Night fell.
Professor Bill, Ash, Silas, and the others, along with a bunch of Pokémon, enjoyed a delicious beach barbecue for dinner.
After dinner, Ash's group, along with Suzie and Giselle, accepted Professor Bill's invitation to witness the mysterious Pokémon. Already in the know, Silas declined and stayed behind alone on the beach.
"Pikachu!" As he watched the others leave, Silas's expression turned serious. "Go patrol around the lighthouse. If anyone tries to sneak up to the lighthouse tonight, blast them out of here with Thunderbolt!"
"Pikachu!"
Seeing Silas so stern, Pikachu nodded and sprinted off toward the lighthouse.
"What's up?" Once Pikachu had gone, Tyranitar broke its silence. "Why the sudden command?"
"Nothing special," Silas shook his head, but the sharp look on his face didn't let up. "I just don't want anyone interrupting the battle we're about to face."
"A tough fight?!" Tyranitar was taken aback by that. He knew Silas wasn't one to kid around. As a Pokémon who stood at the very pinnacle of Champion-level power, if even he could be dragged into a hard fight, the opponent must be truly terrifying. Instantly, the lazy emerald shimmer of Tyranitar's green eyes. "Is it really that strong?"
"Yeah." Silas nodded, sighing a bit. "I was hoping Charizard would wake up in time. If you two fought side by side, our victory would be all but certain. Looks like it's just going to be you, though, so I'm counting on you."
"I'll be ready." Tyranitar closed its eyes, body relaxing as it prepared for the coming showdown.
...
An hour passed.
"Wooooooooo—wooooooooo—wooooooooo—"
A deep, ancient, mournful cry echoed over the waves—heavy with endless loneliness.
Moments later, Bill's Lighthouse began emitting the same sound, obviously a recording Professor Bill had made, now blasting over loudspeakers far out to sea.
It's coming!
The moment the lighthouse's cry sounded, Tyranitar opened its eyes—it knew the opponent had arrived.
Silas narrowed his eyes, gazing out across the sea. He could just make out an enormous black shape moving across the water. The thing was colossal—he'd prepared himself mentally, but still gasped at just how gigantic it was. It was as tall as the lighthouse itself, perched high on the cliff.
"Wooooooooo—wooooooooo—wooooooooo—" The giant Dragonite drew near the lighthouse. There, finding no sign of the companions it sought, it let out a low, disappointed wail. Then it began to turn to leave.
Watching the giant Dragonite about to depart, Silas gave his command to Tyranitar: "Hyper Beam!"
"Tyranitar!" Tyranitar roared, launching a jet-black-and-white Hyper Beam straight at the Dragonite.
BOOM!
"Wooooo! Woooooo!"
An earth-shattering explosion ripped through Dragonite's body. The ancient Dragonite let out a pained, rumbling cry before a pressure of overwhelming force slammed down on the beach, locking onto Tyranitar and Silas.
"Watch it," Tyranitar warned, now fixed in that powerful creature's gaze.
"Yeah." Silas gave a tight nod, then ignored the pressure entirely and hollered to the giant Dragonite, "I know who you are. I know what you're searching for. And I know where what you seek is hiding. Give me one shot to challenge you—no matter who wins, I'll make sure you get to meet your companions!"
No sooner had Silas finished speaking than a deep, booming voice thundered across the sky: "Are you certain?"
Got it!
The voice made Silas's heart leap with excitement.
He had no doubt the voice belonged to Dragonite. If a hundred-year-old Tyranitar could speak human language, a thousand-year-old Dragonite sure as hell could. So he called out, loud and clear, "I'm certain!"
As soon as Silas replied, the giant Dragonite's body began to shift. Its massive form shrank, and shrank—still towering, but stopping at about six or seven meters tall. With a sharp swoosh, it vanished from the sea and reappeared right in front of Silas and Tyranitar.
"Human." This Dragonite wasn't gentle like most of its kind—instead, gruff and direct, it growled at Silas, "Tell me. What is it I seek?"
"Companions!" Silas answered instantly, voice full of confidence. "You're not searching for your own kind. What you want is companions—Pokémon just as ancient as you!"
"And where are they?" Dragonite's tone suddenly sharpened with urgency.
"I don't know." Silas's answer made Dragonite immediately disappointed, and it looked ready to get angry. But Silas quickly pressed on, "But I know they're definitely in deep sleep right now! Give me just one chance to challenge you, and win or lose, in three years I swear I'll bring you to them!"
"Hmph." Dragonite snorted, cold and skeptical. "Why should I believe you? You're just after my power. With that Tyranitar at your side, you could catch any ordinary Dragonite you wanted!"
"You're not wrong." Silas made no attempt to hide it, eyes narrowing. "I do want your power. I want to catch you. I've got nothing to make you trust me. But if I break my word, three years from now you can hunt me to the ends of the earth—take your revenge however you like, am I wrong?"
"Hmph." Dragonite's snort was suspicious, but now there was a hint of thoughtfulness in its eyes.
"And besides..." Watching Dragonite hesitate, Silas pressed, "You've waited in solitude for a thousand years. In all that time, have you ever found your companions? I'm offering you a chance to connect, and all I want is a shot—let me challenge you. Let me make you my companion. Isn't that fair?"
Companions!
That word hit Dragonite's deepest sorrow. At last, it made up its mind. "I'll give you this chance. But you'd better not break your promise!"
Back at Bill's Beach.
The air hung thick with tension—everything, even the sea breeze, seemed to halt.
Tyranitar and Dragonite stood face to face. Dragonite was clearly choosing to give Tyranitar the first move; Tyranitar waited, eyes locked on Silas.
Silas, seeing Dragonite's open invitation, didn't hesitate. "Show him why you're the Desert Tyrant!"
"Tyranitar!!!"
Tyranitar roared, and the sand of the beach rose into the air, swirling into two massive sand tornadoes—they circled Tyranitar, as if the Desert Tyrant were a king commanding armies.
"Gravity field!"
At Silas's order, a murky brown flash passed through Tyranitar's emerald eyes.
Dragonite's body suddenly went heavy, legs sinking deep into the sand.
"Not bad," Dragonite said with genuine admiration, not struggling in the least. "So young, yet you've mastered the power of earth to this degree. Your future is limitless."
So young?!
Dragonite's words made Silas's mouth twitch. Tyranitar was at least a hundred years old—a fossil by Pokémon standards. But compared to Dragonite, yeah, "young" was probably about right.
As Silas swallowed his embarrassment, Tyranitar was outright offended!
Tyranitar was no ordinary Pokémon. Bearing the title of Kanto's guardian deity, it stood among the world's strongest. To be evaluated so casually in the midst of battle—even by a superior—was over the line.
"Don't lose your cool," Silas soothed quietly, seeing Tyranitar bristle. "It's definitely stronger than us, but now's not the time for pride. Stick to the plan: wear it down with a string of Hyper Beams—don't go for power, just make it keep dodging!"
"Got it."
Tyranitar growled, then unleashed a wild barrage of purple-black Hyper Beams at Dragonite—like he had bottomless reserves.
Hah...
Seeing the plan, Dragonite's lips curled in a sly smile.
Dragonite had seen straight through Silas and Tyranitar's strategy. The gravity field made dodging genuinely tough. If Dragonite kept dodging, it'd eventually wear out. Tyranitar, on the other hand, was grounded and could draw power limitlessly from the earth—Hyper Beams cost him nothing. At this rate, Dragonite would naturally be the one to fall.
But would a Pokémon who'd survived a thousand years just let their enemy's plans play out?
As Tyranitar's relentless Hyper Beams shot in, Dragonite didn't even try to dodge. Instead, it instantly conjured a black Hyper Beam in its own mouth—firing straight at Tyranitar's barrage!
BOOM!
Hyper Beam vs. Hyper Beam!
Dragonite's black Hyper Beam immediately shattered Tyranitar's blasts, tearing through and barreling toward Tyranitar with crushing force.
"Protect!"
Seeing Dragonite had sidestepped his trap, Silas frowned and barked a command. A green glow shrouded Tyranitar's form.
BOOM!
"Tyranitar!"
The next instant, Dragonite's Hyper Beam smashed into Tyranitar's shield, erupting into a storm of smoke and dust. Even with Protect in place, the sheer force made Tyranitar roar with pain! When the smoke cleared, Tyranitar reappeared—haggard, wounded, and for the first time, looking truly battered.
What the...?
Is this thing really a Legendary Pokémon?!
Seeing Tyranitar's injuries, Silas stared at Dragonite in shock.
Tyranitar's mastery of earth had given it near-unmatched defense. And it had just activated Protect—no ordinary Champion-level Pokémon could smash through that, only a Legendary or a Champion burning their absolute last reserves.
But Dragonite looked utterly unfazed. Clearly, it hadn't spent all its energy on that strike. That had to mean—Dragonite was Legendary caliber, and then some!
While Silas reeled, Tyranitar surged forward!
THUD. THUD. THUD. Powerful steps slammed into the sand.
That snapped Silas back to reality. He cursed himself for hesitating—at this level, a few seconds' distraction could mean defeat. If Dragonite had been fighting seriously, those lost heartbeats could have let him attack two or three more times!
And an extra two or three attacks from a Legendary? That's the difference between life and death!
"Tyranitar!" As Tyranitar charged, Silas didn't try to call it back at all. He just shouted, "Mega Punch!"
"Tyranitar!"
Tyranitar's answer was a furious roar, and its clenched fist glowed an earthy brown.
Close combat, huh?
Seeing Tyranitar coming, Dragonite's lazy eyes finally sharpened—with a real hint of seriousness.
Tyranitar's defense was off the charts, near-equal to a Legendary Pokémon. Close combat was his only real shot at victory—of course Dragonite couldn't take it lightly.
By the time Dragonite got serious, Tyranitar was already upon him—the glowing, rock-hard fist whistled through the air and smashed right into Dragonite's face!
Crack!
Woooo~!
The dull thud of fist meeting flesh echoed.
Tyranitar's punch landed flush on Dragonite's jaw, drawing a cry of pain. Blue light instantly flared on Dragonite's fist—and Dragonite hammered back with a punch of its own, mercilessly...