As the Sandstorm kicked up, everyone nearby was affected, but Eichi bore the brunt of it from his close proximity. He raised an arm to shield his face, channeling his Bug Force to form a protective film over his eyes.
Below the arena, the spectators in the front rows retreated several paces. On the field, Heracross naturally came under fire from the swirling grit as well. Fortunately, it held its ground, though it was clearly under significant pressure.
Gliscor's tail flicked with excitement before it lunged toward Heracross with lightning speed. Within the raging storm, Heracross remained stationary, choosing to stay calm and wait for its opponent's move.
It settled into a defensive stance, eyes locked onto Gliscor. Its legs seemed to take root in the earth, refusing to budge an inch.
Inside the Sandstorm, Gliscor's speed saw a massive spike. Its movements became erratic and difficult to track; one moment it was on the left, the next it was on the right. Seeing this blur of motion, Eichi's eyes narrowed.
With such a massive speed boost, could it be the Sand Veil Ability?
Across the field, Keita regained his former arrogance. "Did you really think I only knew how to charge blindly? Hilarious. In the past, I simply didn't care for strategy because I could crush everyone in my way."
"However, Eichi, your strength is impressive. You've actually forced me to abandon a direct assault in favor of tactics."
The next instant, Gliscor appeared directly in front of Heracross, pincers snapping.
"Gliscor!"
Heracross swung its arm to counter, but Gliscor vanished instantly. It reappeared behind Heracross a split second later. Sensing the threat, Heracross frowned. It spun its body and delivered a backhand blow with its right arm, but it only struck an afterimage.
Keita sneered. "Do you think the same trick will work on me twice?"
The moment Heracross's strike missed, Gliscor materialized at its side and slammed a pincer into it.
Bang!
The sound was like metal clashing against metal. This blow from Gliscor was heavy, sending Heracross flying backward. It tumbled through the air as loose stones pelted its shell before it finally hit the ground.
The Sandstorm buffeted the fallen Pokémon, dragging it further across the dirt. Heracross reacted quickly, however, scrambling back to its feet and planting its toes firmly into the soil.
Thud.
Two deep footprints were carved into the ground. Heracross gnashed its teeth; it had just slapped Gliscor across the face, and it hadn't expected the debt to be repaid so quickly.
"Gliscor, Fire Fang!"
Keita had previously ordered a Guillotine, but the window was too tight. Gliscor hadn't been able to prep the move in time and had struck with a basic physical blow instead. Now, Gliscor no longer feared Heracross at all and charged forward with full confidence.
To the audience, the two Pokémon were separated by several meters. Yet, in a flash, Gliscor appeared right in front of Heracross. It opened its maw, and its sharp fangs erupted with deep, flickering flames. Gliscor intended to sink its teeth deep into Heracross.
"Heracross, Double Team!"
Heracross began to brace itself, the energy within its body surging wildly. At the exact moment Gliscor's teeth were about to find purchase, it split—one into two, two into four, four into eight...
In Gliscor's eyes, it had only succeeded in biting a fake clone. The moment the fake Heracross was caught in its jaws, the copy was incinerated and vanished.
Even though Gliscor missed the real target, the Sandstorm took its toll. Shortly after the clones appeared, the flying debris in the air struck and dispelled the images. However, this had bought Heracross the time it needed.
"Heracross, Pin Missile!"
"Heracross!"
Countless needles of light manifested in the air, surrounding Gliscor. An instant later, guided by Heracross's will, every needle locked onto Gliscor and fired.
"Gliscor's evasiveness is invincible inside a Sandstorm."
Keita laughed coldly. "Gliscor, show them what you can do!"
Gliscor dodged every single incoming needle with ease. Eichi was actually quite curious how Gliscor managed to navigate such a dense attack within such a confined space. Regardless, it didn't matter.
While dodging, Gliscor continued to close the gap. The distance between the two vanished. Suddenly, Gliscor sped up, appearing right under Heracross's nose with its pincers swinging.
Heracross could clearly feel a massive surge of energy gathering in those pincers. The metallic sheen on the claws gave way to a brilliant, blinding white light. Then, Gliscor's pincers began to swell, growing until they were nearly as large as Heracross's entire body.
The massive claws opened, looming over Heracross. Eichi recognized this as Guillotine. If the target's level was lower than or equal to Gliscor's, it would trigger a One-Hit KO effect. If it landed, Heracross would be finished regardless of how much stamina it had left.
Heracross could not be allowed to take that hit. Eichi channeled his Bug Force, and Heracross seemed to sense the surge.
"Heracross, use Brick Break!"
Heracross extended its own pincers as its internal energy reached a fever pitch, turning the surrounding air turbulent. A silver-white glow erupted from its palms. It struck out at Gliscor, but it seemed a moment too late.
Even as Heracross's strike hit the massive pincer, it only produced a dull clanging sound. It did nothing to stop the crushing motion of the move.
In the stands, Tetsu said worriedly, "Heracross is in trouble. It might lose here. Once Guillotine connects, it's game over."
Wearing a cruel grin, Gliscor snapped the massive pincer shut.
Snap!
The claw slammed shut around Heracross's waist. However, Keita didn't hear a scream of pain. On the contrary, Heracross showed no change at all, its expression remaining perfectly calm.
Keita's eyes widened as a realization hit him. "Gliscor, get back!" he screamed.
But the warning came too late. Another Heracross had materialized behind Gliscor. The one currently caught in the Guillotine slowly faded away.
Gliscor realized it had been tricked just as an aura of extreme danger radiated from behind its back.
"Heracross, Brick Break," Eichi commanded tonelessly.
"Heracross!"
Before the eyes of the crowd, Heracross raised its hand—shrouded in a silver-white light—and slammed it down ruthlessly onto Gliscor.