent had any countermeasures in mind, they wouldn't let you have your way.
"Bronzong, Trick Room!"
"Maushold, Taunt!"
Both sides almost simultaneously issued commands, but Maushold's reaction speed was noticeably faster than Bronzong's.
While Trick Room was still charging, a burst of dark energy subtly entered Bronzong's body, forcing it to cancel the move it was about to release.
[? Did it activate?]
[Was this part of your plan too, streamer? You've been holding out on us!]
[Dayum read him like a book lol]
[It seems you've already predicted the opponent's thoughts. He might be revealing his true strength…]
If the earlier Encore lock-on could be attributed to a deeper understanding of the lineup, this Taunt was pure mind-reading mastery.
Clearly, the two Trainers' skill levels weren't even in the same league.
The opponent was completely thrown off balance, remaining silent for a long while before finally issuing another command.
"Protect!"
Before the opponent could finish speaking, Aiden's lips curled into a smirk as he made his judgment first.
"Your next words will be—"
"Bronzong, Explosion!"
The Protect barrier descended early, shielding Maushold.
The opponent's Bronzong slowly approached, its body beginning to flicker with white light, the intervals growing shorter and shorter.
When its entire body was enveloped in white light, a terrifying energy erupted from it, accompanied by blinding light and a deafening explosion.
However…
When the dust from the Explosion settled, Bronzong collapsed unconscious on the field, while Maushold remained unscathed.
Thanks to their preemptive preparation, even such a close-range Explosion barely pierced through the Protect barrier, causing almost no damage to Maushold.
[I'm fkn speechless. Predicting the opponent's commands twice in a row—his mindset must have exploded too…]
[Cheater alert!]
"Elementary, my dear Watson. This is a basic prediction—play enough, and you'll get the hang of it."
Aiden smiled faintly. His aura farming was deadly.
This level of awareness came from tens of thousands of Pokémon battles honed over time. Though he might not compare to professional players from his past life, he was undoubtedly a skilled player.
These two predictions not only brought the score to 1:0 but more crucially shattered the opponent's strategy.
Setting Spikes would lead to them being removed, even granting a boost; switching in for aggressive attacks against this fully powered-up Maushold was essentially suicide.
Even trying another Explosion would likely result in another prediction, gifting away a valuable Pokémon.
After just a few rounds of exchanges, the opponent was completely overwhelmed by Aiden.
Their brain froze, and their commands slowed significantly.
Moreover, Maushold didn't just have Tidy Up as its sole powerful move.
"Maushold, Population Bomb!"
The opponent's newly switched-in Metagross had barely appeared when it was met with a swarm of gnashing teeth from the family.
Their speed was incredible, landing multiple biting attacks in the blink of an eye.
Metagross's HP plummeted like a roller coaster, nearly emptying in an instant.
This was still thanks to its Steel typing resisting Normal-type attacks and its decent defense.
If it were another type or a squishier Pokémon, it probably would've fainted on the spot.
[Huh?]
[???]
[This damage is insane! So Maushold is this strong?]
The barrage of comments immediately filled with question marks, shocked by the sight of Maushold overpowering Metagross.
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