"Oh? Tyranitar—the Pseudo-Legendary of the Johto region. Your Pokémon is quite impressive," Caitlin remarked with visible interest, her usually languid tone sharpening ever so slightly.
Her eyes, half-lidded moments before, now focused keenly on the battlefield.
"Yes," Cynthia added thoughtfully. "That Tyranitar is exceptionally strong."
As the reigning Sinnoh Champion—and once a member of the Elite Four before ascending further—Cynthia's perception in battle was extraordinarily refined. She did not rely on surface impressions. She read posture, breathing rhythm, muscle tension, and aura.
With just a glance, she could sense it.
That Tyranitar was not simply powerful.
It was battle-hardened.
For the briefest instant, an unexpected thought crossed her mind—
If she had faced Gary back in Celestic Town, when they first met…
Would she have won so confidently?
The idea lingered.
Then the battlefield roared to life.
Without warning, the air pressure shifted.
A violent wind began to howl across the polished stone field.
Grains of sand spiraled upward from beneath Tyranitar's feet, drawn into a tightening vortex. The sky above dimmed slightly as the swirling particles thickened.
Within seconds—
A full Sandstorm engulfed the arena.
Pebbles no larger than fingernails lashed violently through the air. The shriek of grinding grit filled the garden. Decorative hedges rustled violently under the sudden assault.
At the storm's epicenter stood Tyranitar.
Unmoving.
Unshaken.
Like a tyrant seated upon a throne of dust and wind.
"Staraptor, use Aerial Ace!" Darach commanded, his voice cutting cleanly through the chaos.
"Staaaar!"
Despite the raging Sandstorm, Staraptor launched forward without hesitation. Its wings sliced through the storm with lethal precision, its body becoming a streamlined spear of motion.
Aerial Ace did not rely on prediction.
It struck true.
Bang!
Staraptor collided head-on with Tyranitar.
The wind-wrapped impact carved shallow white streaks across Tyranitar's emerald armor. Sparks flickered where talons scraped hardened scales.
But Tyranitar did not move.
Not even half a step.
"Thunder Punch," Gary ordered coolly.
"TYRANITAR!"
Electricity detonated around Tyranitar's clenched fist. Blue arcs snapped violently across the Sandstorm, illuminating the swirling dust in flashes of light.
Without pause—
It drove its fist forward.
Crack!
The Thunder Punch connected cleanly against Staraptor's torso.
A violent electrical surge exploded outward.
Staraptor was launched several meters through the air before crashing against the ground. It rolled once, twice, wings flaring instinctively to stabilize itself before regaining balance.
Gary did not allow it to recover.
"Rock Slide."
With a guttural roar, Tyranitar stomped forward.
The battlefield trembled.
Massive boulders tore free from the ground, rising into the Sandstorm before hurtling toward Staraptor in a deadly rain of stone.
"Steel Wing—break through!" Darach responded instantly.
"Star!"
Staraptor's wings gleamed with metallic light as Steel Wing activated. With swift, disciplined strikes, it shattered the descending rocks midair.
Clang! Crack! Shatter!
Fragments exploded outward in every direction.
But breaking through cost it momentum.
And Gary was already ahead.
"Snarl."
"TYRANITAR!!"
A thunderous, dark-infused roar erupted from Tyranitar's chest. The sound was not merely auditory—it carried oppressive energy.
Waves of Dark-type force radiated outward, distorting the Sandstorm itself.
The storm intensified.
The roar swallowed the battlefield.
Staraptor faltered mid-flight as the soundwave struck it directly.
"Double Team!" Darach commanded immediately.
Staraptor split into multiple afterimages—ghostly duplicates filling the storm.
Yet—
One by one—
The clones flickered.
Destabilized.
And vanished almost instantly.
Darach's eyes narrowed.
That shouldn't happen.
At Staraptor's level, Double Team illusions were stable enough to withstand incidental interference.
Unless—
The Sandstorm's chaotic air pressure combined with Snarl's destabilizing sonic wave had disrupted the delicate energy control required to maintain the afterimages.
Gary, as always, did not explain.
"Stone Edge."
Jagged blades of stone formed rapidly within the raging storm, sharper and more precise than Rock Slide's blunt assault.
They shot forward like lethal spears.
"Defend with Steel Wing!" Darach commanded.
Staraptor crossed its metallic wings defensively, using them not to strike—but to shield.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Most of the stone blades were deflected.
But the cumulative force drove Staraptor downward, slamming it against the battlefield floor.
Gary did not hesitate.
"Fire Blast."
"TYRANITAR!"
A blazing inferno erupted from Tyranitar's jaws. The massive kanji-shaped flame expanded outward, engulfing the fallen Staraptor entirely.
BOOM!!
The explosion surged upward, briefly overwhelming even the Sandstorm.
For a heartbeat—
Fire replaced dust.
When the flames finally dissipated—
The Sandstorm thinned just enough to reveal Staraptor lying motionless.
Its wings were scorched.
Its breathing shallow.
It did not rise.
"Staraptor is unable to battle. Tyranitar wins," the maid referee announced clearly.
Caitlin clapped lightly, genuine delight flickering across her features.
"What relentless offense," she said softly. "He never gave Staraptor even a moment to recover. And for a Pokémon as massive as Tyranitar… its speed is astonishing."
Cynthia nodded in agreement.
Darach's Staraptor was no ordinary Pokémon. In the past, even she had needed deliberate planning to dismantle it.
"If that's the case," Cynthia murmured, "this Tyranitar truly possesses Champion-level strength."
Since meeting Gary in Celestic Town, Cynthia had quietly investigated his history.
The results had been astonishing.
Three-time Alliance Conference Champion.
Rumors of commanding Legendary Pokémon in official matches.
At his age—
Such accomplishments bordered on unbelievable.
On the battlefield—
"Tyra."
Tyranitar brushed a claw across the faint white mark left by Aerial Ace. The shallow scratch had already faded beneath its resilient armor.
Its crimson gaze shifted toward Darach.
Unmistakable disdain.
Darach smiled faintly.
"I see," he admitted calmly. "I underestimated you."
His composure returned as swiftly as it had faltered.
"Gallade, it's your turn."
The Poké Ball opened in a flash of brilliant light.
"Gallaaaade!"
A tall, elegant Gallade stepped forward gracefully. Its blade-like arms gleamed under the filtered sunlight, psychic energy faintly shimmering around its form.
[Gallade – Level 68/Elite]
This was Darach's ace.
Level 68.
Firmly within Elite Four-tier strength.
The air shifted again—not from weather, but from presence.
"Brick Break!" Darach ordered immediately.
Gallade vanished into motion.
Its footwork was flawless—silent, precise. In a blink, it closed the distance, arm-blades glowing with concentrated Fighting-type energy.
Gary's eyes sharpened.
He saw through the intent instantly.
"Snarl."
"TYRANITAR!!"
The dark-infused roar detonated outward once more.
Gallade had no time to evade.
The wave struck it mid-charge.
Though Brick Break was physical, the oppressive energy disrupted Gallade's rhythm and lowered its Special Attack—an indirect blow to its psychic versatility.
Darach frowned faintly.
He had intended to bait Tyranitar into committing to a different move—then use Teleport to reposition for a perfectly timed strike.
He adjusted immediately.
"Teleport—then Brick Break!"
Gallade's body flashed in brilliant psychic light.
It vanished.
"Iron Defense," Gary commanded calmly.
Tyranitar's massive body shimmered as metallic luster spread across its armor. Its already formidable defenses hardened further.
The next second—
Gallade reappeared at Tyranitar's flank.
Slash!
Brick Break landed cleanly.
The super-effective Fighting-type blow forced Tyranitar's massive body backward half a meter.
The impact was heavy.
The sound resonated sharply.
But—
Tyranitar did not fall.
Gary remained expressionless.
Even with a four-times weakness to Fighting-type attacks, Tyranitar's immense physical bulk—combined with Iron Defense—allowed it to endure.
Its feet dug into the stone.
It stabilized instantly.
"Snarl."
"TYRANITAR!!"
Another wave of dark energy burst forth at point-blank range, slamming into Gallade before it could disengage.