The two Dreepy squealed in panic as Tyranitar gripped them tightly in its hands.
They had never experienced anything like this before.
In every battle up to now, they'd always been fired by Dragapult like projectiles, and then safely returned to rest on its head. Who would've thought an opponent could actually grab them mid-flight?
The crowd around the battlefield was stunned.
Was this… hostage-taking?
Is that even allowed in a Pokémon battle?
And more importantly, how is an Elite Four-level trainer this practiced at it?!
A flurry of glances shot toward the referee—but the official gave no signal. Apparently, this didn't count as a violation. The match was still valid and ongoing.
This kind of situation was unprecedented in the history of the League.
Across the field, Leon was just as dumbfounded. He glanced at the towering Tyranitar—practically a living mountain—and then at Dragapult, whose size was closer to a catfish than anything remotely similar. The image of such a massive Pokémon precisely snatching two Dreepy mid-flight was just… absurd.
Because this wasn't just a matter of timing—it required the Pokémon to immediately adapt and counterattack the very moment it was hit.
From that alone, it was clear: Luo Yuan's Tyranitar was incredibly strong.
At least in Leon's view, his own Pokémon wouldn't be able to pull something like that off.
Still, a question lingered in Leon's mind: Luo Yuan's supposed specialty was Dragon-types. That's what all the pre-match data said. So where exactly did this Tyranitar come from?
His brows furrowed. Leon decided to focus on rescuing the Dreepy first.
In some ways, Dreepy were like Dragapult's children. The fact that Dragapult wasn't charging in blindly to rescue them, and instead merely shifted around anxiously, showed just how well-trained it was.
"Dragapult, [Phantom Force]!"
The restless Dragapult snapped to action the moment it heard Leon's command. Its body slipped into the shadows, vanishing into an interdimensional rift.
On the other side, Luo Yuan smiled—not because he was surprised, but because [Phantom Force] happened to be one of his own favorite techniques.
Back when he'd battled trainers like Deoxys and Lance, sneaking behind enemy lines with [Phantom Force] to land surprise hits had always been one of his signature strategies.
Now seeing Leon use it gave him a nostalgic twinge—but he wasn't about to let his guard down. Instantly, he expanded his psychic awareness, sweeping across the battlefield.
Within that finely tuned field of telepathic detection, the spatial ripples from Dragapult's dimensional shift were impossible to hide.
"Tyranitar, nine o'clock—left side!"
Tyranitar didn't hesitate. Without a moment's thought, it swung a fist in the direction Luo Yuan called out.
WHAM!
A frost-laced punch smashed directly into Dragapult's head the moment it emerged. The sheer force warped its skull, the impact ringing across the stadium.
Dragapult didn't even feel pain at first—it was too stunned.
In all its battles, there had been times when [Phantom Force] had missed, but this was the first time it had been clocked in the face the instant it reappeared.
And to make things worse—Tyranitar was still holding the Dreepy, both of whom were squealing in distress.
The pained cries snapped Dragapult out of its daze. It couldn't spare time to think, much less act. In a flash, it vanished again into the shadows, slipping into another [Phantom Force] to retreat.
Tyranitar didn't seem frustrated. With calm confidence, it casually juggled the two Dreepy between its palms, waiting—completely unfazed—for Dragapult's next attempt.
Another silent rift opened—this time behind Tyranitar.
Dragapult figured the earlier hit must've been a fluke. There was no way the timing would be perfect again. It lunged forward from behind, striking for a sneak attack.
But just as that thought crossed its mind, Tyranitar's tail whipped around like it had eyes in the back of its head. Without turning, it lashed out—its thick, metallic tail howling through the air.
WHACK!
The [Iron Tail] slammed into Dragapult's other cheek, sending its entire body flying across the field.
Tyranitar watched its trajectory and moved at once.
[Stone Edge]
It stomped the ground hard, and jagged spikes of stone erupted beneath Dragapult, aimed directly at its path.
Luckily, Dragapult's reflexes were just fast enough. Midair, it dove into another [Phantom Force] and reappeared on the far side of the field. Both sides of its head were now ringing, and it absolutely wasn't going anywhere near Tyranitar again.
"Already giving up?" Luo Yuan shook his head.
This Dragapult doesn't cut it. It's not just the strength—it doesn't have the will. Not like mine.
Still… it looked pitiful enough.
"Tyranitar, give 'em back," Luo Yuan said casually.
On command, Tyranitar slammed the ground.
A massive slab of rock jutted upward.
Then Tyranitar reared back its fist and smashed the stone with one clean punch. Shards exploded outward, rock chunks flying toward Dragapult in a rain of stone. At the same time, Tyranitar tied the two Dreepy together—like knotting socks—and flung them straight at Dragapult.
"Drii!"
The two Dreepy shrieked in panic.
But tangled together, no amount of wriggling could stop their helpless arc toward Dragapult.
Dragapult, already on edge, knew it couldn't risk a heavy counterattack—any large-scale move might hurt the Dreepy too.
There was only one option.
"[Protect]!"
A shimmering blue barrier shimmered into existence, completely encasing Dragapult.
Stones pelted the shield with a rapid crack-crack-crack, the force shaking the dome. The two bundled Dreepy slammed into the barrier with a loud smack, then slowly slid down its surface to the ground.
Dragapult released [Protect] and gently scooped up the two groaning Dreepy, untying them and placing them back on its head.
With two battered, wheezing passengers slumped across its head, Dragapult now looked… unintentionally hilarious.
Luo Yuan pressed his lips together, suppressing a smile.
But for the sake of appearances, he quickly straightened his expression and resumed a serious demeanor.
Leon's eye twitched as he watched Luo Yuan go from smirking to deadpan in a heartbeat.
You know, that just made it more obvious...
Truly a textbook case of "nothing to see here!"