Once again, he quickly dealt with four waves of Houndoom coming from all directions. After finishing the last wave, he finally collided with the gathered Houndoom.
At this time, the number of Houndoom was not too great, totaling less than twenty.
Aoki and Slowking had dealt with fourteen Houndoom before, counting the one encountered at the beginning, bringing the total to fifteen—nearly half of the pack.
As the leader of the Houndoom, the alpha was furious. As a dominant force in the dangerous zone of the Safari Zone, the Houndoom pack had never been challenged like this before.
Enough was enough!
The leader let out a sharp cry, rallying the remaining Houndoom for an all-out assault.
Facing nearly twenty Houndoom at once was no easy task.
Aoki glanced at Slowking, who was recovering strength atop the grassy field, and communicated via Telepathy: "How are you holding up, Slowking? Can you keep going, or should we call for backup?"
"Sloooow!" Slowking bellowed in response, determination flashing in its eyes.
Through their psychic link, Slowking conveyed its desire to fight alone. If the battle turned against it, it would signal for help.
Understanding Slowking's resolve, Aoki allowed the battle to continue. The Psychic-type was in a state of heightened excitement, likely triggered by repeated confrontations with powerful Dark-types. Its latent energy was surging, begging for release.
Striking first was crucial.
"Slowking, use Trick Room to nullify their speed advantage! Levitate to avoid ground attacks, then shield yourself with Water Pulse and strike hard. Don't worry about me," Aoki commanded.
With Floette and Gengar lurking in the shadows, Aoki's safety was assured.
"King!" Slowking roared, psyching itself up.
A massive Trick Room materialized, far larger than before, enveloping all the Houndoom—and Slowking itself.
Drawing upon its mastery of Psychic Terrain, Slowking levitated into the air, hovering at the apex of the distorted space.
The Houndoom hesitated, disoriented by the warped dimensions. Their natural speed was useless here.
"Doom!" the Houndoom shrieked, rallying its pack.
In unison, the Houndoom unleashed a barrage of Dark Pulses and Heat Waves, streaking toward Slowking like black-and-orange comets.
Slowking encased itself in a swirling Water Pulse, but the sheer volume of attacks overwhelmed its defense.
Thinking fast, Slowking Teleported—a move it rarely used—barely dodging the onslaught. Its size made evasion imperfect, and a few attacks grazed its watery shield. Fortunately, the damage was minimal.
Then came Slowking's counterattack.
Psychic energy condensed into shimmering orbs around it before bombarding the Houndoom like meteors. The flock, averaging level 42, resisted fiercely, retaliating with renewed fury.
Dark Pulses, Night Slashes, and even the occasional Foul Play rained down on Slowking.
Within a minute, Slowking was battered—yet its aura burned brighter than ever, a stark contrast to its injuries.
It had entered a trance-like state, its Psychic power surging beyond normal limits. Pain was irrelevant; exhaustion didn't exist. Its body's self-preservation instincts were completely overridden.
Aoki frowned, observing Slowking's precarious stalemate.
"Slowking, don't forget to use Heal Pulse!" he urged.
"Floette, hit Slowking with Lucky Chant and Aromatherapy!"
Though Aoki refrained from direct interference, support was permissible.
Slowking's Heal Pulse was unrefined, but in this heightened state, its restorative effects were amplified. The gashes on its body began to seal.
Floette's Lucky Chant reduced the Houndoom's accuracy, while Aromatherapy shielded Slowking from stat drops.
Aoki's own Psychic abilities allowed him to sense Slowking's energy fluctuations. The pink gem on Slowking's crown glowed vibrantly, its light pulsing in sync with its heartbeat.
"Is the Mew blood activating Slowking's latent power? Is it pushing toward the pseudo-champion tier—or is this a breakthrough from its quasi-Blue potential?" Aoki mused.
Originally, he'd assumed Slowking's frenzy was due to an impending evolution. Now, he realized the truth was more complex.
Was it the Houndoom's aggression that triggered this? Or had Slowking been on the verge of awakening anyway, and the battle merely catalyzed it?
Whatever the case, there was no turning back.
Aoki steeled himself. As a Trainer, his duty was to guide Slowking through this trial—whether it led to triumph or setback.
Activating Telepathy, he synced his mind with Slowking's. The Psychic-type's thoughts were chaotic, surging like storm waves. Aoki anchored them.
"Focus, Slowking. Follow my lead."
Instantly, Slowking's mental turbulence stilled. Aoki's presence was a lighthouse in the psychic tempest.
"Teleport!"
"Water Pulse!"
"Psyshock, rapid-fire!"
"After Heal Pulse, hit the weakened ones with Psychic!"
Under Aoki's direction, Slowking's assault gained precision. The tide of battle shifted.
One against twenty.
Slowking will pick them of one by one.