Chapter 352: The Black-Robed Man's Demise
"Triggering the boost from Ancient Power?"
The black-robed man's face paled.
Not only had he failed the "decapitation strike," but he had also lost his Stoutland.
What was even more critical was that Cradily had received a comprehensive stat boost.
This was truly a case of losing both the battle and the soldiers.
The battle seemed to be spiraling out of his control.
The Claydol couldn't take down Bronzong, Skarmory was too weak and could only dodge, and his Excadrill couldn't beat Basalt's Excadrill. Only Gigalith could suppress Pupitar.
But the problem was, Basalt's Cradily and Numel were now free to act.
The battlefield seemed to be rapidly turning against him.
"How can your Pokémon's strength be improving so quickly?"
The black-robed man clenched his fists, completely baffled.
It had only been a little over a month, yet Excadrill, Bronzong, and Pupitar had all undergone transformative growth.
Pupitar evolving was understandable, but what about Excadrill and Bronzong?
This kind of improvement speed was unheard of.
Is this guy cheating?
Seeing Stoutland defeated, the shadow of death that had been hovering over Basalt's heart instantly dissipated, replaced by a sense of relief.
Six against four. Basalt didn't think he would lose!
Although the black-robed man was strong, he wasn't as overwhelmingly powerful as Adil. He was not unbeatable.
"Dro-lisk~"
Just as the black-robed man was contemplating retreat, a scream from his own Excadrill echoed from underground.
Hearing it, his face changed again.
He knew that voice. It was his Excadrill.
A moment later, the ground burst open, and Basalt's Excadrill, its fur vibrant and distinct, emerged. It was panting slightly, but its eyes were fierce, and its white steel claws were stained with a trace of red.
"This..."
The black-robed man's pupils constricted sharply.
He knew it was time to run!
He looked up into the sky. Coincidentally, Claydol noticed the situation on the ground. It used Dazzling Gleam to force Bronzong back, then rapidly descended.
Claydol flew quickly to the black-robed man's side, lifted him with telekinesis, and retreated again.
This seemed to be a practiced tactical retreat. Claydol moved with such proficiency that Bronzong didn't even have time to react.
"Bronzong, seal the area with psychic power! Don't let Claydol use Teleport!"
Basalt gritted his teeth. "Everyone, attack!"
If he let the black-robed man escape, would he have to live in his shadow forever?
After all, who could guarantee he had given up on targeting Basalt?
And even if he did give up, who knew if a blue-robed or white-robed man would pop up next?
Capture him or kill him. Basalt would not accept a third option!
At Basalt's command, Excadrill and Bronzong charged forward menacingly, one from the left and one from above.
The black-robed man took it all in, a trace of regret in his eyes, but no fear.
What a pity. If I could have lured more of Basalt's Pokémon, I might have been able to pull off a desperate counter-kill.
But unfortunately, neither Cradily nor Numel moved. Their strength was also formidable and not to be underestimated.
The black-robed man sighed and suddenly roared three words: "EXPLOSION!!!"
"What?"
Basalt's eyes went wide. He was about to recall Excadrill and Bronzong, but it was too late.
Gigalith's body suddenly shone with a blinding light, completely enveloping Excadrill, Bronzong, and Pupitar.
Gigalith was preparing to take three down with it.
But at the same time, it was creating an opportunity for the black-robed man to escape.
Because with Bronzong there, Claydol was doomed not to escape.
Bronzong had to be defeated!
Ideally, with Marshtomp present, its Damp ability would be enough to prevent Explosion. But unfortunately, Marshtomp was too far from Gigalith, and the power difference was too great. Stopping it was impossible.
BOOOOOOM!
At the foot of Sky Dragon Mountain, a massive mushroom cloud rose up. The explosion was earth-shattering, deafening.
Centered on Gigalith, a huge crater with a diameter of a hundred meters appeared, deeper in the middle and higher at the edges.
In the center of the crater, Gigalith's rocky body bore fine cracks, and it had completely lost consciousness.
As for Bronzong, Excadrill, and Pupitar, they were lying on the ground in disarray, motionless.
Even with their Steel and Rock typings providing resistance, they couldn't ignore the Explosion of a Pro-level Gigalith.
The power was just too immense!
But quickly, vines shot out from the bottom of the crater, protecting the three Pokémon.
It was Cradily, acting to prevent the black-robed man from finishing them off or capturing them.
Although it was also affected by the blast, Cradily was far away on the perimeter, and protected by its root domain, so the damage was minimal.
"Thank you for your hard work, Gigalith!"
Recalling Gigalith, Stoutland, and Skarmory, the black-robed man ascended with Claydol.
"Cradily, don't let them escape! Stone Edge!"
Basalt roared in anger.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Countless sharp rocks materialized, shooting towards Claydol and the black-robed man.
However, the black-robed man ignored them. He took one last look at the battlefield, and a deep look at Basalt, then said dejectedly, "Claydol, Teleport!"
Eyes glowing with strange light, psychic power activated, connecting with spatial coordinates. Claydol was about to vanish into the void.
But just then, a wave of psychic power locked onto it, disrupting the spatial coordinate lock.
"What's happening?"
The black-robed man's eyes went wide.
Why did Teleport suddenly fail?
It happened too suddenly. Both the black-robed man and Claydol were stunned.
Because they had been prepared to escape with Teleport, they had made no preparations to deal with Stone Edge.
And now, it was too late to deal with it.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of sharp rocks piercing flesh rang out. Claydol was directly impaled.
As for the black-robed man beside it, he was struck in the waist by a massive rock spike, cut in two, his blood staining the sky.
One moment of negligence, and the black-robed man paid the price with his life.
"D-dead?"
On the ground, Basalt was also stunned.
Although he wanted the black-robed man dead, logically speaking, he shouldn't have died, right?
But this isn't the time to worry about reasons. Let's just make sure he's dead first.
Taking advantage of the injured Claydol falling, Basalt shouted, "Cradily, Power Whip! Numel, Eruption!"
Two ultimate moves, Grass and Fire, blasted out one after another. By the time Claydol hit the ground, it had long since fainted.
"Broonz~"
Just then, a weak but deep sound rang out.
"Bronzong?"
Basalt was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed.
Turning his head, he saw Bronzong, who had been lying in the crater, swaying as it rose again.
Clearly, it was Bronzong who had stopped Claydol's Teleport at the critical moment.
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