The enormous Wood Dragon swallowed Carracosta whole and smashed it violently into the ground.
BOOOOM!
The entire mountaintop platform shook.
"CARRAA!"
Carracosta let out a pained roar.
The Wood Dragon Jutsu was a Sage Art, but it still carried Grass energy at its core. Against a Water/Rock-type like Carracosta, that meant four-times effective damage.
And worse, it had already used Shell Smash.
Its Defense had dropped.
The blow tore through it with brutal force.
The Wood Dragon sank back into the earth, leaving Carracosta kneeling on one knee amid shattered stone and broken roots. Its breathing was heavy, its body covered in wounds.
The faceless man frowned.
"Carracosta, hold on. Smack Down, continuous fire."
"CARRAA!"
Carracosta roared and forced itself back into action. Earth-yellow energy surged around its body, and the ground churned beneath it as massive stones tore free, rose into the air, and shot toward Sceptile like a barrage of cannon fire.
Aaron's gaze remained steady.
"Sceptile, Sage Art: Wood Release—Hōbi Barrier."
"Scep-tile!"
Sceptile pressed both hands against the ground, pouring vitality into the earth.
The platform trembled.
A massive wooden shield rose from below, thick and ancient, its surface bearing a ghostly face like something carved from a monster's skull.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The stones slammed into the barrier one after another, each impact sending explosions through the forest.
Then came the sound of splintering wood.
CRACK! CRACK!
The shield broke apart under the relentless barrage, scattering chunks of wood through the air. But it had done its job. Most of the attack had been stopped, leaving only a few stones to continue toward Sceptile.
Aaron's eyes sharpened.
Even Hōbi Barrier was broken by force.
This eighth-floor opponent really was on another level.
"Sceptile, Teleport. Then finish it with Leaf Blade."
"Scep-tile!"
Purple light flashed through Sceptile's eyes.
Its figure vanished.
The remaining stones tore through empty air, and in the same instant, Sceptile appeared silently behind Carracosta.
A sharp emerald blade lit up along its arm.
The faceless man's expression changed.
"Carracosta, dodge!"
He had not expected this Sceptile to know Teleport.
That was not just absurd. It was the kind of absurd that made the word feel too small.
Carracosta tried to move, but the roots beneath its feet surged upward and wrapped around its legs, holding it in place for one crucial moment.
That was all Sceptile needed.
SLASH!
Leaf Blade cut down hard and struck Carracosta directly.
"CARRAA!"
Carracosta let out one last miserable roar before its massive body collapsed onto the ground.
Its eyes spiraled.
It was unable to battle.
Carracosta had fallen.
Aaron had taken the round back.
After Beedrill's defeat, this victory mattered.
It was not just one Pokémon knocking out another. It was proof that the battle had not slipped out of his hands. The eighth floor was dangerous, yes, but it was not beyond him.
The faceless man recalled Carracosta and looked at Sceptile with calm approval.
"Not bad."
His tone was steady, but there was real appreciation beneath it.
"You raised that Sceptile well."
Aaron smiled faintly.
"I'll take the compliment."
The man smiled in return. Then he took out another stone-like Poké Ball and tossed it forward.
"My second Pokémon."
The ball opened.
"Come out, Armaldo."
Light flashed, and a massive Pokémon more than two meters tall appeared among the trees.
Its body was blue and heavily armored from head to toe. A hard shell covered its frame, and a pair of sharp claws hung at its sides, giving it the presence of a prehistoric predator dragged into the modern world.
Armaldo.
Another ancient Pokémon.
The information panel appeared before Aaron's eyes.
[Name: Armaldo]
[Gender: Male]
[Nature: Impish]
[Type: Bug/Rock]
[Ability: Battle Armor]
[Base Stats Total: 495]
[Level: Gym (Peak Stage)]
[Potential: Champion-level]
[Known Moves: X-Scissor (Apotheosis-tier), Rock Blast (Perfect), Stone Edge (Perfect), Metal Claw (Mastery), Smack Down (Mastery), Bulldoze (Mastery), Harden (Proficient), Bug Bite (Mastery), Iron Defense (Proficient), Brine (Proficient), Protect (Proficient), Earthquake (Proficient)...]
[Description: An Armaldo from two thousand years ago. Its body is larger than that of its modern descendants, and it possesses even greater strength.]
Aaron's eyes narrowed slightly.
Another Apotheosis-tier move.
So that was the pattern.
The Pokémon on the eighth floor were not just stronger versions of ordinary opponents. Each of them carried a move pushed to an absurd level, enough to turn a single opening into a disaster.
He could not afford to drag this out.
"Sceptile," Aaron said, his voice low.
The forest around them rustled as emerald light surged again.
"End this quickly."
A cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
"Sage Art: Wood Release—Wood Human Jutsu."
...