Seeing Ferrothorn return to the field, many spectators were dumbfounded.
But after the host explained the move Healing Wish, everyone could only keep muttering, "W-What the hell, what the hell…"
There was really a move this shameless in the world?
It completely broke the rules of fairness!
At the same time, though, everyone's respect for Elite Four Sen rose a few notches.
Such a divine move… most of them had never even heard of it, yet this strong Trainer could already use it with ease.
This was exactly why the Elite Four were the Elite Four!
Then, they saw Elite Four Sato send out an Ariados…
Huh? Poison-type?
Wait a minute… everyone knows Steel-types are immune to Poison-types, right?
Could this Ariados… be special?
Before the spectators could finish guessing what was on Sato's mind, the battle had already resumed on the field.
Both Pokémon moved almost simultaneously. Ariados raised its head, slightly opened its mouth, and then…
He~tui!
A purple "poison bomb" floated upward into the sky, then exploded with a boom!
The toxins turned into fine threads that rained down and finally merged into the ground.
On the other side, Ferrothorn swung its three rake-like Vine Whips, scattering a wide spread of black spikes with a whoosh.
Toxic Spikes!
Spikes!
You lay yours, I lay mine. Both are hazard moves aimed at future switch-ins. Everyone has them, right?
A hint of seriousness flashed in Sen's eyes, but he still followed the plan and had Ferrothorn use Stealth Rock.
"Ariados, String Shot."
"Dos!"
Such a simple command made people wonder if Sato was holding back. Yet in the next second, the scene left the entire crowd stunned.
From its mouth, tail stinger, and the two "regressed" leg-stingers on its back, Ariados simultaneously fired large amounts of silk toward the surrounding Stealth Rock.
The threads intertwined, latching onto the Stealth Rock as anchors and linking together.
In just moments, the entire battlefield had been woven into a layered Spider Web, structured perfectly for Ariados to move freely atop it.
And since Ferrothorn was already not very fast, getting stuck on even a little of that web would slow it down even more.
As for how to fix that...
"Ferrothorn, Gyro Ball!"
Ferrothorn transformed into a silver ring, rapidly slicing through the Spider Web Ariados had created.
But just as it began moving, Sato's command rang out simultaneously: "Disable!"
"DOS!"
A faint gray light flashed in Ariados's eyes, and Ferrothorn, mid-Gyro Ball spin, seemed to get its pause button hit, dropping straight to the ground.
Sen frowned slightly, unable to guess what Sato's plan was.
Poison-type moves were ineffective against Ferrothorn, and Bug-type moves only dealt normal damage.
Given Ferrothorn's defense, even if it stood still and let Ariados attack, it would still take a while to bring it down.
Did Sato really think Ferrothorn without Gyro Ball would just sit there like a target?
"Ferrothorn, Rollout!"
Ferrothorn turned into a silver ball again, but this time it could only roll along the ground at moderate speed.
"String Shot. Wrap it up!"
"DOSSS!"
Ariados sped across the Spider Web with incredible speed, quickly catching up to Ferrothorn. With a whoosh, silk streamed downward, aiming to fully entangle it.
"Aerial Ace!"
Whoosh~
The moment Sen finished speaking, Ferrothorn vanished from its spot.
Ariados only noticed a shadow suddenly appear above its head and instinctively shifted half a meter to the left.
In the next instant, Ferrothorn surged forward surrounded by white wind and energy, piercing through the section of web where Ariados had just been.
If speed isn't enough, explosive force makes up for it; a common tactic for slow Pokémon.
But what shocked everyone was how terrifying Ferrothorn's burst power really was!
Truly, no matter how ordinary an Elite Four's Pokémon may appear, each one has hidden trump cards.
"String Shot."
Sato's command came again. Ariados, though still rattled, quickly regained composure and executed the command flawlessly.
And the hole that had been torn open? Ariados patched it up with a flick of… its leg.
This time, the still-exhausted Ferrothorn couldn't escape. A massive barrage of silk rained down and wrapped around it, making it look almost twice its size!
Sen's expression turned grim. Ferrothorn's bulky figure already limited its mobility.
Now it was completely bound in silk, and its only move capable of cutting through -Gyro Ball- had been locked.
At this moment, Ferrothorn really was… just waiting to be taken down!
Then, Ariados slowly descended upside down, casually swinging its legs as its presence intensified.
The move: Swords Dance!
Afterward, Ariados remained unhurried. Its front legs crossed, then slashed out sharply!
RRRRRIIIIIP~
The move: X-Scissor.
"FERROTHORN, GYRO BALL!" Elite Four Sen had perfectly timed the cooldown of Disable and gave the order immediately.
Swish~ Swish~ Swish~
Ariados calmly waited as Ferrothorn violently spun inside the web.
Then… Disable~
Watching Ariados slowly crawl toward Ferrothorn again sent an involuntary shiver down many spectators' spines.
This primitive spider hunting method brought with it a sense of suppression and dread that was hard to shake.
Sen wasn't under much pressure; just barely stopped himself from coughing up blood. This Ariados… did it have to be this disgusting?
No more holding back!
"Ferrothorn, Self-Destruct!"
At that moment, Sen and Ferrothorn were perfectly in sync. Without any warning…
…BOOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion left everyone with ringing ears as half the battlefield was blasted into a massive crater.
Ferrothorn finally "broke free" of the web!
But it had clearly lost the ability to battle.
This time, there was no miracle like Healing Wish to save it.
Ariados had also taken immense damage!
The Self-Destruct had happened so quickly that even Protect, which it barely managed to activate afterward, could only block part of the blast.
So now, Ariados was at its limit as well.
A flash of red light returned Ferrothorn to Sen's Poké Ball. Sato hesitated for a moment, then recalled his near-exhausted Ariados as well.
"In a rush, you went and wrecked the whole field…" Sato muttered, shaking his head as he looked at the battlefield, now one giant crater.
An Elite Four level Self-Destruct was more than enough to wipe out all previously set hazards. Toxic Spikes, Spikes, and Stealth Rock, all gone.
Ferrothorn's revival clearly hadn't fulfilled its intended purpose.
But Sato felt no joy in that, his Toxic Spikes were part of the next wave of tactics too. He wasn't the only one who lost something valuable.
Still, Sen's decisiveness in battle had genuinely surprised Sato.
It clashed starkly with his usual image; calm, gentle, a refined gentleman.
"Let's keep going, shall we?" Sen said plainly.
"No problem."
Soon, both sides sent out their fifth Pokémon!