Holes Were Free?

On the gravel path.

Battered by Heat Wave and no longer fed energy by Aggron, the sand tornado finally began to dissipate.

Its remarkable staying power had fooled Courtney into thinking Aggron was still inside, locked in a struggle against Crobat's Heat Wave. Little did she know Aggron had already dug underground.

Sand Tomb had merely been a smokescreen to blind her and Crobat.

As she thought, Courtney hurled a Poké Ball forward.

Bang!

White light flashed.

She had Aggron to thank for breaking up the magma left on the ground. Otherwise, Mightyena would have struggled to find a place to land and might have had to come out on the nearby slope.

"Awooo!"

The striking Mightyena landed and fixed Aggron with an intimidating glare.

Aggron wasn't frightened, but its expression grew a little more serious.

Intimidate had activated.

Mightyena's black fur was sleek and glossy. Its upright silver ears twitched alertly, and its dark legs were powerfully built, their muscles sharply defined.

Having once wiped out the Hound Team himself, Baimu had seen at least a hundred Mightyena, strong and weak alike. Courtney's was easily the best-looking he had encountered. It could have earned a respectable score in a Pokémon Contest.

Too bad.

Good looks weren't going to save it from a beating!

During the brief moment Courtney spent switching Pokémon, Baimu held Aggron back. They exchanged a glance and silently settled on their next move.

The battle request had come too suddenly for him to plan properly with his Pokémon. He could only rely on their usual rapport to decide what to do next, and he trusted Aggron not to slip up.

Of all his Pokémon, Aggron was the one he understood best.

Magnet Rise was still active, meaning Aggron remained protected from Ground-type energy.

Even if Courtney