Almost the moment the sandstorm formed, Manectric's Thunderbolt erupted.
A thick bolt of silvery lightning crashed down from the golden mane atop its head like a divine whip of wrath, tearing through the air with a deafening crack.
However, the instant the raging current touched Manectric's body, it was completely absorbed by its Lightning Rod ability.
The electric glow surrounding Manectric intensified, its golden mane standing even straighter as its Special Attack rose significantly, its gaze growing sharper and more focused.
"Now! Swift!" Wattson seized the moment and shouted.
Manectric opened its mouth and unleashed countless dazzling golden starbursts.
Trailing streaks of light like a meteor shower, the stars shot precisely toward the center of the sandstorm, attempting to pierce through the swirling sands and lock onto Tyrantrum's position.
Yet the moment those stars entered the sandstorm, they were smashed apart by the violently spinning sand and gravel. The golden sparks flickered briefly before vanishing entirely into the yellow haze.
The sandstorm not only obscured vision, but also formed a natural barrier that blocked all long-range attacks, as if constructing an impregnable fortress of sand around Tyrantrum.
"Now! Tyrantrum, Earthquake!"
Theo's voice cut cleanly through the howling sandstorm, reaching Tyrantrum's ears with perfect clarity.
"TYRAAANT—!"
Tyrantrum raised its thick, powerful hind leg, muscles bulging as it slammed down with crushing force!
BOOM!
A violent tremor instantly swept across the entire arena. Even the defensive energy barrier surrounding the battlefield rippled violently, as though it might shatter at any moment.
The sandstorm churned with the movement of the ground, forming twisted waves of sand like a boiling golden sea.
Already struggling to see within the storm, Manectric had no time to react before it was launched into the air by the terrifying shockwave, its body tracing an arc before crashing heavily onto the ground with a muffled, pained groan.
Even more astonishing was that Tyrantrum managed to multitask at the same time it unleashed Earthquake.
This was a skill it had painstakingly developed during sandstorm-versus-rain training sessions with Feebas in the desert.
By using the sandstorm to sense minute changes in its surroundings, it precisely locked onto Manectric's landing position. With a single thought, countless massive rocks burst forth from the sandstorm!
Rock Slide!
Carried by the raging storm, the jagged boulders screamed through the air like cannonballs, smashing down toward Manectric's position.
Manectric, barely recovering from the earthquake and unable to even stand steadily, was engulfed by the falling rocks, completely unable to dodge as shadows rapidly expanded overhead.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of dull explosions rang out within the sandstorm. Accompanied by Manectric's final cry—filled with pain and helplessness—it collapsed entirely.
Theo raised his hand and said calmly, "Sandstorm, stop."
Tyrantrum let out a low rumble as the spinning sands quickly settled, like soldiers obeying an order. The golden grains drifted back to the ground, revealing the battlefield once more.
Tyrantrum stood proudly at the center of the field, its amber eyes locked firmly ahead. A few grains of sand clung to its crimson scales, yet its imposing dignity remained undiminished.
Opposite it, Manectric lay sprawled on its back, its body covered in wounds from the falling rocks. Its golden mane drooped limply, its eyes rolled back, completely unable to continue fighting.
The entire stadium fell into a brief silence.
Everyone was stunned speechless by the overwhelming victory.
From the formation of the sandstorm to Manectric's collapse, only a dozen seconds had passed. The process was clean, decisive, and utterly merciless.
It was total domination—like a perfectly choreographed performance.
Watt gripped the microphone with a trembling hand. After a long pause, he finally found his voice, unable to hide his excitement. "Ma-Manectric has lost the ability to battle! Tyrantrum wins! Therefore, the winner of this Gym Challenge is the challenger—Theo!"
"WOOO—!!"
The stands erupted in deafening cheers, applause, whistles, and shouts crashing together like a tidal wave, nearly lifting the roof off the building.
"That was insane! Is this really Tyrunt after evolving? That strength is just unreal!"
A boy pumped his fist in excitement.
"Sandstorm into Earthquake into Rock Slide, one full combo straight to victory! I've got goosebumps all over!"
"This type advantage was completely unplayable. Manectric never even touched Tyrantrum once—no chance to fight back at all!"
The livestream chat exploded like a volcano, the messages refreshing so fast they nearly blended into a solid white blur:
"Holy hell! Is this what they call dimensionality reduction? Manectric didn't even get a chance to react!"
"Tyrunt after evolving is way too insane! That burst damage, Manectric got instantly deleted!"
"I declare myself Tyrantrum's number one fan starting today! That size, that dominance—I'm in love!"
"The streamer's command timing was flawless! Sandstorm to block vision, Earthquake into Rock Slide—clean and ruthless!"
Wattson stared blankly at Manectric lying on the field, then let out a bitter smile and shook his head before recalling it into its Poké Ball. "You did well, old friend."
He looked up at Theo, his eyes filled with nothing but admiration. "Outstanding. Truly outstanding. Your Tyrantrum—its strength and battle instincts far exceeded my expectations. You absolutely deserve this Dynamo Badge."
Wattson reached into his pocket and took out a badge engraved with a lightning-bolt pattern.
The badge's body was silver-white, with bright blue lightning motifs etched into it. It felt cool to the touch, as if faint traces of electricity still lingered within.
He handed it to Theo. "Take it. You've earned it."
Theo accepted the Dynamo Badge, his fingers tracing the patterns on its surface as he replied politely, "It was just luck. The type advantage played a big part."
He knew full well that without Tyrantrum's Rock-and-Dragon typing perfectly countering Manectric's Electric-type, the battle would not have been this easy.
Wattson laughed heartily. "A win is a win—what luck are you talking about? Type advantage is part of strength too. Besides, your Tyrantrum's battle awareness is far beyond that of ordinary Pokémon. That's real ability."
At that moment, the spectators at the edge of the field could no longer hold back. Many raised their phones and crowded around, carefully asking if they could take photos with Tyrantrum.
"No problem. It's very gentle," Theo said with a smile, nodding in agreement.
Tyrantrum seemed to thoroughly enjoy the attention, unlike Beldum, which was prone to shyness.
It lifted its head proudly, straightening its massive body as its deep-red scales gleamed brilliantly under the lights. It deliberately struck an imposing pose, occasionally shaking the "crown" on its head or lifting its thick hind leg, drawing bursts of cheers from the crowd.
It allowed everyone to come close for photos, and when a ponytailed girl timidly asked, "C-can I touch it?" Tyrantrum even lowered its head on its own initiative, gently rubbing against her.
"Oh my god! It really lets you touch it! It's so well-behaved!" the girl squealed excitedly, pressing the camera shutter nonstop.
"This texture—those scales are so hard! That's so cool!" a boy exclaimed as he touched Tyrantrum's side, his face full of excitement.
"Look at this close-up I got! That look in its eyes is insanely cool! I declare myself a die-hard Tyrantrum fan from today onward!"
Wattson watched the harmonious scene from the side, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the livestream viewers were already sour with envy, the chat filled with wails of jealousy:
"I want to touch Tyrantrum's scales too! They must feel amazing!"
"Jealousy is destroying my soul! Why am I not in Mauville City?! This is such a massive loss!"
"It's just too awesome—I really love Tyrantrum! Majestic, powerful, and gentle—I'm obsessed!"
"Did anyone notice Beldum in the corner? It's hiding behind Theo and secretly rolling its eyes. Looks like it's jealous—so cute, hahaha!"
Beldum really was a little jealous.
It floated by Theo's shoulder, rubbing its icy metal head back and forth. Its red eyes glared at the people cheering around Tyrantrum as it let out rapid ding-ding-ding-ding collision sounds.
It was as if saying, I'm amazing too! I beat Magnemite earlier—why isn't anyone looking at me?
Feeling the movement on his shoulder, Theo saw Beldum's jealous little display and couldn't help laughing. He reached out, scooped the little guy into his arms, and gently rubbed its silver-white head with his fingers. "Don't sulk. Later I'll take you to do something even more fun. I promise it'll be way better than taking photos."
Only then did Beldum settle down, though it still puffed up slightly, bumping its head lightly against Theo's chest with a soft ding, reluctantly accepting the promise.
(End of Chapter)