Infernape "descended" from the sky, its fist, wrapped in orange-red Fighting-type energy, fearlessly charging straight at Tyranitar.
Sky Uppercut!
Even though the angle wasn't upward, the power behind the punch couldn't be underestimated. Or rather, when it came to Fighting-type moves, Tyranitar couldn't afford to take any lightly.
"Tyran!"
Tyranitar locked eyes on Infernape. The moment Infernape struck, Tyranitar's massive body shifted back one full body length.
Looking closer, the ground beneath Tyranitar's feet was surging rapidly, carrying it smoothly to a new position.
Not particularly fast, but completely without warning.
…And stylish.
"Tyranitar, Stone Edge."
Just as Infernape landed, a surge of jagged rocks erupted from the ground beneath it. No matter how fast its reflexes were, there was no way to dodge it completely.
"Infernape, Mach Punch combo!"
Flint's command came in right behind, clearly placing full trust in his Infernape.
Infernape tanked Tyranitar's hit again, not even flinching, and its fists once again surged with energy as it rushed toward Tyranitar.
Wham!
Mach Punch, a priority move, struck at lightning speed. At this range, Tyranitar had no way to dodge the first hit.
But it was only that one.
Tyranitar suddenly spun around, its thick tail wrapped in faint purple energy as it smashed directly into Infernape's side.
Dragon Tail. Not high in power, but with a powerful knockback effect!
Just as Infernape had finally gotten into melee range, it only landed one punch before being sent flying to the edge of the battlefield by Dragon Tail…
"Tyranitar, Rock Tomb."
Infernape barely managed to steady itself, but was immediately forced to dodge wildly again as rocks burst up around it, forming an encircling trap. It darted left and right, looking completely overwhelmed.
In that one close-range exchange, Tyranitar had taken just one Mach Punch. But Infernape had already been hit several times in return; the damage adding up wasn't light.
Now it didn't even have a moment to breathe. It was like watching someone toy with a monkey…
"NAAAAPE!"
As Infernape barely dodged another wave of Rock Tomb, the flame on its head suddenly erupted like a volcano, shooting over two meters high.
Its Ability -Blaze- had activated!
Only now did Tyranitar finally show a trace of seriousness. It could clearly feel that its opponent had just become significantly stronger.
"Infernape, Flare Blitz!"
Same move, completely different effect. Empowered by Blaze, Flare Blitz turned from red to blue, then from blue to white.
The heat was so intense that even people in the stands could feel the burn.
Even the Rock Edge blades launched by Tyranitar began to show signs of melting when they neared Infernape!
"Tyranitar, [Stone Edge: Blades Form]!"
Sato immediately realized this wasn't just a burst of strength, Infernape was truly going all in. He couldn't let it build up any further.
Tyranitar obeyed at once. Stones rapidly gathered in front of it, beginning to merge and compress.
Merge, compress. Merge again, compress again…
In the blink of an eye, three sharp, diamond-shaped stone blades over a meter long had formed in front of Tyranitar.
Though they were formed by merging and compressing stone, there wasn't a single gap between them, tightly forged as if hammered a thousand times.
The blade edges glinted with a cold, faint sheen that made spectators hearts tremble.
The next second, Infernape, now wrapped in white flames, charged head-on toward Tyranitar with no hesitation.
Tyranitar swung its arm lightly, and one of the stone blades was instantly launched to intercept Infernape.
Crack!
The first stone blade shattered instantly, unable to stop Infernape's Flare Blitz even for a moment.
However, the momentum of Infernape's charge clearly faltered just a little.
Right after, the second stone blade was already upon it.
Crack… CRACK!
This time, the blade held for a full second before also being shattered by Flare Blitz. But again, Infernape's charge slowed down slightly.
Strike while the iron is hot; fail on the second, and by the third… you're drained!
When the third stone blade clashed head-on with Infernape, the white flames of Flare Blitz finally began to dim, returning to blue as the impact dragged on.
The blade visibly cracked, but this time it held strong for a full five seconds before shattering completely.
And with that, Infernape's most explosive burst of the entire match had been worn down, completely disabled by Tyranitar.
"Tyranitar, Bulldoze."
"TYRAN!"
With a low roar, Tyranitar raised its right foot and slammed it hard into the ground.
Ripples of brown Ground-type energy spread out in circular waves from Tyranitar's position, flattening and compacting the battlefield with every pulse.
Under the waves of Ground-type energy, Infernape's Flare Blitz couldn't resist. It faded from white to blue, and then back to red, finally retreating into the flame on Infernape's head.
When it came to ranged attacks, Tyranitar could adapt without effort. Its Stone Edge barrage was airtight, keeping all threats beyond three meters.
And in close combat… Tyranitar -who had been "digging graves" since it was young- was a master of terrain manipulation.
Whether it was creating a slope to launch opponents skyward, or sliding across dry land to evade attacks, Tyranitar handled it all with ease.
Add in its personalized evolution of move application and every attack from Tyranitar carried terrifying weight behind its calculated chaos.
Combined with the Sandstorm boost and the benefit of the shattered battlefield, Tyranitar's apparent type disadvantage had already been compensated for by everything else.
Infernape… never stood a chance!
"Tyranitar, Earthquake."
Earthquake needs proper terrain contact to work, and on a shattered battlefield, conduction was poor… exactly why Sato had Tyranitar use Bulldoze first.
Not just to stop Infernape's Flare Blitz, but to prep the ground for the final blow.
A ground-shaking tremor swept across the field. Although Tyranitar no longer had the Ground typing, the force of its Earthquake was even stronger than Steelix's earlier.
The tremor raged for a full thirty seconds, stirring up dust all across the battlefield.
Just then, the Sandstorm triggered by Sand Stream also began to subside, merging with the dust and slowly settling.
As the field cleared, Tyranitar was still standing tall in its original position. Throughout the entire match, it hadn't moved more than two meters.
Across from it, Infernape lay buried beneath rubble, clearly having lost the ability to battle…
"TYRAAANITAR!"
Tyranitar roared toward the sky, excitement mingled with a deep sense of release and satisfaction.
It had been five years since it followed Sato out of the cave…
During those five years, Tyranitar had spent nearly 90% of its time inside the Advanced Mimicry Space.
Only when it needed the stimulation of real battle to lvlup would Sato bring it out briefly, otherwise, it had lived in solitude.
Now, finally, under the eyes of thousands, Tyranitar had defeated a powerful opponent and proven that its relentless effort over the years had never wavered…
Hearing the crowd's deafening roars and seeing Sato's proud smile, Tyranitar had only one thing left to declare to the world…
I, Tyranitar, am unstoppable!
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Chapter 656: I, Tyranitar, am unstoppable!