"Weavile!"
Weavile was brimming with excitement. With a fierce cry, it swiftly condensed two Shadow Balls between its claws and hurled them directly at the Xatu hovering above.
The attack was cleverly aimed—one Shadow Ball targeted the Xatu mid-use of Miracle Eye, while the other arced high, aimed at the space just above its head.
The Xatu was trapped in a dilemma: if it continued channeling Miracle Eye, it would be struck by the first Shadow Ball. If it attempted to evade by flying upward, the second Shadow Ball would crash down upon it.
Batim, the Xatu's Trainer, reacted quickly. "Fly, Xatu!"
The Xatu ascended sharply, narrowly avoiding the first Shadow Ball—but the second struck true, slamming into its back with a resounding thud. The Ghost-type energy seared its Psychic-typed feathers, dealing significant damage.
Aoki smirked. Never put all your eggs in one basket.
Shadow Ball was super effective against Psychic-types, and this Xatu was no exception.
"Xatu, Confusion!" Batim commanded, his voice steady despite the setback.
The Xatu's eyes glowed a deep blue as it unleashed a wave of psychic energy toward the Weavile. The attack struck, but Weavile—being part Dark-type—shrugged off most of the damage. It barely flinched before resuming its rapid sprint across the battlefield, kicking up thick plumes of sand in its wake.
The swirling dust obscured the Xatu's vision, forcing it to rely on its Psychic senses to track the Weavile's movements. But Weavile was no easy target—its Dark typing interfered with the Xatu's psychic perception, making precise attacks difficult.
"Weavile, Icicle Crash! Knock it out of the sky!" Aoki ordered sharply.
A jagged spear of ice materialized above the Xatu, plummeting toward it with deadly precision. The Xatu reacted instantly—"Teleport!"—vanishing in a flash of light just before the icicle impaled the space it had occupied.
But Weavile was already anticipating this.
The moment the Xatu reappeared, another Icicle Crash formed directly above it, descending too fast for another dodge.
CRACK!
The Xatu screeched as the ice shattered against its wings, sending it spiraling downward. Before it could recover, three more icy spears materialized, slamming into it in rapid succession.
"Xatu! Protect!" Batim shouted, desperation creeping into his voice.
A translucent barrier of green energy flared around the Xatu, softening the blows—but it wasn't enough to stop the onslaught. The Xatu crashed into the sand, dazed but still conscious.
"Weavile, Ice Beam! Finish it!"
Weavile lunged forward, claws coated in a freezing blue aura as it unleashed a beam of ice type energy straight at the downed Xatu.
Batim's expression darkened. He couldn't let his Xatu fall here.
With a swift motion, he hurled two Poké Balls into the fray, summoning a towering Houndoom and a hulking Camerupt between Aoki and the battle.
"Houndoom, Dark Pulse! Camerupt, Flamethrower!"
The two Pokémon roared, unleashing a wave of dark energy and a torrent of flames toward Aoki.
But Aoki was prepared.
Two more Poké Balls left his hand in a flash.
Drapion and Swampert materialized, standing firm against the assault.
"Drapion, Crunch! Swampert, Hammer Arm!"
The Drapion's massive pincers snapped shut around Houndoom's Dark Pulse, crushing the attack mid-air, while Swampert leaped high, fists clenched, and slammed a devastating Hammer Arm into Camerupt's side.
The force of the blow sent Camerupt skidding backward, its Flamethrower going wide.
With his reinforcements intercepted, Batim turned back to his Xatu—only to see Weavile already closing in.
"Weavile, Ice Punch!"
Weavile's claws gleamed with frost as it reared back—
Batim's hand shot to his belt. "Return, Xatu!"
A beam of red light shot toward the Xatu—
But Aoki had anticipated this.
"Weavile, Pursuit!"
Before the recall could complete, Weavile blurred forward, its claws intercepting the red beam. The Xatu was forcibly yanked back into the physical world, only to be met with a brutal Ice Punch straight to its chest.
The Xatu crumpled, unconscious.
Batim's jaw tightened. He had underestimated Aoki's tactical precision.
But he wasn't done yet.
A faint tremor shook the ground beneath Aoki's feet—
"Slowking!" Aoki called.
Slowking emerged in a burst of water, firing a Hydro Pump into the ground below while levitating Aoki upward with Psychic.
The earth erupted as a Excadrill's sneak attack was foiled, the mole-like Pokémon sent flying from the disrupted tunnel.
Batim's eyes widened. He saw that coming?! Excadrill's sneak attacks were always effective because most trainers don't pay attention to sneak attacks from under ground.
Aoki smirked. "Gengar, now."
From Batim's own shadow, Gengar materialized, its jagged grin inches from his face.
Batim froze.
Aoki had played him perfectly.
While Batim had been focused on his Xatu and Excadill's ambush, Aoki's Gengar had been lying in wait, slipping through the shadows unnoticed.
Now, with Gengar's claws at his throat, Batim had no choice but to surrender.
The battle was over.
Aoki exhaled, glancing warily toward the horizon. The rest of Team Magma couldn't be far behind.
He recalled his Pokémon swiftly—there was no time to waste.
Victory was his.
But the war was far from over.