But did Steven know Cain, and Cain not know Steven as well?
In the end, Slowking took Blaziken and vanished from the area with Teleport.
It wasn't because Slowking was stronger, but because Gengar, who had been hidden in the shadows, appeared at that critical moment: two Shadow Balls burst forth, slamming into Claydol.
The surprise attack succeeded, preventing Claydol from restraining Slowking and allowing him to escape with Blaziken.
Thus, Steelix's attack struck nothing but air, and Armaldo's attempt to destroy the Grass Knot failed.
It was a battle between careful planning and quick improvisation.
This clearly showed the difference between a single-core and a dual-core formation: a dual-core setup had greater advantages, but if the user of a single-core team possessed superior command and could seize an opportunity, it was still possible to defeat a dual-core team.
Steven's composition had been somewhat rushed and rough, but that didn't mean it wasn't powerful.
Slowking had nearly been trapped; in such an encirclement, even with all his strength, surrounded by so many sturdy Pokémon, there would've been no escape.
If Cain had lost one of his cores, and the sandstorm core couldn't threaten Steven's team anymore, he would've been in serious trouble.
But now, the problem lay with Steven: he had invested too much into trying to capture Slowking. If that gamble had paid off, he could've turned the battle around—but failing it only made his situation worse.
And just as expected, Slowking reappeared with Blaziken, directly above Aerodactyl.
Blaziken already had Blaze Kick prepared, golden flames condensed tightly, and he unleashed it from above.
At that very moment, Aerodactyl had just clashed with Cain's Aggron, trying to stop him from interfering with Steelix and the others. But in that collision, Aerodactyl lost the advantage and was knocked back by Aggron's tremendous strength.
It was the moment when the old momentum had vanished, and the new one had yet to rise.
Steven's face darkened — rescuing Aerodactyl, who had been isolated from the team, was practically impossible. The only thing he could do was try to capture the Gengar who had jumped in to support Slowking.
BOOM!
Blaziken's Blaze Kick, wrapped in golden fire, struck Aerodactyl's back, sending him crashing straight down.
Falling at high speed, Aerodactyl had no chance to resist. Aggron seized the moment — sharp rocks, like guided missiles, shot from his body and impaled the plummeting Aerodactyl.
BOOM!
As soon as Aerodactyl hit the ground, thick vines shot up and bound him tightly.
Aggron leapt high — combining Body Slam and Earthquake!
KABOOM!
The tremor spread out in waves from Aggron, churning the sand. Aerodactyl was crushed into a deep crater, losing the ability to continue battling.
Steven had already expected Aerodactyl's fall; though his expression remained grim, his gaze was now fixed on Gengar.
At the same moment Claydol was knocked down by Shadow Ball, Metagross reacted: unleashing its psychic power, it activated the special ability of its Shiny form, multiplying the strength of its attack against Gengar.
But Gengar ignored the psychic assault from Metagross and looked toward Aggron, who had just regained his footing. His eyes glowed with a spectral light — he had copied Aggron's ability, Sturdy!
The Sturdy ability prevented a Pokémon from being knocked out in one hit when at full health, leaving it with at least a sliver of energy.
In this way, no matter how powerful Metagross's offensive was, Gengar couldn't be taken out instantly.
Cain had ordered this because he knew Gengar wasn't durable — and also knew how explosive Steven's Shiny Metagross could be. To be safe, he couldn't take the risk.
BOOM!
Metagross's psychic blast struck Gengar head-on, and Cain's calculation proved correct: even with the special ability active, the attack nearly wiped Gengar out.
Fortunately, Sturdy allowed him to survive with a single thread of vitality. Using the force of the impact, Gengar quickly escaped the encirclement.
Slowking's eyes flared with psychic power, and he immediately teleported Gengar back beside Florges. With just a bit of time, Florges could completely restore his energy.
Seeing that, Steven was once again stunned.
All of his strategies and trump cards had been played, yet Cain had already anticipated every one of them. The psychological blow was immense.
Soon, Cain would have all his Pokémon back to full condition, holding the advantage of his dual-core setup, while Steven had already lost Aerodactyl. If the battle dragged on, it would undoubtedly turn against him.
His only chance now was to risk everything — to go all in while Gengar was still weakened. If he gambled everything, perhaps there was still a sliver of hope.
Determination flashed in Steven's eyes as he made his choice.
Cain, seeing that look, understood immediately what Steven was thinking.
With the current advantage, Cain could simply play it safe and secure victory. But that wasn't how he wanted to win.
If Steven chose a head-on clash, Cain wouldn't back down either.
The sandstorm raged even more fiercely.
Blaziken, after landing, stomped the ground and charged at Steven's Aggron. At the same time, Cain's Aggron lowered his head, horns forward, and launched Head Smash — Steven's Aggron did the same.
Slowking and Tyranitar, the dual cores, abandoned defense and joined the assault.
Slowking appeared in the front line via Teleport; Gengar, having recovered some strength, rejoined the fight, copying Blaziken's ability to boost his speed.
Meanwhile, Florges, from the rear, struck first: her Grass Knot immobilized Steven's Steelix, trapping him firmly.
BOOM!
The two Aggron collided with Head Smash.
Slowking faced off against Metagross midair, clashing with raw psychic power.
Blaziken slipped past the Aggron and dove straight toward Armaldo, who had also powered up with Swords Dance. The two engaged in a savage hand-to-hand brawl.
But the most terrifying sight was Tyranitar — living up to his nickname "Little Godzilla" — grabbing Steelix's tail and hoisting him into the air, swinging him violently.
It was Steelix — yet Tyranitar wielded him like a mere whip. The sight alone was spine-chilling.
In the stands, the spectators roared with excitement.
Though the earlier exchanges of strategy had been thrilling, nothing compared to this raw, explosive collision of power: it was bloody, primal, and ignited everyone's fighting spirit.
Even in the VIP stands, Juan and the others were speechless — the battle, once a brilliant display of tactics, had turned into a pure contest of strength.
Yet after everything they'd seen, they fully understood the true might of both Cain and Steven.
Both possessed the level worthy of becoming members of the Elite Four, but only one spot remained. Only one could be chosen.
Juan shook his head, smiling. "Ah, youth... When they say they'll fight head-on, they fight head-on without hesitation."
It sounded like resignation, but his smile carried satisfaction.
Both Drake and Joseph Stone also remained silent. They knew perfectly well why both of them had chosen to end the battle this way.
The others in the VIP box shared a knowing smile.
A new member of the Elite Four was about to be born.
(End of chapter)