Battling is never a simple matter of addition and subtraction.
Revealing all your trump cards at the very beginning is the mark of a brute, not a Trainer.
From the moment Gyarados was released, Greninja had already been lurking in the deepest shadows.
It was both the final line of defense to protect himself and a lethal dagger that could tear through the enemy's defenses at any moment.
Ariel had no time for sentiment.
The vitality of a grass-type Pokémon like Tangrowth was extremely tenacious; as long as it was given a chance to breathe, it would quickly recover by relying on the abundant energy within the cavern.
He had to end this quickly!
However, just as Ariel was preparing to command all his Pokémon to focus their fire on Skarmory and end this battle once and for all—
"Rumble..."
The entire cavern began to vibrate violently without any warning.
Huge stalactites overhead began to shed gravel and dust, and the Obsidian Altar beneath his feet let out an overburdened groan.
An aura far heavier and more tyrannical than those of Skarmory and Tangrowth combined came crashing down from the top of the cavern!
Alarm bells rang in Ariel's heart, and he snapped his head up.
He saw the hard rock layer above cracking inch by inch like a spiderweb, with massive fissures spreading out.
The next second.
"Boom—!"
The rock layer completely collapsed!
Countless massive boulders crashed down with the force of ten thousand tons, one of which headed straight for the center of the altar.
"Gyarados!"
Ariel's pupils constricted.
Gyarados reacted extremely fast, its massive tail whipping out to whip up a stream of water, smashing the giant rock to pieces.
Dust filled the air, and stone fragments flew everywhere.
A massive, suffocating steel figure slowly descended from the collapsed hole.
With every step it took, the entire cavern trembled.
It was an Aggron.
It was a size larger than an ordinary Aggron, its entire body covered in thick silver-white armor. The armor was covered in gruesome scars left by battles, each one telling the story of the cruel fights it had endured.
Its helmet was hideous and domineering, and its pair of ice-blue eyes held no emotion, only a pure, crushing sense of pressure.
This was the true leader of this holy land.
"Roar!!!"
Aggron let out a roar toward the sky, the sound waves turning into a physical shockwave that echoed madly within the cavern, making eardrums throb with pain.
Skarmory, whose fighting spirit had been dampened, felt its morale boosted upon hearing this roar. it quickly flew to the side and rear of Aggron, occupying the high ground.
Meanwhile, Tangrowth, which had been lying on the ground, slowly stood up under the pull of an invisible force. Its charred wounds began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye, and countless new vines burst from its body.
In an instant, the three Gym Leader Level guardians formed a perfect iron triangle formation.
Aggron was in the center, like an unshakeable mountain range, serving as the absolute core of defense and the main attacking force.
Tangrowth was in the back, with countless vines ready to strike, responsible for control and support.
Skarmory was in the sky, utilizing its mobility for harassment and lethal Sucker Punches.
Offense and defense in one, without a single flaw.
For the first time, Ariel's expression became solemn.
Worse still, after Aggron landed, its thick hind legs slammed violently against the ground.
"Boom!"
The ground cracked, and countless sharp rocks shimmering with Rock-type energy rose from the earth like a cage, surrounding the entire altar and sealing off all possible paths of retreat.
Stone Edge!
It wasn't even used to attack, but to lock down the field!
This was a... deathmatch from which there was no escape.
Ariel took a deep breath, the scorching air filling his lungs, yet it could not dispel the chill rising from the depths of his heart.
He looked at the three mountains before him and felt that despair-inducing pressure.
Escaping was impossible.
Fighting seemed to offer no chance of victory.
Aggron's cold gaze Locked-On to Ariel. It didn't seem in a hurry to attack; its eyes looked as if they were scrutinizing him, or perhaps delivering a final ultimatum.
Either get out.
Or die here.
Ariel's fingers gently brushed against the switch of a Poké Ball.
His eyes struggled and weighed his options before finally turning into a look of absolute determination.
The mega stone was right in front of him; he had no reason to back down.
Rocks from the top of the cavern were still falling, and the mixture of dust and water vapor made the already dim space even more chaotic.
The echoes of Aggron's roar had not yet faded, and its massive steel body was like a moving mountain, making the ground vibrate slightly with every step.
The sound of metal scraping against rock was ear-piercing. The three Gym Leader Level guardians stood in a triangular formation, completely blocking all of Ariel's paths to survival.
Stone spikes erupted from the ground and the ceiling like a forest of tombstones, cutting the escape route into shattered pieces.
The air was so oppressive it made it hard to breathe.
Gyarados's massive body was covered in wounds, its breathing heavy;
One of Weavile's sharp claws hung unnaturally;
Malamar's mental energy was heavily depleted, and even its levitation had become somewhat shaky;
Krookodile had just recovered a bit with a bottle of Potion, but facing these three massive creatures working in perfect harmony, it was barely a drop in the bucket.
The only one who still retained most of its combat strength was Greninja, which had been hiding in the shadows and had just completed a lethal strike.
But, one against three?
And against Gym Leader Level opponents who completely suppressed them in terms of level?
He gave a bitter smile; he had underestimated this undeveloped wild Secret Realm, thinking that with his team composition and a Greninja acting as a hidden ace, he could walk all over it.
Reality had given him a resounding slap in the face.
Just as Ariel made up his mind and was about to release that Pokémon for a desperate struggle.
A sudden change occurred!
A pitch-black shadow, condensed to the extreme, silently stabbed out from the shadows behind Ariel.
That shadow wasn't aimed at him, but pointed at a giant rock beside him from a tricky and eerie angle.
There was no energy fluctuation, no sound of breaking air; it was so fast that even Greninja couldn't react.
"Pfft."
A soft sound, as if a sharp blade had entered flesh.
The half-person-high giant rock split down the middle, the cut as smooth as a mirror.
Ariel's back instantly tensed, and a chill rushed from his tailbone straight to the top of his head.
He whipped around, only to see the shadows ripple like water for a moment before returning to normal.
Someone was there!
And if that person had wanted to take his life just now, he probably wouldn't have even had the chance to react!
A tall figure stepped out from that deeper darkness, as if she had been one with the shadows all along.
A black tight-fitting combat suit outlined a body with no excess fat, and her long hair was tied into a sleek ponytail hanging behind her.
There was no expression on her face, and her eyes were deeper than the stagnant water in the cavern as she merely gave a faint glance at the battlefield.
It was exactly that Woman in Black who had been watching the match in the Superior Arena.
Ariel's heart skipped a beat; when did this woman follow him here?
He hadn't noticed a thing.