Chapter 318: Larvitar's Rampage
"Go, Ahtam!"
Ahtam took the stage. Although some were disappointed, many others cheered for him. After all, they were all from the same tribe. It's not like they were going to cheer for Basalt.
"Will both trainers please select their first Pokémon and take their positions!"
The burly referee looked at both sides and quickly waved his flag.
"Go, Larvitar!"
"Go, Camerupt!"
Both trainers sent out their first Pokémon.
At the same time, Larvitar's "sand control" ability activated. The sand on the ground began to move without any wind, quickly sweeping up and enveloping the entire field. Since this Camerupt didn't have the Sand Stream ability, Larvitar no longer suppressed its own power. Once the sandstorm was up, its Special Defense would also get a nice boost.
"It can freely control the sand... He really is a warrior acknowledged by the Desert God."
Some in the crowd had seen Basalt before, but for many, this was their first time. Seeing Larvitar use "Sand Stream," they were all astonished.
"A Larvitar with the Sand Stream ability? That's unheard of!"
Up on the high platform, even some of the tribal elders looked surprised. This was truly a sight to behold.
"And I've heard," another elder spoke up, "that this Larvitar has also mastered a special quicksand secret technique with multiple effects. It's very frightening. I'm eager to see it for myself today."
"Indeed, we must watch closely." The Chieftain, Khara-Khan, whose beard was as thick as a lion's mane, said, "Although this secret technique is also a sandstorm tactic, it seems to be a strong counter to our own sandstorm Pokémon. We must take this opportunity to observe it carefully and find a way to counter it. Otherwise, the Roba Tribe's art of sandstorm battling may be surpassed."
Khara-Khan looked rough, but he was sharp. Basalt's strength wasn't high, but his "Quicksand Domain" had already put the Chieftain on high alert.
Hearing this, everyone on the high platform nodded in agreement, including Adil. The Roba Tribe could not afford to fall behind.
Even though exciting battles were erupting on the other seven rings, all the important figures of the Roba Tribe had their eyes fixed on Basalt's.
"Camerupt, Earthquake!"
The battle began, and Ahtam went on the offensive. He had heard about Larvitar's tricky Quicksand Domain. In that case, it was best not to even give it a chance to use it. This was why he was opening with his big move.
A powerful seismic wave radiated from Camerupt, the ground buckling and rolling with immense power. It was clear that Ahtam's Camerupt had a high-level mastery of Ground-type moves.
But unfortunately for him, he had underestimated Larvitar.
As Larvitar's own Ground-type power surged, its "resonance" instantly reduced the sand's viscosity to almost zero. Its sand control ability flared, and the Quicksand Domain took shape.
The moment the earthquake's shockwave hit the Quicksand Domain, its transmission speed was sharply reduced, and it struggled to move forward. And while Camerupt's Earthquake was a one-time move, Larvitar's Quicksand Domain was a continuous effect.
The moment the Earthquake stopped, the Quicksand Domain expanded again, quickly enveloping Camerupt.
"It's here! That massive range... it's terrifying!"
"It seems to just be an application of the Sand Stream ability, but with Larvitar's strength, it shouldn't be able to control that much sand. Sand is heavy, and moving it creates immense resistance. The difficulty of making quicksand flow is much greater than just kicking up a sandstorm. Unfortunately, I can't see the key to this technique."
The Roba elders stared intently at Larvitar, their concentration like that of schoolchildren, not daring to miss a single detail. Unfortunately, the "resonance" was too subtle for them to perceive. And even if they had, they would have just assumed it was part of the standard Sand Tomb move, unable to grasp the deeper principle.
The first clash went to Larvitar.
"Huh? This Camerupt... it's not affected by the quicksand?" Basalt was shocked.
Although Camerupt was standing in the middle of the quicksand, it didn't seem to be affected, and was steadily advancing towards Larvitar, the fire energy on its back stirring restlessly.
"Hahaha, outsider! Don't celebrate too early. Camerupt is the ship of the desert! Its hooves are as wide as plates. Because its feet are so large, its weight is evenly distributed over a large surface, which prevents it from sinking into the quicksand!"
Ahtam laughed maniacally, his face full of pride. "So your quicksand is useless against my Camerupt!"
Ahtam wasn't a fool. On the contrary, he was a careful planner. He had done his research before challenging Basalt, and now his preparations were paying off.
"Camerupt, now—" Ahtam waved his hand and roared, "Eruption!"
BOOM!
Roaring flames erupted from the two volcano-like humps on Camerupt's back. Black smoke billowed out, carrying an terrifying temperature. And Ahtam had timed it perfectly, at the exact moment Basalt and Larvitar were stunned by the Quicksand Domain's failure.
And so, Larvitar was engulfed in the superheated black smoke.
"A direct hit!" Ahtam was overjoyed.
The oasis his tribe lived in was next to a volcano. He often used the volcano's fire energy to raise the temperature of his Camerupt's flames and smoke. The chance of its Eruption inflicting a "Burn" was extremely high.
"Yuji!"
A surprised cry came from within the smoke.
A moment later, Larvitar walked out of the smoke, but its body now bore a visible burn mark.
Ahtam's eyebrow shot up, and he chuckled. "Looks like it was a success!"
Once Larvitar was burned, its Attack would be sharply reduced, which by extension would make it harder to control its Quicksand Domain. It was a one-two punch.
Without the Quicksand Domain, one Earthquake from Camerupt would be enough to send Larvitar packing.
"This Camerupt is very well-raised! Both its Ground and Fire aspects are top-notch."
Seeing Basalt in a pinch, the elders in the stands felt a sense of relief. They temporarily forgot their frustration at not being able to figure out the Quicksand Domain and began to praise their own.
But in the next second, the smiles on the elders' faces froze.
Sshh-ssh-ssh...
Sshh-ssh-ssh...
Even though Larvitar was clearly in a "Burn" state, strangely, the Quicksand Domain not only didn't weaken, but the sand actually began to flow faster and faster.
Not only that, there was no look of pain on Larvitar's face. On the contrary, it looked invigorated.
"What's going on?"
No one understood.
And now, Larvitar had begun its counter-attack.
"Yuji!" (▼ヘ▼#)
Sharp rocks materialized and shot towards Camerupt, whistling through the air, unstoppable.
"What is happening? Why is this Larvitar's attack power so much higher than it was three days ago?"
Ahtam's eyes were wide, unable to accept this. He had been there when Basalt had fought Akbar. Larvitar hadn't been this strong then, had it?
And besides, you're burned! Even if your attack is strong, it should be drastically reduced!
But the ferocious Larvitar in front of him didn't look like its attack had been reduced at all.
RUMBLE!
Soon, Camerupt was buried under a pile of rocks, its body covered in wounds.
After the first Stone Edge, while Camerupt was still unstable, Larvitar followed up with a Dig. The latter quickly lost consciousness.
Seeing this, the entire arena was in an uproar.
No one understood what had just happened.
"My Larvitar's ability is 'Guts.' Your Eruption... you really shot yourself in the foot," Basalt said, scratching his head.
It was also Larvitar's fault for its "sand control" being too convincing. Everyone had assumed its ability was "Sand Stream," never imagining it was a "fake."
Guts: when the Pokémon has a status condition, its Attack is boosted, and it is not affected by the attack-lowering side effect of a burn.
So, Camerupt's attack hadn't been an attack at all. It had been an assist.
"Yuji!" (￣へ￣)
Its power boosted, Larvitar was even more excited. This felt amazing!
This time, I'm going on a rampage!
"Yuji! Yuji!"
Larvitar angrily gestured at Ahtam. Hurry up and send in the next one!
Having no choice, Ahtam recalled his Camerupt and sent out his next Pokémon.
But in the Quicksand Domain, and against a powered-up Larvitar, his second and third Pokémon didn't last long at all and were easily defeated.
Larvitar had made good on its promise and had gone on a rampage.
"A clean sweep?"
The crowd was dead silent, as if they had lost the ability to speak.
This... this wasn't logical! Larvitar's burn marks were clearly visible. That was a real burn. But why was it completely unaffected? And why was it so ferocious?
Only Ahtam was completely dejected, slinking off the ring in a daze. He hadn't won a single round. At the bonfire tonight, he wouldn't be able to hold his head high.
He'd been the one to get eaten. Damn it!
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