Thick roots coiled tightly around Torterra's four limbs, pinning it in place.
The more it struggled, the tighter the roots constricted.
"Torterra—!"
It bellowed in fury, desperately trying to tear free.
"Snorlax—use Kong Gun!!"
"Gyarados—Armament Haki, and Ice Fang!"
Catching the opening while Torterra strained against the bindings, Aaron fired off his commands.
"Snorlax—!"
With a roar, Snorlax's eyes sharpened. Its right arm compressed rapidly, muscle and force condensing into a single point—
BOOM!
A violent shockwave burst outward as its massive fist blasted forward like a cannon, tearing through the air toward Torterra with terrifying force.
At the same time, icy-blue light gathered in Gyarados's jaws. Two elongated fangs of freezing energy formed, radiating bone-chilling cold.
A layer of black, steel-like Armament Haki coated them.
Gyarados dove from the sky, snapping viciously at Torterra's head.
BOOM! BOOM!
Bound tightly by Sceptile's roots, Torterra had no room to evade.
Snorlax's King Kong Gun slammed straight into Torterra's shell with a thunderous crash, blasting the massive Pokémon into the ground.
But it wasn't over.
Crunch—
Gyarados's Armament Haki–coated Ice Fang clamped down on Torterra's head.
"TOOR—!"
It howled in agony.
Torterra was four times weak to Ice.
With Ice Fang at Mastery level and further amplified by Armament Haki, the damage skyrocketed—its power multiplied dramatically under the crushing type advantage.
Even as a Gym–level Pokémon with immense natural bulk, Torterra took devastating damage.
It writhed across the ground in pain.
Suddenly, a crimson glint flashed in Torterra's eyes. Thick green energy surged from its body as violent winds howled around it.
Countless razor-sharp leaves spiraled within a raging vortex, then shot skyward toward Gyarados.
Its Grass-type finisher—Leaf Storm.
"Sceptile—use the roots to shield Gyarados!"
Aaron's expression sharpened.
"Sceptile—!"
Green-and-white energy burst from Sceptile's body.
Roots surged upward from the earth, weaving together midair into layer upon layer of dense wooden nets.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Leaf Storm crashed violently into the barrier.
Explosions thundered through the forest. The root net shattered layer after layer, splintering into countless wooden fragments.
But in the end—
It barely held.
"Sceptile—finish it!"
"Sage Art—Leaf Blade!"
Aaron's eyes gleamed.
"Sceptile—!"
Sceptile let out a low growl as long white energy blades extended from its arms.
It sprang through the forest canopy, then dropped in a flash—
Two brilliant arcs carved downward toward Torterra's head.
BOOM! BOOM!
Badly wounded, Torterra had no strength left to evade.
Its eyes widened—
Then rolled back.
With a heavy thud, it collapsed, unconscious.
Beep… beep…
"Points +1000."
The mechanical voice from Aaron's scoring watch sounded once more.
Total points: 26,000.
"Ding~"
"Congratulations! Your Pokémon Gyarados has gained a large amount of experience. Level increased. Current level: Elite (Early Stage)."
"Congratulations! Your Pokémon Snorlax has gained a large amount of experience. Level increased. Current level: Elite (Early Stage)."
"Congratulations! Your Pokémon Sceptile has gained a large amount of experience. Level increased. Current level: Advanced (Peak Stage)."
"Ding~ Your Pokémon Snorlax has unlocked Gear 5: Nika Form. Its Potential has changed. Please check for details."
The system's pleasant voice echoed in his mind.
Aaron's eyes lit up instantly.
Jackpot.