Only now, standing opposite Roxanne himself, did Xia Chi truly appreciate how much weight her title of "tactical Gym Leader" carried.
The Rock-type Pokémon she commanded was incredibly slow, even downright lumbering, yet the battle's tempo never felt sluggish.
Instead, it possessed a suffocating fluidity and pressure.
Gigalith itself stood immovable, but the energy rocks it conjured seemed like extensions of its limbs, constantly putting pressure on Flutter Mane.
Precise predictions of where its opponent would move.
Relentless attacks that surged one after another like the tide.
They made every dodge Flutter Mane attempted feel like walking a tightrope.
And the [Sandstorm] left visibility abysmal.
Had Xia Chi not unleashed his aura to its fullest, keenly detecting the faint fluctuations as Gigalith gathered energy and calling out warnings in time...
Flutter Mane would have long since been impaled by an elusive [Stone Edge]!
"Protect!"
Once again, Xia Chi's command rang out in the nick of time.
Boom!
Another lethal stone spike was barely stopped by the energy barrier.
Xia Chi frowned slightly.
I need to switch Pokémon!
Gigalith was exactly the sort of Pokémon Flutter Mane feared most.
It could make countless mistakes, but if you slipped up just once, there was only one outcome-
"Take it up with my Stone Edge!"
And then you dropped dead.
Never mind the fact that there was no opening to counterattack now-even if they dragged the battle out long enough to stack up [Underworld Marks], the same problem would remain.
He had to break this deadlock.
"Flutter Mane, Will-O-Wisp!"
Before Gigalith's last attack had finished, Xia Chi instantly issued his command.
Flutter Mane forced itself to steady its body and gathered energy.
An eerie blue flame, radiating an ominous chill, drifted out through the raging sand and settled squarely on Gigalith's massive rocky