Red knew that the Earthquake had cost Tyranitar a massive amount of stamina.
He also knew Sam wouldn't let that opening slide.
"Tyranitar!" Red commanded instantly.
"Sand Stream! Condense the sand into armor!"
"Graaah!!"
Tyranitar roared, summoning the grit and debris scattered by the previous attack.
The sand swirled violently around him, hardening into a second layer of jagged rock armor over his skin.
His reaction speed is incredible, Sam noted silently.
But type and level advantages aren't so easily erased.
"Luca," Sam ordered calmly.
"Rock Smash."
"Rah!!"
Lucario let out a sharp cry. The aura beneath his feet solidified into a platform, and he kicked off with explosive force.
Arcs of energy flashed around his body as he shot toward Tyranitar like a meteor, his fist glowing with orange energy.
BOOM!
The impact was deafening.
Shards of rock flew into the air as the newly formed sand-armor shattered instantly.
Despite Tyranitar's massive three-meter frame, the force of the blow sent him skidding back dozens of meters, deep furrows carved into the ground by his claws.
Red's eyes narrowed. Terrifying power.
If I hadn't reinforced his defense with the sand, that single hit might have finished him.
Sam didn't give him time to breathe.
"Luca, Power-Up Punch!"
"Rah!"
Lucario blurred, his fists glowing with a dazzling white light as his attack power rose.
No, Red thought. We can't take another hit like that.
At close range, Tyranitar is at a severe disadvantage.
The pseudo-legendary of Johto was powerful, but against a nimble Fighting-type, he was a sitting duck in melee combat.
Red shifted tactics immediately.
"Tyranitar! Use Hydro Pump!"
"Roar!!"
Tyranitar stomped, and the shattered ground beneath him erupted.
A massive column of water, three meters thick, blasted upward and outward, aiming to catch the charging Lucario.
Sam raised an eyebrow. Hydro Pump?
It was a surprising coverage move, but he was ready.
"Cancel the attack," Sam said smoothly.
"Use Quick Attack to dodge."
Mid-charge, Lucario twisted his body.
White electricity flared around him as he kicked off the air, changing direction with impossible agility.
The massive jet of water smashed into empty space, obliterating a tree in the background, but Lucario landed safely to the side.
Distance had been re-established.
"Hydro Pump on a Tyranitar..." Sam chuckled softly.
"Interesting."
It was one of those quirks of Pokémon logic.
Rhyperior, who feared water, could learn Surf.
Gyarados, a Flying-type, couldn't fly but could learn Bounce. A
nd Groudon, the God of Earth, could learn Aerial Ace.
Logic often took a backseat to power in these battles.
But distance wouldn't save Red. Lucario's Special Attack was even more dangerous than his physical strikes.
"Luca, Aura Sphere."
"Rah!"
Lucario brought his palms together. Two swirling spheres of blue energy materialized instantly and were flung toward the behemoth.
Red had no choice but to defend.
"Tyranitar, Rock Tomb!"
Tyranitar slammed the ground again.
Pillars of rock erupted from the earth, forming a thick, defensive wall in front of him.
Bang! Bang!
The Aura Spheres smashed into the wall, blasting the rocks to dust.
Red grit his teeth. Rock and Dark moves do neutral damage to Lucario because of his Steel typing.
But Lucario's Fighting moves are super-effective—four times the damage—against Tyranitar.
The math was brutal.
If this dragged on, Tyranitar would be chipped away until he collapsed.
He needed a decisive blow.
"Tyranitar!" Red's voice carried the weight of a gamble.
"Body Press!"
"Graaah!!"
Tyranitar roared, abandoning defense. He charged forward, his massive body glowing with fighting energy.
Body Press used the user's defense stat to calculate damage—for a tank like Tyranitar, it was a devastating weapon.
Sam's eyes sharpened. He wants to end it in one clash. A true fighter's instinct.
"If he wants a decisive battle," Sam said, a grin spreading across his face, "then let's give him one. Luca, Close Combat!"
"Rah!!"
Lucario didn't back down. He launched himself straight at the charging giant.
The two collided in the center of the field.
Tyranitar's massive weight slammed into Lucario, burying the jackal under sheer force.
But at the same moment, Lucario unleashed a flurry of punches, his fists moving so fast they became a blur.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-CRACK!
Every punch landed on a weak point.
The dust settled.
Lucario skidded back, panting heavily, one arm clutching his side where the Body Press had connected.
But Tyranitar stood motionless for a second, before his eyes rolled back.
The quadruple weakness to Fighting-type moves was too much to overcome.
The giant swayed, then crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Cynthia stepped forward immediately, raising her flag.
"Tyranitar is unable to battle! Lucario wins!"
Red looked at his fallen Pokémon, then back at Sam.
Instead of frustration, the fighting intent in his eyes only burned brighter.
This was exactly why he had come all this way.
A rival who could push him to the limit.
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