A sudden flash of red light burst forth as Graveler popped out from its Poké Ball, landing heavily onto the rocky battlefield and sending up a cloud of dust.
Standing close to a full meter tall, it was a whole head taller than Tyrunt. Its gray, rock-like body was covered in dents and scars of varying depth—battle-worn marks left from countless fights, each one radiating a brutal aura of experience and ferocity.
From its round, boulder-shaped body extended four rocky limbs. The two arms in front were short but thickly muscled, while the two arms behind were long and powerful, hanging loosely at its sides as it glared at Tyrunt with the eyes of a seasoned predator.
"Graveler… one of her main second-tier mainstays!"
Theo frowned slightly as he observed the densely packed battle scars on Roxanne's Graveler and compared them with the information displayed on his system panel.
[Pokémon: Graveler]
Type: Rock / Ground
Category: Rock Pokémon
Ability: Sturdy (Prevents being knocked out in one hit when at full health; immune to one-hit KO moves.)
Moves: Defense Curl, Rock Polish, Rollout, Stomp, Rock Throw, Knock Off, Self-Destruct, Stealth Rock, Rock Blast, Earthquake…
Even in the face of Graveler's imposing body, Tyrunt showed no fear. With a low growl, it took the initiative, stepping forward aggressively.
Its body, still strengthened by Dragon Dance was brimming with power. Every step it took produced a heavy rumble against the ground. In its amber eyes, battle fervor burned intensely—the momentum from its earlier victory over Lileep still surged through its veins, and it wanted nothing more than to seize that momentum and push forward.
"Close combat? Perfect for me!"
Roxanne's lips curled into a confident, assured smile. "Graveler, charge in—use Rollout!"
The moment her command fell, Graveler let out a deep, guttural shout. Its four limbs bent, the four arms clamped tightly around its body, and its massive frame curled into a perfectly round boulder.
Rough gray stone, covered in uneven textures, suddenly shot forward like a fired cannonball, tearing through the air with a vicious whistling sound as it barreled straight toward Tyrunt.
The ground in its path trembled faintly from the sheer force.
"Tyrunt, dodge it carefully! Then counter with Dragon Tail!"
Theo's eyes locked onto the battlefield, reacting swiftly. His voice was urgent, yet steady.
As Graveler's spinning assault came within a hair's breadth, Tyrunt reacted with lightning speed, twisting its body to the side and narrowly slipping past the crushing charge.
Using the momentum from its spin, its thick, powerful tail swung outward like a whip drawn taut with force. With a sharp whoosh, it struck directly at Graveler's rolling form.
Boom!
A deep, thunderous sound exploded through the arena, the shock vibrating faintly through the ground.
Graveler's rolling momentum halted for a moment, its bulky form trembling slightly… but only slightly.
On its iron-hard rocky shell remained only a faint white scratch—the damage was practically negligible against its monstrous defense.
"What insane defense!"
A wave of gasps echoed through the spectator seats, rising one after another.
At that moment, Graveler uncurled, using the force of Tyrunt's strike to spring upright. Its rear arms tensed like steel whips, then lashed backward with thunderous force.
Smack!
A sharp crack rang out as the two rock-hard limbs smashed brutally into Tyrunt's back.
The little dinosaur let out a pained cry. Its body lurched forward as if struck by a heavy hammer, stumbling several steps. The crimson glow from Dragon Dance flickered weakly, dimming noticeably.
"This is getting bad…"
Theo's heart sank.
Tyrunt's breathing was already becoming labored. Unlike in games, stat-boosting moves in reality had tangible drawbacks. Dragon Dance's surge in strength and speed came with an equally intense drain on physical stamina.
It had already spent a fair amount of energy fighting Lileep earlier. Now, the strain was quickly catching up—making the situation even worse.
"Tyrunt, use Ice Fang! Increase the cold output—aim for Graveler's arm joints and try to freeze them to limit its movement!"
Aside from Dragon Tail, Ice Fang was the attack Tyrunt was most familiar with. Since Dragon Tail failed to breach Graveler's defenses, Theo could only rely on Ice Fang's freezing potential.
Tyrunt growled deeply, amber eyes sharpening. Ignoring the pain radiating from its back, it pushed off the ground with all its strength and lunged toward Graveler.
Its jaws opened wide, and frost gathered over its teeth—thicker than before. Its target: the crevice between Graveler's arms and torso, where the rocky body was slightly less dense.
"Block it!"
Roxanne's command was crisp and absolute.
Graveler's short forearms crossed in an instant, forming two sturdy stone shields that protected its joint.
Tyrunt's Ice Fang bit down hard on the short arms. A crack sounded as frost begin spreading rapidly across the surface, and even Graveler showed visible discomfort—Ice-type moves were still super effective.
But with the short arms blocking, Tyrunt failed to reach the joint it aimed to freeze.
At the same moment, Graveler's long arms once again swung upward, then hammered down toward Tyrunt's abdomen with crushing force.
Wham!
Tyrunt took the hit directly. Its small body flew backward like a severed kite, crashing into a large boulder and scattering debris across the field.
It struggled to stand, but the last of Dragon Dance's red glow faded entirely. It had clearly taken heavy damage.
"Tyrunt!"
Theo stepped forward instinctively.
The livestream chat erupted in anxious panic—
"It's over! Graveler's defense is ridiculous!"
"Tyrunt's stamina can't hold! Dragon Dance is draining it too fast!"
"Switch out now! Don't force it!"
Graveler gave Tyrunt no room to breathe. A low, ominous rumble echoed across the battlefield.
The broken stones scattered across the ground began to quiver. They rose and gathered in front of Graveler's broad chest, rapidly forming into three massive boulder-sized stone spheres, each as tall as half a human.
Graveler wrapped one in its short arms and gripped the other two with its long arms. The massive rocks trembled slightly in its grasp—this was the prelude to a devastating Rock-type move: Rock Blast.
"Throw them!"
Roxanne's order rang out, sharp and unwavering.
Graveler's arms bulged as it hurled all three stones simultaneously. They shot outward like cannon rounds, flying much faster and heavier than the rocks Lileep produced with Ancient Power.
The air screamed as the projectiles tore through it, sealing off every possible escape route for Tyrunt. There was nowhere to run.
"Tyrunt, look out! Move!"
Theo shouted warningly.
Tyrunt's pupils constricted. With all its remaining strength, it rolled sharply to the left, narrowly avoiding the first two stone spheres.
But the third was already upon it.
Unable to fully adjust its stance in time, it whipped its thick tail forward, bringing down the hard bone with all its power.
Crash!
A deafening explosion shook the battlefield as Tyrunt's tail struck the flying rock. But the overwhelming force behind the stone traveled through its tailbones in an instant, spreading throughout its entire body.
Tyrunt's small frame arched violently, trembling uncontrollably. Its limbs trembled, losing strength. Even standing upright became difficult. In its amber eyes flickered a trace of exhaustion—undeniable and heavy.
"Tyrunt, return!"
Theo called, voice filled with distress as he pulled out its Poké Ball.
"You've already done exceptionally well. The rest… I'll leave to Feebas."
Hearing its trainer's voice, Tyrunt struggled to lift its head. Its amber eyes fixed on Theo—not with fear, not with hesitation, but with fiery defiance.
It shook its dizzy head, a hoarse but stubborn growl rumbling from its throat. It was protesting—adamantly refusing to yield. It wanted to keep fighting.
Theo looked into its eyes and immediately understood its resolve. He clenched his fist.
"Alright! I hear you, Tyrunt. Charge forward—use Ice Fang!"
"What a tenacious little creature."
Roxanne murmured with a faint, hidden note of admiration.
But her commands remained merciless.
"Graveler, use Earthquake. End this battle."
The moment the order dropped, Graveler let out a thunderous roar. Its massive legs lifted, and its huge body leapt briefly into the air—before crashing down with terrifying force.
BOOOOOM!!!
The impact roared like thunder. The entire gym shook violently. The rocky floor burst open in a web of jagged cracks, splintering stone everywhere.
A devastating shockwave spread outward from Graveler like a tidal wave, slamming into the already injured Tyrunt.
The little dinosaur could no longer hold on. Its small body was thrown upward by the quake, arcing briefly through the air before crashing hard onto the ground, scattering dust.
It tried to lift its head… but its eyelids felt impossibly heavy. Slowly, they sank shut.
It collapsed completely—unconscious.
"Tyrunt is unable to battle. Challenger, please send out your next Pokémon,"
the referee declared.
Theo instantly pressed the Poké Ball's button, summoning Tyrunt back in a beam of red light. He gently stroked the cool surface of the ball and whispered:
"You worked so hard… rest well, Tyrunt."
Taking a deep breath, he turned slowly toward the inflatable fish tank beside him.
Feebas swayed its fins lightly, lifting its small head. Its round eyes met Theo's directly—filled not with fear, but with unwavering determination.
It was ready to battle.
(End of Chapter)