At this point in the battle, the remaining challengers in the audience began to hesitate.
If the last challenger lost, Ethan Black would officially advance to the next round of the tournament.
Moreover, Lucas Silver in Ring 1 had already successfully defended his position. Only seven spots remained, so everyone had to be very cautious.
That's why this last chance to challenge him couldn't be wasted. Unless the challenger was a recognized expert, stepping up would simply be giving Ethan Black free experience. Without a guaranteed victory, everyone remained silent.
And so, whoever volunteered at this point, if they didn't perform well, would also be under enormous pressure.
"Then, that last challenge... leave it to me."
At that moment, Dylan Scott stepped forward, casting a glance around as if seeking the approval of the other trainers.
"It's Dylan Scott, one of the ring leaders of the Pokémon Island Adventure Club!"
"Perfect! If it's Leader Dylan, he can definitely defeat that Sandslash, who's already been through several battles."
"Then it's settled, we're counting on you, Leader Dylan!"
Seeing him step up, the other trainers voiced their confidence without hesitation.
"Leave it to me."
Dylan Scott took a deep breath. Though Sandslash's strength had surprised him, after nine battles in a row, how much energy could he possibly have left?
Besides, his Primeape was an expert in fast offensives. If he applied constant pressure and wore down his stamina, he had a good chance of winning.
"So it's this ring leader... Looks like the last fight will be tough."
Ethan Black frowned as he saw Dylan Scott step onto the field and release a completely refreshed Primeape.
"Even if it's unfair to you, those are the tournament rules. I'm sorry."
After releasing his Pokémon, Dylan Scott apologized, looking serious.
"That's true. But if you think it'll be easy to defeat my Sandslash, you're mistaken."
Ethan Black nodded. Sandslash also reacted quickly, curling into a ball as Normal-type energy flowed through his body: he was using Defense Curl at full strength.
"Rooaar!"
The moment he came out, Primeape recognized Ethan Black: it was the same trainer who had defeated him before! He roared furiously. His rage increased his circulation, swelling his muscles and igniting a reddish light in his eyes.
"Well, he sure holds a grudge. No wonder they say that when Primeape gets angry, he'll chase you to the ends of the earth!"
Ethan Black narrowed his eyes. Though rage increased Primeape's power, it also reduced his reasoning.
"It's time for revenge! Use Rage!"
BOOM!
At that moment, Primeape's accumulated fury erupted. He stomped hard on the ground and charged at great speed. His fist, wrapped in energy, struck hard at the curled-up Sandslash.
"Sandslash, use Rapid Spin!"
BOOM!
The impact was brutal. Sandslash was knocked to the side, like a spinning top struck by a whip. Primeape's power was such that Sandslash's Rapid Spin was suppressed.
"Don't stop! Keep using Rage!"
Primeape lunged again, fists blazing with fury, striking again and again.
"Use Gyro Ball!"
This time, Ethan Black changed tactics. Sandslash wrapped his body in Steel-type energy, using the leftover momentum from Rapid Spin. Thanks to Gyro Ball, Sandslash spun even faster, producing a slicing sound as he moved.
BOOM!
The clash between Primeape's physical strike and Gyro Ball was violent.
This time, thanks to the added weight from Steel-type energy, Sandslash didn't budge an inch.
Instead, Primeape was shaken. His fist trembled and he staggered back several steps.
"Now, use Low Kick!"
Primeape quickly regained his balance. He stomped firmly with his left leg and launched a spinning kick with his right, coated in Fighting-type energy. He struck Sandslash's lower body with precision.
BOOM!
The supporting point was hit. Sandslash was sent flying and crashed into the defensive wall of the field. The blow was so strong that even Ethan Black, standing nearby, staggered.
"Well done!"
"Sandslash must be nearly out of energy!"
"Come on, finish him!"
The challengers cheered at Primeape's performance.
If Dylan Scott won, a new round of the tournament would open up. Everyone would get another chance!
However, while the crowd celebrated, Dylan Scott remained serious. He knew his opponent's most feared move, Rollout, had yet to be used.
"Sandslash, use Rapid Spin again!"
At that moment, Ethan Black gave the command. Sandslash dropped to the ground and curled up once more. Normal-type energy enveloped him as he spun, charging quickly at Primeape.
"That's it! Use Rollout!"
Ethan Black gave the next command just as Sandslash launched forward.
Suddenly, Sandslash stopped Rapid Spin cold and channeled Rock-type energy, transforming the spin into the powerful move Rollout.
Though he no longer spun as smoothly, the speed gained from the earlier Rapid Spin remained. With a thunderous roar, he hurled himself at Primeape at high velocity.
So fast!
Dylan Scott's eyes widened. But before he could react...
BOOM!
Rollout struck Primeape head-on.
Even though he had gathered energy in his fists and used Rage again, he couldn't withstand it. He was launched into the air and slammed against the back wall.
After the impact, Sandslash stopped his attack and remained in place, panting heavily.
"I did it! He used the speed of Rapid Spin to maximize Rollout's power!"
Ethan Black clenched his fist with excitement.
Even after Sandslash's evolution, Ethan Black never abandoned his development of Rollout.
Originally, he wanted to combine Rapid Spin and Rollout into a single combo move: Spin Drive.
However, it turned out to be far harder to train than expected. While Sandslash could combine Rollout with Sand Attack, that didn't mean he had mastered the control of multiple moves simultaneously.
If the move involved wasn't Sand Attack but another one, Sandslash couldn't perform multiple moves at once.
That's why Ethan Black chose a staged combination: first increasing speed with Rapid Spin, then activating Rollout. That way, using the gained speed, he could maximize Rollout's power—just as he had now.
The same principle applied to the earlier combination of Rapid Spin and Gyro Ball.
But this combo also had a drawback: after unleashing all its power in a single burst, Sandslash couldn't continue using Rollout consecutively. That's why this combo only worked as a one-time explosive move.
(End of chapter)