Chapter 322: Are Burrows Free?

In the gravel path.

Lacking the energy replenishment from Bosscodola, the sand tornado struck by the heat wind finally began to dissipate.

It was precisely this powerful endurance that led Captain Huoyan to misjudge, thinking Bosscodola was still inside clashing with the Crobat's heat wind—who would have guessed the opponent had long since dug underground.

The Sand Tomb was nothing more than a disguise to obscure her and the Crobat's line of sight.

While thinking, Captain Huoyan threw a Poké Ball forward.

Bang!

Bai Guang flickered.

She had to thank Bosscodola for destroying the residual magma on the ground—otherwise the Houndoom would have had a hard time finding a foothold, and might have had to be placed on the nearby slope.

"Ao wu!"

The strikingly handsome Houndoom landed, fixing Bosscodola with an intimidating glare.

The latter certainly wasn't frightened by this fellow, but its expression still grew slightly more serious.

The Intimidate ability had triggered.

This Houndoom's jet-black fur was sleek and glossy, its perked silver ears swiveled alertly, and its pitch-black limbs were strong and powerful, with exceptionally defined muscle lines.

As someone who had personally annihilated the Hound Squad, All Baimu had seen well over a hundred Houndoom—strong and weak alike—and Captain Huoyan's Houndoom was absolutely the most "beautiful" one he had seen so far, the kind that could earn a respectable score even in a Pokémon Contest.

What a pity.

No matter how good-looking, if it deserves a beating, it still has to take a beating!

During the brief moment Captain Huoyan was switching Pokémon, All Baimu didn't have Bosscodola attack right away, but instead exchanged glances, silently formulating the next plan.

Because the battle challenge came too suddenly, he hadn't had time to properly strategize with his Pokémon, so he could only rely on their usual tacit understanding to decide the next tactic, trusting that Bosscodola definitely wouldn't slip up.

Among all his Pokémon, his tacit understanding with Bosscodola was definitely the highest.

And since the Magnet Rise state hadn't worn off yet, it meant it was still in a Ground-type energy shielding state.

So even if Captain Huoyan switched in a Mega Camerupt now, its Ground-type moves wouldn't be able to mount a particularly effective attack against Bosscodola.

The opponent gave the command first, "Roar…"

"Dig!"

I was guarding against that move!

All Baimu, having successfully read the move, smiled. Before the Houndoom could open its mouth, Bosscodola clawed open the ground and burrowed underground amid flying dust.

"Ao—!

"

The Houndoom howled loudly, and a translucent sound wave skimmed along the ground at high speed, failing to hit Bosscodola.

Captain Huoyan saw this and hurriedly commanded, "Chase after it… then use Roar again!"

Clearly she was dead set on roaring Bosscodola off the field, so that its Magnet Rise and Swords Dance inherited from Mawile would wear off, preventing her Pokémon from being one-shot KO'd again.

But for some reason, after the Houndoom ran forward a few steps, it didn't keep approaching, and instead watched the hole Bosscodola had dug with wary eyes.

"Ao wu!"

"…"

Captain Huoyan was startled, then as if realizing something, hurriedly switched moves, "Yawn!"

"Ao~"

The Houndoom immediately exhaled a milky-white breath toward the burrow's location, but as the breath moved forward, a thick cloud of dust suddenly erupted from within the hole!

The dust slammed into the breath, scattering it.

And the silver beast that should have moved elsewhere appeared right where it was.

Without a doubt, All Baimu and Bosscodola used the same trick that had tricked many victims before—hiding in the burrow's entrance, waiting for the opponent to come, then taking them down at top speed.

Who would have thought the Houndoom's dog nose was really that sharp, sniffing that Bosscodola hadn't burrowed deeper, causing the plan to fall through.

But the distance between the two sides had already been pulled very close now!

"Rock Tomb!"

"Gu hou!"

Bosscodola stomped the ground heavily, channeling energy into the earth.

The Houndoom nearby sensed something was wrong and tried to flee, but no sooner had it moved left than a massive boulder suddenly rose on the left; no sooner had it moved right than another massive boulder rose on the right.

Boulders erupted from the ground in multiple places, quickly trapping it within and tightening.

"Iron Head!"

"Hou!"

Bosscodola roared and charged forward, and the Shi Zhi cage it had built instantly shattered beneath its sharp horns, debris shooting outward like a rainstorm.

However, there was no Houndoom inside the Rock Tomb.

There was only a small burrow.

"To your right rear! Stomp!"

All Baimu shouted, and Bosscodola instinctively raised its right foot and stomped backward. An earth-yellow energy film formed on its foot, and it stomped viciously toward the black shadow bursting from the ground!

But the Houndoom's body was too agile, and Bosscodola's attack was purely instinctive—it hadn't clearly seen the target before stomping—so the Houndoom that emerged dodged Bosscodola's Stomp with just a single lean backward.

"Dark Pulse!"

"Ao wu!"

The Houndoom, back on solid ground, inhaled sharply and blasted a black-ringed beam at the Bosscodola right behind it!

Boom!

The powerful Dark-type energy forced the latter's massive body forward.

But Bosscodola was never going to be backstabbed that easily. Using the momentum of its body being forced forward, it simply dropped down flat and began swinging its thick tail!

"Iron Tail!"

Swish—

The enormous tail cut through the air with a terrifying roar, and the gleaming silver light reached the Houndoom in the blink of an eye!

Bang!

"Whine!"

The Houndoom let out a yelp and was sent flying by the sheer force of the blow.

It never imagined that, after taking a Dark Pulse point-blank at close range, Aggron could still counterattack on the spot — did this monster not feel pain?

—Of course the big monster felt pain.

But compared to the physical pain, it cared more about whether it could live up to All Baimu's expectations.

No matter how big or small the battle, Aggron always hoped its trainer would achieve final victory — that was the best way to repay the trust the trainer had given it.

By comparison, a mere Dark Pulse meant nothing at all.

It turned sharply to pursue the Houndoom that had been sent flying, only to find that its Magnet Rise state had already ended, and its trainer gave it a look.

Its movements couldn't help but pause.

The next instant.

Aggron was recalled into its Poké Ball by All Baimu. "Rest easy, don't push yourself."

In its place.

A Chansey landed on the smoke-choked field.

【Magnet Rise】 had ended, and the lava on the ground was mostly gone — it was time for it to shine.

"Lucky~"

Chansey watched the Houndoom stagger to its feet and waited for All Baimu's command.

It wouldn't rush in recklessly.

Because although it was extremely nimble in its movements, its actual running speed wasn't that fast, and besides, the opponent would very likely take the initiative to attack.

Not far away.

Captain Huoyan noticed that All Baimu hadn't let Aggron pursue, and had even chosen to switch — for a moment she was a little puzzled, unable to figure out why he had done so.

And although the Houndoom had indeed been hit by Iron Tail, its condition was actually still passable; there was no need to swap it out for now—

"No good…"

The instinct to sense danger made her try to switch out the Houndoom.