Shedinja, as a Bug- and Ghost-type Pokémon, is doubly weak to Flying-, Rock-, Ghost-, Fire-, and Dark-type moves.
Only attacks of these five types can deal effective damage to Shedinja. Aoki's Gengar's Shadow Ball was one such move that could hit it!
Jiaya's expression darkened, but she refused to believe Aoki had countered her because he knew about Pokémon like Shedinja.
After all, in her time with the League, very few—if any—Trainers recognized Shedinja. She had only learned of its existence by chance while studying Bug-type Pokémon, and its unique traits were something she had tested extensively.
Facing Gengar's two Shadow Balls, Shedinja, under Jiaya's command, blocked the first with Protect, while the second was intercepted by Ninjask.
Still, the two Pokémon were slowed down by Gengar's assault. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs Nove1Fire.net
Next, Slowking showed them how battles were truly fought. Gathering a surge of fiery energy in its mouth, it unleashed a torrent of Flamethrower, striking both foes head-on.
After rigorous training, Slowking's Flamethrower was no longer weak—though not as potent as a Fire-type Pokemon, it was still formidable.
Through Telepathy, Aoki explained Shedinja's traits to Steven, who nodded in understanding. To capitalize on the opening, Steven's Metagross conjured a swirling Shadow Ball and launched it through the flames, directly hitting Shedinja.
The combined assault was too much—Shedinja fainted instantly.
Though Ninjask escaped with its blistering speed, without Shedinja's support, it was nothing more than a fragile, fast-moving target.
On this front, Slowking and Metagross held an overwhelming advantage—victory was inevitable.
But Drapion and Aggron were struggling.
Drapion clashed fiercely with Armaldo's claws, its body already battered, its exoskeleton cracked in places. Despite its natural resilience, it couldn't match Armaldo's raw power.
Nearby, Aggron was also heavily wounded. Though a Steel-type, it wasn't invincible—Earthquake's quadruple effectiveness left it reeling. Without the healing support of Floette's grassy terrain, both Pokémon would have collapsed much sooner.
Ninjask and Heracross tried to retreat, hoping to assist Armaldo against Aggron, but Gengar emerged from the shadows, cutting off their escape.
With Shedinja down, Slowking and Metagross redirected their focus. Metagross's Psychic energy surged outward, attempting to restrain Armaldo—but the ancient Pokémon retaliated with a jet of Brine, drenching Drapion and Aggron in saltwater.
The attack seared their wounds, weakening them further. Seizing the moment, Armaldo triggered another Earthquake!
Aggron, already battered by the previous Earthquake, finally succumbed and collapsed.
Drapion, though still standing, was barely holding on. Its only advantage was having endured fewer Earthquakes than Aggron.
But its role was fulfilled—Slowking and Metagross had arrived.
With dual assaults, Armaldo tried to finish Drapion off, but Metagross's mental grip locked its claws in place.
Metagross lunged into close combat, its four arms hammering down with Meteor Mash, forcing Armaldo into desperate defense.
Meanwhile, Slowking didn't assist directly—being a pseudo-champion, its interference wouldn't have changed much against Armaldo's tier. Instead, it gathered swirling Shadow Balls, saturating the air with dark energy.
When fully charged, the orbs detonated in a storm of Dark Pulse, engulfing Heracross before it could evade. The Bug-type crashed to the ground, unable to rise.
Now, only Ninjask, Armaldo, and possibly one more of Jiaya's Pokémon remained.
No matter how fast Ninjask was, under Gengar and Slowking's pursuit, it couldn't last—its frail defenses were its downfall. It fell to Gengar's Fire Punch.
On the other side, the battle between Armaldo and Metagross reached their climax.
Armaldo's defeat of Aggron enraged both Metagross and Steven—but Aggron's Earthquake weakness was an unavoidable flaw.
Jiaya's strategy had been sound. If Ninjask and Shedinja had stalled Slowking and Metagross, and Heracross had tied down Gengar, then Armaldo could have overpowered Aggron and Drapion, securing her victory.
But she had overestimated her own expertise, assuming her knowledge of obscure Pokémon would overwhelm two League newcomers. She hadn't anticipated Aoki knowing Shedinja's secrets better than she did.
And when it came to Pokémon knowledge, Aoki was unmatched.