The Max Rockfall meteors crashed into Max Steelspike barriers with sound like worlds ending. Steel and stone met at impossible speeds, each collision sending shockwaves through the stadium. Seats vibrated. Support beams groaned. The safety barriers glowed bright white, channeling excess energy away from the audience.
This was Dynamax combat, forces that could reshape geography condensed into a controlled battlefield. Both trainers stood dwarfed by their hundred-foot Pokemon, connected through bonds that let them coordinate movements impossible at this scale.
Sasuke felt every shift in Tyranitar's weight, every surge of energy through their link. The three-minute Dynamax timer had started, one hundred eighty seconds to achieve decisive advantage or risk exhaustion forcing reversion.
"Max Quake," Gaara commanded, voice calm despite the chaos.
His Tyranitar raised a massive foot, slammed it down. The ground-type energy didn't just shake the battlefield, it restructured it. Fissures opened, boulders shattered, the entire terrain transformed from stable to treacherous in seconds. Tactical reshaping, creating conditions that favored defensive combat.
Sasuke's Tyranitar stumbled as ground gave way beneath it. The size made recovery difficult, momentum at this scale worked differently than normal combat. But three days of training had prepared for exactly this challenge.
"Max Rockfall, targeted!" Sasuke called.
His Tyranitar generated boulders, but instead of broad bombardment, concentrated them at specific points. Not attacking Gaara's Pokemon directly, attacking the fractured ground beneath it. The strategic bombardment collapsed the terrain, forcing Gaara's Tyranitar to move from its defensive position.
"Clever," Gaara acknowledged. "Max Steelspike."
Steel barriers erupted around his Pokemon, creating mobile fortress. But the movement had worked, Sasuke had forced position change, broken the defensive setup. Small victory, but victories accumulated.
The crowd had found its voice again. Fifty thousand people chanting, cheering, reacting to every exchange. The noise was physical force competing with the battle itself.
In the VIP section, Miyuki released Kasumi's hand long enough to check her tablet, monitoring both Pokemon's energy signatures remotely through the stadium's systems. "Sasuke's Tyranitar is maintaining power efficiently. No wasted movements, perfect energy distribution."
"Gaara's the same," Kiyomi noted, camera focused on the Gym Leader. "Years of experience showing. He's not panicking or overcompensating. Just adapting."
"They're even," Kasumi said. "Actually even. A rookie matching a veteran Gym Leader." Pride colored her voice. "That's incredible."
The Dynamax timer hit two minutes remaining. Both trainers knew, decisive action needed soon, or the window would close.
"Max Darkness," Sasuke said.
Tyranitar gathered dark-type energy, compressed it into massive sphere, launched it like artillery. The attack carried all of Dark-type's strategic advantage, super effective against Psychics, neutral against everything else, impossible to predict trajectory once launched.
"Max Steelspike, intercept," Gaara countered.
Steel barriers formed in the sphere's path, attempting to absorb the impact. Dark energy met steel construction. For a moment, the defense held. Then cracks appeared, spreading rapidly. The sphere punched through, continuing toward Gaara's Tyranitar.
Direct hit. The dark-type energy exploded against ancient armor, forcing the massive Pokemon back several steps. First significant damage of the battle.
Gaara's expression remained unchanged. "Max Rockfall, full spread."
His Tyranitar generated dozens of meteors simultaneously, filled the entire sky above the battlefield. Not precision strikes, overwhelming volume. Force Sasuke to defend or dodge, limit offensive options.
"Max Overgrowth," Sasuke commanded.
An unexpected choice, Grass-type Max Move from a Rock/Dark Pokemon. But Tyranitar knew the technique from training with Sasuke's Mega Venusaur. Massive vines erupted from shattered ground, creating canopy that intercepted the falling rocks. Not perfect defense, but enough to prevent overwhelming damage.
"You taught your Tyranitar coverage moves," Gaara said, genuine interest in his tone. "Adaptability over specialization. Your father's influence?"
"My choice," Sasuke replied. "A Pokemon that only knows one strategy is vulnerable."
"Agreed." Gaara's eyes showed respect. "Ninety seconds until Dynamax ends. Let's see what we're really made of."
Both trainers paused. The crowd noise faded, everyone recognizing this moment. The setup phase was complete. Now came the actual test.
"Max Rockfall," Gaara said. "Max Quake. Max Steelspike. Combination assault."
His Tyranitar executed all three simultaneously, meteors falling while ground shattered while steel barriers advanced. Multi-vector attack that required dividing attention across multiple threats. This was veteran skill, coordination developed over years of partnership.
Sasuke's response had to match complexity with complexity. "Max Darkness on the barriers. Max Rockfall to counter the meteors. Max Quake to stabilize ground."
His Tyranitar moved, multiple Max Moves in rapid succession, each targeting specific threat. The coordination was perfect, result of those three intensive training days. Dark sphere shattered advancing steel. Counter-meteors intercepted falling rocks. Earthquake pulses stabilized the fractured terrain.
The exchanges neutralized each other. Both Pokemon had burned enormous energy for tactical stalemate.
Sixty seconds remaining.
"You've improved," Gaara said. "When this battle started, I gave you thirty percent chance of victory. Now I'd say fifty-fifty."
"Generous odds," Sasuke replied.
"Accurate odds. You've earned them." Gaara's hand moved to his belt. "Final exchange. Everything we have."
"Agreed."
Thirty seconds.
"MAX ROCKFALL, ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM!"
"MAX DARKNESS, FULL POWER!"
Both Tyranitar gathered their remaining Dynamax energy, channeled everything into final attacks. Gaara's meteors weren't individual rocks anymore, single massive asteroid. Sasuke's dark sphere had become miniature black hole, warping space around it.
The attacks launched simultaneously. Met at battlefield center. And the collision,
Reality seemed to pause. The energy concentration was too much, too dense. For half a second, nothing happened. Then physics reasserted itself violently.
The explosion engulfed the entire battlefield. White light, then expanding shockwave. Safety barriers flared red, absorbing what they could. The stadium itself shook, centuries-old stone groaning under stress.
When vision cleared, both Tyranitar had reverted to Primal Mega form. The Dynamax timer had hit zero, forced transformation. Both Pokemon stood, barely. Massive damage visible on armor plates, movements sluggish from exhaustion.
The crowd erupted. That final exchange had exceeded anything most had witnessed. The safety barriers had held, barely, but everyone felt the power involved.
Sasuke assessed his Tyranitar. Exhausted but combat-capable. Gaara's Pokemon looked similar, pushed to limits but not defeated. The Dynamax phase had been fought to perfect draw.
Now came the real battle. Base forms, pure skill, no trump cards remaining.
Gaara recalled his Tyranitar briefly, letting it recover in the Pokeball for legal five seconds before releasing again. Sasuke did the same. Both Pokemon rematerialized in Primal Mega form, ready for the next phase.
"Impressive endurance," Gaara said. "Most challengers would have exhausted themselves during Dynamax. You managed energy perfectly."
"You too," Sasuke acknowledged. "Neither of us made critical mistakes."
"Which means victory depends on fundamentals. Pure combat skill." Gaara's eyes gleamed. "This is where fifteen years of experience should give me advantage."
"Should," Sasuke agreed. "But experience isn't everything."
The Primal Mega Tyranitar faced each other, still massive, still dangerous, but no longer kaiju-scale. The battlefield had been devastated, barely recognizable as the rocky terrain they'd started with. Craters, fissures, shattered boulders everywhere.
"Crunch," Gaara commanded.
His Tyranitar surged forward. Speed impressive for something so massive, years of training showing in efficient movement. Jaws glowing with dark energy, aiming for Sasuke's Pokemon's neck.
"Dodge and counter, Stone Edge!"
Sasuke's Tyranitar twisted, movement practiced ten thousand times during training. The Crunch missed by inches. Sharp stones materialized, launched point-blank range.
Gaara's Tyranitar tanked them, armor absorbing most impact. But the counter-attack had worked, prevented damage while dealing some.
"Earthquake," Gaara said.
Ground shook. Sasuke's Tyranitar lost footing, vulnerable. Gaara's Pokemon closed distance, prepared follow-up attack.
"Sandstorm, now!" Sasuke commanded.
His Tyranitar generated storm instantly, visibility dropped. Gaara's follow-up missed, striking empty air where Sasuke's Pokemon had been moments before. The Sandstorm bought time to recover position.
Back-and-forth exchanges accelerated. Crunch met Stone Edge. Earthquake triggered Earthquake. Rock Slide countered Rock Slide. Pure Rock/Dark-type warfare, both trainers demonstrating mastery of their Pokemon's capabilities.
The crowd watched in stunned silence. This had transcended gym battle. This was watching art, two masters working with identical medium, showing different techniques, pushing each other to greater heights.
In the VIP section, Miyuki had stopped checking energy readings. The numbers didn't matter anymore. This was about will, determination, partnership.
"He's going to win," she said quietly.
"How can you tell?" Kasumi asked.
"Look at Gaara's Tyranitar. It's fighting on experience and training. Remarkable, but mechanical." Miyuki pointed at Sasuke's Pokemon. "Sasuke's Tyranitar is fighting with purpose. Every move has intent beyond just winning. It's fighting for him, not because it's commanded to."
Kiyomi nodded slowly. "Partnership versus discipline. The temple's lesson."
On the battlefield, Gaara seemed to realize the same thing. His next command came with different tone, not coldly tactical, but with emotion behind it.
"Tyranitar, full power. Show them what fifteen years together means."
His Pokemon's response was immediate and overwhelming. Not new moves, but familiar techniques executed with perfect precision. Crunch combos that flowed like water. Earthquake chains that restructured battlefield strategically. Hyper Beam fired with accuracy that seemed impossible.
Sasuke's Tyranitar weathered the assault, but damage accumulated. Armor cracked. Movement slowed. Exhaustion building toward critical levels.
The crowd sensed momentum shifting. Gaara was pushing advantage, using experience to methodically break down his opponent's defense. The veteran pulling ahead in the final stretch.
Sasuke felt his Tyranitar's exhaustion through their bond. Felt the pain, the strain, the approaching limit. But he also felt something else, determination. Refusal to quit. Trust in their partnership.
"One more push," he said quietly. "Everything we have left."
Tyranitar rumbled agreement.
This battle wasn't over yet.