Rhydon's eyes burned with excitement as it stared at the three King-level Pokémon before it.
It raised a thick arm and tightened the white ribbon tied around its horned head. At once, surging waves of Rock-type energy began flowing through its massive body.
It was unleashing Ancient Power a move capable of enhancing every aspect of a Pokémon's physical attributes, pushing its battle strength to an even greater level.
Nidoking and Drapion exchanged a knowing glance. In the next moment, violet light surged across both their bodies. Poison-types had always been known for their ability to fight above their weight class, and this time, the two of them would combine their might to challenge the King-level Pokémon head-on.
Garchomp narrowed its sharp eyes, a dangerous aura radiating from its body. From the black miasma surrounding the enemy Pokémon, it had already recognized their identity.
They were the ones who had captured it back then — the very same who had corrupted it with that dark energy.
Now, it was time for revenge.
In the distance, three Ghost-type Pokémon were also gathering energy, their bodies wrapped in rolling waves of black smoke that made their blood-red eyes gleam even fiercer.
"Get ready to move!" Aven commanded, his voice sharp and resolute.
"Garchomp, Nidoking, Rhydon use Sand Tomb!"
The instant Aven's words fell, Ground-type energy erupted from all three Pokémon.
As they charged forward in unison, the earth beneath them began to crumble and shift, rapidly transforming into fine, flowing sand that surged outward in every direction.
A violent sandstorm roared to life, engulfing the entire battlefield. The fierce winds and grinding sand carried dense, concentrated Ground-type power, a move that could trap enemies within a raging vortex of sand, leaving them no way to escape.
And now, with three Ground-types channeling the energy of the earth at once, the power of the move multiplied severalfold. The massive sandstorm quickly swallowed the three enemy King-level Pokémon whole!
"That's it! Trigger the Sandstorm weather effect!" Aven clenched his fist tightly.
Like Sunny Day or Rain Dance, Sandstorm was a special battlefield condition — one that filled the air with Rock- and Ground-type energy.
Compared to sunlight or rain, Sandstorm was much easier to create, especially when one had Pokémon like Rhydon and Garchomp who were attuned to the power of the ground energy.
Aven had always valued environmental control.
Aside from rain, all three other weather types — sun, sand, and snow provided massive boosts to his Pokémon's strength.
Right now, Garchomp, Nidoking, and Rhydon had used their combined Sand Tombs to whip up a full Sandstorm.
The howling wind and swirling sand completely enveloped the enemy Pokémon.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Grains of sand and small stones lashed against every Pokémon within the storm.
Garchomp, Nidoking, and Rhydon stood firmly amid the chaos, their silhouettes barely moving.
The Sandstorm weather caused damage to all Pokémon on the field except those of Rock, Ground, or Steel types.
Thus, the three Ground-types were completely unaffected.
Rhydon, being part Rock-type, even gained increased Special Defense from the weather, its sandy armor glowing faintly under the storm's fury.
On the other side, Drapion also endured the battering wind. Though its body took damage, the so-called "Demon of the Desert" could withstand the pain without flinching.
But the same couldn't be said for the enemy Ghost-types.
Their frail physical forms weren't suited for direct exposure to sandstorms. The abrasive winds tore at their essence, their red eyes flickering with strain.
Desperate to defend themselves, the three Ghost-types spread their ghost energy outward, forming dark shields to ward off the storm's erosion.
However, this only weakened their combat effectiveness and the longer the storm raged, the faster their energy drained.
"ROOAAR!"
Garchomp, Nidoking, Rhydon, and Drapion all roared in unison, charging straight into the sandstorm's heart.
"Rhydon, take on the Chandelure! Use Ancient Power!"
"Nidoking, Drapion target the Froslass! Use Toxic!"
"Garchomp, the Gengar is yours! Your speed won't lose to his!"
Following Aven's commands, Rhydon bellowed and unleashed its built-up power — a beam of golden energy shot from its body like a cannon blast!
Nidoking and Drapion sprinted forward, their bodies wreathed in purple mist.
Every step Nidoking took left patches of the ground corroded, as its venom seeped into the soil and the surrounding sand.
Through long, rigorous training, Nidoking had mastered its Poison Point ability to a terrifying degree.
Now, its entire body radiated a deadly toxin that merged seamlessly with the swirling sandstorm.
With practiced control, it infused the raging sand with poisonous energy — turning the once golden storm into a poisonous, violet haze that swept toward Froslass.
The chilling air around her shimmered as she struggled against the poisonous wind.
Meanwhile, Garchomp vanished.
Its silhouette disappeared completely into the sandstorm, leaving Gengar blinking in confusion.
The Ghost-type spread its spectral energy in every direction, trying to locate its opponent but no matter how it searched, it couldn't detect Garchomp's presence.
The shark's method of concealment was fundamentally different from ordinary ghostly invisibility — even Gengar, an expert of shadow stealth, couldn't sense it.
Worse still, the dense sandstorm disrupted Gengar's ability to phase out of sight.
Even when it managed to turn invisible for a brief moment, the harsh wind and grit forced it back into view — within this storm, there was nowhere to hide.
"ROPOAR!"
Garchomp suddenly burst from the sand, appearing right beside Gengar.
Its claws gleamed with concentrated Dragonic- energy as it slashed downward in a brutal arc.
Gengar reacted quickly — its ghostly aura flared to life, colliding head-on with the Dragon Claw.
A deafening explosion followed.
The impact sent Gengar flying backward, barely managing to steady itself — only to realize that Garchomp had vanished again.
"Perfect! Become the assassin of the storm, Garchomp!"
Outside the raging battlefield, Aven's eyes were narrowed with focus.
Through psychic resonance with Kirlia, he was constantly communicating with his Pokémon in real time.
Garchomp was now using its Sand Veil ability, merging itself seamlessly with the sandstorm, its body completely hidden from sight while its speed and evasion soared.
In fact, Garchomp's ability was one of the key reasons why the sandstorm had been triggered so easily.
Its deep connection with the power of the desert allowed it to guide and stabilize the weather effect created by the others.
For weeks, Garchomp had been training specifically to control the energy of sandstorms.
While its overall strength hadn't increased drastically, under this weather, its power had undergone a qualitative transformation.
…
"What is that? A sandstorm?"
On the distant hill, the cultist sorcerers stared in disbelief at the battlefield below.
Though they were familiar with weather phenomena, Sandstorm was one of the hardest to manipulate and they had never seen it weaponized in battle before.
And yet, this very weather effect was perfectly countering their Ghost-type Pokémon, weakening their bodies and suppressing their abilities.
"Tch… so what if they did that?" one of the sorcerers scoffed.
"Only that Garchomp is King-level! Even with the power of sandstorm, how could three quasi-Kings possibly stand against two Kings?"
Ghostfire sneered. Through his soul-link with Chandelure, he could sense that the opponent was a mere quasi-King Rhydon who brazen enough to challenge his King-tier partner head-on.
How laughable.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The battle raged on relentlessly.
Rhydon and Chandelure clashed fiercely.
Type advantage was on Rhydon's side, and under the Sandstorm, its defense was further bolstered by a layer of condensed sand armor.
Though only a quasi-King, Rhydon managed to hold its ground, shrugging off Chandelure's flames with sheer endurance.
It was being pushed back, but it hadn't fallen.
The fight had reached a tense stalemate.
The storm showed no signs of fading, and the cultists' expressions grew darker by the minute — if this continued, their mission would fail.
"They're holding the line!"
Inside the fortress, the knights watching the battle couldn't suppress their excitement.
"As expected of Lord Aven! He's holding off three King-level Pokémon with just one King and three pseudo-Kings!"
Their spines straightened with pride — to serve such a lord was an honor.
"This… this is the power of a true Trainer," muttered Bloodhowl, clenching his fists.
Having lived in the Pokémon Domain for some time, they had long come to understand what it meant to be a Trainer.
Even when the difference in raw strength was immense, a Trainer's command could turn the tide — guiding strategy, maximizing potential, and achieving victory against overwhelming odds.
…
"Kir…"
Kirlia's gaze was fixed on the sandstorm.
When she saw Rhydon and the others successfully holding their ground, she exhaled in relief.
"They're holding on… but we can't let our guard down yet."
Aven's eyes flicked toward the distant sky. The gray mist that once covered the horizon was gone.
Then his gaze shifted toward the hill where the sorcerers stood. He knew full well they were there and that among them lurked another King-level: Dusknoir.
Right now, Mismagius was circling those sorcerers with Dusknoir's Poké Ball in hand, keeping them on edge.
Meanwhile, Aven's Froslass was channeling the yellow crystal, drawing in the gray fog along with the corrupted Ghosts and retreating toward the spring.
Once the enemy realized what was happening, their Dusknoir would inevitably join the fray — and that was when true danger would begin.
Aven's forces were already stretched thin.
"Dusknoir, have you found that Pokémon yet?" Ghostshadow asked coldly beside him.
Floating in the air, Dusknoir's gaze suddenly locked onto a point in the distance, its single yellow eye glowing brightly.
A sweeping beam of light shot out, instantly revealing the hidden Mismagius holding a Poké Ball.
Startled, she darted away in retreat.
"So, it was just a Mismagius…" Ghostshadow's expression twisted.
That meant the real Froslass wasn't nearby.
Then, recalling the faint silhouette he'd glimpsed earlier, his eyes widened.
Could it be… the Froslass that absorbed the gray mist had already escaped?
"Tch! So, we were tricked?" He snarled, his eyes flashing toward Aven. "Dusknoir — kill him!"
They could delay no longer.
If they didn't end the fight soon, their failure would bring severe punishment.
A dozen lesser Ghost-types materialized around them, forming a protective barrier as Dusknoir began to move.
With a chilling whisper, the King-level ghost nodded and soared toward the battlefield.
A heavy pressure swept across the land, instantly weighing on every heart within the fortress.
"It's here! Another King-tier Pokémon!"
The knights' faces drained of color as they watched Dusknoir descend through the storm.
Their eyes turned to Aven and to the Grass-types by his side.
Could they really stop a monster of that level?
…
"Petilil… get ready to fight."
Aven's expression hardened. He reached for his belt and opened his pack.
Dozens of Poké Balls rolled out, bursting open one after another in flashes of white light.
Countless Grass-type Pokémon materialized across the field, numbering at least a hundred.
The moment they appeared, green light shimmered over their bodies, streaming downward into the Grassy Terrain below and converging toward Petilil.
"Lil!"
Petilil's body shone brightly with verdant radiance.
The natural and grass energies within the terrain surged wildly, flooding into her small frame.
Right now, they could only rely on the collective strength of their Grass-type kin to stand against the incoming King.
In the distance, Dusknoir had already arrived on the battlefield.
Seeing this, Petilil immediately raised her hands, forming an Energy Ball — drawing in the vast vitality and natural power of the Grassy Terrain.
The sphere swelled, pulsing with overwhelming green light as she channeled Energy Ball and Nature Power simultaneously.
The condensed energy compressed further and further… until it exploded outward in a dazzling beam of green light that shot straight toward Dusknoir like a cannon — the first strike of their desperate stand!
(End of Chapter)