Deep within Mt. Silver—core zone.
With Dragonite accelerating, the more primeval region finally came into view.
Along the way, Pokémon far stronger than that Ursaring attacked. Most memorable was a 11–12-meter Steelix.
It lay in wait in a high ridge and, with astonishing spring for its bulk, leapt up to Dragonite's altitude as they passed, iron tail ready to coil around Dragonite and Lucas.
At Dragonite's usual cruising height, Steelix would have had no chance—but Lucas had chosen low altitude to deter poachers.
Thankfully, Dragonite reacted instantly, shaping the wind with its honed skill to slide aside by a hair's breadth, then blasted an Overheat/Fire Blast—hammering Steelix back into the mountains.
The scorching dragonflame baked Steelix ceaselessly. Fire being its weakness, it could only dig down in disgrace to snuff the flames and dodge retaliation.
Lucas and Dragonite didn't linger for payback. Steelix's presence actually delighted them.
A Steelix that size and strength wouldn't live on the outskirts. Its appearance meant they were nearing the core area—where Tyranitar typically dwell.
"Tribe" is a bit of a misnomer. Tyranitar are very territorial, like Ursaring—male Tyranitar are possessive and don't tolerate intruders.
Once fully evolved, they're adults. Adult males won't allow other males in their territory, which means newly evolved young males face a father who "changes face" and drives them out.
Females only cohabitate during egg protection. Once the offspring are driven off, if a female fancies the male, she may stay; otherwise she returns to or seeks her own territory.
So Tyranitar generally go solo.
Lucas wasn't after lone Tyranitar. Solitary adults don't prioritize soil nutrient content—they're rock/dark now, not rock/ground.
They can and will find better food than dirt.
But breeding pairs are different. They instinctively seek regions with the richest subterranean nutrients and claim them.
Even if occupied, few wild Pokémon can match a Tyranitar—let alone two. The incumbent usually leaves resentfully, and the pair become lord and lady, proceeding with childrearing.
At high noon, Lucas and Dragonite finally found signs pointing to Tyranitar.
A bare, open rocky hill lacked vegetation.
The once clear blue was smeared with a thick, gray-yellow sand veil, like a torn sky washed with chaos.
The air reeked of dry grit; even at a distance, Lucas's nose stung with it.
Sand, driven by the gale, blurred into waves. Closer in, beyond the roar of wind, faint, chilling bestial bellows echoed within the sandstorm.
Even in the air, Lucas and Dragonite felt the ground tremble.
Tyranitar's standard ability is Sand Stream—that's why it's the Desert Tyrant. But a single Tyranitar wouldn't kick up this much fuss for nothing.
Lucas yanked out his desert gear and changed right on Dragonite's back.
When he'd strapped on the last—sand goggles—he patted Dragonite.
"Let's go in and see if it's what we think."
Full coverage in summer is uncomfortable, but better than diving into a world of biting grit and getting sand in your eyes, nose, and skin.
Dragonite dipped its head, held its breath, and plunged into the suspected Tyranitar territory.
…
Meanwhile, in a mountain city in northeastern Johto—
Lance was helping his clan prepare for tomorrow's Dragon Cland meeting when his comm chirped. Despite his flamboyant red hair, he was unfailingly courteous. He excused himself and stepped aside to take the call.
"This is…"
Reading a colleague's message, Lance's face went grave, his presence turning stern.
Regular poachers wouldn't faze him—but the source mattered: a Champion-tier trainer from Paldea, and the recent hero who saved the Orange Archipelago.
Officer Jenny in Goldenrod had reported a Team Rocket Grunt attack on him two days ago, putting Johto on edge—they couldn't slight such a guest.
And now this champion trainer had slipped into restricted Mt. Silver without a word—clearly not via the front gate, judging by the coordinates—using a poacher route.
Headache. That violated regulations, but the League couldn't punish him for it.
Worse, if he saw poachers running amok, how would Kanto/Johto HQ hold its head up before other Leagues?
And Lance's own sense of justice—as an investigator—couldn't abide poachers.
"Cousin, why the long face? You're only in your twenties!"
A blue-haired girl—Lance's opposite in hair color—popped up, hands clasped behind her back, peering at him.
Lance tucked the comm into his cloak and kept a straight face. "Urgent mission. I'll leave my duties to you. No problem?"
"Mm fine. Since you asked so nicely, I'll help" she teased—Clair, who'd idolized him since childhood.
"I didn't ask nicely. Just don't mess up. Tomorrow's guests are dragon specialists from all Leagues—very important for our clan."
Lance sighed. Ever since she'd grown up, she'd become harder to handle.
He flipped his cloak and strode out.
If Kanto/Johto's little fans saw that signature move, they'd scream and faint.
Outside, with wind rising, Lance mounted a Dragonite—different from Lucas's in many ways—and shot toward Mt. Silver near Blackthorn.
…
At the same time, the poachers' jeep fully entered Mt. Silver's depths.
Grateful for his full kit—and for not being flayed by razor-like sand—
Lucas and Dragonite crouched behind a massive boulder, enduring the ground's violent shaking, eyes locked on three blurry shapes amid the storm.
"It's them—no way. A Duraludon in Kanto!?"
In the swirling sands, two gray-green titans roared, their bodies clad in jagged armor. Every move drew a pained groan from the earth; thunderous booms never ceased. The area endured an unending quake.
Facing the two Tyranitar was, as Lucas exclaimed, a Duraludon.
Like Tyranitar, Duraludon was a bipedal kaiju, but its body was aluminum-alloyed metal—a heavy frame planted in the storm, unshaken by quakes or wind.
It looked like two Godzillas versus Mechagodzilla—but Lucas's shock was at Duraludon.
Duraludon is a Gen 8 Galar Pokémon—steel/dragon. What was it doing on Mt. Silver?
Duraludon let out a dragon's threat, jaw gaping. While grappling one Tyranitar, it spat silvery beams to clash with the other Tyranitar's pitch-black pulses.
For now, it wasn't at a disadvantage.
Watching the three behemoths clash amid the roar, Lucas frowned, recalling something.
In Galar, Duraludon and Tyranitar share habitats and both feed on rock strata, making them recognized nemeses.
They fight almost on sight—not necessarily to the death, but the winner drives the other off.
These two Tyranitar seemed young. Duraludon was splitting the field and tying them up. The Tyranitar held back—never using simultaneous quakes that would devastate Duraludon—and their moves were restrained, more like guarding than contesting territory.
Lucas's eyes widened. He felt close to the truth.
This wasn't a young Tyranitar pair invading Duraludon's turf—it was a wily Duraludon provoking them, hoping they'd hold back ground moves to avoid collateral damage so it could force a decision.
Tyranitar can shake the land with a step—their power is mountain-cracking. Even with Pokédex exaggeration, this was too little disturbance.
That was why outside the sandstorm Lucas and Dragonite couldn't be sure if it was Tyranitar or a Sandaconda.
From outside, they'd barely felt tremors—too mild for Tyranitar.
Which left one truth!
Underground below them lay the pair's offspring—hatched Larvitar eating soil. The parents were holding back ground moves to avoid harming it!
Fell into his lap—the half day of searching had paid off.
Lucas's eyes lit up. He summoned two expert diggers—the Alolan Sandslash couple.
Their steel claws were thick and sharp, capable of tearing through most mountains.
"Shah-shah."
They emerged and looked around nervously at the sandblasted world and the three battling titans. They weren't strong among wilds; their claim to fame was digging. They'd never seen such a scene.
Luckily, steel types shrug off sandstorm chip, so they weren't as miserable as Dragonite, who couldn't part the sand without drawing attention.
Seeing their unease, Lucas gave them a look: relax—I've got you.
Perhaps thanks to meeting the farm's powerful Pokémon, Lucas's assurance carried weight. They calmed.
He carefully took a burlap sack from his spatial pack and whispered, "Follow the strongest life signature underground. Don't hurt it. Just keep digging out the soil around it and fill this bag."
"If it wakes, tell me. I'll go in and soothe it."
In Blueberry Academy's Terarium he'd learned that their tunnels fit him just right—no stuck hips or head.
If the eat-sleep-eat Larvitar woke from their noise, he'd use his usual tricks to calm it—without alerting the parents above.
"Shah!"
The couple nodded and started clawing at a spot. In a few breaths, the new tunnel had nearly swallowed them.
Efficient indeed.
Lucas released Serperior next.
It emerged with an immediate scowl—it loathed sandstorm weather. Stay a bit and all elegance was gone.
It quietly wove a vine redoubt for itself.
Seeing Dragonite's pitiful look, Serperior sighed and made one for it too.
Sized to fit under their boulder, and with Serperior's expert energy control, the grass signature was negligible. The battling trio wouldn't notice.
Lucas eyed the shelters enviously but stopped Serperior from making one for him.
"I may have to go down. The biggest threat to me is if the Tyranitar lose their heads and go all-out with Earthquake. If you see them about to risk it anyway—show yourselves and pin them."
"Okay?"
"Serpe" "Drago"
Serperior was haughty—who did Lucas think it was? Subduing those brutes was trivial.
Whether by crafty Grass Knot or raw power, it was 100% confident.
Dragonite, too, brimmed with confidence. Those Tyranitar and Duraludon were strong, but limited—and it had improved lately.
Not letting them get a quake off? Easy.
With instructions given, Lucas peered into the deep tunnel—no sign of the Sandslash pair—and slipped in without hesitation.
Time to stock up on nutrient-dense soil!
The dozens of burlap sacks in his spatial pack were raring to go!