"On my end, it's going to be this one."
Lucas gave his Poké Ball a quick twirl in his hand before flipping it and tossing it forward.
"Tyranitar! Prepare for battle!"
"Tyran!"
With a low growl, the terrifying green-armored behemoth slammed down onto the battlefield. The sheer weight of its massive frame caused the entire ground to tremble slightly.
"Tyranitar... This guy's serious?"
Karen blinked in surprise as she stared at the fearsome Tyranitar standing in the arena. She glanced at Lucas, a little startled.
Tyranitar was one of Lucas's true trump cards.
"Of course he's serious. Blue is no ordinary Trainer," Giovanni remarked, casting Karen a curious glance before speaking with a faint smile. He didn't know Karen personally, but it was clear that the three people beside Lucas were familiar with him.
"Blue is a true prodigy. He only started his journey last year, and now he's already a Champion-level Trainer."
Matori added to the explanation, sensing that the group didn't have a clear understanding of just how capable Blue really was.
Karen: "..."
Will: "..."
Marnie: "..."
Karen and Will frowned in surprise, while Marnie just looked utterly defeated.
She had only just arrived in Kanto and barely knew anyone here. Now it seemed like Champion-level Trainers were popping up left and right. Was Kanto always this terrifying? Were Champion-level Trainers just roaming around on every street corner?
"Tyranitar, huh... What an overwhelming presence."
Blue studied Tyranitar closely, his eyes shining even brighter. That terrifying pressure—
This Tyranitar was definitely insanely powerful!
He licked his lips, then threw his Poké Ball with force. "Rhyperior! Let's go!"
Another rumble echoed across the field as Rhyperior landed heavily on the battlefield.
"So, it's going to be a head-on showdown," Giovanni said with a smile as he watched Rhyperior. His comment was simple and calm.
Tyranitar and Rhyperior were both heavyweight Pokémon. When they fought, there was little room for fancy strategies—
It was all about brute force!
Such was the spirit of youth. Even when facing a powerful opponent, Blue showed no fear at all. He was Blue, grandson of Professor Oak!
There was no such thing as backing down—only charging forward!
"Rhyperior, huh? Nicely raised."
Lucas examined Rhyperior on the opposite side of the battlefield and gave a nod of approval.
A mid-Champion-level Rhyperior!
In the manga special, Blue was famously regarded as a master breeder. Likewise, in the games, his Pokémon-raising skills were top-notch.
Otherwise, how could he possibly become Champion in just one year?
Lucas himself had a powerhouse Rhyperior, so he was deeply familiar with its capabilities.
In truth, Rhyperior had excellent resistances!
Out of all types, only five had a type advantage against it. All others either dealt neutral or ineffective damage.
However, Rhyperior had two glaring 4x weaknesses—Water and Grass.
And unfortunately, Water and Grass were among the most commonly used types...
Still, among heavyweight Pokémon, Rhyperior was one of the top-tier choices. Its physical attack and defense were exceptional, and like most heavy Pokémon, it had a robust HP pool.
Its only real drawback was its low special defense…
"As the challenger, I'll let you make the first move."
Lucas smiled and gestured for Blue to begin. After all, in this match, he was standing in as the acting Gym Leader.
"Rhyperior, Stone Edge!"
Blue didn't hesitate. As an aggressive and assertive Trainer, he always liked to strike first. Without a second thought, he gave his command.
Rhyperior growled and raised its arm. A flurry of jagged gray stones formed in front of it.
In the next instant, the Stone Edge attack shot swiftly toward Tyranitar.
"There's no need for this kind of probing attack."
"Tyranitar, Rock Tomb."
Lucas chuckled lightly and gave Tyranitar a calm command.
"Tyran!"
Tyranitar let out a mighty roar and stomped its right foot heavily on the ground.
Under the terrifying force, the entire battlefield quaked violently, a shockwave rippling outward.
At the same time, a thick stone wall rose abruptly from the ground in front of Tyranitar.
The Stone Edge hit the wall squarely, shattering it into pieces.
"Earthquake!"
Blue frowned slightly and gave another command to Rhyperior, because Tyranitar had used both Rock Tomb and Earthquake at the same time!
The violent tremors and shockwaves from the Earthquake kept rippling out, and it had to be countered.
And one of the best ways to counter Earthquake—besides taking to the air—was to use Earthquake in return, canceling each other out.
Rhyperior raised its heavy tail like a meteor hammer and slammed it down hard.
Earthquake!
Rumble rumble rumble!
The ground shook violently from the two Earthquakes clashing, their shockwaves colliding and eventually dissipating.
"Stir up a sandstorm, Tyranitar."
Before the tremors had fully died down, Lucas gave his next order. With Tyranitar's roar, a thick sandstorm swept across the entire battlefield.
Tyranitar's Ability: Sand Stream!
It changed the battle environment into a sandstorm.
"In a sandstorm, Tyranitar's special defense increases. But for Rhyperior, that applies as well."
Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly, peering into the hazy storm.
In a sandstorm, Rock-type Pokémon received a special defense boost, which was a significant advantage.
Moreover, the sandstorm would obscure vision and hinder movement for those not accustomed to it. That hidden interference gave Tyranitar an edge in comfort and positioning during the fight.
Weather Abilities were always incredibly powerful.
Unfortunately, this time the opponent was also a Ground/Rock-type Rhyperior, but it was still better than nothing.
"Tyranitar, Rock Slide!"
As thoughts raced through his mind, Lucas issued another command.
Tyranitar let out a roar and charged at Rhyperior. At the same time, massive boulders began to form above Rhyperior's head.
"Body Slam!"
Blue glanced at the incoming boulders. Rock Slide was a solid move, but it took some time to set up. Usually, it was used to force an opponent to reposition, or as a setup for follow-up attacks.
Rhyperior let out a low growl and charged toward Tyranitar instead of backing down.
Body Press —a Fighting-type move.
And wouldn't you know it, Tyranitar was 4x weak to Fighting!
"Ice Punch!"
Tyranitar's right claw glowed with a frosty blue aura and swung directly at the charging Rhyperior.
No hesitation—just raw power!
Ice Punch and Body Press collided, striking Rhyperior squarely on the head.
Boom!
The two titans clashed for a moment before the force of impact knocked them both backward.
"Rhyperior, Superpower!"
Blue narrowed his eyes. He had keenly noticed the frost still lingering on Rhyperior's forehead.
Even with the superior power of the move, Rhyperior had clearly taken some damage.
As expected of Tyranitar.
But that just meant he had to seize the initiative even more aggressively!
Rhyperior barely regained its footing before charging again. Its arms glowed with intense white energy—
Superpower, a powerful Fighting-type move!
Tyranitar countered once more with Ice Punch, smashing its claw toward Rhyperior.
"Rhyperior!"
Blue's gaze stayed locked on the two Pokémon as he suddenly called out.
Rhyperior's swinging arm paused slightly, allowing the Ice Punch to narrowly graze over its head.
In that same instant, Superpower accelerated and landed directly on Tyranitar's chest just as Ice Punch made contact!
Boom!
Tyranitar let out a roar of pain as both Pokémon were knocked backward again.
"Nice!"
Karen's eyes lit up as she watched, casting a surprised glance at Blue.
Although taking a super-effective Ice Punch hurt, Tyranitar was 4x weak to Fighting!
Trading damage like that was absolutely worth it.
"Superpower's damage is definitely no joke," Will murmured with a frown. It was one of the strongest physical Fighting-type moves, and Tyranitar had taken a clean hit.
But...
Giovanni's eyes flickered with interest. Was it really worth it? That remained to be seen.
"Tyranitar, Payback!"
Lucas grinned, his white teeth gleaming menacingly.
While Blue's maneuver just now was certainly impressive, thinking it would be enough to gain the upper hand?
He was dreaming.
(End of Chapter)