Charizard had fallen. Under Tyranitar's Rock Slide death trap, being able to fly had turned into a liability.
But when Sato saw the fourth Pokémon Lance sent out, he couldn't help but make a snarky remark…
"Soooo… you really are the 'Flying Master' Elite Four, huh~?"
"EROOOOOO!"
A piercing cry echoed across the battlefield. The Aerodactyl -once thought to be long extinct- appeared before the world once again.
Sato had known that Lance would eventually catch an Aerodactyl, but he hadn't expected it to happen this soon, let alone that it would become one of his main battlers.
A hidden ace?
It seemed so.
But everyone had aces. His Tyranitar was no slouch either!
The battle resumed the moment the referee's whistle blew.
In a blink, Aerodactyl vanished into the sky.
Tyranitar's battle instincts kicked in, and it immediately commanded nearby stones to form a defensive ring.
The next second, Aerodactyl slammed straight into Tyranitar's relatively vulnerable abdomen, its gleaming head charged with concentrated Steel-type energy.
Iron Head!
Right at the start, Aerodactyl demonstrated monstrous speed, already on par with Sharpedo after three Speed Boosts.
And right between Tyranitar and Aerodactyl, the half-formed stone armor shattered completely as Iron Head struck dead center on the steel-gray armor of Tyranitar's abdomen.
Tyranitar was driven backward, its thick legs carving deep furrows in the ground, and it only managed to stop by using its tail as a brace.
A pained, furious cry rang out. Tyranitar grabbed tightly onto Aerodactyl's front claws, refusing to let it retreat back into the sky.
But Aerodactyl had never intended to retreat after one hit. Its fanged jaws suddenly opened wide, now coated in icy energy, and clamped down hard on Tyranitar's shoulder.
Ice Fang!
Crunch!
"…Taaaaar."
The abdomen and shoulders -Tyranitar's relatively weaker armored areas- had both been struck in quick succession by Aerodactyl.
Its ancient predatory instincts, refined over millions of years, made each attack seem terrifying and deadly.
But Tyranitar wasn't about to back down. In this era, it was the ruler… not some prehistoric relic.
"Payback."
Sato's command came at just the right moment, perfectly aligned with what Tyranitar had already resolved internally.
Dark energy surged, fueled by the pain and fury of being ambushed. Tyranitar's entire body gleamed black as it crashed violently into Aerodactyl!
BOOOOOM!
Aerodactyl was sent flying, tumbling across the ground several times before finally skidding to a halt.
What mattered most was that Tyranitar didn't just let go… it gave a vicious yank after Payback landed.
Aerodactyl's front claws were connected to its wing membranes. Now, it could clearly feel that its wings had been nearly torn apart.
When it came to savagery, Tyranitar was just as brutal as Aerodactyl… perhaps even more so, thanks to its stronger physique and heavier defenses, allowing it to go all-out without holding back!
"Charge in. Iron Tail."
"TYRAAAAN!!!"
Tyranitar roared with excitement. Its seemingly short, thick legs covered ten meters in each stride. In just two or three steps, it closed the distance to Aerodactyl.
This was the effect of manipulating Ground-type energy; almost like shrinking the distance between steps.
A flash of silver whipped through the air as Iron Tail came down hard… but missed.
Aerodactyl flapped its wings and shot high into the air. The torn wing muscles weren't visible from the outside, but they had clearly affected its flight speed.
Its earlier dodge had relied on its exceptional burst power.
On the other side, though Iron Head and Ice Fang had done significant damage to Tyranitar, they hadn't affected its overall combat capability.
Thick armor meant it could do whatever it wanted!
Without a word, Tyranitar swung its arm again, unleashing another full-scale barrage of rock spikes aimed straight at Aerodactyl. Determined to shoot it down!
Yet even with its speed hindered, Aerodactyl still handled Rock Slide far more easily than Charizard ever could.
Its wings gleamed silver and were enough to block most attacks aimed at its relatively softer body.
Combined with Iron Head and Iron Tail, the rock spikes couldn't break through its defenses at all.
But things couldn't go on like this. No matter how resistant Aerodactyl was to Rock Slide, if it didn't attack, there was no way it could win.
So, once its torn muscles had recovered slightly, Aerodactyl wasted no time. It dove from high above, ready to clash head-on with Tyranitar again.
This time, it was even more aggressive!
A spiral of gold and purple energy wrapped around Aerodactyl's body as it ignored the wall of stone spikes and charged straight at Tyranitar.
Giga Impact!
No fear, just brute force.
The battle hadn't even gone on that long, yet Aerodactyl was already going all in. The sheer pace caught Sato by surprise.
But Tyranitar didn't hesitate either. It surged forward, its massive body now surrounded by the same swirling energy.
'Giga Impact? Tch. Who doesn't know that?'
Then, Tyranitar leapt forward and smashed straight into the diving Aerodactyl.
Giga Impact -⚔️- Giga Impact!
The two spirals clashed head-on, and for a moment, neither side gave an inch.
But the fact that it was a draw only proved that Tyranitar held the advantage.
One attack came from above, the other from below. As long as gravity still applied, the one jumping up was always at a disadvantage.
The next moment, the Giga Impact from below surged again, sending Aerodactyl flying.
Boom! Boom!
Two heavy crashes echoed across the field. Tyranitar and Aerodactyl hit the ground almost simultaneously.
Tyranitar landed upright, glaring forward with an arrogant, unyielding gaze.
Aerodactyl lay flat on the ground, and due to Giga Impact's side effects, couldn't get back up right away.
…Looking a bit pathetic.
Tyranitar didn't press the attack, though. It had also been affected by the move's recoil and was currently in a stunned state.
For a moment, the field fell into an eerie silence…
Only then did Sato and Lance finally look at each other.
"You haven't had Aerodactyl for long, have you?" Sato broke the silence. Something he had already deduced from the battle.
Lance didn't deny it, and proudly added, "It was already strong to begin with. It took a lot of effort for me to earn its trust!"
Looking at the smug Lance, paired with the Aerodactyl still flailing helplessly on the ground, Sato couldn't help but feel something was off…
The moment passed quickly, and both Pokémon recovered from the recoil state at almost the same time.
Sato and Lance locked eyes.
They both understood what the other was about to do.
"One last move! Giga Impact!"
"TYL!!"
Aerodactyl soared into the air again, then dove straight down with the spiral energy forming around it once more.
"Tyranitar, us too. Giga Impact."
"TAAARRRR!"
Tyranitar let out a thunderous roar, eyes gleaming with excitement.
There was no doubt. This kind of full-force clash was exactly what it loved most.
If you're not convinced, then let's prove it with a real fight… and beat you into submission!
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¹. This "---◓------◓------◓---" at the end of a ch, means "cut, next scene", just in case.