The relaxed ease on Winona's face completely vanished, replaced by a sharp, hawk-like scrutiny unique to a Flying-type Gym Leader.
She finally began to look at the young man before her with serious eyes.
"Interesting."
Winona's voice turned cold, no longer possessing the gentle, recruiting tone from before.
"But do you think this is enough?"
The air inside the Gym seemed to turn sharp because of the change in her tone.
"Tropius, use Razor Leaf! Cover the entire field!"
"Swellow, Air Slash, target Frogadier!"
Winona's commands were fast and urgent, her tactical intent completely unconcealed.
Razor Leaf was no longer a single-target attack; it transformed into a dense green storm sweeping down from high above in a fan shape, intending to seal off all movement for Ariel's two Pokémon.
At the same time, Swellow endured its pain and flapped its wings, sending several intersecting transparent blades of air precisely toward Frogadier—the lowest-level Pokémon on the field and the one most likely to be the breakthrough point!
This was a combo move that only a Superior-level Trainer would use, combining area denial and precision strikes, giving the opponent no room to breathe.
"Trying to take out Frogadier first?"
Ariel's mind raced; he instantly saw through Winona's tactical intent. The essence of a Double Battle lies in coordination, but even more so in dismantling the opponent's coordination.
His command rang out almost at the same time Winona finished speaking, clear and swift, without a hint of hesitation.
"Frogadier, Water Pulse!"
"Krokorok, block it, then use Rock Tomb!"
Frogadier didn't choose to dodge; instead, it faced the storm of leaves and quickly condensed an azure sphere of water in its mouth.
It wasn't meant to attack; instead, it slammed the water sphere onto the ground in front of itself and Krokorok!
Bang!
The water sphere exploded, and the resulting curtain of water collided with the Razor Leaf, creating a dense pitter-patter sound.
The water and shredded leaves mixed together, forming a brief visual barrier.
Now!
Krokorok's massive body stepped forward like a thick wall, blocking Frogadier perfectly.
Swellow's Air Slash struck its hard back, sending up a few faint sparks but leaving only shallow white marks.
"Roar!"
Krokorok, having withstood the attack, let out a roar and slammed its front claws onto the ground!
Ground-type energy surged instantly, and several massive boulders rose from the ground. They didn't target either Pokémon in the air but instead blocked Tropius's path forward and backward at a strange angle!
"What?" Winona was stunned.
She hadn't expected Ariel's response to be so tricky.
Rock Tomb didn't just block Tropius's follow-up; more importantly, it disrupted Winona's original offensive rhythm.
With its movement restricted, Tropius was momentarily unable to form an effective pincer attack with Swellow.
"Nicely done!"
Ariel praised inwardly.
The opportunity lay within this fleeting rhythmic mismatch!
"Frogadier, Brick Break!"
"Krokorok, Bite!"
The command given, Frogadier's figure instantly merged into the long shadows on the ground, appearing in Tropius's blind spot almost instantly.
Meanwhile, as Frogadier drew attention, Krokorok exerted force with its limbs. Its massive body exploded with speed uncharacteristic of its size, and it lunged with its gaping maw toward the already heavily injured Swellow!
"Not good! Tropius, Protect!"
Winona's expression changed slightly as she hurriedly gave the order.
The leaves on Tropius's neck vibrated as it prepared to deploy a green energy shield.
But just then, a dark shadow flashed past its side. Frogadier appeared out of thin air, its hand-blade imbued with Fighting-type energy, striking precisely at Tropius's neck.
"Frog!"
The Brick Break move hit Tropius directly. Though the effect wasn't immediate, but—
Tropius's Protect skill was delayed by half a second!
And for Swellow, that half-second was fatal.
Crack!
The jarring sound of bone snapping echoed through the field.
Krokorok's jaws were clamped tightly onto Swellow's wing. Dark-type energy surged wildly, and a black light flashed within its mouth as it used Bite.
"Swellow!"
Swellow let out a shrill cry of pain, its eyes rolled back, and it completely lost its ability to battle, falling helplessly from the air.
At the same time, the reacting Tropius roared, firing a Dragon Pulse at the nearby Frogadier.
Although Frogadier tried its best to dodge, it was still hit by the shockwave, grunting as it was sent flying, rolling twice on the ground before steadying itself.
The situation on the field had undergone a shocking reversal in just ten seconds.
On Winona's side, Swellow was incapacitated, and because Tropius had taken a Brick Break and then launched a hurried attack, nearly half of its stamina was now depleted.
On Ariel's side, Krokorok was unscathed and in high spirits.
Although Frogadier had taken some damage, it still retained considerable combat power.
Two against one—the advantage was mine!
The entire Fortree Gym was dead silent.
Winona looked at the fierce-eyed Krokorok on the field, then at the calm young man in the distance, and finally let out a slow breath.
She recalled her incapacitated Swellow, her gaze becoming more serious than ever before.
Just as she was about to throw her next Poké Ball and escalate the intensity of the battle, a sudden change occurred!
"Roar!"
Krokorok let out an unusual roar toward the sky, a sound mixed with a long-suppressed longing.
Immediately after, a blinding white light burst from its body, instantly engulfing its entire form.
The light wasn't a gentle milky white but a bright white filled with wildness and power, overpowering all other light on the field.
Within the cocoon of light, a silhouette was rapidly lengthening, thickening, and reshaping. The previously crawling limbs became thicker and more powerful, enough to support a massive and heavy body.
The lines of its sharp back became more menacing, and the sense of power in its tail almost pierced through the light.
Ariel's breathing slowed involuntarily, his palms sweating slightly.
It's here!