At that, Su Hao called out softly, "Thorn Whip Stick, throw it!"
"Ogerpon!"
Ogerpon answered with a cry, then fiercely hurled the Thorn Whip Stick that had been wrapped around Charizard. Spinning at high speed and tearing through the air, it collided head-on with the Shadow Ball!
Boom—!
Amid the violent explosion, smoke and dust scattered everywhere.
Dande did not lower his guard in the slightest, keeping his eyes fixed on the smoke.
Sure enough, after a brief delay, the sound of something cutting through the air rapidly approached. Though its momentum had weakened considerably, the Thorn Whip Stick still flew straight toward Aegislash.
"Honestly, that's beyond the limit—"
Dande chuckled helplessly. Ogerpon's performance was nowhere near that of an Elite Four Level Pokémon. Without hesitation, he ordered:
"Block it, King's Shield!"
A golden shield of light spread out, firmly blocking the incoming Thorn Whip Stick.
Aegislash, completely unharmed in its Shield Forme, stood tall on the Battle Arena.
But the next second, Dande froze.
Red and blue light suddenly flared within the smoke. As the dust settled, Ogerpon emerged with an entirely new appearance.
In one corner of the stands.
Sonia, seated beside Dande's younger brother Hop, blurted out, "Zacian!?"
Ogerpon had changed into a shield-like mask. Its patterns and shape were exactly the same as Zacian, the Shield Hero from Galar's true history that Sonia was currently researching!
Ogerpon—King of Shields Forme!!
"Th-this—!"
Dande was briefly speechless, but then an excited smile spread across his face.
With that mask on, Ogerpon's aura had grown even stronger. That meant he and Aegislash could enjoy this battle even more!
With a sweeping gesture, Dande shouted, "Shadow Claw!"
The blade hummed as Aegislash transformed into its Blade Forme once more, rushing toward Ogerpon shrouded in shadow.
Su Hao showed no fear.