But if Steven understands Aoki, does Aoki not understand Steven?
Finally, Slowking, along with Blaziken, used Teleport and vanished from their original spot.
It wasn't because Slowking was stronger, but because Gengar, who had been hiding in the shadows, appeared at this crucial moment, and two Shadow Balls slammed into Claydol.
The sneak attack was successful, preventing Claydol from restraining Slowking and allowing it to escape with Blaziken.
So Steelix's attack missed, and Armaldo's attempt to break the Grass Knot also failed to have any effect.
This was a contest of wits and counter-strategies.
From this, it's clear that there is indeed a gap between single-core and dual-core teams, with dual-core having a greater advantage. However, if the person using a single-core team has stronger battle command abilities and seizes opportunities, it's still possible to win against a dual-core lineup.
Steven's team composition was relatively hurried and rough, but that doesn't mean Steven's strength is weak.
Slowking was almost left behind, and in that kind of encirclement, even if Slowking was stronger, being surrounded by so many strong opponents would have left it with no chance of escape.
Then, if Aoki's dual-core lost one, and the sandstorm core couldn't pose much of a threat to Steven's team, Aoki would be in trouble.
But now, it was Steven who was in trouble. He had invested too much power into dealing with Slowking, almost like going all-in. If he seized the opportunity, he could turn the tables, but if he couldn't, his situation would become even more difficult.
Sure enough, Slowking and Blaziken appeared above Aerodactyl.
The prepared Blaze Kick gathered on Blaziken's foot, kicking downwards towards Aerodactyl.
At this moment, Aerodactyl had just clashed with Aoki's Aggron to prevent it from interfering with Steelix and the others' plan to encircle Slowking. It didn't gain an advantage and was even sent flying by Aggron's immense power.
It was a moment when old strength was gone and new strength had not yet emerged.
Steven's expression was grim. At this point, trying to rescue Aerodactyl, which was separated from his team, was clearly impossible. So, he could only try to seize Gengar, who had ventured deep behind enemy lines to rescue Slowking.
Bang!!!
Blaziken's Blaze Kick, wreathed in golden flames, slammed into Aerodactyl's back, directly kicking it down.
The rapidly falling Aerodactyl had no chance to resist. Aggron seized the opportunity, and sharp shards of rock, like homing missiles, shot out from its body, all slamming into the falling Aerodactyl.
Boom—
The moment Aerodactyl hit the ground, vines shot out from all directions, instantly binding it!
Aggron leaped high, performing a combination move of Body Slam and Earthquake!
Boom!!!
Swish swish swish—
With Aggron at the center, the aftershocks of the earthquake spread outwards, kicking up sand from the ground. Aerodactyl slumped into a deep crater on the ground, losing its ability to battle!
Steven had already anticipated Aerodactyl losing its ability to battle. Although his expression remained grim, he fixed his gaze on Gengar.
As Claydol was sent flying by Gengar's Shadow Ball, Metagross, realizing what was happening, unleashed its psychic power. At the same time, it directly triggered its shiny Pokémon's characteristic, causing its psychic power to erupt with even greater force, attacking Gengar!
But Gengar ignored Metagross's psychic attack. Instead, it looked at the Aggron on the ground, who had just recovered, and a faint light flickered in its eyes again, mimicking Steven's Aggron's ability, Sturdy!
The Sturdy ability ensures that when a Pokémon at full health takes damage, it will not be knocked out in one hit, leaving it with at least 1 HP.
So no matter how much Metagross unleashed, no matter how powerful the attack, it would be impossible for Metagross to one-shot Gengar.
Aoki commanded Gengar to do this simply because Gengar's defensive capabilities weren't strong, and he also knew that Steven's shiny Metagross had a special burst ability. Whether or not it could one-shot Gengar, it was better to be safe.
Boom!!!
Metagross's Psychic, as expected, slammed into Gengar. The facts proved that Aoki's prediction was very accurate. Steven's Metagross, after its shiny Pokémon characteristic activated, nearly one-shotted Gengar with its Psychic.
Fortunately, thanks to the Sturdy ability, Gengar was left with its last bit of HP, and using the momentum of Metagross's attack, it quickly broke free from the encirclement.
It escaped the possibility of being ganged up on.
Slowking's eyes glowed with psychic energy, helping Gengar quickly return to Florges's side. With just a little time, Florges would be able to fully restore Gengar's health.
Steven, who also saw this, was stunned again.
All his plans and trump cards had been unleashed, but they had all been anticipated by Aoki. This was a bit of a blow to him.
Now, Aoki only needed a little more time to have all his Pokémon at full health again, and with a dual-core lineup. Meanwhile, he had already lost an Aerodactyl. Dragging this out would definitely be disadvantageous for him.
It would be better to take advantage of Gengar's current weakened state, seize the opportunity, and go all-in. Maybe there was still a chance!
A determined look flashed in his eyes, and he immediately made a decision.
Aoki, standing in place, saw Steven's gaze and knew what he was thinking.
Given the advantage Aoki currently held, as long as he played slowly, victory was already half in his grasp. But Aoki didn't want to win that way.
Since Steven chose to go head-to-head, he certainly couldn't back down either.
The speed of the sandstorm increased again. After Blaziken descended from the air, it took a quick step and charged towards Steven's Aggron with a sword dance. At the same time, Aoki's Aggron also took large strides, assuming a head-down posture, charging with a full-power Double-Edge, and Steven's Aggron did the same.
Slowking and Tyranitar, as the cores, were also not going to fight defensively anymore.
Gengar, having recovered a little stamina, immediately joined the fray, mimicking Blaziken's ability to further increase its speed, appearing at the very front with Teleport.
Only Florges, still standing in the back, had its attack arrive first, successfully binding Steelix in place with Grass Knot, rendering it immobile.
Aoki's Aggron and Steven's Aggron collided with Double-Edge!
Slowking's psychic power entangled Steven's Metagross, wrestling in the air.
Blaziken bypassed Aggron and collided with Armaldo, who had also been boosted by Swords Dance, engaging in a close-quarters battle.
The most terrifying was Tyranitar, truly living up to its nickname of 'Little Godzilla.' It grabbed Steelix by the tail and actually swung it around in the air.
One must remember, this was Steelix! The fact that Tyranitar could swing it in the air like that was truly a shocking sight.
The audience in the stands cheered.
Although the previous battles, with their back-and-forth strategies, were also exciting and had them on the edge of their seats, nothing beat the thrill of a direct, head-on clash, which made their blood boil and hearts pound!
Adams and the other two on the main stage were also speechless. What was originally such a brilliant display of command had now turned into a basic clash of raw Pokémon power.
However, through the battle just now, they had more or less understood the strength of both Aoki and Steven.
Both possessed the strength to become Elite Four, but there was only one position available now, so they could only choose the more suitable one.
Adams shook his head, a smile on his face. "Youth is truly wonderful. They go head-to-head just like that."
His words seemed helpless, but they revealed his satisfaction.
Wallace and the elderly Mr. Birch were also speechless, tacitly understanding why the two chose to end the battle in this manner.
The others on the main stage also showed knowing smiles.
A new Elite Four member was about to emerge!