Sato stopped his reckless offense. He had to break free from Steven's battle rhythm, or better yet, use it to launch a counterattack.
Sharpedo began moving swiftly as ordered, catching Aggron slightly off guard as it instinctively prepared to launch a Flash Cannon.
"Aggron, full-range Surf!" Steven raised an eyebrow as he gave the command, clearly surprised by Sato's change in pace.
"Sharpedo, Payback!" Sato grinned. Steven had used Thunderbolt, Flathrower, Stone Edge. All fine. But now Surf?
So he thought just because Sharpedo was airborne, it wasn't the ocean's apex predator anymore?
Dark energy enveloped Sharpedo. For once, it didn't attack imdiately. Instead, it waited until the crashing wave of Surf slamd into it.
Then Sharpedo moved.
It dove directly into the current, surged upstream as a black blur, and in a mont appeared beside Aggron, slamming into it with concentrated Dark-type energy.
Payback, charged and tid to strike after the opponent.
Its power doubled!
Sharpedo's attack power was already formidable. The boosted Payback sent Aggron staggering, nearly losing its footing.
"Aggron, tal Burst!" Steven's voice rang out just then, making Sato's scalp tingle.
tal Burst reflected the last damage received... at 1.5× power!
That ant Sharpedo's doubled Payback would now be tripled against it. One hit and the glass-cannon Sharpedo would be obliterated.
"Quick, use Substitute!"
With a pop, a deep-blue doll appeared in front of Sharpedo just in ti to absorb the tal Burst.
Losing so stamina in exchange for surviving. Absolutely worth it!
Still, this Aggron's close-quarters combat was brutal. It was the second ti Sharpedo had co dangerously close to being knocked out.
And even after tanking so many powerful moves, Aggron still looked fresh, completely unbothered. Sato couldn't help but feel frustrated.
Their level gap was only one level/tier, and many of Sharpedo's attacks even had type advantage... so why couldn't he win?
"Aggron, Heavy Slam!"
"Again? Sharpedo, Hydro Pump!" Sato didn't hesitate.
The opening scene of the battle played out again: Heavy Slam vs Hydro Pump.
"Aggron, tal Claw!"
A double move!
tal Claw sliced through Hydro Pump, and Heavy Slam barreled forward, still targeting Sharpedo.
But against such a straightforward assault, Sharpedo didn't even need Sato's command. Seeing Hydro Pump fail, it dodged on its own.
"Sharpedo, Surf!"
Unlike Aggron's earlier Surf, Sharpedo's attack surged into a wave over three ters high. Enough to completely engulf Aggron.
"Aggron, Bulldoze!"
Sato had expected sothing like Substitute or Protect. But once again, Steven proved why he was a future Champion.
Bulldoze activated, sending shockwaves through the ground that shattered the incoming tidal wave before it could crash down. By the ti it reached Aggron's feet, only a shallow ripple remained.
This Aggron had been trained to perfection: excellent durability, overwhelming close combat power, and clever counters to ranged attacks.
He couldn't hit it from afar, and he couldn't beat it up close.
Even though the battle wasn't over yet, Sato could already feel it... this match was reshaping how he would train his Pokémon in the future.
"Again. Sharpedo, Aqua Jet!"
"Aggron, prepare Rock Tomb!"
Although Sharpedo had been using Aqua Jet frequently, when used as an offensive move, it still carried a distinct intent.
Ranged moves weren't landing, so Sato had no choice but to take the risk of close combat. Big wins require big risks.
Wrapped in rushing water, Sharpedo slamd into Aggron once more... just as Aggron sealed itself and Sharpedo inside a rocky barrier again.
"Aggron, Takedown!"
"Maintain Aqua Jet, blast your way out."
In the end, Sharpedo was faster. It shot out of the trap first, making Sato's eyes light up.
He'd been so worried about Aggron's attacks, afraid Sharpedo would get one-shot. But in reality, after one Agility boost, Sharpedo's Aqua Jet made it so fast that Aggron couldn't even touch it.
"Sharpedo, Aqua Jet spam, just don't get caught."
Bang Bang Bang!
Sharpedo began relentlessly harassing Aggron, darting in and out. But Aggron's bulky body just couldn't grab hold of it.
Gradually, Sharpedo picked up on Sato's strategy. It would strike and flee with perfect timing, never hesitating or lingering.
Aqua Jet didn't hit hard, but quantity added up. Eventually, even Aggron could be worn down.
For the first ti, Steven's eyes showed a hint of helplessness. This slightly cheap strategy happened to hit Aggron's greatest weakness.
Still, there was no way he'd admit defeat. Steven stared intently at the field, not missing a single mont.
"Aggron, close your eyes. Prepare tal Claw!"
As Steven gave the order, Aggron -still taking hits- really did shut its eyes and raised its right arm, readying a tal Claw.
"Sharpedo, change your attack pattern!" Sato shouted quickly upon seeing this.
Sharpedo's attacks beca chaotic again, speeding up. If Aggron weren't so heavy, it would've been knocked over long ago.
But Steven didn't react at all. His calm deanor only made Sato more uneasy.
Suddenly, Steven's mouth moved, as if he'd spoken two words. Before Sato could process it, Aggron's tal Claw slashed downward.
"Slice!"
Sato understood, and right there on the battlefield, tal Claw struck Sharpedo mid-Aqua Jet!
Boom!
A terrifying impact sent Sharpedo tumbling across the ground in a blur, rolling more than ten tis. Its ga Evolution form dissipated instantly.
"Sharpedo is unable to battle. Aggron wins. The victor is Trainer Steven!"
Sato took a deep breath. The loss had co so fast he didn't even have ti to react.
He recalled Sharpedo, eyes fixed on Steven. "How did you do it?"
Steven pointed at his head and grinned. "I calculated it."
Unnoticed, the crowd had grown around them. Most of the onlookers had assud Sharpedo would win. No one expected Aggron to make a coback in the end.
Many still didn't understand how Aggron pulled it off, but that didn't stop them from applauding the battle.
What a match!
"Nurse Joy, please take care of Sharpedo." Right after the match, Sato imdiately turned to her.
"Leave it to . You're all very strong, with incredible talent. Don't get too hung up on a single win or loss. The road ahead is long," she said gently.
"Thanks. I'm fine."
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