The other Pokémon: Torterra!
Pokémon: Torterra (Light Purple)
Gender: Male
Level: 84
Types: Grass + Ground
Ability: Overgrow
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Growth, Body Slam, Double-Edge, Earth Power
Basic Moves: Earthquake, Wood Hammer, Tackle, Withdraw, Absorb, Razor Leaf, Curse, Bite, Mega Drain, Leech Seed, Synthesis, Crunch, Giga Drain, Leaf Storm
Learned Moves: Frenzy Plant, Grass Pledge, Seed Bomb, Worry Seed, Iron Tail, Stealth Rock, Iron Head, Block, Superpower, Stomping Tantrum, Snore
TM Moves: Toxic, Protect, Solar Beam, Rock Tomb, Rest, Energy Ball, Stone Edge, Grass Knot, Sleep Talk
Torterra, a Grass- and Ground-type Pokémon, also did not take damage from the sandstorm. Although it did not receive the evasion bonus that Cacturne had, simply being immune to the sand already minimized Tyranitar's advantage.
Because of this, Jacob was not merely someone who appeared carefree and contemptuous of others. In reality, he was rough on the outside but meticulous on the inside. After hearing from Irene that Cain was an Elite Four and seeing his Tyranitar, he made this decision.
Grass-type Pokémon counter Rock-type Pokémon extremely severely.
Moreover, they were two level 84 Grass-type Pokémon, only one step away from breaking through the first barrier of the Champion level.
Most importantly, Cain did not even know whether these two Pokémon were Jacob's trump cards.
As for Tyranitar's sandstorm being countered, Cain was not overly worried.
If the enemy had chosen this place to open a spatial rift, they had undoubtedly prepared everything in advance.
Irene's Steel-type Pokémon did not fear the sand, and Jacob's Grass-type Pokémon would not be affected by it either.
For a short period of time, Cain did not dare summon more Pokémon, as he did not know whether doing so would trigger an emergency response from the enemy, causing them to call in more reinforcements.
This Jacob was different from Brad. Numerous Poké Balls were tied to the belt around his waist; the two he had thrown were only a small part of his arsenal.
Someone who had lived here for twenty-five years was, in itself, a prodigy of the League. Moreover, unlike Brad, the resources Jacob could access must have been far greater.
Because of this, Cain believed that he must certainly have a signature Pokémon.
However, he was not worried that Jacob's strength would be excessive. What kind of person would carry so many Pokémon?
One possibility was someone with abundant resources, capable of training additional Pokémon and whose team composition required carrying so many—like Cain himself.
The other was that each individual Pokémon had difficulty breaking through higher limits, and that the only way to increase strength was by increasing quantity.
Cain assumed Jacob belonged to the second type.
This place was rich in resources, not only material ones but also Pokémon. But it was not as abundant as one might imagine, since high-quality wild Pokémon were extremely rare. Moreover, not everyone was like Cain, with special training methods capable of improving a Pokémon's potential during breeding.
There were even people who, due to a poor understanding of a Pokémon's type, ended up reducing its potential during training—something quite common.
That was why, before becoming trainers, everyone had to undergo specialized training, at least to have a basic understanding of some common Pokémon, even if only superficially.
To train any Pokémon, it was essential to understand it well.
This was what made it so difficult for civilian trainers to become powerful trainers.
Returning to the point, with Light Purple–quality Pokémon and no special training methods, reaching this stage was already Jacob's limit.
Thus, Cain considered the second possibility more likely.
The enemy did not give him much time to think. Just as Cain planned to probe them, the other side also wanted to test the limits of his capabilities and did not summon additional Pokémon.
"Cacturne, Ingrain! Torterra, Razor Leaf!" Jacob ordered, directing his two Pokémon to launch their attack immediately.
Cain's eyes shone with psychic power, and through telepathy he issued orders to his two Pokémon.
Tyranitar had only recently crossed the barrier into the Champion level, and Aggron had not even reached that level.
Cain was at an absolute disadvantage, so he could not take the enemy's techniques head-on.
The appearance of those two Grass-type Pokémon had greatly weakened the desert sandstorm, but under Tyranitar's deliberate control, the sand rose again, and with far greater force than before.
However, the device that originally might have been destroyed by Tyranitar's sandstorm had been improved this time and showed no change.
The massive blades of leaves launched from Torterra's shell whistled through the air, but before reaching Tyranitar and Aggron, they were successfully blocked by Tyranitar's sand shield and the shield formed by Aggron's Stone Edge.
This probing attack produced no results, but Tyranitar's sandstorm grew increasingly dense.
On the other front, the battle between Irene and Steven had also begun.
It seemed deliberate: Irene and Jacob wanted to separate Cain and Steven and defeat them one by one.
After a brief initial test, the battle became fierce.
Tyranitar as the main force, Aggron as support.
Under Tyranitar's control, the sandstorm completely enveloped Cain and Jacob, as if within already poor visibility, an almost airtight dome of sand had formed.
Gradually, the color of the sand began to change, though at a slow pace. To use red sand, in Tyranitar's normal state, was somewhat difficult.
The enemy's constant Energy Ball attacks forced the red sand to be used defensively before it could take shape.
However, even though the red sand had not yet fully consolidated, the sand dome was already formed, and Cain had nothing left to hide.
With the enemy holding advantages in typing, level, and even abilities, if Cain did not take action, this would become a slow death.
"Mega Evolution! Tyranitar! Aggron!" Cain roared in a low voice.
Double Mega Evolution!
Although this would not cause a qualitative change that allowed Tyranitar to surpass the first barrier of the Champion level, it would allow Aggron to temporarily reach that level. In this way, Aggron would no longer be a burden, and Tyranitar's red sand could finally appear.
Mega Tyranitar!!
Mega Aggron!!
"TYYRRANNN!"
"GRRAAHHH!"
"Oh? This special evolution looks quite similar to the so-called divine power infusion of the Sacred Church that Irene mentioned, though it seems to have some differences. Is this your hidden card? Not bad," Jacob's eyes gleamed as he looked at Mega Tyranitar and Mega Aggron.
With Mega Tyranitar's long roar, red sand erupted frantically from the ground and mixed with the yellow sand that filled the sky.
The red sand seemed contagious: yellow was devoured by red at a breathtaking speed.
In just a few moments, all the sand turned a deep crimson.
It was not only a change in color, but also in temperature.
The special ability of Cain's Tyranitar: Sandstorm Dominion — Dominion of the Red Sand — reappears!
(End of chapter)