After Excadrill moved forward for another ten minutes, it stopped suddenly.
Aoki quickly signaled Drapion and Slowking to stop their movements.
Fortunately, with Slowking's psychic powers aiding their movement, Drapion had been able to run without stirring up dust. They remained hidden at a distance.
The sand on the ground shifted as Excadrill emerged from beneath it. Its pink nose twitched, sniffing the air as if searching for something. Like moles, Excadrill possess an extremely keen sense of smell. After surveying the area and finding nothing suspicious, it headed toward a nearby rock.
As a Ground/Steel-type Pokémon, Excadrill has solid resistances. While it takes double damage from Fighting, Ground, Fire, and Water-type moves, it resists Normal, Flying, Bug, Steel, Psychic, Dragon, and Fairy-type moves by half. It also boasts a quadruple resistance to Rock-type moves and complete immunity to Poison and Electric-type attacks.
In short, out of the eighteen types, Excadrill resists or is immune to ten of them. Additionally, its abilities—Sand Rush and Sand Force—make it exceptionally suited for sandstorm conditions. If Aoki ever wanted to build a sandstorm team, Excadrill would be an excellent fit—a near-perfect piece of the puzzle.
However, Aoki couldn't afford the resources needed to assemble another weather team right now. The five Pokémon he was currently training already demanded significant investment. Just Aron and Larvitar alone consumed two-thirds of the resources allocated for all five.
Each of these five Pokémon had excellent potential and carefully selected traits. With dedicated training, they could reach heights comparable to Slowking when it was first caught. Better Pokémon and more resources, combined with Aoki's skills and the assistance of his system, guaranteed their growth—all they needed was time.
For now, Aoki's focus was on building a Rain Team, fitting for a Water-type Gym Trainer. However, Larvitar and Aron had already laid the groundwork for a potential Sandstorm team. If time and funds allowed in the future, expanding into a Sandstorm team would be ideal.
Briefly reviewing Excadrill's data in his mind, Aoki considered a series of strategies before refocusing on the immediate threat.
Excadrill moved noticeably slower above ground than when burrowing through sand. Aoki followed silently.
Within the rocky terrain, Excadrill quickly located its Trainer—clearly, this wasn't their first time coordinating like this. The Team Rocket grunt, dressed in black tactical gear, leaned against a large boulder, concealed in its shadow. His Onix must have been recalled, leaving only an Excadrill at his side.
It was Excadrill's markings that had guided Excadrill here.
When the grunt—Shuichi—saw Excadrill return, his stern expression didn't change. "Did you find the one who interfered?" he asked quietly. "It's not one of them, is it?"
Excadrill nodded cautiously, clearly wary of its Trainer.
Shuichi's face darkened, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. "Good! How dare someone ruin my plans and make a fool of me? Seems my reputation in Team Rocket isn't fearsome enough!"
The thirty or so operatives who had entered this area were all Team Rocket squad leaders—elite members, each with some level of influence. Normally, they acted arrogantly, and Shuichi's flawless plan had been sabotaged. Whoever did this must have used him as bait—those mines were undoubtedly stolen.
The thought made his blood boil.
Brushing dust off his uniform, he growled, "If it's not one of those high-profile threats, then let's go see who's bold enough to cross me!"
Shuichi wasn't reckless. He had done his homework on the other participants—those clearly stronger or better-connected than him weren't worth provoking. But with Excadrill's confirmation, his hesitation vanished.
"Slowking, Psychic Water Pulse!"
"Drapion, Shadow Ball!"
Aoki, observing from the shadows, had heard enough. If Shuichi was planning retaliation, striking first was the only option.
Besides, Shuichi wasn't someone Aoki feared.
A swirling orb of water formed before Slowking, cloaked in psychic energy—a combination move it had mastered long ago. The enhanced Water Pulse shot toward Shuichi.
Drapion followed up immediately, launching a larger-than-usual Shadow Ball right behind the attack.
"Damn it—not again!" Shuichi snarled, recognizing the assault. Just as he was about to retaliate, the ambush caught him off guard.
Acting on instinct, he grabbed Excadrill and hurled it toward the incoming Water Pulse, buying himself a split second to dive aside. The Shadow Ball exploded where he'd stood, corrosive energy eating into the ground.
Excadrill, a Ground-type, couldn't withstand the super-effective Water Pulse. Meanwhile, Excadrill watched its companion get thrown aside. Though distressed, it didn't dare disobey, instead scanning for the attacker.
Shuichi, now covered in dirt, wiped his face furiously. "Who the hell is doing this?!" he shouted.
Aoki stepped into view, riding atop Drapion. "Weren't you looking for me? Here I am."
Shuichi's eyes widened. "You!"