"This is the place."
Drake stopped and led Ariel to a training ground on the island.
Before them was a foundation made of large rocks, looking incredibly rugged, which matched Drake's style perfectly.
Ariel didn't speak; he just silently unclipped the Poké Balls from his waist.
Red lights flashed repeatedly.
Seven figures appeared one after another on the open training ground.
"Roar!"
As soon as Gyarados appeared, it let out a roar toward the sky, its fierce aura making the air seem to stagnate.
Greninja landed silently on top of a rock, arms crossed, its crimson scarf fluttering in the wind.
Weavile bared its teeth, its sharp claws carving several white marks into the hard rock with a piercing sound.
Malamar hovered in mid-air, its tentacles swaying gently, its gaze unpredictable.
Krookodile seemed the most irritable; its thick tail swept across the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, its eyes gleaming with an impatient, fierce light.
By contrast, the two little ones in the team were much better behaved.
Deino curiously rubbed its head against Ariel's trouser leg, while Larvitar crouched on the ground, grabbed a handful of volcanic ash, stuffed it into its mouth, and then spat it out in disgust.
These were the partners Ariel had gathered along his journey, his most solid foundation of confidence.
Drake's gaze swept over the seven Pokémon one by one, the slight nonchalance in his eyes gradually turning into scrutiny.
He had thought Ariel was just a talented young man, but the condition of the Pokémon before him surprised him.
Each one had a lustrous coat and eyes that were both spirited and fierce; this was not something achieved through a few days of hard training. The effort and resources poured into them were far beyond ordinary imagination.
He had even chosen two Pseudo-Legendaries to raise!
When a young man like this grew up, his strength would surely be terrifying!
"Very impressive partners."
Drake withdrew his gaze, his tone flat, making it impossible to tell if he was praising or criticizing.
"However, rapport and strength must ultimately be proven in battle."
He casually threw three Poké Balls.
"Come out."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three Pokémon appeared in the arena: a Sandslash covered in a hard shell, a Victreebel with a large hanging pitcher, and a Shiftry with a long nose, holding a leaf fan.
"These three are all natives of this island. They haven't had any systematic training. As for their strength, they're just at the ordinary Gym Leader Level."
Drake spoke lightly.
"Give it a try and let me see your level."
Ariel's gaze swept over the three Pokémon.
Sandslash was impatiently scratching the ground with its claws, and several drops of dark green digestive fluid dripped from Victreebel's open pitcher, hitting the ground with a "sizzling" corrosive sound.
Shiftry fanned itself, looking composed and leisurely, yet its eyes glinted with cunning.
They indeed possessed the fierce aura unique to wild Pokémon.
Ariel made his decision.
He didn't let the other Pokémon act; he just patted the back of the Krookodile beside him.
"Krookodile, you're up."
"Kroo!"
Krookodile let out an excited low growl and strode into the arena, facing off against the three Pokémon from a distance.
Drake raised an eyebrow.
Oh?
One against three?
This kid was even more arrogant than he had imagined.
He didn't speak to stop him; he just watched with interest, wanting to see what kind of confidence Ariel truly had.
Ariel didn't give any orders; he just watched Krookodile quietly.
This was the rapport between them; facing opponents of this level, Krookodile knew what to do.
"Roar—!"
Krookodile suddenly opened its large mouth and roared. A visible cloud of dust centered on it soared into the sky, instantly sweeping across the entire arena!
In the blink of an eye, the whistling Sandstorm obscured everyone's vision. The entire basin turned into a murky, yellow chaos, with only the howling of the gale and the pitter-patter of sand hitting the rocks audible.
Drake's expression finally changed.
The range and intensity of this Sandstorm were far beyond the limits of what a Gym Leader Level Pokémon could release!
Carried by the gale, the sand grains were like countless tiny blades, cutting everything in the arena.
"Interesting."
Drake muttered to himself.
Inside the Sandstorm, visibility was less than half a meter.
Shiftry was the first to lose its patience. It waved its leaf fan and suddenly fanned out a gale!
"Shiftry!"
The gale tried to blow away the yellow sand filling the air, but it was like a drop in the ocean, only tearing a fleeting hole in the Sandstorm.
But at the very moment that hole appeared, Victreebel moved!
Two thick Vine Whips shot out like venomous snakes from a hole, precisely passing through that gap and lashing toward Krookodile's remembered position!
Crack!
The Vine Whips struck something solidly, letting out a muffled thud.
However, the cry of pain Victreebel expected didn't come.
At the same time, the previously motionless Sandslash curled its body into a spike-covered ball and used Rapid Spin, silently charging from the side toward the spot where the Vine Whips had hit!
Rapid Spin!
This was the instinctive coordination these three Pokémon had honed through countless battles in the wild.
Shiftry created the opportunity, Victreebel performed the localized strike, and Sandslash delivered the fatal blow!
However, they were facing Krookodile.
Just as Sandslash was about to collide, a dark shadow suddenly rose from the ground within the Sandstorm!
It was Krookodile!
It had actually tanked Victreebel's two Vine Whips with its back, and using that positioning, it predicted Sandslash's assault route!
In mid-air, Krookodile's body unfurled, its massive mouth aimed at the caught-off-guard Shiftry below.
Dark Pulse!
A ring of deep purple energy spread out, passing through the sand curtain and hitting Shiftry dead on!
"Shiftry—!"
Shiftry cried out in pain as it was blasted backward by the evil energy, the leaf fan flying from its hand.
Having landed a hit, Krookodile didn't stop for a moment. Its massive body twisted forcefully in the air, and its thick tail, like a steel whip, slammed toward the ground with the sound of whistling wind!
Earthquake!
Boom!
The entire training ground shook violently, and the ground cracked into a spiderweb-like pattern centered on Krookodile's landing point.
The Sandslash that was in the middle of its Rapid Spin charge was flipped over by the sudden shock, its spiked shell rolling several times on the ground, leaving it dazed.
An opportunity!
A sharp light flashed in Ariel's eyes.
Krookodile was almost in perfect sync with his thoughts. It pushed off with its four limbs, its massive body turning into a black bolt of lightning, and under the cover of the Sandstorm, it lunged straight at the Victreebel that had just stabilized itself.
Victreebel sensed the danger, its huge pitcher opening wide to spray a large amount of dark green venom forward.
Razor Leaf!
Countless emerald leaves also shot out from the top of its head, weaving into a web of death.
But Krookodile didn't dodge at all.
It braved the venom and Razor Leaf, letting the attacks leave marks on its hard skin as it pushed its speed to the limit!
Closer!
Even closer!
The moment it reached Victreebel, Krookodile's terrifying mouth snapped open, its forest-white teeth glinting coldly in the murky Sandstorm.
Crunch!
"Crack!"
A cringe-inducing sound of cracking echoed as Krookodile bit down on Victreebel's pitcher and half its body, then violently hurled it away. It slammed heavily into the distant mountain wall and slid down, incapacitated.
"Kroo—!"
After defeating an opponent, Krookodile's Moxie ability activated!
An even more violent aura erupted from its body, its eyes turning blood-red as its attack power climbed once again!
Drake's pupils constricted.
What a fierce fighting style! Trading injuries for a knockout, completely decisive!
This Krookodile's fighting style was simply that of a berserker born for the Sandstorm!
Now, only Shiftry and Sandslash remained on the field.
Shiftry struggled to its feet. Looking at the surging momentum of Krookodile, fear appeared in its eyes for the first time.
It picked up its fan and fanned desperately, trying to push Krookodile back with a gale.
Sandslash curled into a ball again, but this time, it didn't attack recklessly. It just spun rapidly in place, using its sharp spikes to defend itself.
Krookodile didn't even bother to look at the wind blades Shiftry fanned out; those attacks couldn't even leave a white mark on it. It took large strides, heading straight for the spinning Sandslash.
Ariel watched this, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
It's over.
Krookodile rushed in front of Sandslash, ignored the high-speed spinning spikes, and raised a massive claw, upon which terrifying rock energy was gathering.
Stone Edge!
Boom!
A massive stone pillar burst from the ground, precisely striking the belly of the spinning Sandslash!
The spinning came to a screeching halt as Sandslash was knocked into the air by the immense force, exposing its soft underbelly.
Krookodile leaped up, its bloody maw opening once more.
Another Crunch!
With Sandslash incapacitated, only the shivering Shiftry remained on the field.
Krookodile landed, turned, and its blood-red gaze locked onto its last opponent.
"Shif... Shiftry..."
Shiftry gave a strange cry, dropped its fan, and turned to run.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
A dark shadow appeared behind it like a ghost. Krookodile didn't even use a skill; it just slammed into it with its massive body!
Bang!
Shiftry flew out like a tattered sack, rolled several times on the ground, and became completely still.
The yellow sand filling the air slowly settled, revealing the scene in the arena.
Three Pokémon lay on the ground, incapacitated.
And Krookodile stood alone in the center of the arena, virtually unharmed except for a few marks of venom corrosion and leaf cuts on its body.
It raised its head, facing the sea breeze, and let out a deafening roar of victory.
"Roar—!"
Its roar echoed throughout the basin.
Drake stood in place, silent for a long time.
He looked at the insufferably arrogant Krookodile in the arena, then at the calm Ariel beside it, his gaze becoming extremely complex.
Arrogant?
No, this wasn't arrogance.
This was absolute trust in his partner and a precise judgment of his own strength.
This young man was much more terrifying than he had expected.
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