Ariel was deaf to the reactions of the outside world; his concentration was highly focused.
This was a technique he had learned from that Tyranitar.
During the assessment, that Tyranitar's Sandstorm was evenly matched with Krookodile's, but that one move of controlling the Sandstorm to attack stayed fixed in Ariel's mind.
That single strike back then had directly forced Krookodile into a passive state, leaving it to either give up its own Sandstorm to enter the opponent's domain and clash head-on with Tyranitar...
...or maintain its own skill and be endlessly worn down by the opponent.
The Tyranitar species possessed an unparalleled and absolute control over Sandstorm.
They made Sandstorm more than just weather; it was an extension of their bodies, their domain, and their weapon.
What Ariel wanted to do was to have Krookodile walk this path as well.
Roar!
Krookodile let out a low growl of pain; controlling the massive Sandstorm had already drained its mind significantly, and now having to perform such precise operations pushed its mental strength to the limit.
The edges of the Sandstorm began to fluctuate violently, contracting and expanding at times, appearing extremely unstable.
"Don't rush, take it slow."
Ariel's voice was steady, like a sedative.
"First, find the strand that is easiest to control, the one closest to you. Treat it as your tail, your claws."
Minutes and seconds ticked by.
Corona had lost his patience; he shook his head and prepared to look away.
In his eyes, this grandstanding trick was already over.
Just then, a sudden change occurred.
Within the frantic Sandstorm, a small cluster of gravel and sand seemed to be pinched together by an invisible hand, laboriously breaking away from the main storm.
It wobbled in the air, its trajectory crooked, until finally, with a "smack," it hit a nearby training dummy.
Its power was pitifully small, only leaving a shallow white mark on the dummy's hard shell.
Corona's lips curled, the disdain in his eyes deepening.
Viper also found it boring; an attack of this level wasn't even fit to tickle her Drapion.
However, a brilliant smile blossomed on Ariel's face.
It worked!
The breakthrough from 0 to 1 is always the hardest step.
Once this hurdle is crossed, the rest is just repetitive practice to turn 1 into 100!
"Well done, Krookodile!"
Ariel did not hold back his praise.
"That's the feeling! Now, increase the intensity!"
Having received the Trainer's affirmation, Krookodile felt as if it had been injected with a shot of adrenaline, and its spirit surged.
It let out a long howl toward the sky, and the previously unstable Sandstorm instantly became violent again, but this time, the violence carried a completely different rhythm.
If the previous Sandstorm was a natural disaster, a chaotic mess, then the current Sandstorm was like an army commanded by a general, with a chilling order hidden within its wildness.
Under Ariel's precise instructions, more streams of sand were stripped away.
They were no longer loose grains of sand but were condensed and compressed through high-speed rotation, finally transforming into several sand tornadoes the thickness of an arm!
These sand tornadoes were like living sand pythons, circling and hissing around Krookodile, the strong winds they kicked up letting out sharp whistles.
On the sidelines, the disdain on Corona's face froze.
Viper also stopped her sneering.
Dar leaned forward slightly, the light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
"Go."
Ariel softly uttered two words.
Krookodile's massive tail swung violently, as if giving the order to attack.
Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!
Several sand tornadoes shot out in response, carrying a whistle that tore through the air, hitting a row of training dummies ahead at an incredible speed.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a tooth-grinding sound of friction.
Those dummies, made of high-strength metal and capable of withstanding the impact of most skills, had their surface coatings stripped away the moment they touched the sand tornadoes, followed by the outer armor being ground, eroded, and decomposed bit by bit by the high-speed rotating sand.
The entire process took only a few seconds.
When the sand tornadoes passed through and dissipated back into the yellow sand filling the air, only a few dilapidated metal skeletons remained, still "creaking" as if wailing.
The Sandstorm slowly subsided, and the dust settled.
Within the training grounds, there was a deathly silence.
Corona opened his mouth but couldn't say a single word.
The way he looked at Ariel had completely changed.
It was no longer scrutiny and judgment, but a deep-seated wariness.
This way of fighting had already exceeded his understanding.
The knowledge system he was so proud of seemed so pale at this moment.
Viper's face was also full of surprise: "This... how is this possible..."
But in her heart, her curiosity about this man grew even stronger.
Dar, meanwhile, slowly raised his hand, brushing aside a strand of silver hair hanging over his forehead, revealing those clear and deep eyes.
A knowing curve formed at the corner of his mouth.
"Interesting."
He finally spoke, his voice clear, breaking the silence in the arena.
At this moment, the balance of power in the training grounds had quietly shifted.
Ariel ignored the gazes from around him and walked straight to the management office, concisely stating his ID and needs to the staff.
"Intermediate Cadre Ruth, applying for three HMs. Light Screen, Shadow Claw, Aerial Ace."
The staff member was a young man; seeing Ariel's Cadre ID, he became much more efficient, but he still paused when he heard these three skills.
These three skills weren't particularly rare, but the combination was a bit strange, spanning special defense, physical Ghost, and physical Flying.
"Understood, Executive Sir, I will retrieve them for you immediately."
Ariel nodded and didn't say another word.
His mind was completely immersed in the tactical conception of his team.
Malamar's role was disruption and counter-play, acting as support; with its powerful mental strength, when facing energy attacks...
...a single Light Screen would be enough to hold up a barrier for the entire team at a critical moment, turning the tide of battle.
Weavile's speed and attack were impeccable, but its coverage needed to be broadened.
Shadow Claw could effectively target those troublesome Psychic and Ghost-types, making it a sharper blade to pierce the enemy's weak spot.
As for Frogadier, its agility was its greatest advantage.
Aerial Ace, a move that never misses, could transform its agility into the most stable output, especially when facing opponents that rely on speed and evasion; this move would be their nightmare.
Krookodile's special Sandstorm training was the core link in his tactical system.
So during this time, it was better for Krookodile to focus on training its Sandstorm.
Soon, the staff member ran over holding a metal box, inside which lay three thin discs emitting a faint glow of data streams.
"Executive Sir, your HMs."
"Thanks."
Ariel took the box and turned back to his Pokémon.
He wasn't in a hurry to have them learn immediately; instead, he gathered them together.
"Listen,"
His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly entered the mind of every Pokémon.
"The upcoming training will be boring, even painful. But I need you to remember, every time you are pushed to your limit, it's so that you can survive on the battlefield and win."
The Pokémon gave low responses, the same fire burning in their eyes.
Ariel nodded in satisfaction.
The enemies he had to face were not just people from the Alliance.
Ariel's gaze swept past the training grounds, looking toward the distant sky, his eyes deep.
This special training was only a beginning.
To gain a foothold in that dog-eat-dog place, this level was still far from enough.