Steam Explosion!
The phantom Pokemon Volcanion is also known as the Steam Pokemon. Its signature move involves the water absorbed into its body being directly evaporated at a high temperature, intensely compressed, and then ejected through the large tubes on its back. The resulting blast has watery properties but carries an immensely high temperature, functioning similarly to a vastly enhanced version of the Scald move.
The Pokemon standing in front of Aoki wore expressions of extreme seriousness as they faced the cannonball-like blast of superheated steam. Tyranitar placed its hands firmly on the ground, channelling all its strength to control the terrestrial energy beneath them. A massive wall of sand erupted upwards, attempting to block the advancing steam. However, in less than a second, the sandy barrier shuddered, on the verge of being completely obliterated. Weavile rushed forward immediately, spraying a concentrated Freeze-Dry beam onto the quaking sand wall, which flash-froze solid in an instant. The ominous sound of cracking ice echoed immediately—click, click, click—as the frozen wall could not hold for even another second and began to fracture catastrophically.
Weavile let out a sharp cry, and five enormous, sharply pointed ice spikes materialized instantly, reinforcing the disintegrating wall. These five icicles formed a new, desperate line of defense. Immediately afterwards, the original sand wall shattered completely, and the immense heat began melting the ice rapidly. The resulting water evaporated once more, merging with and amplifying the volume of the scorching steam. Despite this, the cooling effect of the ice was significant, noticeably reducing the overall temperature of the steam explosion. Honchkrow flew in the sky behind Tyranitar and Weavile, flapping its wings with frantic intensity to generate a powerful gust of wind, trying to force the steam back.
Blaziken stood closest to Aoki, its posture tense and ready, watching the defensive efforts of Tyranitar and the others. It was the final barrier; if their defense was breached, Blaziken would be needed to provide the last line of protection for its Trainer. Aoki himself stood motionless, observing the scene with a calm demeanor. He was testing the limits of his team, wanting to see how Tyranitar and the others would fare against an attack from a Pokemon of Volcanion's caliber. Volcanion's level was substantially higher than theirs, yet it remained within the Champion tier, meaning the gap, while significant, was not an insurmountable chasm; their energy levels still existed on the same general plane. If they proved unable to stop the attack, Aoki had a final contingency prepared and was not overly concerned for his personal safety. However, it had to be acknowledged that Volcanion was truly formidable, its power clearly demonstrated by its legendary ability to level mountains. This Steam Eruption's sheer output would have been impossible for Tyranitar to stop alone without Weavile's ice-type moves providing critical cooling.
The relentless sound of cracking continued as the icicles slowly fractured further and melted away bit by bit under the oppressive heat. "Tyranitar, Weavile, hold on!" Aoki commanded firmly. Merely resisting was becoming impossible; the only option was to pour more energy into maintaining their defensive moves. With a final, thunderous boom, the icicles and the sand wall shattered simultaneously. Two shimmering green barriers of Protect energy materialized around Tyranitar and Weavile just as the remaining force of the steam explosion washed over them. Finally, the protracted and devastating Steam Eruption attack concluded.
A single attack from Volcanion had forced both Tyranitar and Weavile to exert their full strength merely to defend themselves. While this was partly due to their comparatively lower levels, it starkly highlighted the considerable power gap between them and Volcanion. After its initial assault, Volcanion did not immediately launch another, instead fixing its gaze on Aoki with unconcealed hostility. From its perspective, its attack had seemed difficult for the opponents to withstand, yet the human Trainer remained infuriatingly calm. Did he still possess an undisclosed trump card?
Aoki recalled Tyranitar, Weavile, and the others to his side. "Well done," he praised them sincerely. This was a genuine accomplishment. They had just faced a Volcanion, a pseudo-legendary Pokemon of immense power, and managed to withstand its assault, which exceeded Aoki's expectations. Tyranitar's face showed clear excitement; the thrill of battling such a powerful opponent was palpable. Aoki smiled and took out three more Poké Balls, throwing them into the air. In flashes of light, Slowking, Florges, and Aggron appeared on the field. Gengar also emerged seamlessly from Aoki's shadow, its grin wide. It was nearly a full gathering of Aoki's core team.
Observing the powerful Pokemon appearing one after another beside Aoki and sensing the potent auras they radiated, Volcanion's expression grew increasingly solemn. Dealing with two or three would have been manageable, but the opponent had summoned a considerable group all at once, a force that demanded serious attention. "Volcanion, I have no intention of being your enemy. My only goal is to meet Magearna," Aoki declared loudly. Despite his words of peace, the Pokemon surrounding him remained poised for battle, their stances ready. Aoki understood that an audience with Magearna would require getting past Volcanion first. Fortunately, this Volcanion's current strength had not yet reached the terrifying peak it would in the future. The qualitative leap in power after breaking through to the next tier of Champion-level strength would be immense. Aoki had not yet fully confirmed if this Volcanion was a true mythical beast in the fullest sense; perhaps it was still in its growth phase. Only after reaching full maturity would it potentially be granted a divine station by the world's natural order. This was Aoki's hypothesis, as even born legendary Pokemon do not possess ultimate power from birth but must grow from weakness before potentially attaining their full divine might. Aoki was uncertain if another Volcanion existed in this world, but he could confirm that the one before him had not yet reached its ultimate potential.
"Human! You continue to test my patience. Do you truly believe you possess the strength to challenge me?" Volcanion roared, its voice echoing with power.
"It seems... that we will have to fight to determine the answer to that," Aoki replied with a calm smile. Then, using his Telepathy, he communicated a private message to Honchkrow. "Honchkrow, fly to the Nibel Plateau and search for a sea of flowers. See if you can locate this Pokemon within it." He projected a clear mental image of Magearna into Honchkrow's mind. Magearna's current combat power was negligible, virtually nonexistent. If Honchkrow could find it, the Honchkrow could bring it to him. Understanding its Trainer's command, Honchkrow gave a sharp nod, flapped its powerful wings, and shot into the sky.
As if it had instantly discerned Honchkrow's intent, Volcanion flew into a rage. It aimed the two cannons on its back at the ascending Honchkrow, and energy within them began to gather with furious intensity. "Slowking, suppress it!" Aoki commanded, simultaneously placing his hand on Slowking's back. Their psychic energies merged completely. The explosive power of Slowking's psychic abilities surged instantly by thirty percent! Now that Aoki's own psychic powers had reached the level of a high-tier psychic, he could finally unleash the full potential of his psychic-type Pokemon in the manner of other accomplished psychic Trainers.