Aoki chose not to summon additional Pokémon.
Drapion and Slowking represented nearly his strongest forces currently. Against Shuichi's Rhyperior and Excadrill, Aoki assessed his victory chances as favorable—otherwise, he wouldn't have pursued after identifying his foe.
Yet two moves gave him pause: Rhyperior's Self-Destruct and Excadrill's Swords Dance. Both were level-up learned skills. If forced to choose, Aoki would prefer facing a Swords Dance-boosted Excadrill over Rhyperior's kamikaze explosion.
A battle plan crystallized in his mind.
"Rhyperior, Sandstorm!"
"Excadrill, Swords Dance!"
As their trainer, Shuichi knew his team's strengths. Excadrill's Sand Rush ability would boost its speed in a sandstorm, mirroring the Rain Team's Swift Swim tactic. He'd honed this synergy—Rhyperior setting the weather while Excadrill, after a Swords Dance, became a physical wrecking ball.
Excadrill's 135 Attack stat placed it among Pokémon's elite physical strikers. This was a rudimentary Sandstorm core—albeit unoptimized.
Aoki's eyes gleamed light blue as Telepathy activated. Against evenly matched foes (with a slight level disadvantage), he needed every tactical edge. The psychic link allowed real-time adjustments beyond verbal commands.
Slowking's Water typing countered Rhyperior hard. Though Drapion lacked type advantages, its raw power and Battle Armor ability made it a wildcard.
But the sandstorm couldn't be allowed.
"Slowking, Rain Dance! Override his sandstorm!"
"Drapion, Toxic Spikes then Hone Claws!"
Telepathy let Aoki react near-instantly. The rocky terrain favored Shuichi's team, but weather wars were his specialty.
Rhyperior roared, stirring dust into the air—the first whispers of a sandstorm. But ideal Sandstorm teams led with Hippowdon or Tyranitar, whose abilities summoned storms instantly. Rhyperior's manual Sandstorm was slower, like comparing Rain Dance to Drizzle.
Before the sand could intensify, Slowking's Rain Dance darkened the skies. Droplets pattered down, weighing the dust into mud. Weather wars favored the faster trigger.
Excadrill ignored this, spinning in a bladed dance—its Attack sharply rising.
Drapion scattered Toxic Spikes across the battlefield. Though minimally effective against Steel-types, the caltrop-like barbs would punish switches. Its claws then gleamed as Hone Claws boosted accuracy and power.
Shuichi paled. His sandstorm had collapsed before forming. Rain slicked the stones, and poison lurked underfoot. Worse, Aoki's Pokémon acted without audible orders.
"Rhyperior, Heavy Slam onto Slowking!"
"Excadrill, Metal Claw that Drapion!"
Desperation edged his voice. With the sandstorm failed, he opted for a brute-force trade. Rhyperior, despite its bulk, could move startlingly fast in a charge.
Heavy Slam's power scaled with weight difference. Rhyperior's rock body far outweighed Slowking—this would hurt.
Excadrill's claws glowed silver as it lunged at Drapion.
"Slowking, Surf!"
"Drapion, Flamethrower! Pin Excadrill down!"
Aoki's counter was immediate.
A tidal wave erupted from Slowking, crashing toward both foes. Drapion, ignoring Rhyperior, fired a searing Flamethrower at Excadrill—super-effective against Steel-types.
The battlefield dissolved into chaos:
Rhyperior tanked the Surf but slammed into Slowking, knocking both back.
Excadrill screeched as flames scorched its drill claws mid-Metal Claw.
Shuichi gritted his teeth. His gamble had cost both Pokémon dearly. Worse, the rain showed no sign of stopping.
Aoki smiled coldly. The tide was turning.