Roxanne's Lileep landed steadily in the arena, squaring off against Tyrunt. The two fossil Pokémon's unique silhouettes instantly drew every eye on-site and in the stream.
Lileep looks like a strange mutated plant: its body is pale purple, its base a sucker that seems to anchor it.
Most striking is its crown.
From a dark-purple calyx sprout seven or eight pink-white, fleshy tentacles; their tips blush pink and unfurl like eerie petals.
At the center sits a pitch-black orb with two round yellow eyes—no mouth—giving a weird, unsettling stare.
At that moment, the creature's data flashed in Lionel's eyes.
Pokémon: Lileep
Type: Rock / Grass
Category: Sea Lily Pokémon
Ability: Suction Cups—glues itself to the ground, blocking forced switches and items.
Moves: Ingrain, Confuse Ray, Acid, Ancient Power, Mega Drain, Brine, Giga Drain, Mud Shot…
Roxanne glanced at her partner and gave the first order: "Lileep, observe and Ingrain."
Lileep gently swayed its petal-like arms; from its base snaked numerous tendrils that, with soft crackles, bored into the rocky field.
The move saps energy from the earth, slowly restoring stamina. Unsure of Tyrunt's strength or move set, Roxanne chose a steady, attrition-based opening.
She would lean on Ingrain's sustainability, firming her footing before committing to a fuller battle plan.
Against ordinary trainers this measured strategy is nearly optimal—drag out the fight, seize initiative, and enjoy high fault-tolerance.
But her opponent was Lionel. As if fate favored him, Roxanne had swapped her usual Gym lineup for the Grass/Rock Lileep.
Lionel's prior intensive training with Tyrunt in Petalburg Woods now looked like foresight tailor-made to dismantle Lileep.
Pokémon: Tyrunt
Type: Rock / Dragon
Category: Royal Heir Pokémon
Ability: Strong Jaw—boosts the power of biting moves.
Moves: …Dragon Tail (master), Stomp (beginner), Dragon Dance (proficient), Ice Fang (proficient)
The instant Lileep rooted, Lionel barked, "Tyrunt, show them our Petalburg drill!"
Tyrunt, already poised, stamped its limbs among the rocks. Its head swung, tail whipped to a secret rhythm, and a faint crimson aura blossomed around it.
One of the best Dragon support moves: Dragon Dance.
"Not good!" Roxanne's face tightened as she read Lionel's intent.
Ingrain's healing comes at the cost of mobility; if Tyrunt finished its dance and powered up, she'd be forced onto the back foot.
"Lileep, Ancient Power! Wide spread—break its tempo!"
At her command the tendrils stopped spreading; the petals snapped shut, then flung open as countless stones materialized and shot toward Tyrunt.
Ancient Power's damage is modest but covers a huge arc and can raise all stats; Roxanne aimed to disrupt the dance and maybe snag a boost.
"Keep moving—don't stop!" Lionel's voice stayed calm and firm.
Tyrunt showcased its training: weaving through the hail of rocks, rolling, using crags as cover—yet never losing the cadence of Dragon Dance.
The red glow deepened; its Attack and Speed rose steadily as the little dinosaur flashed between the stones.
Dragon Dance—successful.
"To keep the rhythm while dodging…" Roxanne's brows drew together.
Viewers in the stream and spectators in the stands erupted—"Damn, that footwork! Can Dragon Dance even be used like that?!"
"Dragon Dance complete! Lileep's in danger!"
"Tyrunt's absolutely cracked—I'm stealing that moving Dragon Dance tech!"
"Dream on, mate. First you need an actual Dragon-type Pokémon."
"..."
In the end, Lileep's Ancient Power neither interrupted Tyrunt's Dragon Dance nor triggered any secondary effect.
Now buffed by Dragon Dance, the little dinosaur's muscles stood out in sharp relief; amber eyes flashed like blades as it shot forward, a red bolt racing straight for Lileep.
"Lileep, Seed Machine Gun—shut that Tyrunt down!"Roxanne snapped.
Lileep's funnel-shaped petals snapped shut, then burst open again; at their center, the pistil glowed with countless jade-green motes.
With a whistling hiss, fist-sized emerald beads fanned out, sealing every approach in a dense barrage meant to blunt the charge.
But Tyrunt was now blindingly fast; it read the rhythm of the seed-gun, twisted hard left, and wove through the curtain of shots.
Its hind legs slammed into a jutting rock, shattering it for leverage; the recoil whipped its bulky frame through a crisp arc that carried it to Lileep's flank. Maw gaping, it struck with a piercing roar.
"Now—Ice Fang!" Lionel's order rang out like steel.
Tyrunt's fangs sheathed in visible rime, icy energy swirling between them in bone-chilling spirals.
Its Strong Jaw Ability kicked in, powering up biting moves; the already Grass-weak Ice Fang tore in with devastating force.
"Screee—"
Lileep shrieked as the bitten tentacle froze solid, frost racing across its body in wracking shudders.
The Grass-versus-Ice weakness showed in full, and with Strong Jaw the hit far exceeded expectations.
The crown of tentacles drooped; anchoring roots twitched spasmodically—Lileep was critically hurt.
"What power!" the referee blurted.
The stream chat exploded—
"One-shot damage! Ice Fang forever!"
"Ice vs Grass—this matchup is brutal!"
"Beast mode! Lileep's half dead—Tyrunt's insane!"
"..."
Roxanne studied her swaying Lileep, eyes conflicted. "Lileep, Giga Drain—last shot!"
Summoning its final strength, Lileep fired green energy threads that wrapped Tyrunt and began sapping its stamina.
Tyrunt wavered but clamped down harder, refusing to release.
"Again—Ice Fang!"
With a bright howl, Tyrunt's chilled fangs flared anew; the cold punched straight through Lileep's petals to its core.
The energy threads snapped, petals dulled and sagged, and the anchoring roots retracted—Lileep was out cold.
"Lileep is unable to battle!" The referee's flag sliced the air.
Certain of victory, Tyrunt released its grip, shook its head, and—though drained by Giga Drain—met Lionel with unwavering eyes.
It flicked its tail as if to say, Mission accomplished.
Roxanne recalled Lileep, gently stroking the Poké Ball; the tight line of her mouth softened into a relaxed smile.
She lifted her gaze to Lionel, admiration undisguised:
"Your Tyrunt is superb—blending Dragon Dance into those dodges was brilliant. I concede this round."
"Next up is my second-string ace. Whatever happens, you've already earned the Stone Badge from me."
"Graveler, let's rock—come on out!"
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