The coordinated assault of Triple Surf was deftly dismantled by the opposing team. While such a powerful combined water attack would have posed a significant, if not insurmountable, challenge for one or two Pokémon, facing a perfectly synchronized combination of many Pokémon made the task considerably less difficult.
Immediately following the defense, Blaziken sprang into action. A large amount of flame condensed onto its fists, and it threw Fire Punches into the air, sending balls of fire cutting through the sky towards its target. However, Sharpedo, still suspended in mid-air by the lingering effects of the Water Pulse, fixed its cold, glinting eyes on the attack. A massive Water Cannon shot out from its mouth, materializing in the space between them. The powerful jet of water swept away Blaziken's Fire Punches with a roaring whoosh and continued its relentless charge straight at Blaziken.
Facing Sharpedo's powerful Water-type move, the Water Cannon, was a serious threat. Its power was indeed extraordinary, and the situation was particularly precarious for Blaziken, who was still airborne from its leap, leaving it with little room to evade. Despite this, Blaziken's expression remained unchanged and resolute. Numerous psychic threads shot out from Mega Slowbro, connecting to Blaziken's body and also to a large, sturdy rock on the ground. Mega Slowbro raised one hand and made a casual grabbing motion. Under its precise psychic control, Blaziken and the chosen boulder rapidly switched positions in a flash of psychic energy.
With a loud and crushing boom, the Water Cannon slammed directly into the rock that now stood where Blaziken had been. The boulder instantly shattered into powder, the fragments mixing with the dispersed water droplets and scattering down from the sky like a sudden, localized rain shower. The immediate threat of the Water Cannon had ended, but an even more intense and complex battle was only just beginning.
Tyranitar let out a ground-shaking roar, exerting its control over the earth to launch countless sharpened stones. These stones shot out, each following a different and unpredictable trajectory, all aimed unerringly at the Sharpedo still hovering in mid-air. A flying fish, it seemed, could be even more annoying and difficult to pin down than a flying bird. However, as the volley of stones closed in on Sharpedo, glistening ice crystals also arrived on the scene. Walrein, with a commanding presence, summoned and controlled orbs of ice. These ice balls met the scattered rocks in mid-air, the two attacks colliding and largely canceling each other out in a shower of rock chips and icy mist, though the ice gradually began to gain the upper hand, pressuring the stone attack. But Tyranitar was not fighting alone. Accompanied by Aggron's supportive, metallic roar, it too launched a barrage of scattered rocks, adding its own projectiles to the chaotic mid-air battle.
While these ranged attacks counteracted each other, Crawdaunt, its eyes cold and calculating, used the accumulated water on the ground to its advantage. It gathered water energy around itself, using the propulsion to launch its body forward at an extremely high speed, its target clearly the roaring Tyranitar. But Mega Slowbro's eyes flashed with psychic power once more. Accompanied by a distinctive, colorful glow, a longsword forged from black psychic and mental energy materialized out of thin air. This psychic blade aimed directly at the charging Crawdaunt and slashed downward with immense force. Yet, a precise stream of water shot out from Sharpedo's mouth high above, striking the black sword with unerring accuracy. A loud clang, followed by a booming shockwave, echoed as the black longsword was hit by the water stream, deflecting it from its original trajectory. The blade struck the ground where Crawdaunt had been a moment before, its impact causing the ground to tremble and successfully forcing Crawdaunt to slow its charge significantly.
Just as Crawdaunt was forced to decelerate, a slight tremor rippled through the ground beneath it. With explosive force, Drapion burst forth from underground, its massive pincers and formidable teeth crackling with intense electricity. It slammed mercilessly into the now-vulnerable Crawdaunt, catching it completely off-guard. The effect of the triple-pronged Lightning Fang attack was quite excellent; the electricity, like a virulent disease, leaped from Drapion's pincers and teeth to wreathe Crawdaunt's body in a paralyzing current. The Sniper ability, sensing a critical weak point, instantly activated at that very moment, amplifying the damage.
Did anyone think the attack ended there? No! Two greenish, pulsating Energy Balls, launched by another Pokémon, passed through the visual obstruction created by Tyranitar and Aggron's rock attacks. They rushed unerringly towards Crawdaunt, who had just been blasted into the air by Drapion's assault. Simultaneously, the moment its black psychic blade was knocked away, Mega Slowbro's psychic threads once again lashed out, this time wrapping around Blaziken, who had just landed from its earlier maneuver. Blaziken's bent legs straightened abruptly, coiling like springs before releasing, granting it a huge leap and an burst of extremely fast speed. Coupled with the additional propulsion and guidance from Mega Slowbro's psychic assistance, Blaziken's velocity increased rapidly, turning its form into a mere flash of red and yellow light. Intense flames condensed and then swirled violently around its feet—a devastating Blaze Kick was primed and ready.
Witnessing this incredibly synchronized and seamlessly layered succession of moves, Quan's expression changed repeatedly, a mix of frustration and dawning realization. The opponent's command ability in team battles was clearly superior to hers. Commanding eight Pokémon simultaneously, Aoki remained unfazed and utterly focused, with each attack interlocking perfectly, one layer after another, each action meticulously paving the way for the subsequent one. But she now understood, with chilling clarity, that the opponent's primary target was not the obvious threat, but the currently inconspicuous Crawdaunt!
Sharpedo, high in the air, made a sharp, screeching turn and dove towards the fast-moving Blaziken, a living torpedo aimed to intercept. As for the Stone Edge attacks still aimed at it, Quan was confident that with Walrein providing covering fire and blocking them, there was no way they could connect. Her plan was clear: as long as Blaziken dared to commit to its kick against Crawdaunt, Sharpedo would be in a perfect position to inflict massive damage on the Fire-type from the side or behind. With the type advantage and its level superiority, Sharpedo was confident that even if Blaziken wasn't directly incapacitated by the blow, it would be left severely injured and compromised. And although Crawdaunt had suffered a round of attacks, its own physical defense was very considerable, and it likely wouldn't immediately lose its ability to battle. The trade was simple: first, eliminate one of their key attackers!
Blaziken, however, seemed to disregard everything, the concentrated flames around its feet intensifying as it surged forward with unwavering determination. But Sharpedo, in its single-minded dive, didn't notice a subtle, dark movement—a shadow seamlessly entered its own shadow, clinging to it. Crawdaunt, realizing the imminent threat, managed to summon a light green, translucent energy shield around its body, activating Protect instantly in a desperate attempt to defend against Blaziken's incoming Blaze Kick.
But sometimes, the turning point in a battle comes so quickly it leaves no time to react. Mega Slowbro's psychic power in mid-air surged to a new peak. The psychic threads originally wrapped around Blaziken's body instantly strengthened and glowed brightly. In a flash of psychic energy, Blaziken and Drapion on the ground directly switched places. Drapion, who was already poised and prepared for another strike, had electricity crackling back to life on its pincers and teeth. But this time, the attack wasn't aimed at the shielded Crawdaunt. It was aimed directly at the Sharpedo that was now diving straight toward its original position, having committed fully to its intercept course.
Aoki, standing calmly at the very back of the fray, allowed a slight, knowing smile to play on his lips. Finally, they had taken the bait. He had known Quan would target the seemingly weakest link, the Blaziken that possessed a severe type disadvantage against her water types.
Seeing this devastating switch, Quan's face turned pale with shock and frustration. She realized, too late, that she had been completely tricked. The opponent's target, from the very beginning of this intricate sequence, was never Crawdaunt. It was Sharpedo, which, despite its offensive power, had the weakest physical defense on her team!
It was too late to recall the command. She could only watch, hoping against hope that she could somehow recover or mitigate the damage from another angle.
Drapion's Triple Lightning Fang, charged with paralyzing power, met the Sharpedo that was charging with a water jet head-on, slamming hard directly into its face. The water surrounding Sharpedo from its own Water Pulse, which was usually a defensive or mobility asset, now became a conductor. The electricity surged through the water, magnifying its effect. A thunderous roar echoed across the battlefield as the electric current ravaged Sharpedo's body.
Simultaneously, four massive, dark green vines shot up from the ground below; Vileplume's Grass Knot skill had already been lying in wait at that exact position. The vines snaked upward, binding Sharpedo, whose body was still seizing and numb from Drapion's point-blank electric attack. The vines tightened with immense strength, forcibly pulling the writhing Sharpedo out of its watery aura and dragging it downwards with irresistible force. The downward speed was incredibly fast.
And Blaziken, who had previously swapped positions with Drapion, was already waiting precisely at the spot where Sharpedo was being pulled down. The flames that were originally concentrated on its feet for a kick were now violently condensed and swirling around its clenched fists. It was a combined Fire Punch and Sky Uppercut, a devastating close-range combo. The collision from above and below was poised to cause immense, likely fight-ending, damage.
But Sharpedo, even in its pained and bound state, wasn't going to just sit there and take it. The sharp, rough scales on its body came into play, and it twisted its body constantly with desperate strength, as if trying to tear through the grassy bindings. However, Gengar, who had been hidden within its shadow all along, appeared at just the right moment to seal its fate. The originally dark black Gengar was now completely enveloped in a crackling, brilliant golden aura of electricity, looking like a terrifying fusion of demon and deity. A powerful Thunderbolt shot up into the sky from its hands, striking the struggling Sharpedo with pinpoint accuracy! The electricity already swirling around Sharpedo's body from the Lightning Fang hindered its movement completely, and now Gengar's super-effective Thunderbolt further intensified this effect, causing its muscles to lock up entirely. A faint, unmistakable scent of roasted fish emerged from Sharpedo; its once-sharp scales and famously rough skin were now completely charred black and smoking from the combined electrical and fiery assault.