Chapter 31: Paul vs. Roark (Part 3); Peat Block

"Dig!"

As the Dragon Pulse roared past, Gible's silhouette vanished into the ground, leaving only a hole as evidence of its presence. Its current location remained a mystery.

Paul allowed himself a faint smile.

If this were the anime, Roark's Rampardos would have no choice but to wait patiently for Gible to resurface.

Unfortunately, the Rampardos in this world was far more capable than its freshly evolved counterpart from the show. Unlike the anime's version, which knew little beyond Flamethrower and brute-force attacks, this Rampardos had a much more versatile move pool.

"Rampardos, Earthquake!" Roark commanded decisively, oblivious to Paul's smirk.

"Raaaargh!"

Rampardos raised its foot to stomp the ground, preparing to unleash Earthquake.

However, before its foot could touch the ground, the terrain beneath Rampardos softened and collapsed into a spinning pit, transforming into a vortex of shifting sand.

It was Gible's Sand Tomb!

Caught off guard, Rampardos lost its balance and slid into the Sand Tomb, its sturdy body grinding against the swirling sand, leaving it with visible scratches.

"Gible, Dragon Breath!"

From outside the vortex, Gible poked its head out and unleashed a concentrated blast of Dragon Breath at the unsteady Rampardos, driving it deeper into the Sand Tomb.

"Rampardos, steady yourself! Use Double-Edge to break through!" Roark shouted.

Struggling to regain its footing, Rampardos attempted to adjust its stance. Given enough time, it could stabilize and use Double-Edge to propel itself out of the trap.

But Paul wasn't about to give it that chance.

"Fire Fang!"

Gible leapt into the swirling pit, its fiery fangs glowing as it bit down on Rampardos.

"Boom!"

A cry of pain escaped Rampardos as Gible latched onto its head, its fiery jaws inflicting significant damage.

"Hang in there, Rampardos! Use Double-Edge!" Roark called out, his voice filled with determination.

Despite the searing pain, Rampardos began charging up energy, its blue head crest glowing white in preparation for the move.

But Paul wasn't finished.

"Bite its leg!"

At Paul's command, Gible released its grip on Rampardos' head and clamped down on its leg instead. With a powerful tug, Gible dragged Rampardos toward the vortex's center, disrupting its balance once more.

The glowing light on Rampardos' crest faded as its Double-Edge failed to activate.

Under normal circumstances, Gible wouldn't have been able to overpower Rampardos like this. But with Rampardos stuck in the Sand Tomb and paralyzed, its movements were too restricted.

Double-Edge—failed.

Gible capitalized on the opportunity, pulling Rampardos down and toppling it over in the vortex. Unable to resist, Rampardos was subjected to the full force of the swirling sand.

"Dragon Breath! Then Dig out."

Obeying the command, Gible used Rampardos as a springboard to launch itself upward, blasting another Dragon Breath at its opponent before disappearing into another freshly dug tunnel.

Rampardos was left battered and bruised, unable to retaliate.

Fortunately for Roark, the Sand Tomb subsided as Gible's attack ended, the swirling sand returning to solid ground. Rampardos managed to stand, although shakily.

But before it could fully recover, the ground beneath its feet erupted once more. Gible emerged, slamming into Rampardos' chest and sending it flying five meters into the air.

It was super effective!

"Thud!"

The impact knocked Rampardos unconscious, leaving it sprawled on the ground.

"Rampardos is unable to battle! The winner is Gible, making Paul the victor of this gym challenge!" announced the referee.

"Return, Rampardos. You did well." Roark said, recalling his fallen Pokémon with a solemn expression.

"Not bad. Your moves and strategy are sharp." Paul remarked. "But your strength needs work. Focus on that in future training."

"Gible!" Gible exclaimed proudly, flexing its tiny arms with a triumphant grin. Paul's critique didn't seem to dampen its spirits in the slightest.

Without waiting for Gible's reaction, Paul returned it to its Poké Ball. Whether Gible had listened or not, it didn't matter to him. As long as it performed well in battle, that was enough.

"Well done, Paul! You've shown impressive strength and teamwork with your Pokémon." Roark said as he approached, holding out a small box. "Here, the Coal Badge—proof of your victory at the Oreburgh Gym."

"Thank you." Paul said, accepting the badge with a polite nod. Just as he was about to leave, he paused and turned back. "By the way Roark, have you heard of something called a Peat Block?"

The Peat Block was a rare item from the Hisui region (ancient Sinnoh) that allowed Ursaring to evolve into Ursaluna under a full moon. However, as time passed, the knowledge of this evolution method and the legends surrounding Ursaluna had been lost.

The Peat Block itself had likely vanished due to overextraction by humans, making it a relic of history. Oreburgh City, being the largest mining and fossil excavation hub in Sinnoh, was one of the few places where traces of the item might still exist.

"A Peat Block? That sounds a bit familiar. Can you describe it?" Roark asked, scratching his head.

"It's said to look like a block of coal but with a soil-like texture. When dried, it can be used as a fuel."

"Hmm... I think I've read about something like that in an old book. Supposedly, it was mined centuries ago but has been depleted. I've never seen one myself." Roark replied thoughtfully. "You might want to check out the Oreburgh Museum. They've got fossils and all sorts of minerals and ores from our mining operations. If anyone knows about it, they'd be there."

"Understood. Thank you!" Paul said before turning to leave.

Afterwards, Paul visited the Oreburgh Museum. But his search yielded no results. The Peat Block remained elusive, with no one there recognizing its name or purpose.

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