Winona's tactical intentions were far too obvious.
Using Skarmory, that foul and stubborn steel shield, she perfectly protected Altaria, the core damage dealer, rendering Weavile's type advantage completely non-existent.
Once Altaria was allowed to stack Dragon Dance, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"I can't let it keep strengthening!"
Ariel immediately changed his strategy.
"Weavile, rush up and use Ice Punch! Krookodile, Crunch, target Skarmory!"
He had to break their formation!
Weavile pushed off with its legs, its entire body shooting forward low to the ground, aiming straight for the sky.
Meanwhile, Krookodile dug its limbs into the earth, its massive body carrying immense momentum as it lunged at the low-circling Skarmory.
"Too naive."
Winona shook her head.
"Skarmory, Iron Head! Altaria, Dragon Breath!"
Facing the lunging Krookodile, the Skarmory in the air showed no intention of dodging. Its head lit up with a blinding metallic luster, and like a cannonball fired from a barrel, it boldly met the attack!
On the other side, the newly strengthened Altaria gave a soft cry as a ball of light containing terrifying energy gathered in its mouth. Its target wasn't Weavile, but the charging Krookodile!
Bang!
With a loud crash, Krookodile's gaping maw and Skarmory's Iron Head collided violently.
The terrifying clash of power caused a visible ripple to spread through the air.
Krookodile was knocked back two steps by the recoil, while Skarmory was sent flying backward, only stabilizing itself after a mid-air roll.
And at the very moment Krookodile's stance was unstable, Altaria's Dragon Breath arrived silently!
Boom!
Dragon-type energy exploded against Krookodile!
"Roar!"
Even with Krookodile's thick hide, it let out a pained roar under the unexpected attack. Its massive body staggered from the blast, nearly falling over.
Worse was the situation on Weavile's side.
It had just leapt up, prepared to attack Altaria, only to find the target had already turned its focus elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Skarmory, having finished its Iron Head attack, banked into a turn. Its sharp Steel Wings gleamed coldly as it delivered a Steel Wing strike, slashing hard at the mid-air Weavile from the side!
Suspended in mid-air with nowhere to push off, Weavile could only desperately twist its body and cross its claws to block.
Clang!
The ear-piercing sound of metal clashing rang out.
Weavile let out a muffled groan and was sent flying like a hit baseball. It slammed heavily onto the ground, rolling several times before stopping. One arm hung unnaturally; it had clearly suffered a major blow in that direct clash.
In just one round of engagement, the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
Ariel's Krookodile and Weavile were both injured. Meanwhile, Winona's Altaria and Skarmory were almost unscathed, aside from Skarmory feeling some impact.
The sky was their absolute domain.
Winona's command was calm and lethal; she had pushed the essence of double-battle coordination to the limit.
Skarmory was the sturdiest mobile fortress, and Altaria was the most lethal turret behind it.
Ariel's gaze shifted rapidly between the two Pokémon in the air, his brain working at an unprecedented speed.
Krookodile's Ground-type was completely restricted, and its Rock-type skills were hard-pressed to hit opponents using Agility.
Although Weavile countered Altaria, it couldn't break through Skarmory's defense. Instead, due to its fragile build, it was countered by the Steel-type Skarmory.
It was a stalemate.
"Do you wish to continue?"
Winona's voice came, still calm.
"In the face of absolute strength and perfect tactical coordination, simple type advantages are meaningless."
The arena fell silent.
Krookodile panted heavily, a fierce glint showing beneath its sunglass-like eye membranes.
Weavile struggled to its feet and shook its injured arm, the fighting spirit in its eyes not diminishing in the slightest.
Ariel looked at his two Pokémon, then looked up at the two opponents in the sky who moved as one, and suddenly smiled.
"Of course."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable stubbornness.
"The warm-up has only just begun."
Before his voice had even faded, Ariel's arm swung down, his command crisp and decisive, without a hint of hesitation!
"Krookodile, Sandstorm!"
"Roar—!"
Krookodile roared at the sky, and an aura far more savage and violent than before erupted from its body!
Rock-type energy surged wildly, gathering at its feet, and then—exploded!
In an instant, the entire battlefield shook violently. The hard ground cracked inch by inch, and countless amounts of sand and dirt were swept into the sky by an invisible force!
A wailing gale appeared out of thin air, swirling the yellow sand to form a curtain of sand that blotted out the sun!
The light in the previously bright Gym dimmed rapidly, and visibility plummeted to a dangerously low level.
The air was filled with a dry, gritty atmosphere, and the harsh sound of grinding sand echoed throughout the arena, as if the place had instantly been transformed into a boundless desert!
"A weather move... Sandstorm?!"
In Winona's eyes, which were usually as still as an ancient well, a true ripple of shock surfaced.
She was not only shocked that this Krookodile could use the weather move Sandstorm!
She was even more shocked that this newly evolved Krookodile could utilize Sandstorm to such an extent!
This range and intensity far exceeded the level a Level 40 Pokémon should have!
This was no longer a simple skill, but in a true sense, a domain that changed the entire battlefield environment!
"In my Sandstorm, the sky is no longer your exclusive territory!"
Ariel's voice came through the gale, carrying a powerful confidence.
Within a Sandstorm, Rock, Ground, and Steel-type Pokémon would not take damage.
Krookodile was perfectly fine!
But Weavile was different; its stamina would be continuously drained by the Sandstorm!
Ariel's command was concise and lethal. He knew very well that the Sandstorm was also a burden for Weavile. This was a gamble—a gamble that he could tear through the opponent's defense before Weavile collapsed!
"Skarmory, protect Altaria! Use Agility to pull away!"
Winona reacted quickly, her voice rising a few notches as she tried to pierce through the obstruction of the wind and sand.
However, in such harsh conditions, even the transmission of sound became difficult.
More importantly, visibility!
Skarmory and Altaria had lost their greatest advantages—clear vision and absolute control over the ground.
They could only see the dim yellow sand curtain within a few meters around them, making it impossible to lock onto the opponent's position.
And this was exactly what Ariel needed!
"Weavile, move!"
"Flash!"
A black shadow flickered and vanished in the swirling yellow sand, fast as a ghost!
Weavile kept its body extremely low, racing across the ground. The Sandstorm perfectly masked its form and presence.
Its crimson eyes glowed terrifyingly bright in the dim environment, like two soul-chasing lanterns, dead-locked onto the Altaria in the air.
"Careful! It's coming!"
Relying on her rich experience, Winona sensed the approaching danger.
Skarmory immediately flapped its Steel Wings, trying to create air currents to blow away the sand while moving sideways to block for Altaria.
But it was too late!
"Now, Krookodile, Dig!"
Ariel's second command followed immediately.
Krookodile's massive body instantly sank into the ground, vanishing without a trace.
Alarm bells rang in Winona's heart as a strong sense of unease washed over her.
Ground and sky were attacking simultaneously!
Just as Skarmory focused all its attention on guarding against Weavile's surprise attack, the ground directly beneath it exploded without warning!
"Roar!"
Krookodile burst from the earth. In its wide-open maw, dark energy condensed wildly. Its target was the Skarmory, which had lowered its altitude slightly due to the distraction!
Crunch!
"Clang!"
The bite landed solidly on Skarmory's Steel Wing, the ear-piercing sound of metal grinding making one's teeth ache!
Even Skarmory, renowned for its defense, was forcibly dragged from the air by this immense strength and slammed hard onto the ground!
"Now's the chance! Weavile, Icy Wind!"
Seizing the moment while Skarmory was pinned, Weavile's figure appeared on Altaria's flank! It didn't use the powerful Ice Punch but chose an area-of-effect skill instead!
"Chirp—!"
A gale containing extreme cold air erupted from Weavile's mouth. Enhanced by the Sandstorm, its range became even larger and its power more erratic!
Altaria let out a cry of distress. A layer of frost quickly formed on its cotton-like wings, and its flight speed and maneuverability plummeted!
"It's not over! Krookodile, Rock Slide!"
Having flung Skarmory away, Krookodile slammed its claws into the ground!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Massive boulders rose from the earth, sealing off the airspace around Altaria like a cage, completely cutting off any possibility of evasion!
"Altaria, Dragon Pulse!"
Winona's voice took on a hint of urgency.
Altaria endured the cold and stiffness in its wings, opening its mouth to fire a brilliant dragon-shaped energy wave, attempting to shatter the rock cage.
However, this was the moment Ariel had been waiting for!
"Weavile, Ice Punch!"
Taking advantage of the lag while Altaria released its skill, Weavile appeared behind it as if teleporting. Its sharp claws crossed, carving out a lethal cross of cold light!
Slash!