Pokémon: Pupitar (Shiny) ♂
Level: 38
Talent: ??? (Slowly Increasing)
Abilities: Sand Veil + Sand Stream
Moves: Dragon Dance (Inherited), Pursuit (Inherited), Tackle, Leer, Rock Throw, Stealth Rock...
Special Talent: Its mastery over sandstorms has stepped into the threshold of the second stage. Its armor, comparable to that of a pseudo-Elite Four Pokémon, represents Pupitar's ability to surpass its limits.
Evaluation: A Pupitar possessing dual Abilities, beloved by the sandstorm itself. Two extremely unusual energies are currently merging within its body. One originates from Groudon; the other is suspected to be connected to a Dark-type Legendary Pokémon of a similar level.
"Go, Pupitar!"
Red hurled Pupitar's Poké Ball onto the field.
As the light faded, a Pupitar nearly one-third larger than normal appeared.
Its entire body was black.
Within the cracks of its armor, dark crimson light flickered ominously.
The moment it appeared—
A sandstorm erupted across the battlefield.
Even spectators at the edge of the arena had to squint against the blowing sand.
As for the battlefield itself, the raging storm swept across every inch of ground.
In mere seconds, the standard battle arena had become scarred and uneven.
"What a sandstorm!"
"Is that really a level-thirty-something Pupitar and not a prematurely evolved Tyranitar?"
"Wait, doesn't Pupitar normally have Shed Skin?"
"How did it create a sandstorm the instant it appeared? I didn't even see it use a move!"
"Hold on... has nobody noticed that the Pupitar is black?"
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone looked toward the center of the sandstorm.
Then they made a startling discovery.
Pupitar had disappeared.
A Pokémon that large had vanished right before their eyes.
"Huh? My eyes aren't playing tricks on me, are they?"
"No idea!"
Looking at the apparently empty battlefield, even the professional referee was stunned.
It was the first time in his career he'd encountered a situation like this.
Just as he was considering consulting the referee handbook, Bruno suddenly appeared beside him.
The Elite Four member's perpetually squinting eyes snapped open.
Several seconds later, they returned to normal.
Bruno patted the referee's shoulder.
"Relax. Continue the match as normal."
"That kid's Pupitar is still on the battlefield."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
With Bruno's confirmation, the referee immediately instructed the staff to release the first opponent.
A Level 30 Sandslash.
One that showed little sign of serious training.
When Sandslash appeared and saw the familiar sandstorm before it, an inexplicable sense of unease arose in its heart.
It felt as though some terrifying beast lurked within the storm.
While Sandslash hesitated, Red and Pupitar certainly weren't planning to sit around.
"Pupitar, Stealth Rock."
Stealth Rock: A status move that scatters hidden stones around the battlefield. Opposing Pokémon take Rock-type damage upon entering battle.
Watching Pupitar openly reshape the battlefield before its eyes, Sandslash finally lost patience.
It charged straight into the sandstorm.
My name contains the word "King" too!
If you can hide in there, why can't I?!
Sandslash plunged directly into the storm.
But once inside, it became even more confused.
Enemies seemed to be everywhere.
And nowhere at all.
Just as Sandslash was searching desperately, Red calmly issued another command.
"Dragon Dance."
Within the storm, Pupitar began performing its mysterious dance.
Taking advantage of the brief opening during Dragon Dance, Sandslash finally found its chance.
Using Fury Swipes with all its strength, it lunged toward the faint silhouette of Pupitar.
The audience heard a sharp metallic clang.
Then Sandslash stared at its own claws in horror.
Its usually unstoppable sharp claws felt utterly powerless.
It was as if it hadn't struck a Pokémon at all—
But an iron mountain.
Red spoke calmly.
"Now."
On Pupitar's back were several openings resembling engine exhaust vents.
By controlling the streams of sand ejected from those vents, Pupitar could propel itself at incredible speeds.
The sand vents provided acceleration.
Dragon Dance further boosted both its Speed and Attack.
Combined with Pupitar's extraordinary weight and armor comparable to that of a pseudo-Elite Four Pokémon—
The charging Pupitar became a nightmare.
To Sandslash, it looked like a black meteor hurtling toward it.
For some inexplicable reason, Sandslash suddenly thought about its family.
Its mother.
Its entire life.
Everything flashed before its eyes.
Like a person being struck by a speeding freight truck.
The next instant—
Sandslash was launched out of the sandstorm.
It smashed through three separate walls before finally coming to a stop.
...
Silence.
The entire venue fell silent.
What terrifying speed.
What terrifying power.
Faced with Pupitar's tackle, Sandslash looked like a pedestrian standing in front of a fully loaded hundred-ton truck barreling down a highway.
The result was utterly tragic.
Looking at the destruction Pupitar had caused, Red nodded in satisfaction.
"Nice."
"The brute-force strategy really works."
For some reason, everyone present found a particular song lyric emerging in their minds.
"We're all trying our hardest to survive..."
After confirming that Sandslash wasn't seriously injured, the referee finally relaxed.
"Sandslash is unable to battle!"
"Gym Leader Red of Songzao Gym clears Stage One!"
Pupitar emerged from the sandstorm and looked proudly at the three shattered walls.
It nodded in satisfaction.
Then, while happily bouncing back toward the sandstorm—
It accidentally stepped into one of the craters it had created.
The stumble caused it to fall.
And the impact instantly created a three-meter-wide depression in the ground.
The Gym Leaders watching all broke out in cold sweat.
"My God..."
"Is that really a flesh-and-blood body?"
"There's no way that level of physical durability is normal."
One Gym Leader known for analytical ability adjusted his glasses with trembling fingers.
"There is absolutely no circumstance under which we should make an enemy of this person."
After Pupitar displayed its overwhelming strength, the remainder of the challenge became much simpler.
Another Pokémon was instantly sent away by the Hundred-Ton King.
"Another Tackle!"
A new unfortunate victim was launched dozens of meters into the sky before crashing heavily back to the ground.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Every impact meant another Pokémon being mercilessly one-shot.
These opponents weren't weak.
Yet before Pupitar's combination of speed and power, they seemed as fragile as chicks.
Occasionally, some managed to land an attack.
But when their moves struck Pupitar's black armor, it was like scratching an itch.
Forget causing damage.
They couldn't even leave a visible mark.
Watching Pupitar rampage through the battlefield with no opponent capable of surviving even a single exchange, everyone gradually arrived at the same conclusion.
Invincible among its peers.
Even Bruno, who had seen countless powerful Pokémon, couldn't help standing up in shock.
"At this level, with this kind of strength..."
"Even many Legendary Pokémon might not be able to defeat that Pupitar at the same level."
"Senior Agatha!"
"Your junior truly is terrifyingly powerful."
"This level of potential is unlike anything I've seen in my life."
Faced with Bruno's praise, Agatha was no less shocked internally.
She had always thought highly of Red.
But not because of his personal strength.
Rather, because of everything he represented.
A friend of Legendary Pokémon.
A future Champion candidate.
The creator of Dynamax.
The mentor of Professor Oak's grandson.
Yet this time, for the very first time—
Agatha genuinely saw within Red the potential to become one of the world's truly top-tier trainers.
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