The faceless man took out a strange Poké Ball.
It was gray, rough, and round, almost like a polished stone. He held it up, gave Aaron a faint smile, and tossed it forward.
"My first Pokémon."
The stone-like ball opened.
"Come out, Carracosta."
Light flashed, and a massive turtle Pokémon appeared on the battlefield.
Its body was deep blue, covered by a hard shell, and it stood upright with a heavy, ancient presence. At nearly 1.8 meters tall, it was far larger than any Carracosta Aaron was used to seeing.
Aaron's pupils narrowed.
Carracosta?
Why is it this big?
Modern Carracosta were usually around 1.2 meters tall. This one was at least half a meter taller than that, and the pressure coming from its body was completely different.
Aaron's expression grew serious as the information panel appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Carracosta]
[Gender: Male]
[Nature: Adamant]
[Type: Water/Rock]
[Ability: Solid Rock]
[Base Stats Total: 495]
[Level: Gym (Peak Stage)]
[Potential: Champion-level]
[Known Moves: Shell Smash (Apotheosis-tier), Aqua Jet (Perfect), Rock Slide (Perfect), Aqua Tail (Mastery), Smack Down (Mastery), Hydro Pump (Mastery), Withdraw (Proficient), Brine (Mastery), Iron Defense (Proficient), Iron Tail (Proficient), Protect (Proficient), Rain Dance (Proficient)...]
[Description: An ancient Carracosta from two thousand years ago. Its body is far larger than that of its modern descendants, and it possesses far greater strength.]
Aaron's eyes sharpened.
A two-thousand-year-old Carracosta?
Then what about this man?
His gaze shifted briefly to the strange Poké Ball the faceless opponent had used.
Was he ancient too?
What surprised Aaron most was not just Carracosta's age or size, but its moves.
Shell Smash had reached Apotheosis-tier.
The rest of its moves were also far beyond what he had seen from the tower's previous opponents. From the first floor to the seventh, the Pokémon created by the tower had all used fixed move proficiency, usually around Proficient. This one was different.
And this time, there was a Trainer giving commands.
The eighth floor really was not like the others.
For the first time since entering the tower, Aaron's expression turned genuinely serious.
"What's wrong, young man?" the faceless man asked calmly. "Who will you open with?"
Aaron looked toward the black Beedrill hovering at his side.
"Beedrill, you're up."
Against a slow, heavily armored Pokémon like Carracosta, the best option was to strike fast and end the fight before it could set up.
"Bzzzz!"
Still wrapped in Spiritual Pressure Infusion, Beedrill flew onto the field and faced Carracosta directly. The moment their gazes met, its eyes became sharp.
The faceless man watched quietly.
"Then let the battle begin."
He raised one hand.
"Carracosta, Aqua Jet."
"CARRAA!"
Carracosta roared, water bursting around its body as it shot forward at extreme speed.
A priority move.
Aaron reacted immediately.
"Beedrill, dodge with Flash Step and close the distance."
Beedrill vanished.
One Flash Step after another carried it across the battlefield, slipping past the rushing stream of water while cutting straight toward Carracosta.
The faceless man frowned slightly when he saw that speed.
"Carracosta, Smack Down. Continuous fire."
"CARRAA!"
An earth-yellow glow lit up around Carracosta, and the ground trembled beneath it. Huge rocks tore free from the battlefield, rose into the air, and shot toward Beedrill one after another.
Aaron's eyes narrowed.
He could not afford to hold back here.
The level gap was too large, and Rock-type attacks were especially dangerous for Beedrill. One clean hit could end the battle instantly.
"Beedrill, Mega Evolution!"
Aaron took out Beedrill's Key Stone and activated it without hesitation.
"Bzzzz!"
Dazzling light erupted around Beedrill mid-flight.
Its form sharpened, its body became sleeker and deadlier, and its stingers extended into long, spear-like lances. By the time the light faded, Mega Beedrill was already on the move.
The faceless man paused for a moment.
A strange look flashed in his eyes.
Aaron did not give him time to think.
"Keep using Flash Step. Don't let those rocks touch you."
Mega Beedrill's speed rose sharply after Mega Evolution. It flickered through the air, dodging the incoming stones one after another until, in an instant, it appeared behind Carracosta.
Aaron's eyes flashed.
"Now. Twinneedle."
"Bzzzz!"
Mega Beedrill drove its two long stingers viciously into Carracosta's shell.
...