Pokemon: Sandstorm Elite

A storm of sand raged across the battlefield as the fierce clash began!

Tyranitar stood firm, manipulating the swirling sand around it. The fine grains condensed into dozens of sharp projectiles, launching forward like a barrage of bullets.

But Garchomp remained unfazed, standing tall amidst the chaos. With an aura of raw destruction, it sliced through the incoming sandstorm with a single swift hand chop, its dominance on full display.

Only by facing Cynthia's Garchomp up close could one truly understand the overwhelming pressure it exuded. Watching it on television was nothing compared to experiencing it firsthand.

Cynthia stood there naturally, her presence exuding the grace of a true champion. Her piercing gaze locked onto Klein's position.

"Dodge and use Dragon Claw!"

Garchomp roared as its Sand Veil ability activated. Moving like a blur, it weaved through the shifting sands, its muscles tightening. Under the brilliant glow of its energy surge, its claws extended with a menacing blue aura, slashing forward in a devastating strike.

"Tyranitar, Ice Punch!"

As Garchomp closed in, Tyranitar firmly planted its foot, twisted its waist, and pulled back its right arm. Frost surged around its fist as it shot forward with a violent chill, aiming directly at its opponent.

Garchomp's formidable defense was impressive, but it still had a quadruple weakness to Ice-type attacks!

Yet, instead of retreating, Garchomp pushed forward. With a powerful flex of its shoulder and a swift shift of its left arm, it slipped right past Tyranitar's face. It didn't halt for even a moment—moving as if under enemy fire, it advanced smoothly, unleashing its Dragon Claw in a vicious counterattack.

Attack met attack. Risk matched risk.

The icy energy surrounding Tyranitar's fist shattered instantly upon contact with Dragon Claw, dispersing its power. Garchomp then forcefully shifted its body, dodging to the side.

"Dragon Dance!"

"Garchomp, Swords Dance!"

Amidst the constantly shifting sands, Tyranitar's Dragon Dance sent its body spinning, dispersing the storm in a magnificent swirl that resembled a giant sand flower blooming in mid-air.

At the center of it all, Garchomp stood firm, sensing the shift in power from its opponent. Cynthia's Garchomp, however, did not remain passive—it synchronized with the flow, unleashing a violent gust of Swords Dance energy.

The dispersing dust signified that both Pokémon had simultaneously chosen to power up!

Klein's Tyranitar moved strategically, changing angles as it repeatedly probed Garchomp's defenses. Yet each time, Garchomp's razor-sharp claws intercepted its attacks, shredding through its offensive efforts.

Even though this was not a multi-battle scenario, Garchomp's mastery of both offense and defense made it seem nearly invincible. Its ability to counterattack with nothing but Dragon Claw was enough to push any opponent to despair.

"It's too strong… this Garchomp doesn't have any weaknesses."

"Just a single move—Dragon Claw—is enough to neutralize all of Tyranitar's offensive tactics. That's terrifying."

The sheer raw power of Garchomp made Klein feel an immense pressure. Even though Tyranitar was his strongest Pokémon, it wasn't yielding the results he had hoped for.

As the sandstorm began to fade, Tyranitar carefully observed Garchomp, analyzing its movements.

Then, at last, it caught something. Garchomp was starting to get impatient—its punches and kicks carried an ever-so-slight hint of frustration.

This was the moment!

"Tyranitar, Ice Punch!"

In a flash, the momentum from Dragon Dance fueled a bone-chilling surge of cold energy. Tyranitar lunged at Garchomp with incredible speed, striking like a relentless beast!

"Earthquake!"

Garchomp raised its left arm, stepped forward with its right foot, and stomped down hard. The battlefield shattered beneath its feet, sending a powerful shockwave outward, instantly blocking Tyranitar's charge.

But Klein had anticipated this!

Tyranitar shifted its shoulder and twisted its hips, using the lingering momentum from Dragon Dance to sidestep behind Garchomp.

Its eyes flashed with ruthless determination.

Both fists surged with freezing energy, causing the surrounding sand to crystallize into frost. Then, Tyranitar struck—its hands closing in from both sides, aiming to crush Garchomp's head with a devastating Ice Punch!

A normal Pokémon would be instantly finished by such a blow.

As Klein's signature Pokémon, Tyranitar was not only a master of sandstorm control—it was also a pseudo-legendary powerhouse, boasting terrifying destructive strength.

Yet, Garchomp remained unshaken.

Without hesitation, it casually withdrew, stepping forcefully on Tyranitar's foot in the process.

At the same time, Garchomp leaned in close, bringing down its Dragon Claw in a sweeping arc straight across Tyranitar's body.

The sharp crack of impact echoed through the battlefield!

Klein made his move.

"Tyranitar, use Crunch!"

Despite taking a direct hit from Dragon Claw, Tyranitar didn't retreat. Instead, it lunged forward and bit down hard on Garchomp's head.

The crowd gasped.

Had someone finally managed to land a solid hit on Cynthia's Garchomp?

"Tyranitar is incredible! No wonder it's the ace of the Sandstorm Elite!"

However, Tyranitar soon realized something was wrong.

Its jaws began to tremble. Sweat formed on its brow.

Garchomp's head was far tougher than expected—it was like biting down on solid steel!

At first, many spectators admired Tyranitar's sheer combat instincts, but when they saw Garchomp's absurdly durable physique, their expressions turned to disbelief.

"Its defense is too strong! Tyranitar's full-force Crunch can't even hurt Garchomp?"

On the main stage, even Steven Stone was surprised.

"This level of defense… it rivals my Metagross. But this is Garchomp—it's not even known for its durability!"

Cynthia's strength was truly terrifying.

"Dragon Dance, hold it down!"

"Garchomp, Dragon Claw!"

For a brief moment, the two Pokémon struggled against each other. Tyranitar gripped Garchomp tightly, but the latter suddenly flickered out of sight.

Garchomp's claws lashed out in a sweeping motion, tearing through the air with raw power. Tyranitar staggered backward, its body now covered in deep wounds. The sheer force of Garchomp's enhanced Dragon Claw had become even more devastating.

Understanding just how powerful a Swords Dance-boosted Garchomp could be, Klein and Tyranitar exchanged a glance.

As Garchomp lunged forward again, the ground beneath them suddenly caved in—both Pokémon plunged into a pitfall!

During the descent, Tyranitar mustered the last of its strength and slammed both fists into the earth.

A surge of frost spread out instantly, freezing the entire battlefield!

Klein had made his final play. If he couldn't win, he would take Garchomp down with him!

But then—

The figure of Garchomp dissolved into grains of sand.

"A Substitute…"

At the very last moment, Garchomp had used Substitute to evade Tyranitar's desperate counterattack.

With a swift leap, Garchomp reappeared outside of the trap Klein had set, Dragon Claw poised for a final strike.

With a thunderous impact, Tyranitar was sent crashing down, defeated.

The battle had lasted only three minutes, yet the sheer intensity of the clash left the audience breathless.

Even in the Pokémon League headquarters at Indigo Plateau, Lance and Elite were watching the match closely.

"Lasting three minutes against Cynthia's Garchomp at full strength is already an impressive feat. I've seen Sinnoh Elite Four members get swept entirely by this thing before."

Though Tyranitar had fallen, Klein wasn't done yet.

Recalling his Pokémon, he sent out his next choice.

A dazzling silver glow filled the arena.

From the swirling mist of cold, Alolan Ninetales emerged, its presence as ethereal as a dream.

In the audience, Rosa's Ninetales stirred restlessly inside its Poké Ball, sensing the power of its fellow Ice-type.

"Ninetales, use Aurora Veil!"

A shimmering light spread across the battlefield as Klein's next strategy began.

The second round was about to explode!