What options do I have after dodging if I can't air combo?

Solution 1:

Depending on what your secondary weapon is, your heavy counter may not be a launching attack. According to this thread, having a Small Sword as your secondary will result in launching (or attempting to, at least) your enemy into the air, while a Large Sword will leave you on the ground. This is typically what type of I had as my secondary when I played through the game each time.

Another way you can ensure that you don't accidentally turn yourself into a floating target, then use your Pod's counter after a perfect evade. With Pod A, at least, you'll launch a grenade, which not only does much more damage than your typical Pod fire, it also tends to knock smaller enemies away.

Lastly, while you seem to be against it, pausing for a split second after a perfect evade is a perfectly viable strategy that I used myself from time to time. If you don't see an opening for an attack, then it might be best not to try one.