Fortree City's Fortree Gym was built among the branches of towering giant trees, connected by countless suspension bridges and platforms, resembling a city in the sky.
The Gym's battlefield was even more unique; the entire arena was suspended above the giant trees, with no walls surrounding it, only the whistling wind. It even caused the entire battle platform to sway slightly, putting immense psychological pressure on non-Flying-type pokémon.
Ariel took a deep breath, the salty and fresh scent of vegetation filling his lungs and invigorating his spirit.
The Poké Ball in his hand vibrated slightly; Krokorok's fighting spirit was already being transmitted through the small sphere.
In the life-and-death struggle against Magma Team, all his pokémon had made significant progress.
Malamar's mental power had become increasingly refined, and its level had risen to 37.
Weavile's speed and claws had also become more lethal, reaching level 35.
Even Frogadier, who usually served as a surprise tactic, had successfully broken through to level 29 after contending with that massive Camerupt.
The biggest surprise, without a doubt, was Krokorok.
After successive hard-fought battles, its level had soared to 39, leaving it just one step away from its final evolution.
Opposite him, Winona stood in her athletic attire, looking heroic and valiant.
Without any unnecessary words, she pointed her fingers like a sword, and the four Poké Balls in front of her snapped open instantly.
"The rules of the Fortree Gym are four-on-four Double Battles!"
Her voice was crisp and powerful, echoing through the wind.
"Now, let the battle begin!"
Two flashes of red light streaked by, and Winona's lead pokémon appeared on the field.
One was a Swellow, its feathers a deep indigo blue and its eyes sharp as knives, its wings tracing elegant yet dangerous arcs in the air.
The other was a Tropius; with every flap of its massive banana-leaf wings, it kicked up a strong current of air, its bulky body exerting a heavy sense of pressure.
Both pokémon were level 40, possessing the strength of those who had just stepped over the threshold of a Superior Trainer.
"A Double Battle?"
Ariel muttered to himself.
This was indeed his first time experiencing such a formal Double Battle.
Commanding two pokémon simultaneously required not only considering the coordination of skills but also predicting the movements of both opponent pokémon. It was a severe test of a Trainer's ability to multitask and react on the fly.
Without the slightest hesitation, he threw his Poké Balls.
"Go, Krokorok, Frogadier!"
As the red light faded, a lithe Krokorok with a fierce gaze appeared on the field. It crouched on all fours, its tail swishing powerfully, and beneath its sunglass-like eye patches was an extreme thirst for battle.
Beside it was Frogadier, whose body was a size smaller.
Compared to the opponent's two imposing pokémon, Frogadier, which wasn't even level 30 yet, seemed a bit... underwhelming.
Seeing Ariel's lineup, Winona's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Not only did he send out the Ground-type Krokorok for the first round.
But the other one was actually a Frogadier with such a vast level gap?
Was he underestimating her, or did he have other plans?
She recalled the scene from yesterday when Ariel had flatly rejected her invitation, and a hint of displeasure flashed through her heart.
Perhaps this young genius was a bit too conceited.
"Contestant Ariel, are you sure you want to use this lineup?"
No emotion could be heard in Winona's voice.
"I have confidence in my pokémon."
Ariel's reply was simple and direct.
His tactic was simple, even a bit crude.
That was to have Frogadier act as support and create an opportunity for Krokorok to evolve!
"Then, I'll take the first move!"
Winona said no more and swung her arm forward forcefully.
"Swellow, Quick Attack! Tropius, Razor Leaf!"
The moment the command was given, Swellow's figure turned into a streak of white light, cutting in rapidly from the left, its target aimed directly at the relatively weak Frogadier!
Meanwhile, on the right, Tropius flapped its massive leaf-wings, and countless emerald leaves swept in like throwing knives, blanketing the area and cutting off all of Ariel's possible escape routes.
This was the most basic pincer tactic in Double Battles—simple, yet effective.
"Frogadier, Double Team!"
Ariel's voice was as steady as ever.
Frogadier's form instantly blurred, splitting from one into two, then two into four. In the blink of an eye, over a dozen identical Frogadier appeared on the field, each performing different actions, making it a dizzying sight where it was hard to distinguish the real from the fake.
Swellow's Quick Attack accurately shattered a clone, only to find it was a mere phantom. The sky full of Razor Leaf also returned without success, slicing through the clones and turning them into bubbles.
Winona's eyes narrowed. Such fast reaction speed.
"Now, Krokorok, Dig!"
Ariel seized the moment the opponent's attacks missed and issued the key command.
Krokorok let out a low growl and its thick claws dug fiercely into the ground. The hard battle platform was like tofu before it, and in just the blink of an eye, its figure disappeared underground.
"It's useless!"
Winona's voice carried a hint of disdain.
"Ground-type moves are ineffective against my Flying-type pokémon! Your Krokorok hiding underground will only become a sitting duck!"
She immediately adjusted her commands:
"Swellow, take to the sky and watch for movement on the ground! Tropius, use Solar Beam on the arena to force it out!"
The Berries on Tropius's neck began to gather a dazzling white light; terrifying energy was brewing.
However, Ariel acted as if he hadn't heard Winona's words. His gaze was fixed firmly on Swellow in mid-air, which had slightly lowered its altitude because of the Double Team.
The sense of unease in Winona's heart grew stronger and stronger.
Something was wrong.
Ariel wasn't the kind of Trainer who would make rookie mistakes.
Dig... what exactly was the purpose of using Dig?
Just then, a sudden change occurred!
The ground directly beneath Swellow exploded without warning!
It wasn't an attack!
Krokorok's figure shot up from the hole like a cannonball, shrouded in countless pieces of broken stone and soil!
It had actually used the move Dig as a vertical acceleration springboard!
This completely exceeded Winona's tactical predictions!
The greatest advantage of Flying-type pokémon lies in their air superiority. They are accustomed to defending against horizontal and overhead attacks, but they rarely guard against a vertical assault from directly below!
Swellow didn't even have time to react before that figure carrying a fierce aura was already close at hand.
"Bite!"
Ariel's shout thundered through the arena.
Krokorok forcibly twisted its body in mid-air, opening its massive mouth filled with sharp teeth and biting down hard on Swellow's wing!
"Crunch!"
A sickening, grating sound of a snap.
"Screee—!"
Swellow let out a shrill cry of pain. Its prideful wing was clamped tight by Krokorok's sharp teeth, and the intense pain caused it to instantly lose control of its body, plunging clumsily toward the ground along with Krokorok.
Boom!
A loud explosion followed, and dust filled the air.
The entire arena fell into a deathly silence.
Winona's pupils shrank to the size of pinheads, and for the first time, a look of genuine shock appeared on her face.
This man... he actually managed to pull off such a creative play with a Ground-type move!
He used Dig to create displacement, exploiting everyone's fixed mindset to complete an incredible counterattack!
The dust slowly cleared, revealing the scene on the field.
One of Swellow's wings was unnaturally twisted, clearly having suffered a heavy injury. It struggled to stand up, only to collapse helplessly.
Meanwhile, Krokorok stood steadily beside it. Although it had also taken some impact, the fierce light in its eyes grew even more intense.
This single strike had almost instantly defeated the level 40 Swellow!