A last-minute substitution!
Alain's brow furrowed for an instant, then quickly relaxed.
He knew Baimu was not deliberately provoking him; this was simply the latter's battling habit—giving every Pokémon an equal chance to appear.
In a sense, being willing to send out Aggron already counted as taking him very seriously.
After battling so many Elite Four members and Pokémon Gym Leaders, had anyone ever seen Baimu use his Trump Card?
"Get Pain Split ready!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to carry his voice through the howling Sandstorm.
Far away.
After a brief moment of consideration, Baimu sent out his second Pokémon.
"Rrrng~"
A deep metallic tremor suddenly echoed across the field. Even the raging sand and wind could not drown out that resounding hum, nor the opponent's enormous body, nearly as massive as if it had Dynamaxed.
The commentator shouted, "Steelix! Baimu's second Pokémon is the Giant Steelix, whose extraordinary size once set a world record!"
The world was full of people who loved to compare everything.
Baimu's fame had put him under countless watchful eyes. It would not be an exaggeration to say people scrutinized him from beginning to end.
His Pokémon stood even more firmly at the center of attention.
For example, his differently colored Gengar and Milotic, along with his abnormally large Steelix, drew no less attention than any other Pokémon.
In the stands, Mairin and Chespin seemed to be right there on the field, watching the colossal figure within the sandstorm with slight fear and caution.
"It's okay! Steelix is a Steel type! That gives Alain and Chesnaught an advantage!"
She muttered to herself.
Chespin nodded earnestly, continuing to wave its flag and cheer for its final evolution.
On the field,
"Chesnaught!"
Chesnaught crossed its arms and charged through the Sandstorm, a