TN: No Chapter 72, it was an announcement chapter.
Endless yellow sand rolled and surged, and a dull, thunderous collision suddenly tore through the sky. Mixed within it were the furious roars of Pokémon and the booming detonations of skills, shredding the desert's long-standing silence to pieces.
"Sandslash, Earthquake!"
A resounding shout came from behind the dunes, steady and powerful, carrying the calm authority of someone seasoned by countless battles.
"Tyrantrum, we'll use Earthquake too!"
Theo's response followed immediately, his voice wrapped in an unyielding fighting spirit, not giving an inch.
At the center of the battlefield, the two Pokémon were locked in a tense standoff.
The first thing that caught the eye was a towering Pokémon nearly three meters tall, its appearance reminiscent of an ancient Tyrannosaurus rex.
Covering its massive body were tightly interlocked, crimson, hexagonal rock-like dragon scales, greatly reinforcing its defensive power.
Most striking of all was the ornament atop its head—like a king's crown painstakingly forged by a master craftsman, radiating a dark yellow metallic chill under the light.
At a glance, it felt as though a monarch had descended upon the battlefield.
Beneath the crown, its head was enormous and heavy. Amber-colored pupils gleamed with ferocity, while two rows of sharp fangs jutted from its gaping maw, flashing with a cold, menacing light that sent shivers down one's spine.
This was the tyrant Pokémon evolved from Tyrunt—Tyrantrum.
[Pokémon: Tyrantrum]
Type: Rock/Dragon
Category: Despot Pokémon
Ability: Strong Jaw (Biting-type moves gain increased power due to its powerful jaws)
Moves: … Rock Slide (Proficient), Dragon Claw (Proficient), Iron Tail (Proficient), Sandstorm (Mastered), Stealth Rock (Mastered), Earthquake (Proficient)
Compared to it, the Sandslash standing opposite looked noticeably small.
Yet its limbs were tensed tight, and the sharp spikes on its back emitted a chilling gleam under the sun—clearly, it was no easy opponent either.
As the two commands rang out, both Pokémon raised their hind legs at the same time and stomped down fiercely onto the ground!
BOOM!
Two violent surges of ground-type energy erupted from beneath their feet, like slumbering behemoths awakening, racing wildly across the sandy terrain in all directions.
In an instant, the desert floor split open with countless spiderweb-like cracks. Sand and gravel were flung into the air, forming two clearly visible shockwaves that slammed brutally into each other at the center of the field.
Crack!
The shockwave from the collision sent nearby stones hopping and bouncing into the air.
The two earthquake waves canceled each other out, and the sand they kicked up surged like a boiling yellow sea, temporarily swallowing the figures of both Pokémon.
When the sand finally settled, the once-flat battlefield had become riddled with pits and craters—but neither side had gained the upper hand.
"Sandslash, Gyro Ball!"
The hiker, Jack Grant, issued his command.
He carried a bulging hiking backpack, its canvas stained with sand and dust, with several smudges of dirt on his face. Yet his eyes remained sharp as an eagle's, fixed unblinkingly on the situation unfolding on the field.
Sandslash responded immediately.
Its body curled tightly into a ball, becoming enveloped in a silvery glow. Like a high-speed spinning top, it shot toward Tyrantrum with a shrill, piercing whistle cutting through the air.
The centrifugal force from its rotation drove its speed higher and higher, carving a straight, brutal groove into the sand as it charged forward, as if it intended to split the desert itself apart.
Theo's gaze sharpened as he barked out, "Tyrantrum, Iron Tail!"
Tyrantrum let out a low growl. Its thick, powerful tail instantly shimmered with a cold metallic sheen, like a steel whip forged and condensed to perfection, carrying overwhelming force.
Locking precisely onto the trajectory of the incoming Gyro Ball, it swung its tail violently, sweeping out with a howling rush of wind.
Clang!
The sharp, ear-piercing sound of metal colliding rang out, nearly rupturing eardrums.
Gyro Ball was struck solidly by the Iron Tail, and Sandslash was sent flying like a cannonball blasted away by immense force.
Bang!
After a thunderous impact, Sandslash was flung backward, skidding a long distance across the sand and leaving behind a deep, extended trail before finally crashing into a rock and coming to a halt.
The disparity in size between the two Pokémon was simply too great, and at this moment, Tyrantrum's overwhelming advantage in raw power was laid completely bare.
It did not give Sandslash even a moment to catch its breath.
Its massive body lunged forward, its extremely powerful and thick hind legs driving explosively against the ground, stamping deep footprints into the sand as it closed the distance in an instant.
A chilling mist began to rise from its mouth, blue energy rapidly condensing between its fangs—Ice Fang!
"TYRAANT!"
Tyrantrum's massive jaws, wreathed in freezing cold, clamped down savagely onto Sandslash's body.
From the point of contact, ice spread instantly, freezing Sandslash's movements as fine ice crystals formed across its body.
Sandslash let out a muffled, painful groan, its limbs twitching weakly a few times before completely losing strength.
Stars spun in its eyes—it was clearly no longer able to continue fighting.
"All right, Tyrantrum, that's enough. You've won. Stop the attack."
Tyrantrum released its bite and lifted its head, letting out a deep roar toward the sky. The powerful sound echoed across the desert, as if proclaiming its victory.
Then it walked over to Theo, lowered its body, and gently rubbed its head against his. The ferocity in its amber eyes faded away, leaving only closeness and affection.
"Theo, your Tyrantrum really became incredible after evolving!"
Jack recalled Sandslash into its Poké Ball and walked over with a broad grin, his tone filled with admiration. "Before, your Tyrantrum still needed to use Dragon Dance before it could defeat my Sandslash.
Now that it's evolved, it won so easily. Young trainers these days are truly something else."
Theo smiled and shook his head. "You flatter me too much, Mr. Jack. You haven't even sent out your Golem yet."
After a brief pause, he added sincerely, "And I really have to thank you for teaching Tyrantrum the method for mastering Earthquake. Otherwise, it wouldn't have learned the move this quickly."
"Hahaha, no need to stand on ceremony!"
Jack waved his hand and laughed heartily, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes bunching together.
"I should be the one thanking you! A few days ago, when I barely escaped from the central area of the desert, I lost all my water and supplies. If I hadn't run into you, this old life of mine probably would've ended right there."
Mr. Jack was a wilderness explorer Theo had happened to encounter three days earlier.
He had come specifically to explore the legendary "Mirage Tower." However, just a few nights ago, while traveling through the desert at night, Jack heard a strange, inexplicable sound.
The sound was impossible to describe—like wind rushing through hollow rock formations, yet also like the low growl of some Pokémon.
Believing it to be a sign of the Mirage Tower's appearance, he followed the sound toward the central region, only to end up completely lost.
"By sheer coincidence, I wandered beneath a massive rock and actually ran into a Larvitar!"
Jack smacked his lips, his face still carrying traces of lingering fear mixed with excitement. "At the time, I thought my luck had finally turned and wanted to try catching it—but who would've thought…
That Larvitar's mother, a huge, terrifying Tyranitar was guarding it nearby!"
As he gestured animatedly, his tone shifted. "That's the legendary king of the desert! Its entire body was covered in thick rock-like armor, like a small mountain. Its eyes were cold as ice—just standing there, it felt like the surrounding air had frozen solid!"
Even now, recalling the scene made Jack shudder. "With a single roar, Tyranitar whipped up a sky-filling sandstorm—far more terrifying than your Tyrantrum's Sandstorm, by several orders of magnitude!
If my Golem and Sandslash hadn't desperately used Dig to burrow underground, and if Tyranitar hadn't been worried about Larvitar and stopped chasing so fiercely, my life would've ended there for sure!"
After a pause, he added, "And back then, I also heard another strange, massive roar—the same sound I'd heard at night.
Thanks to that roar drawing Tyranitar's attention away, I managed to dig underground and escape. The secrets hidden in this desert are truly endless!"
He patted the Poké Balls at his waist, his voice filled with relief. "When I escaped, I panicked and ran without thinking and lost my water, food, and map. I wandered blindly through the desert for three days, my throat so dry it felt like it was on fire. Thank goodness I ran into you!"
Theo smiled. "I suppose it was fate as well. After finishing my Tyrantrum's training, I happened to want to head deeper into the desert to look for some powerful Pokémon to battle.
By the way, you mentioned that strange sound attracted Tyranitar—did you see what was making it?"
At the mention of that eerie roar, Jack's eyes instantly lit up, as if a torch had been ignited. "Hard to say! But I'm certain it wasn't the Mirage Tower.
The sound had a very regular rhythm—it didn't feel natural at all. It really seemed like a Pokémon, but for it to draw the attention of a Tyranitar… I truly can't imagine what kind of Pokémon it could be.
Oh, right—I also saw the outline of a stone tower nearby, half-buried in the sand. Strange symbols were carved into it. Unfortunately, I was too panicked at the time and didn't dare take a closer look."
As he finished speaking, Jack hurriedly rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.
On it was a rough charcoal sketch of a tower's spire. The lines were crooked and uneven, yet it still conveyed an ancient, primitive style.
Beside the spire were several strange symbols, as if they had been carved into stone with a blade—each stroke firm and resolute, carrying an air of mysterious rhythm.
(End of Chapter)
TN: Ok I finally manage to find new raws for this novel, sadly only up to chapter 90, so not a lot and because of a long break from this novel I might unknowingly change some stuff due to forgetting how I translated this fanfic. Kinda bum out that we didn't see Tyrunt's evolution, I went and check the raws on qidian and it's the same there.