"Tyrunt, it's your turn to enter the field."
Theo gently brushed his hand over the top of its head, his voice steady and firm.
"TYRRR—!"
Tyrunt lifted its head and roared excitedly. Its thick hind legs stomped heavily against the ground as it leapt forward, charging into the center of the arena with powerful, resonant steps.
Sunlight reflected sharply off the scales covering its body, emitting a fierce gleam. It opened its large jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth, releasing a thunderous roar that echoed across the battlefield. Its four limbs dug firmly into the ground as it assumed a ready-to-strike combat stance.
"Battle begin!"
Grandma Vicky's voice sliced through the air, her fan sweeping through the air in a clean, decisive arc.
Victor seized the initiative instantly.
"Ursaring, use Dig!"
The bear Pokémon let out a low growl. Its front claws, sharp and strong like iron shovels, suddenly slashed downward into the soil. Dirt and sand sprayed everywhere, and in the blink of an eye, its entire body disappeared underground, leaving behind only a small hole that rapidly collapsed inward.
Only faint vibrations trembled across the surface of the ground, tracing the path of its rapid subterranean movement.
Theo remained calm. Since the opponent had chosen to hide underground, this was the perfect moment to execute a tactic he had been preparing:
"Tyrunt, Sandstorm."
"Tyyrr!"
Tyrunt tilted its head back and let out a deep, resonant roar. A subtle rocky energy rippled around its body.
The sand and soil around them seemed to be pulled by an invisible force. Grains of sand rose into the air like swarming dust devils, slowly gathering into a miniature sandstorm that enveloped the center of the battlefield.
Though the sandstorm wasn't extremely large, the fine grains of dust filling the air were enough to obscure visibility and interfere with the opponent's senses.
Underground, Ursaring was clearly caught off guard.
Originally, it could track Tyrunt's position through ground vibrations. But now, the swirling sand and rock energy muddied the environment, obscuring Tyrunt's presence entirely. Even as it darted around underground, it could no longer pinpoint the target's location.
When it charged toward the spot where Tyrunt had been standing earlier, it sensed nothing but empty soil.
Theo seized the opening without hesitation.
"Tyrunt, use Dragon Dance!"
Inside the sandstorm, Tyrunt immediately began twisting its large body. Its oversized head swayed from side to side in a mysterious rhythm, while its thick tail swept through the air with a deep, whistling sound.
A faint crimson aura gathered around it, shimmering brighter with each motion. Its attack and speed were rising steadily.
Under the shade of the viewing shed, Victor's expression changed dramatically.
Of course, he understood how terrifying Dragon Dance was. If that move stacked even a few times, Tyrunt's attack and speed would escalate to overwhelming levels.
If he allowed Tyrunt to complete multiple Dragon Dances, not only would Ursaring lose—his whole family might as well concede right away, without even needing Grandma Vicky to take the field.
"Ursaring!"
Victor shouted anxiously:
"Don't stay underground! Get out, hurry! Find it now!"
Ursaring burst back through the surface with a rumble but the sandstorm still raged on, its swirling dust blocking all vision.
It spun around anxiously within the storm, blindly charging in random directions on instinct alone—but not even a glimpse of Tyrunt could be found.
And that was precisely the tactic Theo had designed for Tyrunt:
Using a sandstorm to create a perfect cover for its Dragon Dance.
As long as the opponent's vision and sense of direction were disrupted, Tyrunt could strengthen itself multiple times, paving the way for a decisive offensive strike later.
Of course, these two moves demanded enormous stamina from Tyrunt. Future training would revolve heavily around building endurance.
Even so, the strategy was still incomplete. According to Theo's full concept, Tyrunt would also secretly set up Stealth Rock while the sandstorm was raging.
[Stealth Rock: Manipulates rock-type energy to form invisible floating shards scattered across the battlefield. Any opposing Pokémon entering the field or moving through the area will trigger the rocks, immediately suffering rock-type damage.]
If Stealth Rock were added into the sandstorm tactic, the opponent would be hurt and obstructed even further. These invisible traps would buy Tyrunt even more time to stack multiple Dragon Dances.
As the sandstorm on the battlefield gradually subsided, visibility returned.
The red aura surrounding Tyrunt had grown far stronger. Its eyes were sharp as blades, its muscles visibly taut beneath its scales, and an intimidating momentum radiated from its entire body.
With two completed Dragon Dances, its very presence had changed drastically.
Victor made a swift decision.
"Ursaring! Use Dig again! Keep moving and wear down its stamina!"
Ursaring dove back underground, leaving behind a fleeting trail of disturbed soil.
Tyrunt locked onto that subtle trembling trail. Its clawed foot suddenly stomped down as it shot forward like an arrow released from the bowstring. Its thick tail swept out with explosive force, cutting off Ursaring's underground route with perfect precision.
Underground, Ursaring had nowhere to dodge. It could only burst upward from the dirt by Tyrunt's feet, its sharp claws wrapped in mud and gravel as it slashed toward Tyrunt's lower abdomen!
But after two boosts from Dragon Dance, Tyrunt's speed had already reached a level the Ursaring couldn't hope to match.
Tyrunt instinctively leapt backward, easily avoiding the fatal strike. Before Ursaring could stabilize itself—
Tyrunt's tail was already arcing through the air with a piercing whistle.
It was Dragon Tail!
Thud!
The thick tail smashed solidly into Ursaring's side.
Ursaring cried out in pain, flung through the air like a sack of grain. It tumbled across the ground for several meters before finally stopping, its fur coated in dust.
"Ursaring!"
Victor sprang to his feet, calling out.
Ursaring struggled to push itself up. A soft white glow shimmered across its body—its ability had activated, and the berry it carried was rapidly restoring its stamina.
It shook its dizzy head and finally managed to stand again, though unsteadily. The fire in its eyes had not yet been extinguished.
"Ursaring, use Thrash!"
Victor gritted his teeth as he gave the order.
Ursaring let out a furious roar, dropping onto all fours as it charged forward like a foaming tempest. Its claws slashed wildly, its movements filled with desperate, reckless determination.
Theo's eyes sharpened.
"Tyrunt, meet it head-on! Use Dragon Tail again!"
Tyrunt charged forward without the slightest hint of retreat. It met Ursaring's rush head-on.
Just as the two Pokémon were about to collide—
Tyrunt suddenly stomped hard with its hind legs, abruptly halting its momentum. Using the recoil force, it swung its tail upward, raising the thick, heavy tail bone high before smashing it downward with earth-shaking power.
CRACK!
Another sharp impact rang out—the Dragon Tail slammed squarely into Ursaring's face.
Already injured, Ursaring had no time to dodge. It was knocked backward violently, crashing into the wooden fence at the edge of the arena.
It slid weakly to the ground, stars spinning in its eyes, completely unable to stand back up.
"Ursaring has lost the ability to battle. Tyrunt is the winner!"
Grandma Vicky announced the result, her tone carrying a hint of solemnity.
"Daddy! Ursaring!"
Little Viviv rushed forward in alarm, crouching beside the fallen Ursaring as she gently stroked its head with heartache.
Meanwhile, Tyrunt stood proudly in the arena, lifting its head and roaring triumphantly—its voice filled with the pride of victory. It seemed to be urging:
"Where's the next challenger? Bring them out!"
Under the shade, Grandma Vicky slowly rose to her feet. The smile on her face had faded, replaced by a heavy, serious expression.
The Winstrate family had already lost two rounds. Now, it was her turn to personally take the field.
"Theo,"
Grandma Vicky said, her voice carrying an undeniable authority:
"Your Pokémon are excellent.
Now… allow this old lady to experience their strength firsthand."
(End of Chapter)