The battlefield had fallen into complete chaos.
Lightning split the sky. Thunder rolled overhead. Rain hammered down in sheets.
Across the forest, roots twisted through the battlefield.
At the rear, Sceptile continued glowing with green life energy as it supported the entire field. Its breathing had grown heavy. Controlling so many roots while constantly repairing the damaged ones was draining both its stamina and the life energy inside its body.
Then the first casualty appeared.
Bastiodon.
After Beedrill's Twinneedle struck the exact same spot twice, Suzumebachi's Mark of Death activated.
"ROOOAR!!"
A moment ago, Bastiodon had still been sneering at the tiny black bee in front of it.
Then fear exploded in its eyes.
A mysterious force invaded its body, and overwhelming weakness swallowed it whole.
THUD!!
Its massive body crashed heavily onto the ground.
Bastiodon tried to struggle.
Tried to roar.
Tried to call for help.
But that terrible weakness had already consumed everything.
It could not even breathe.
Its consciousness faded rapidly until every sign of life disappeared.
Titan's expression changed instantly.
"Bastiodon!!"
But Bastiodon was already dead, lying motionless on the rain-soaked ground.
A champion-class peak-stage Bastiodon had died just like that.
Killed by the little black bee it had looked down on.
"How…?"
Cold sweat slid down Titan's forehead as he stared at Bastiodon's corpse in disbelief.
That was his strongest defensive Pokémon.
Even against Champion-level opponents, Bastiodon's absurd defense could normally endure several direct hits.
And yet it had been killed instantly by a single bee Pokémon.
Was that even possible?
But the battlefield did not stop for his confusion.
Aaron had no intention of explaining anything to him.
He immediately issued his next wave of commands.
"Gyarados! Dragon Dance, twice!"
"Sceptile! Sage Art: Wood Release, Wood Golem Technique!"
"Snorlax! Belly Drum!"
"Charizard! Keep them covered with Flamethrower!"
"Beedrill! Flash Step behind Bisharp and use Twinneedle!"
"Infernape! Kaio-ken again!"
"Greninja! Tailed Beast Cloak!"
"Then Sage Mode and Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The moment Aaron's commands rang out, all seven Pokémon erupted with power once more.
"GRAAAAH!!"
Gyarados roared above the storm clouds.
A deep crimson glow surged from its body, and its aura climbed even higher.
Apotheosis-level Dragon Dance.
Its Speed and Attack rose to the limit, while the power behind its moves increased even further.
…
"Sceptiiiiile!!"
Sceptile opened its single eye.
Dense green energy exploded outward from its body.
BOOOOM!!
The earth trembled violently.
The ground split apart, and a gigantic wooden arm burst from the fissure, tearing through the battlefield as it rose.
An overwhelming aura swept across the forest like a tidal wave.
Then a colossal wooden giant emerged from the earth.
A massive wooden dragon coiled around its body, wrapping around the giant's waist with its fierce head resting over one shoulder.
The Wood Golem stood upright.
Fifteen meters tall.
"ROOOOOAR!!"
Its roar shook the clouds, like an ancient beast rising onto the battlefield.
…
"SNOR-LAX!!"
Snorlax let out a fierce cry and inhaled deeply.
Its belly expanded dramatically.
HSSSSSS—
Scorching steam burst from its body as gray energy spread across its entire form.
Apotheosis-level Belly Drum—
Activated!!
Its Attack and Special Attack skyrocketed to the limit, and even its defenses rose along with them.
…
"ROOOAR!!"
Charizard soared back into the sky with an angry roar.
It opened its jaws and fired wave after wave of blazing golden flames toward Bisharp.
Bisharp moved fast.
Charizard's firepower was overwhelming, but against a champion-class peak-stage opponent, the attacks were still too slow to land cleanly.
Bisharp dodged every Flamethrower.
But Charizard had never been aiming to finish it.
The flames were cover.
At that exact moment, a black shadow silently appeared beside Bisharp.
Beedrill.
Its twin stingers glowed with eerie black light as they stabbed viciously toward Bisharp's arm.
THUD! THUD!
The timing was flawless.
After spending so long as the hidden assassin on the battlefield, Beedrill's instincts had become terrifyingly sharp.
Bisharp had no time to dodge.
Twinneedle struck its arm directly.
A strange butterfly-shaped mark appeared at the impact point.
The instant Bisharp sensed it, danger screamed through its body.
Its pupils shrank.
Then, without hesitation, it raised its other arm.
A blade of white light flashed.
SLASH!!
Bisharp cut off its own arm.
The severed limb hit the ground.
Even Beedrill froze for a split second at Bisharp's ruthlessness.
Bisharp seized that moment immediately.
The blade in its remaining arm slashed toward Beedrill.
BANG!!
Beedrill was blasted away.
A horrifying wound tore across its body.
One strike was enough to leave it heavily injured.
Bisharp's battle instincts and combat experience were terrifying.
No wonder it was one of Titan's true trump cards.