The scorching air distorted the vision, and crimson lava burned sizzling black holes into the pitted rooftop floor.
On the other side, the battlefield between Laic and Tabitha had long since turned into an Inferno; the roar of explosions was like a dull drumbeat, constantly pounding against Ariel's eardrums.
Here, it was relatively quiet, yet even more deadly.
That Camerupt was as massive as a small mountain. The volcano-like humps on its back were spewing thick columns of black smoke, and dark red lava patterns flowed slowly beneath its deep brown skin, each breath carrying a searing heat wave.
Its eyes were cloudy and tyrannical, locked firmly onto Ariel like an enraged prehistoric beast that would not rest until the provocateur before it was burned to ashes.
Level suppression—it was over ten levels higher.
Ariel's heart was as calm as a pool of deep water, without the slightest ripple.
"I can fight this."
This was the first judgment that jumped into Ariel's mind, cold and realistic.
But he was never someone who would be scared off by reality.
At this moment, on the rooftop, Ariel looked around; there were only Ariel, Laic, and Tabitha.
As for the ordinary members of Team Rockets and Magma Team, they were already scuffling together on the first and second floors; the sounds of many skills and shouts could be heard.
Facing that Camerupt, Ariel was in no hurry to attack; instead, he let Krokorok leave!
Ariel let Krokorok go downstairs first to deal with those Magma Team grunts on its own.
He raised his hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together, pointing forward.
No redundant words were needed; this was a tacit understanding long since formed between him and his Pokémon.
"Malamar!"
Malamar levitated upward, several tentacles dancing in the air like soft whips, its eyes glowing with a faint blue light as it locked onto Camerupt.
Invisible mental power spread out, and the scattered steel bars and rubble on the rooftop began to tremble slightly as if endowed with life.
"Weavile!"
Weavile's figure merged into the shadows like a ghost, its crimson eyes flashing through the dust. Its sharp claws made a slight sound against the ground; like a top-tier assassin, it searched for a chance to strike a fatal blow.
Frogadier crouched by Ariel's side, body low to the ground, its alert eyes fixed on the battlefield. A gurgling sound came from its throat, ready to execute the most tricky commands at any moment.
Camerupt was clearly impatient; it stomped heavily on the ground, making the entire rooftop shake.
The humps on its back suddenly lit up as scorching lava churned within them.
"Roar—!"
It wasn't Eruption, but Earth Power!
Khaki-colored energy centered on Camerupt, spreading frantically along the cracked floor!
This power was heavy and overbearing; wherever it passed, concrete flew and steel bars twisted!
"Malamar, block it! Weavile, go!"
Ariel's command was issued almost simultaneously with Camerupt's movement.
The blue light in Malamar's eyes flared brilliantly as it pushed Psychic to its limit. A thick wall temporarily cobbled together from rubble and steel bars rose from the ground, standing between Ariel and the attack.
Boom!
Earth Power slammed hard into the wall, and the stone wall disintegrated instantly, but that violent energy was also greatly weakened.
The residual shockwave swept past; Ariel was only shaken back half a step, the hem of his clothes fluttering loudly in the fierce wind.
In that very instant, Weavile moved.
Its speed was extreme, turning into a bolt of black lightning that hugged the ground, bypassing the frontal impact of Earth Power with its target set directly on Camerupt's thick hind legs.
"Icy Wind!"
Frigid air gushed out, the cold wind carrying ice crystals accurately covering Camerupt's right hind leg.
A thin layer of ice quickly condensed, and Camerupt's movements visibly stiffened.
"Beautifully done!"
Ariel praised inwardly.
However, the physical constitution of a Pokémon at the peak of the Superior rank was beyond imagination.
The lava inside Camerupt merely surged slightly, and a high temperature conducted through its bloodline to its leg. That thin layer of ice melted and evaporated instantly, turning into a cloud of white steam.
Immediately after, it whipped its tail fiercely. That seemingly clumsy tail was now like a steel whip, whistling through the air as it swept toward Weavile!
"Fro!"
The lurking Frogadier finally made its move. With a flick of its tongue, it accurately shot out Frubbles—viscous white foam. Part of it stuck to Camerupt's eyes, while the other part shot toward the incoming tail.
With its vision obstructed, Camerupt's attack deviated for a split second.
In that momentary opening, Weavile performed a backflip, narrowly avoiding the fatal strike.
The steel-whip-like tail smashed into the ground, leaving a deep furrow.
A bead of cold sweat broke out on Ariel's forehead.
That was close! This Camerupt's battle instincts were too strong; even without a commander, its transitions between offense and defense were flawless.
"I can't let it find its rhythm!"
Ariel's mind raced, every detail of the battlefield being magnified and analyzed in his brain.
"Malamar, Hypnosis! Attack its mind!"
"Weavile, pull back and harass it with Ice Shard!"
"Frogadier, Water Pulse!"
The commands were issued again, and the three Pokémon formed a perfect tactical link.
A strange light shot from Malamar's eyes. This was the Psychic-type move Hypnosis; during battle, besides putting the target to sleep, it also served to interfere with the opponent's judgment.
"Moo!"
Camerupt let out a pained roar, the mental assault leaving it in a daze.
Meanwhile, Weavile circled at a distance, its claws waving repeatedly. Ice Shards wrapped in frost shot out like bullets, continuously hitting Camerupt's joints and vitals from various tricky angles.
The damage wasn't high, but it was highly insulting, and the continuous freezing effect kept slowing its movements.
Frogadier leapt high into the air and opened its mouth. A high-speed rotating sphere of water took shape, carrying unstable fluctuations as it slammed into Camerupt's head—targeting the very eyes that had just been plastered with Frubbles!
Boom!
The water sphere exploded, washing away the foam but also giving Camerupt a solid blow.
This smooth combination of attacks completely enraged the behemoth.
"Roar—!!!"
Amidst the deafening roar, the volcano on Camerupt's back erupted violently!
This time it wasn't a probing attack, but a world-ending—Eruption!
But its target wasn't any single Pokémon; it was the sky!
A pillar of scorching lava shot into the air and exploded, turning into a rain of molten fire that covered the entire rooftop!
"Oh no!" Ariel's pupils shrank.
It was an indiscriminate area-of-effect attack! No matter how fast Weavile and Frogadier were, they couldn't completely dodge this overwhelming rain of fire!
"Malamar! Protect!" Ariel's voice carried a hint of urgency.
Malamar exerted all its strength, and a faint blue semi-transparent barrier expanded above, attempting to block all the fire rain.
However, that was, after all, a full-power strike from a Pokémon at the peak of the Superior rank.
The scalding lava rain smashed into the barrier with a series of loud pops. The barrier shook violently, but it managed to block the attack.
"Wu..."
Malamar let out a pained groan; using Protect twice in succession was a massive drain on its energy.
"Weavile, Protect!"
"Frogadier, jump into the water tank!"
Ariel's commands switched in an instant.