Tyranitar smirked wickedly, watching the charging Aggron barrel toward him without the slightest hint of defense. He waited for just the right moment—then thrust out his arm.
Bang!
Tyranitar stopped Aggron in its tracks with a single palm strike, his elbow slightly bent but unmoving.
"Aggron?! Σ(°△°|||)"
Aggron couldn't believe it. It had been completely blocked by a single hand. Even in previous training battles, not even Eevee could manage that.
"Raaaargh!"
Tch. Rookie, you've got a long way to go.
Without using a single move, Tyranitar grabbed Aggron by the armor and hurled it like a ragdoll. No special technique—just sheer brute strength.
Tyranitar's body radiated the terrifying force of a Pokémon capable of reshaping mountains. Even an Aggron with the Heavy Metal Ability was nothing before that raw power.
"Roar! (Where's Marshtomp?!)"
From behind, Marshtomp launched a surprise attack. With a loud Spit Up, it followed up with a direct Water Gun, blasting Tyranitar head-on. The hit cleared some dust from Tyranitar's rocky body, but it didn't leave so much as a scratch.
The other Pokémon were stunned. Even Rhyperior had avoided taking Marshtomp's water attacks head-on during training. Yet Tyranitar just tanked it like it was nothing.
"Aggron!"
Aggron called out, warning the others. Tyranitar wasn't a foe that could be handled solo—they had to team up if they wanted even a chance.
The rest nodded, preparing to unleash long-range attacks together.
"Raaaargh!"
Hmph. So you want to dance too?
With a sneer, Tyranitar summoned a massive Sandstorm, whipping up a violent cyclone of sand that surrounded all eight Pokémon.
But this wasn't an ordinary Sandstorm.
The grains were the size of marbles and stung like pebbles as they slammed into skin and armor. Visibility dropped to almost nothing—Tyranitar's figure vanished within the storm.
Boom!
Crash!
Crack…!!
Explosions, impacts, and the sound of the very ground shattering echoed from within.
"Sheeeeeelgon! (Boom!)"
When the Sandstorm finally cleared, Shelgon looked around in shock. Every other Pokémon had collapsed.
Because Shelgon needed to conserve energy to evolve, Gary had instructed it not to participate in combat training. Fighting would slow its evolution, so it stayed on the sidelines.
Now, only Shelgon and Marshtomp remained unevolved on Gary's team.
But Gary wasn't worried. Once he obtained his eighth Gym Badge, he planned to use a Rare Candy to immediately raise Shelgon's level to 50 and trigger its evolution into Salamence.
"Raaaaargh!"
Tyranitar surveyed the defeated rookies and yawned in boredom. The thrill of battle wasn't here. It was far more exhilarating to spar against Blastoise and the others back at Professor Oak's lab.
"Don't be like that," Gary said, stepping beside his partner. "They might be weak now, but one day, they'll catch up. Help them get there."
Tyranitar huffed.
He was proud, as fierce and arrogant as any wild Tyranitar. He didn't even bother with Pokémon he deemed beneath him. Normally, he would've ignored weaklings like these entirely.
If it weren't for Gary, he wouldn't have bothered acting as a sparring partner.
"Raargh."
Tyranitar turned his head away in silence. It was unclear if he agreed or not.
Gary chuckled. "Still as stubborn as ever," he said, not pressing further.
Just then—
"Gary!"
A voice called out behind him.
Gary turned around and was surprised to see a familiar figure in a white lab coat. "Professor Cozmo!" he exclaimed.
"Why are you here?" Gary asked. "Shouldn't you be at the lab?"
"I'm on a short break," Cozmo explained. "I noticed the weather shifting strangely in the sky, so I came to investigate."
His gaze shifted toward Tyranitar.
"That sandstorm just now… was it Tyranitar's doing?"
Gary blinked. He hadn't realized Tyranitar's storm had spread so far, even though it was somewhat controlled. Of course someone would notice.
"Yeah, I was just running a training session," Gary replied.
Cozmo looked around—scorched earth, cracked rocks, and seven unconscious Pokémon.
"…This is training?"
He was baffled.
Why did it look like a war zone?
"I was conducting real battle simulations," Gary clarified. "They were all defeated by Tyranitar. Sorry about the mess, Professor."
Gary recalled the fallen Pokémon. One day of combat was more than enough—they'd need treatment soon.
"If there's nothing else, I'll get going now," Gary said politely.
"Wait, actually… I should be thanking you."
Cozmo's expression softened.
"Last time, things went wrong because we trusted the wrong people. I heard from Mr. Steven that if it weren't for your help, the situation could've ended much worse. More people might have died."
"You're giving me too much credit," Gary said, modestly at first—then grinned. "But if you really want to thank me, I won't stop you."
Cozmo blinked. That wasn't the humble answer he expected.
As he looked Gary over, his eyes fell on Shelgon nearby. A thought seemed to strike him. Cozmo reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small case.
"Hmm?"
Gary watched curiously.
If a girl had seen the velvet-lined box, she might have thought Cozmo was proposing.
"My father once gave me a Shelgon," Cozmo explained. "After it evolved into Salamence, I traded it for my friend's Solrock."
Gary: "...Huh?!"
"But I held on to this." Cozmo opened the case.
Inside sat a shimmering Mega Stone—the one specifically for Salamence.
Salamencite.
Gary's jaw dropped.
He had no idea what to say.
You had a Salamence… and you traded it for a Solrock? And now you're giving away its Mega Stone? What kind of friend takes a Salamence in that trade?
Gary finally managed to ask, "Wait… Professor Cozmo, you really traded away Salamence?"
Cozmo smiled faintly. "I understand how it sounds. But I didn't lose anything."
Then he reached into his coat again—and pulled out a Poké Ball.
Click!
A flash of light revealed—
[Lv. 55 Solrock — Quasi-Elite]!