Just as Tyranitar had finished settling down, three Pokémon slowly began approaching, as if they had smelled something.
Tyranitar noticed them immediately.
Three purple-colored Pokémon: Skuntank.
At first, Tyranitar was fairly calm, but his expression instantly turned serious.
"Tyrann!" Tyranitar roared at the three Skuntank.
He warned them not to come closer, or else he would attack.
Upon hearing Tyranitar's roar, the three Skuntank shuddered.
They immediately sensed the powerful, dangerous aura emanating from Tyranitar.
This was a truly terrifying Pokémon.
That was the thought that appeared in their minds.
However, when they saw the unconscious being on the ground — Cain — a creature unknown to them, they felt it was a delicious morsel.
The Skuntank didn't want to let such a treat go.
They had been born and raised together, and their combat coordination had been key to getting them this far.
In the entire area, no Pokémon was unaware that these three brothers were practically the rulers of the place.
Thanks to their cooperation, even stronger Pokémon avoided messing with them.
And as Skuntank, their smell was especially foul. Many strong Pokémon lost the will to fight just by smelling them.
After a brief exchange of growls, they made a decision: they weren't backing down.
They had used this strategy many times: attack from three different directions, confusing the enemy. While one distracted, the other two attacked.
They thought Tyranitar would be just as easy to handle.
Once decided, the three Skuntank scattered into different positions.
Tyranitar, standing next to Cain, watched the three stinky enemies preparing to attack.
Unintentionally, he formed a disdainful smile.
When one of the Skuntank gave the order, the three charged straight toward Cain.
From the beginning, their target was Cain. Facing Tyranitar head-on wasn't a smart idea.
But they overlooked something crucial.
The opponents they had faced before didn't have the intelligence or strength of Tyranitar.
"Tyrann!" Tyranitar shouted with excitement.
He clashed his fists against his chest, feeling the overflowing power within him.
"Tyrann!"
His tail rose and, wrapped in a wave of energy, slammed hard against the ground.
BOOM!
The terrain shook, lifting small stones that spread in waves like ripples.
Earthquake!
The three Skuntank stumbled, unable to move because of the shockwave.
Tyranitar strode in large steps toward one of them.
The staggering Skuntank saw him coming and shrieked in terror, ordering his companions to attack quickly.
The other two were barely able to stand.
Wasting no time, they ran toward Cain.
Tyranitar paid them no attention.
He grabbed the first Skuntank by the tail.
The difference in strength was overwhelming. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't escape Tyranitar's grasp.
And just like a ball, Tyranitar hurled him straight at the other two Skuntank.
"SHOO!"
The sound of the throw made it clear how much force he had used.
The other two Skuntank, as they approached Cain, saw their companion flying toward them at an impossible speed.
BOOM!
Direct hit!
All three were sent flying and rolled several meters across the ground before crashing into a massive stone pillar.
The Skuntank that had been thrown fell unconscious immediately. The other two tried to flee, but noticed everything around them seemed to be pulling backward...
They were being dragged back!
The sand controlled by Tyranitar had trapped their legs and was dragging them.
Their front claws dug into the ground, leaving useless marks.
Without mercy, they were dragged until they ended up right in front of Tyranitar.
It was then they realized they had crashed into an unbreakable wall. The difference in strength, energy control, and physical ability was simply overwhelming.
Tyranitar, looking down from above, struck the ground again with his tail.
"Tyrann!"
Where his tail hit, a deep mark was left.
The two remaining Skuntank were paralyzed, trembling on the ground.
That expression of terror was one they had only shown as children, when facing the true lords of the forest.
Tyranitar nodded, satisfied.
He had just been getting bored.
And now these three fools came looking for trouble.
Yes, they smelled bad, but at least it was better than boredom.
...
Three hours later, Cain, lying face down on the sand, slowly opened his eyes.
His whole body ached; even a small movement felt like he was being torn apart.
While unconscious he hadn't felt a thing, but now the wave of pain hit him all at once.
He nearly fainted again.
He caught his breath the best he could.
At last, he could feel fresh air.
He opened his eyes to take in the scene in front of him.
And then he saw the enormous Tyranitar, sitting in front of three Skuntank, each with minor injuries.
With each roar from Tyranitar, the three Pokémon changed position: Sitting, lying down, standing upright, belly up...
Cain had never seen those Skuntank before.
But that Tyranitar, he recognized instantly. It was his Tyranitar.
So he was the one Cain had released before fainting.
Seeing this, Cain relaxed a little. He was safe.
Then he noticed something strange...
"Eh? Why is my posture so weird?"
Only then did he realize he was lying face down on soft sand, which was comfortable...
But... why was his face against the ground and his butt in the air?
⊙▂⊙??
(End of chapter)