Chapter 202: Paul VS Volo (Part 1): Sandstorm and Breaking Through the Sand
The Next Day at the Tournament...
"The second round of the battle is about to begin! Facing off today, we have Volo from Viridian City in the Kanto region against Paul from Veilstone City in Sinnoh. The winner of this match will advance to the Top 16, bringing them one step closer to the championship title!"
"Let's see what kind of battle they'll bring us!"
The announcer's voice elevated the anticipation in the stadium as all eyes locked onto the battlefield.
"Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"
"Go, Tyranitar!"
"Mega Garchomp, stand by for battle!"
Both Volo and Paul simultaneously threw their Poké Balls, releasing two immense Pokémon onto the field.
A fearsome, tyrant-like Pokémon appeared—Tyranitar! The moment it landed, the sky darkened and a swirling sandstorm erupted, engulfing the entire battlefield.
Sand Stream activated!
On the other side, a taller and more menacing Pokémon emerged. Even in the raging sandstorm, Mega Garchomp stood at ease, exuding confidence as it smirked at its opponent.
"Begin!"
The moment the match started, a red beam of light shot out, recalling Tyranitar into its Poké Ball.
"I'm counting on you, Excadrill!"
Volo smirked as he threw another Poké Ball.
A robust Excadrill appeared—its body was round and sturdy, its steel-like claws gleaming menacingly in the storm.
As the sandstorm raged, Excadrill's body glowed faintly, becoming visibly more agile.
Sand Rush activated!
In sandstorm conditions, Excadrill's speed doubles!
"Excadrill, use Horn Drill!"
Following Volo's command, Excadrill clapped its claws together, forming a high-speed spinning drill, and burrowed through the battlefield like a missile toward Mega Garchomp.
"Stone Edge!"
Mega Garchomp's eyes flashed dangerously as it stomped the ground, summoning a row of jagged stone spikes that shot up to intercept Excadrill.
But with its incredible speed, Excadrill tore through the stones effortlessly, shattering them like a brittle paper. Within seconds, it had closed the distance between itself and Mega Garchomp.
"Gaar~chomp!"
Mega Garchomp, anticipating the attack, conjured twin glowing green spectral claws—Dragon Claw—and met the incoming drill head-on.
BOOM!
The two Pokémon clashed violently, neither backing down.
"Use Slash!"
Excadrill abandoned its spinning drill attack and instead swiped at Mega Garchomp with its razor-sharp steel claws.
The attack was rapid, but Mega Garchomp—having trained extensively with Samurott and Ninetales—reacted instantly, countering with a sweeping Dragon Claw before the Slash could land.
The battle raged on, with both Pokémon exchanging rapid blows.
Despite its enhanced speed from Sand Rush, Excadrill slowly found itself losing ground.
"Metal Sound!"
Just as Mega Garchomp prepared to overwhelm its opponent, Excadrill let out a screech, a piercing screech that rattled the entire stadium, momentarily weakening Mega Garchomp's attacks and sharply lowering its Special Defense.
Seizing the moment, Excadrill leapt into the air, gathering energy in its claws before launching a powerful Focus Blast at Mega Garchomp.
The attack exploded upon impact, sending a cloud of dust and sand billowing across the battlefield, covering visibility.
"Horn Drill!"
Without hesitation, Excadrill charged back into the dust cloud, drill spinning at full speed.
WHOOSH!
It burst through the dust, but—
MISSED!
"What?!"
Volo's eyes widened as his Pokémon drilled straight through empty air.
"Dragon Pulse!"
A second later, Mega Garchomp emerged from the ground, unleashing a powerful Dragon Pulse that engulfed Excadrill in a spiraling wave of energy.
BOOM!
The force of the explosion sent Excadrill flying.
"Sandstorm Tornado!"
Before Excadrill could recover, Mega Garchomp whipped up an even fiercer sandstorm, fusing it with a spiraling Twister.
The swirling vortex battered Excadrill from all sides, the sharp grains of sand cutting into its defenses.
Excadrill struggled to break free, but the raging sandstorm kept it suspended mid-air.
"Meteor Shower."
Paul's voice was cold and decisive.
Mega Garchomp raised its head, gathering immense power before firing a barrage of blazing Draco Meteor projectiles into the sky.
Unlike before, the meteors didn't scatter randomly—they were sucked into the tornado, spiraling downward toward the only target trapped inside: Excadrill.
"Excadrill, don't give up! Drill through the tornado!"
Volo shouted desperately.
Summoning all its remaining strength, Excadrill spun at an unprecedented speed—faster than ever before.
This time, its entire body glowed intensely, its drill sharpening once again into a fatal point.
A triple combination move—Rapid Spin, Drill Run, and Horn Drill—merged into one terrifyingly powerful technique.
WHIRRR!
With unstoppable force, Excadrill turned into a living whirlwind, breaking through the sandstorm and deflecting every falling meteor upon impact.
And then—it charged straight for Mega Garchomp!
Mega Garchomp, watching the incoming attack, suddenly stopped moving.
A faint smirk crossed its face.
At the last possible moment—a red beam of light enveloped Mega Garchomp, recalling it into its Poké Ball.
WHOOSH!
Excadrill, unable to stop, drilled straight into the ground, burrowing deep beneath the battlefield.
When it finally resurfaced, its body was covered in bruises, exhaustion evident in its heavy breathing.
It glared at Paul, eyes burning with determination.
Paul, however, remained completely expressionless, as if he had done nothing at all.
He simply pulled out another Poké Ball.
"Ursaluna, stand by for battle."
With a thunderous stomp, a massive Ursaluna entered the battlefield, towering over the entire arena.
The crowd gasped in shock.
"Is that the newly discovered Ursaluna?! It's huge!"
As a Sandstorm team specialist, Volo had studied every Ground- and Rock-type Pokémon extensively, including the newly discovered evolution of Ursaring.
He had considered training one himself, but since Peat Blocks—the required evolution item were nearly impossible to find, he had abandoned the idea.
Now, seeing Ursaluna in person—and Paul commanding it—was something he had never expected.
"Wow! Paul had sent out the newly discovered Ursaluna! This Pokémon has never been seen in official tournaments before! How will Volo respond to this incredible challenge?"
The announcer's voice boomed across the stadium as excitement surged through the audience.
"Excadrill, use Stealth Rock!"
Despite the immense pressure, Volo quickly composed himself.
Excadrill summoned glowing white stones, scattering them around Ursaluna's position.
But Ursaluna merely slammed the ground with its massive paws, sending a shockwave rippling toward Excadrill.
Earthquake!
"Excadrill, one last attack—Horn Drill!"
With the last of its strength, Excadrill spun forward, drilling straight for Ursaluna.
"Headlong Rush!"
Ursaluna charged fearlessly, its paws glowing with an overwhelming aura as it lunged at Excadrill.
Even a one-hit KO move like Horn Drill wasn't absolute.
If it failed, it was just another high-risk attack.
And this time, it failed.
WHAM!
Excadrill was sent flying like a ragdoll, slamming into the stadium wall, completely motionless.
"Excadrill is unable to battle! Ursaluna wins!"
The referee declared.
"Return, Excadrill. You fought well."
Volo took a deep breath, calming himself before sending out his next Pokémon.
"Tyranitar, it's your turn!"
(To be continued…)
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