"Huh?"
"Does it seem like this Garchomp doesn't enjoy fighting by relying on the Sand Veil ability?"
Ethan frowned as he watched Garchomp initiate the most direct clashes against Tyranitar time and time again.
In fact, at this moment Garchomp could have taken advantage of Sand Veil, using concealment together with its extreme speed to launch surprise attacks. If it had done so, the battle would have been much easier.
And precisely that was also the role and attack style Ethan had expected Garchomp to fulfill within the desert tactic.
"I see..."
"Could it be pride?"
"Does the pride of a pseudo-legendary not allow it to retreat?"
Recalling Garchomp's previous battle against the dark Kommo-o, Ethan suddenly realized something and shook his head with a bitter smile.
The Garchomp clan that inhabits Dragon Valley is like the royalty of the place; they disdain retreating or attacking by surprise.
Only head-on, noble, and direct combat—crushing the enemy with pure strength—is the style that matches their status.
Moreover, Garchomp's own offensive power and speed give it enough confidence to face any opponent head-on.
"If all the Garchomp in Dragon Valley have developed this combat style, then that really is a problem."
Ethan frowned. In reality, Garchomp's method of combat is neither right nor wrong; it all depends on whether it is suitable or not.
Although this Garchomp was extremely strong and its absolute power was enough to crush any opponent, Ethan knew that it was not appropriate for his team.
If it came to direct confrontations, the other Pokémon on his team could also perfectly fill that role.
Ethan wanted to capture a Garchomp precisely for the absolute speed of its species and for the Sand Veil ability.
An assassin hidden within the sandstorm, finishing the enemy with a single blow!
That was the Garchomp Ethan desired.
"Tyranitar, Rock Tomb!"
With a steady gaze, Ethan made a decision.
"Tyraann!"
Tyranitar responded immediately and stomped heavily on the ground.
Next, a terrifying Rock-type energy condensed beneath its feet. Several rocks rose from the ground, completely surrounding Garchomp.
But that was not all.
Wrapped in Tyranitar's powerful Rock-type energy, the rocks began to compress toward the center, crushing Garchomp.
When the Rock Tomb move was completed, the rocks surrounding Garchomp fused completely, sealing its body entirely within a stone prison.
"It's over."
Ethan shook his head slightly.
Then he turned his gaze toward Tyranitar, surprise visible in his eyes.
He knew Tyranitar was very strong, but now it seemed he had underestimated it even so.
Having grown up feeding on Smooth Rocks, Tyranitar's mastery over Rock-type energy had reached an inconceivable level.
With just the move Rock Tomb, Tyranitar had completely sealed Garchomp's massive body within rock!
Such power, even within Ethan's current team, could undoubtedly be considered an elite force. In a one-on-one battle, neither Sandslash nor Slowking could confidently claim an easy victory.
"The tyrant of the desert, Tyranitar. It seems my sandstorm team is finally complete."
A satisfied smile appeared on Ethan's face. The disappointment Garchomp had caused him had largely dissipated.
Although his sandstorm team seemed to be straying further and further from the conventional, with the addition of Tyranitar and in combination with Sandslash of the Ground type, Meltan and Lucario of the Steel type, as well as Vibrava of the Ground and Dragon type, and Rhyperior of the Rock and Ground type...
This was clearly already a fully functional sandstorm team. The composition was very complete and undoubtedly fulfilled Ethan's original dream when forming this team.
Boom!
At that moment, the rocks sealing Garchomp began to tremble.
Tyranitar frowned and, in an instant, concentrated Rock-type energy into its fist, executing the move Rock Slide.
Boom!
The enormous block of rock suddenly exploded. Garchomp, which had been trapped inside, was violently blasted out.
When Garchomp fell to the ground, it was already unconscious. It had been defeated in a single blow by Tyranitar's devastating attack.
"The attack is powerful, but its endurance is a bit low. And, of course, the most fatal issue is still Garchomp's combat style, which doesn't fit the role I assign it."
"Even if this Garchomp were willing to follow me, correcting its fighting style would be a huge problem, and we'd also have to consider whether it itself would be willing to change."
Ethan pondered for a moment and shook his head before walking toward Garchomp.
The battle had been initiated by Garchomp; he had merely accepted the fight, so he had not violated the rules of Dragon Valley.
However, now that Garchomp was unconscious, if he left it unattended, he would undoubtedly earn the resentment of many Pokémon.
Just as Ethan approached Garchomp, he heard a roar coming from the distance. Amid the rising sand, several silhouettes of Garchomp could be vaguely seen.
In a matter of seconds, the sand advanced from afar, and several even more robust Garchomp appeared, fixing their gazes on Ethan.
"I just wanted to heal it a bit, I have no bad intentions."
Seeing this, Ethan quickly raised his hands. Then he placed a healing medicine on the ground and slowly stepped back.
When Ethan retreated to Tyranitar's side, the Garchomp immediately surrounded the Garchomp that had lost its ability to fight.
Upon seeing the medicine Ethan had left behind, one of the Garchomp—apparently the leader—nodded slightly toward him and then quickly carried away the unconscious Garchomp.
However, the other Garchomp remained there, watching Ethan with hostility.
"Uh... does this mean I'm not welcome?"
Ethan touched his nose with some awkwardness.
Originally, he had planned to roam the Garchomp territory to see if he could find one that suited his style.
But judging from the attitude of these Garchomp, they did not seem to have the slightest intention of allowing him to enter their territory.
"Forget it, these Garchomp probably all come from the same lineage. Therefore, their combat styles must be quite similar. And once a Pokémon has already formed its own style, correcting it later on is far too difficult."
Ethan sighed softly. In fact, this is the reason why most trainers prefer to capture Pokémon in their initial form or even raise them from the egg.
(End of chapter)