Two Gym Leader Level Pokémon, one on the left and one on the right, stood like two silent door gods, completely sealing off the path leading to the altar.
Their auras merged into one, heavy and dense, carrying a majesty that brooked no violation.
"Guardians, huh..."
Ariel's brows furrowed.
This situation was much more troublesome than he had anticipated.
The opponent's Gym Leader Level strength meant the level suppression was very real.
Even more problematic was that the combination of these two Pokémon was practically perfect.
Both were powerful physical defense tanks, possessing exceptionally high HP and physical defense.
And within this limestone cave, space was limited, forcing one into close-quarters combat.
Breaking through their defensive line in a short amount of time would be as difficult as reaching the heavens.
"Roar!"
Gyarados let out a roar, its fighting spirit soaring.
It wasn't afraid; instead, it grew excited because of the opponent's strength.
Ariel took a deep breath and quickly forced himself to calm down.
The more critical the moment, the less one could afford to panic.
His brain whirred at high speeds, analyzing the current situation and the cards he held in his hand.
"Gyarados, Weavile, Malamar, Krookodile... we don't have the advantage in levels, but it's not an impossible fight."
His gaze swept back and forth between the two guardians, and a bold tactical framework was rapidly taking shape in his mind.
"Since they are guardians, it means they won't easily leave the vicinity of the altar. This is our chance."
Ariel's eyes became focused.
"Clashing head-on isn't a wise move; we have to split the battlefield and take them down one by one!"
He took a bead emitting a strange energy from his backpack and placed it in Gyarados's mouth.
"Gyarados, take the Life Orb. Your task is the heaviest; pin down that Skarmory from the front and don't let it fly too comfortably!"
"Roar!"
Gyarados swallowed the Life Orb in one gulp, and a powerful sense of strength instantly flooded its body, causing its aura to climb once more.
"Krookodile, Malamar, Weavile, you guys come out too!"
As two flashes of red light passed, Malamar and Weavile appeared on either side of Ariel.
"Malamar, your target is also Skarmory. Use your psychic power to interfere with it so it can't focus on dealing with Gyarados."
"Weavile,"
Ariel turned his gaze toward the swift Ice-type rogue.
"See that mass of vines? That's your opponent. That guy is thick-skinned and tough, but your claws aren't for show either. Remember, don't match its strength head-on; use your speed to slice at its weak points!"
"Krookodile, you stay on standby, ready to support at any time!"
The tactical deployment was completed in a flash.
A sharp light flashed in Ariel's eyes as he swung his arm forward.
"Move!"
With the command given, the battle erupted instantly!
"Roar—!"
Gyarados was the first to strike. It opened its bloody maw, and a highly compressed ball of water condensed in its mouth.
But its target wasn't either of the Pokémon in front of it, but the ceiling of the limestone cave above!
"Rain Dance!"
The water ball soared into the sky and burst at the top of the cave, turning into a sky full of water vapor.
Immediately after, a light drizzle began to fall within the entire cave.
Water droplets fell onto the obsidian altar, splashing in small spots, and the air became even more humid.
Rainy weather, activated!
Water-type moves increased in power, while Fire-type moves decreased.
This was the home field Ariel had custom-made for Gyarados!
Skarmory let out a sharp cry, and with a flap of its wings, it kicked up a violent current of air, intending to take flight.
It knew very well that on the ground, facing a massive Gyarados with Rain Dance active was definitely not a good experience.
"Want to leave? Have you asked me first! Hydro Pump!"
Ariel's voice echoed through the cave.
With the boost from the rain, Gyarados's aura surged.
It took a deep breath, its chest bulging high, and in the next second, a terrifying water column thicker than its own body, like a cannonball from a barrel, spiraled and blasted toward the Skarmory that had just left the ground!
The speed of the Hydro Pump was extremely fast, and with the boost from the Life Orb, its power was even more staggering.
Skarmory clearly hadn't expected the opponent's offensive to be so swift; in its haste, it could only cross its steel wings in front of itself for protection.
"Boom!"
The massive stream of water slammed solidly into Skarmory's body, letting out a dull, heavy thud.
The violent impact force directly smashed it down from mid-air, causing it to roll awkwardly on the ground several times before it could steady itself.
A successful hit!
However, there wasn't the slightest hint of joy on Ariel's face.
Because he saw Skarmory shake its head; aside from some messy feathers, there was almost no substantial damage to be seen on its body.
This was the terrifying defensive power of a Gym Leader Level Pokémon.
"It's not over yet!"
The moment Skarmory was knocked down by the Hydro Pump, a strange blue light lit up in the eyes of Malamar, who had been hovering nearby.
"Hypnosis!"
Rings of psychic ripples, like ripples on the water's surface, spread silently toward Skarmory.
Just as Skarmory steadied itself, it immediately felt the intrusion of this psychic power.
It let out a cry, forcing itself to pull its spirits together in an attempt to resist.
But the impact of the Hydro Pump just now had still caused it to experience a momentary daze.
It was this single moment that decided the course of the battle.
Ska... Skarmory's eyelids began to droop, its body swayed, and finally, with a "thud," it fell over on its side, letting out a faint snore.
Success!
"Beautifully done, Malamar!"
Ariel was delighted and immediately issued a new command.
"Dark Pulse, don't let it wake up!"
Malamar's tentacles waved, and rings of black light containing an evil aura blasted continuously into the sleeping Skarmory.
Although Dark Pulse didn't deal high damage, it had a certain chance to make the opponent flinch, making it an excellent skill for interruption and control.
Having temporarily controlled the most troublesome Skarmory, Ariel immediately shifted his attention to the other side of the battlefield.
"Weavile!"
"Swish!"
A red and black afterimage had already charged toward Tangrowth the moment Ariel gave the order.
Weavile's speed was at its peak, pulling a long trajectory line across the ground.
Facing the charging Weavile, Tangrowth appeared somewhat clumsy.
It didn't move; instead, it buried countless vines deep into the ground, and a faint green light lit up on its two thick vine arms.
"Power Whip!"
Two vines, like two awakened giant pythons, lashed out toward Weavile from both sides with a whistle that tore through the air!
"Now, use X-Scissor!"
Ariel's voice was incredibly calm.
Bug-type skills were twice as effective against grass-types!
A hint of cunning flashed in Weavile's eyes.
Its charging figure suddenly ducked low, sliding along the ground at an inconceivable angle, narrowly avoiding the pincer attack of the two vines.
"Boom! Boom!"
The two Power Whips missed, smashing heavily into the ground behind Weavile, leaving two deep gouges and sending stone fragments flying.
Meanwhile, Weavile had already closed in on Tangrowth's main body!
A sickly green light lit up on its claws as it swung them in a cross!
"Slash!"
The sharp claws, like the finest scalpels, precisely cut into the weak points of Tangrowth's massive body's defense.
The dark blue vines were torn open in two large gashes, and foul-smelling green sap sprayed out.
It was super effective!
"Roar!"
Tangrowth roared in pain, a dull sound.
However, the battle didn't tilt in Ariel's favor just like that.
The terror of a Gym Leader Level Pokémon truly manifested at this moment.
At the wounds where Tangrowth had been cut, a green light flashed, and countless tiny vines rapidly grew and intertwined, actually beginning to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye!
"Is it the Regenerator ability? No, did it learn Ingrain or Giga Drain?"