Primeape's foot slipped, and its entire center of gravity instantly became unstable.
"Roar?"
A flash of bewilderment crossed its pupils, and its gathered momentum dissipated.
This was the moment!
"Ice Punch!"
Ariel's command followed immediately.
The black phantom moved.
Sneasel's figure vanished from its spot, appearing almost instantaneously in front of the off-balance Primeape.
Its sharp right claw was already coated in a layer of deep blue frost, the extreme low temperature causing the surrounding air to make "crackling" freezing sounds.
This punch condensed all of Sneasel's strength, striking straight at Primeape's wide-open chest!
"Primeape! Spin in place, Cross Slash!"
In the nick of time, Brawly demonstrated the astonishing reaction speed and resolve of a top-tier Gym Leader.
He didn't have Primeape try to force its balance back—it was already too late for that. He chose the most aggressive and effective method!
Offense as defense!
"Roar—!"
Primeape let out a sky-shaking roar. It gave up resisting its body's inertia and instead followed that unstable force, turning its body into a spinning top!
Its arms crossed in front of its chest, and its violent power poured out without reservation. With a momentum that seemed ready to tear everything apart, it began to spin crazily!
Boom!
The violent Cross Slash had no specific target; it simply transformed into a destructive tornado, exploding outward with Primeape as the center!
Before Sneasel's Ice Punch could reach its target, it was hit head-on by the shockwave of this power.
Bang!
The ice surface shattered on impact, and countless shards of ice and sand were swept into the sky, forming a chaotic curtain.
Sneasel's figure was like a kite with a broken string, violently blasted away, rolling a dozen times across the sand before barely coming to a stop.
In the center of the field, Primeape also stopped spinning. It knelt on one knee, panting heavily, the ground beneath it carved into a web of furrows by its spinning Cross Slash.
Sneasel struggled to stand up, but the quadruple super-effective damage, combined with the level suppression, was ultimately an insurmountable chasm.
It wobbled and finally collapsed unwillingly, losing its ability to battle.
On the other side, Primeape's condition was also at its worst.
It was covered in frost, its stamina exhausted from the previous pursuit and the final big move. It was supported only by a breath of rage, like a candle flickering in the wind.
The entire venue was silent.
The brilliance of this duel exceeded everyone's expectations.
"Wow..."
By the sidelines, Shauna covered her small mouth, her large eyes filled with shock.
"Sneasel lost... but Brother's Primeape looks like it's about to go down too."
Brawly's expression was incredibly solemn.
He had won, but it wasn't easy at all. Ariel's tactics and command ability had put immense pressure on him.
"Sneasel, come back. You did well."
Ariel recalled Sneasel, his tone calm, betraying no emotion.
He glanced at Primeape, who was standing solely by willpower, and took out his second Poké Ball.
"Go, Krokorok."
With a flash of red light, the bipedal crocodile appeared on the field.
Its mouth pulled back into a grin, revealing a row of sharp teeth, and its whole body radiated the aura of a thug not to be trifled with.
It was indeed the Krokorok that had leveled up to 31!
"Is it not over yet?"
Brawly gave a bitter smile; he knew Primeape had reached its limit.
Ariel didn't answer, simply giving a cool command.
"Krokorok, Stomping Tantrum."
"Wuga!"
Krokorok gave a strange cry, its hind legs pushing off with force. Its large body leaped high and then crashed down like a meteorite!
The already teetering Primeape couldn't even manage a reaction before being struck solidly by this Stomping Tantrum.
With a muffled thud, Primeape's eyes rolled back, and it collapsed completely.
A one-hit KO!
Clean and decisive!
From the sidelines, Shauna marveled once again:
"Wow! Brother's Primeape is just... gone? Brother Ariel's crocodile is so cool!"
Listening to his sister's live commentary, Brawly's mouth twitched slightly.
He recalled Primeape, took a deep breath, and his gaze changed completely.
If he had previously held the mindset of guiding a junior, he now viewed Ariel as an opponent on the same level.
"You really are strong."
Brawly said seriously, while tossing out his second Poké Ball.
"But my Knuckle Badge won't be taken so easily! Go, Hitmonlee!"
The ball opened, and a uniquely shaped pokémon appeared.
Its body was primarily brown, and most striking were its two legs, which could extend and retract freely like springs.
Its feet kept bouncing slightly on the ground, as if containing infinite explosive power.
The Ghost of Kicking Techniques, Hitmonlee!
Ariel's gaze fell on Hitmonlee's distinctive long legs, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Hitmonlee was famous for its eerie leg-stretching ability; its attack range was unimaginably long, and its mobility was extremely high, making it a master of close combat.
Although Krokorok had great strength, facing such an opponent, it would be very difficult if it were kited by the distance.
"I need to change the rhythm of the battle," Ariel thought to himself.
Brawly had clearly thought of this too, as he attacked first: "Hitmonlee, Double Kick!"
Hitmonlee pushed off with its legs, its body spinning in mid-air as it kicked toward Krokorok.
"Evade!"
Relying on its decent agility, Krokorok hopped left and right, narrowly avoiding the two kicks.
But Brawly's goal clearly wasn't just to deal damage.
"Now, High Jump Kick!"
In the gap while Krokorok was dodging, Hitmonlee had already used the recoil to leap high. Its right leg suddenly extended in the air, its knee shining with a piercing white light, like a spear descending from the heavens, piercing straight for the top of Krokorok's head!
This series of movements was as smooth as flowing water, so fast it was dazzling.
However, Ariel's expression didn't change at all, as if everything was under control.
He was waiting for this exact moment.
"Krokorok," Ariel's voice pierced through the whistling wind, carrying an unquestionable authority, "make this place your home field!"
"Sandstorm!"
"Wuga—!"
Krokorok let out a roar toward the sky. It ignored the attack falling from above and instead slammed its claws into the ground!
Boom!
An earthy yellow energy exploded outward with it at the center!
The sandy training field seemed to come alive as endless grit was pulled by an invisible force, soaring into the sky.
In just a few seconds, a violent Sandstorm vortex with a diameter of over ten meters had formed around Krokorok!
Yellow sand blotted out the sun, completely swallowing the figures of the two pokémon.
Sandstorm!
Hitmonlee dove headfirst into the Sandstorm and was instantly submerged by the chaotic grit, without even causing a ripple.
Brawly's eyes widened. Feeling that terrifying energy, he shouted in shock, "This... this is Sandstorm?!"
"You actually... let Krokorok master a weather skill at this level?!"
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