Chapter 201: The Third Preliminary Round
Alain gave a wry smile and said, "Let me think about it. I don't really want to become stronger by relying on others—that would go against everything I believe in. I'm sorry to have worried you, Mairin."
Mairin saw Alain recover his spirits and nodded, saying, "It's okay. I'm just glad you're feeling better. Alain, let's keep pushing forward together."
Ryan looked at Alain, smiled, and said, "Fair enough. If you ever change your mind, come find me in Lavender Town."
With that, he left. The invitation had been extended; whether it would bear fruit remained to be seen. Ryan had a feeling that Alain would eventually seek him out.
Ryan went back to find Lillie and the others. Tyson's match had already ended. Everyone returned to rest since the Team Rocket operative had a match the next day and needed to prepare.
But the operative wasn't worried—her opponent wasn't particularly strong. The next day, she easily defeated her opponent's Girafarig using her Espeon's hypnotic gaze, and everyone in Ryan's group advanced to the third round of the preliminaries.
However, when the bracket for the third preliminary round was released, Ryan's opponent turned out to be that girl—Delilah, the one with Heatran.
Ryan smiled and said to Lillie, who had leaned in closer, "Do you think I should go easy on her tomorrow?"
Lillie pondered for a moment and said, "It's best not to. Let her see how strong you really are; it'll be good for her development. After all, she's already been recruited by the League, so she'll definitely be working with them in the future. Better to give her a warning now, so she won't have any ideas about opposing us later."
Ryan nodded, considered his options for a moment, and decided to send Tyranitar into battle.
The next day, Lillie and the others met up with Ash and his group and made their way to the first arena in Group D to watch Ryan's match.
As both trainers entered the arena, Ryan took his position on the battlefield. But the girl across from him, Delilah, spoke first: "Sorry, but your tournament run ends here."
Ryan smirked. "Hmph. The match hasn't even started yet. Don't assume you're the only one with a legendary Pokémon."
At the referee's whistle, both trainers released their Pokémon. As expected, Delilah sent out her ace, Heatran, while Ryan chose Tyranitar. The moment Tyranitar appeared, its Sand Stream ability instantly whipped up a fierce sandstorm across the arena.
However, Heatran, being a Steel-type, was completely unaffected by the sandstorm damage. Heatran was a reddish-brown Pokémon resembling a tortoise in appearance. Its body was covered with brown and orange spots, and its legs had metal bracelet-like structures. Each foot had four claws arranged in a cross pattern. The underside of Heatran's body was gray, its face protected by a gray metal structure, and its eyes glowed orange-red.
Delilah looked at Ryan's Tyranitar and laughed. "You're not using a legendary Pokémon against my Heatran? Then I've already won this match. Heatran, Magma Storm!"
Heatran slammed its feet heavily into the ground. The earth around Tyranitar cracked instantly, and a vortex of swirling lava erupted, sweeping Tyranitar into its blazing embrace. Heatran controlled the Magma Storm, attempting to crush Tyranitar within—but unexpectedly found a swirling wall of sand blocking the attack, preventing the lava from reaching its target.
"Who told you ordinary Pokémon can't defeat legendary Pokémon? Your Heatran is pathetic in my eyes! Tyranitar, Earthquake!" Ryan said coldly.
Tyranitar slammed its foot into the ground. The violent shockwave sent Heatran flying and cut its HP in half. Without Heatran's concentration, the Magma Storm dissipated, countless magma fragments scattering across the battlefield—but within a half-meter radius of Tyranitar, there wasn't a single drop of lava.
Tyranitar's mastery of Sand Stream was now undeniable, truly earning its title as the "Tyrant of the Sandstorm"!
"How is this possible?!" Delilah could hardly believe her eyes. Her legendary Pokémon couldn't even defeat a pseudo-legendary?
Ryan said coldly, "You're still too naive. Even legendary Pokémon are divided into different tiers. And even ordinary Pokémon can reach legendary status one day through training. How could this Heatran—which hasn't even mastered its own power—possibly be a match for my Tyranitar! Tyranitar, use Earthquake to finish it!"
"Don't underestimate us! Heatran, use Stone Edge, then jump and use Rest!" Delilah shouted.
A violent shockwave struck Heatran, but Heatran slammed into the ground, and countless sharp stones erupted from the earth. Heatran quickly scrambled onto the stone pillars from Stone Edge, using them as a platform to leap into the air. It closed its eyes mid-flight and fell asleep.
Then, upon landing, it instantly opened its eyes, its HP fully restored. Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Sleep Talk?"
Seeing Ryan's surprised expression, Delilah proudly declared, "Don't underestimate us! We've faced countless opponents—did you think we wouldn't have a counter for Earthquake? Heatran, use Stone Edge!"
Ryan smiled slightly. "Clever. Making Heatran use Rest and wake up instantly with Sleep Talk is indeed impressive. However, without mastering its primal power, Heatran is no match for Tyranitar. This is merely delaying your defeat."
Heatran stomped the ground heavily again, countless sharp stones erupting and hurtling towards Tyranitar. But Tyranitar also stomped its foot, launching its own Stone Edge. The two attacks collided mid-air, shattering each other—but Tyranitar's stones broke through, striking Heatran directly and sending it flying.
"Dark Pulse," Ryan commanded.
Tyranitar placed its hands before its chest, dark energy coalescing into a beam that shot towards Heatran.
"Rest!" Delilah called out.
Heatran fell asleep again, but Dark Pulse struck it, triggering Sleep Talk and waking it immediately. Its HP remained high after the recovery. After landing, another Magma Storm swept towards Tyranitar.
"Earthquake!" Ryan and Delilah shouted in unison.
The two shockwaves collided, weakening Tyranitar's Earthquake—but Heatran seized the opportunity to amplify the Magma Storm's intensity, engulfing Tyranitar and forming a sphere of molten rock.
Delilah laughed. "It's over."
But the next second, she realized her mistake. A deep roar erupted from within the lava sphere, and an explosive sandstorm burst it apart. Tyranitar emerged, carrying the sandstorm like armor, and charged towards Heatran. Its Stone Edge sent Heatran flying once more.
"Rest!" Delilah tried the same strategy again.
But it was too late. Tyranitar grabbed Heatran's leg and slammed it into the ground with a devastating Seismic Toss. Heatran's eyes snapped open as it let out a cry of pain.
"End it. Final Earthquake," Ryan said calmly.
Tyranitar raised its foot and stomped heavily onto Heatran's body. A powerful shockwave coursed through Heatran, knocking it out instantly.
"Heatran is unable to battle! Tyranitar wins! Therefore, the victory goes to Ryan from Lavender Town!" the referee announced.
Ryan recalled Tyranitar and said calmly, "You've still got a long way to go."
With that, he turned and left the arena without looking back. Only a stunned Delilah remained, staring at her fallen Heatran in disbelief.
"Wow, he really showed no mercy," Ruby remarked from the stands.
"Don't be naive. She was never going to join us anyway, so why go easy on a future rival?" the operative replied.
(End of Chapter)
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