The "free for all" continued. After the Hunters finally managed to focus fire and take down Cacturne, they watched helplessly as another Pokémon was sent out.
Yet… 'ANOTHER PSEUDO-LEGENDARY?!'
'DAMN IT!'
What was even the point of fighting now?
The Pokémon Hunters realized they had run into some truly hardcore opponents this time. With the helicopter destroyed, escaping wouldn't be easy either.
Split up and run for it and leave it to luck?
As Pokémon Hunters who lived with their lives strapped to their belts, cooperation was always temporary. When things got dire, it was every man for himself; totally normal behavior.
…But they hadn't even found a chance to slip away yet when Tyranitar kicked things off with a massive sandstorm.
"Krookodile, use Sand Tomb."
And it didn't stop there. With the terrain boosted by the sandstorm, Krookodile's Sand Tomb was instantly set up, targeted precisely at each opponent's feet.
"What a brilliant combo… Sandstorm with Sand Tomb. Garchomp, add chaos with Rock Slide!"
Cynthia couldn't help but praise them. Even though her Garchomp specialized in overwhelming force, that didn't mean she'd turn down the advantage of favorable terrain in a group battle.
Within the Sandstorm, Garchomp's speed in gathering Rock Slide skyrocketed, and even its control over the move became much smoother.
No need for more words. Garchomp opened with a wave of Rock Slide bombardment, immediately followed by Tyranitar's perfectly aimed Stone Edge.
After all, Tyranitar was the master of this sandstorm!
Togekiss might not benefit from the sandstorm -in fact, it was somewhat hindered- but that was only on the surface.
When it came to luck, Togekiss was already a natural-born champion.
…And if you added Mark into the mix?
Invincible.
Mark shouted excitedly, telling Togekiss to keep firing off Air Slash into the sandstorm. No need to aim, because in the face of luck, everything else was just a formality.
On the outer edges of the sandstorm, the two Lucario stood back-to-back, eyes closed, relying on Aura to sense the surroundings. Every now and then, they would fire off a single… precise Aura Sphere.
They weren't actively picking fights, just using the lock-on nature of Aura Sphere to hit targets with perfect accuracy.
Only Joseph had to withdraw his Gogoat and Gallade. In a sandstorm, using Psychic powers for scanning consumed too much effort and wasn't worth it at all.
Fortunately, both of his Pokémon knew plenty of healing moves, so they held down the rear line with solid defense.
A single sandstorm reshuffled the entire battlefield. The Pokémon left on Sato's side were all unaffected by the weather.
Garchomp and Krookodile even used the sandstorm to go beyond their limits, fighting at 120% power.
As for the Pokémon Hunters, most of their remaining Pokémon were Electric- and Fire-types, and even the rest were hampered by the sandstorm.
Ironically, the two Pokémon that should have withstood the weather -Bronzong and Magnezone- had already been taken out.
Coincidence?
Sato: It really was…
With visibility almost nonexistent and no hope of winning, the Hunters quickly chose to flee. Anyone who could run, did.
…But Tyranitar wasn't about to let them.
As the Desert Tyrant, it had absolute command over the sandstorm. It knew everything that happened within it.
Rock Tomb, Bulldoze, Rock Slide… one movement-restricting attack after another was executed by Tyranitar with ease. Its control was terrifying.
Whichever Hunter ran fastest, Tyranitar gave them special attention… going so far as to direct Garchomp and Krookodile to chase after them, determined to make them pay.
A dark cloud began gathering in the sky. Its unnatural speed gave away that it was the precursor of Rain Dance, summoned by a Pokémon.
"Joseph!"
"Got it. Meganium, Gogoat, use Sunny Day!" Joseph responded immediately, commanding both of his nearby Pokémon to activate the move.
Rain hadn't even started falling, but the sky had already cleared. The sandstorm turned even drier and more violent -just like a true desert sandstorm- forcing Togekiss to retreat.
Fine grains became sharp stones. Though Togekiss wasn't badly hurt, its smooth feathers had already been thoroughly disheveled by the wind, making it look absolutely miserable.
"Meganium, use Refresh on Togekiss! Gallade, Heal Pulse!"
Refresh -a move that typically only cures status conditions- had somehow been adapted by Joseph to tidy up appearances.
A pale glow swept over Togekiss, and its ruffled feathers instantly regained their smooth, glossy luster.
Then came Heal Pulse. The gentle pink energy soaked into Togekiss's snowy-white plumage, creating a strange fusion of purity and allure.
If only it weren't so chubby…
Togekiss: (メ｀[])/
---
While Togekiss was "getting a makeover," more and more Pokémon fainted within the sandstorm. Any that Tyranitar "took interest in" barely lasted five seconds.
Tyranitar, Garchomp, Krookodile, and the two Lucario were growing more and more coordinated, their strikes increasingly precise.
The Pokémon Hunters were going mad. In this place where they couldn't even see their own fingers, their enemies struck like ghosts, never lingering.
They couldn't escape, either. Every time they tried, they were blasted back by a wave of indiscriminate attacks.
Just now, the pale-faced man had taken a fist-sized rock to the head. Whether he was dead or just unconscious… no one knew.
Magmortar, Skuntank, Manectric, Electabuzz, Torkoal…
No one knew how much time had passed. In the sandstorm, aside from the howling wind, there was no other sound.
One after another, Garchomp, Krookodile, and the two Lucario withdrew. Then Tyranitar finally ended the sandstorm, revealing the miserable scene beneath it.
Over a dozen Pokémon and five Hunters lay sprawled across the ground, each partially buried in thick layers of sand and rock.
Thanks to Sand Tomb, the earliest ones to fall had already been mostly buried. The rest were either stuck in the ground or completely immobilized.
Of course, those unconscious couldn't move even if they wanted to…
Officer Jenny stood frozen, staring at the aftermath in disbelief. Unable to accept that this was all Sato's group's doing.
Even as a police officer, she found it all… a bit brutal.
If Sato knew Officer Jenny was labeling him that way, he probably wouldn't even bother rolling his eyes.
Never mind whether brutality even applied to dealing with people like this. Back in the day, he would've just had Tyranitar bury them whole and be done with it. It was a job the Pokémon was thoroughly skilled at.
Unlike now, where they even had to leave these people alive… waiting to be punished by the League.
Fortunately, the IceSwine meat scandal had already caused a massive uproar online. Someone had to take the blame.
And these Pokémon Hunters made for the perfect scapegoats. Their fate, clearly, would not be a good one.
With that thought, Sato finally felt at ease.