Charizard and Corviknight landed, and Xia Luo recalled Corviknight into its Poké Ball. The Corviknight was merely a rented transport, unreliable in a real fight. Xia Luo pulled out two more Poké Balls, releasing his Magcargo and Gastrodon.
Magcargo's back bore a shell encrusted with molten lava. For millennia, Magcargo had dwelled in volcanic craters, its body transforming into magma. Its core temperature was said to reach 10,000 degrees, causing steam to billow when raindrops struck it, enveloping its surroundings in thick fog.
Its shell, formed from cooled magma skin, shattered at a touch but regenerated in molten lava. Magcargo's body pulsed with heat, and bursts of searing flame occasionally erupted from cracks in its solidified shell.
In games, Magcargo was underwhelming, crippled by a quadruple weakness to Water and Ground, paired with low Special Defense. A single Water-type move could knock it out. But in reality, Magcargo performed far better. The Fire-type Heavenly King of the Northwest, Yalikun, had made his ace Magcargo a legend. During the Heavenly King qualifiers, trailing by three Pokémon, Yalikun's Magcargo achieved a stunning one-versus-four sweep, elevating the species' value tenfold.
Rumors claimed Yalikun's Magcargo, a Champion-tier specimen, burned so intensely that standard Poké Balls couldn't contain it, requiring specialized ones. Any Pokémon reaching Champion-tier underwent a qualitative leap.
Xia Luo's Magcargo, however, was no such prodigy. One of his many Pokémon, it had limited potential, rated at Gym Leader-tier. Unremarkable among Fire-types, it was still well-suited to counter Braviary and Staraptor.
Gastrodon, meanwhile, was Xia Luo's go-to for Gym Leader qualifiers. A mainstay in his roster, it was tailored for Fire-type battles, where rules mandated at least three Fire-type Pokémon per trainer, ensuring most opponents relied heavily on Fire-types.
With its Water/Ground typing, Gastrodon countered Fire-types effectively, though its quadruple Grass weakness made it vulnerable to Fire-types wielding Solar Beam—a notable flaw.
Yet Gastrodon's rare Storm Drain ability was exceptional. [*Storm Drain*]: Redirects Water-type moves to itself, negating damage and boosting Special Attack. This allowed Gastrodon to neutralize opposing Fire-types and counter Water-type threats, making it a versatile asset.
---
Almost simultaneously, Braviary and Staraptor landed before them. Two masked men dismounted.
"Return, Braviary."
"Return, Staraptor."
The men recalled their Pokémon and each tossed out a Poké Ball.
A near-Heavenly King-tier Excadrill.
A near-Heavenly King-tier Hippowdon.
Hippowdon roared, summoning a raging sandstorm. Its [*Sand Stream*]: Triggers a sandstorm upon entering battle, was unmistakable.
Facing this near-Heavenly King-tier duo—dubbed the Sandstorm Brothers—Xia Yu knew they were outmatched. Escape was their only option.
Hippowdon's Sand Stream alone posed a massive threat to Xia Luo's team, but Excadrill's [*Sand Rush*]: Doubles speed in a sandstorm, made it a nightmare. Together, they could overwhelm even a standard Heavenly King-tier Pokémon.
"Xia Luo, Xia Yu, surrender, and you'll suffer less," said the taller man, wearing a hound mask. His voice was gruff, distinctly masculine.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Xia Luo remained composed, his gaze icy as he questioned them.
"You'll find out when you come with us," replied the other, a lanky man in a monkey mask, nearly two meters tall. His voice was softer, weathered, suggesting he was older than his partner.
"No more talk. Attack! Excadrill, Drill Run!" the monkey-masked man commanded.
Excadrill, boosted by Sand Rush, became a blur in the sandstorm. Spinning like a drill, it charged Magcargo. [*Drill Run*]: A physical Ground-type move that strikes while rotating, with a high critical-hit chance.
A quadruple-weak Magcargo, even with its sturdy shell, would be devastated by a direct hit.
"Gastrodon, Rain Dance!" Xia Luo ordered.
[*Rain Dance*]: A Water-type status move that summons rain, altering the weather.
"Magcargo, use Yawn on Excadrill!"
[*Yawn*]: A Normal-type status move that induces drowsiness, causing the target to fall asleep next turn.
Xia Luo's commands were precise. Gastrodon's Rain Dance shifted the weather to rain, nullifying the sandstorm and Excadrill's Sand Rush. Then, Magcargo unleashed Yawn, a wave of Normal-type energy forming a white cloud that sped toward Excadrill.
But Excadrill's speed in the fading sandstorm was too great. It dodged the cloud effortlessly. In games, Yawn was a guaranteed hit unless the target was airborne or underground, but reality offered no such certainty—moves had to connect to work.
"Hippowdon, Take Down!" the hound-masked man barked.
Hippowdon lumbered forward, charging Gastrodon with terrifying force, as if intent on crushing it outright.
---
*Boom!*
A radiant orb shot from the distance, striking Excadrill with pinpoint accuracy. The impact sent Excadrill tumbling, rolling across the ground before stopping, a deep dent in its side testament to the attack's power.
"That's Aura Sphere!" Xia Yu exclaimed.
Following the orb's trajectory, he saw a Lucario leap from the jungle, positioning itself between Gastrodon and Hippowdon.
[*Lucario*]
Gender: Male
Type: Fighting/Steel
Potential: Champion-tier (upgradable)
Strength: Champion-tier
Ability: Justified
Moves: Copycat, Feint, Helping Hand, Rock Smash, Aura Sphere, Vacuum Wave, Detect, Reversal, Screech, Quick Attack, Final Gambit, Life Dew, Counter, Work Up, Force Palm, Calm Mind, Metal Sound, Quick Guard, Bone Rush, Swords Dance, Healing Pulse, Meteor Mash, Dragon Pulse, Extreme Speed, Close Combat, Bite, Blaze Kick, Cross Chop, Bullet Punch, Circle Throw, Take Down, Agility, Protect, Low Sweep, Trailblaze, Endure, Aerial Ace, Stomping Tantrum, Metal Claw, Rock Tomb, Low Kick, Brick Break, Zen Headbutt, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Drain Punch, Earthquake, Stone Edge
An overwhelming sense of security washed over Xia Yu. With this Champion-tier Lucario standing before him, the Sandstorm Brothers didn't stand a chance. Let Lucario handle them—that was all it would take.