Karen's mind was in chaos.
She had never imagined that Absol would lose to Mega Gengar.
She bit the tip of her tongue, forcing herself to calm down.
As an excellent Trainer, losing composure during battle was unacceptable.
The sharp pain in her head actually helped clear her mind.
Karen quickly recalled the incapacitated Absol and took out another Poké Ball.
Breathe in… breathe out…
Calm down.
She used the moment of switching Pokémon to adjust her condition and think carefully about how to deal with Gengar.
Time slowly passed.
Sam didn't urge her at all.
He simply stood there with a faint smile, watching Karen quietly.
Even Sam—Karen's opponent—showed no objection, so the referee naturally said nothing either.
He stood motionless in the center of the battlefield like a wooden statue, waiting for Karen's third Pokémon.
Finally, Karen finished thinking.
Everything was ready.
Confidence returned to her face.
She had found a way to deal with Gengar.
"Come out… Sableye!"
---
Pokémon: Sableye
Type: Dark / Ghost
Strength: High Elite Level
Potential: Champion
---
As expected of someone who would one day become part of the Elite Four.
Although Karen had not yet officially reached that position, her strength had already clearly approached that level.
Sableye was practically the perfect counter to Gengar.
With both Dark and Ghost typing, it had extremely strong resistance to Ghost-type attacks.
On top of that, Sableye was known for its durability.
Against a Pokémon like Gengar—fast but fragile—it was a very troublesome opponent.
If Sam truly intended to rely on Gengar to finish the battle, things would become difficult.
But Sam had never planned to do that.
---
Every Pokémon Trainer has their own trump card.
It might not always be their strongest Pokémon on paper.
But it is always the partner they trust the most.
The one they share the deepest bond with.
Lance's Dragonite.
Lorelei's Lapras.
Steven's Metagross.
Cynthia's Garchomp.
And for Sam—
There was no doubt.
His true trump card was Tyranitar.
The Pokémon he trusted most.
His strongest partner.
---
"Return, Gengar," Sam said calmly.
---
"What?!"
Karen couldn't hold back anymore.
Her eyes widened in shock.
She stared at Sam in disbelief.
Only now did she finally understand what Sam had said earlier.
"Open your eyes and watch carefully. Even if my trump card is Gengar, you still have no chance of winning."
So that was what he meant.
But how was this possible?
At his age, having a Mega Gengar that powerful was already unbelievable.
How could he possibly have a Pokémon even stronger?
Even though the evidence was right in front of her—
Karen still struggled to believe it.
---
"Is it finally going to appear?"
Erika smiled from the VIP seats.
"It's coming! It's coming!"
"Sam's Tyranitar is finally coming out!"
"I can finally see its strength with my own eyes today!"
Ash shouted excitedly.
This time, Misty didn't complain about Ash yelling.
She felt the same way.
She also wanted to see just how strong Sam's Tyranitar really was.
---
The commentator was almost speechless.
"Incredible… absolutely incredible!"
"Sam actually recalled Gengar!"
"Does that mean Gengar isn't his trump card?!"
"This is unbelievable!"
"Is this what a genius Trainer looks like?"
"As an ordinary person, all I can feel right now… is envy."
---
A genius Trainer?
No.
More like a cheat-level Trainer.
---
Sam smiled slightly.
"Did you hear that, Tyranitar?"
"Everyone is looking forward to seeing you."
"Come out… Tyranitar!!!"
---
A massive figure appeared on the battlefield.
The Desert Tyrant finally revealed itself before the entire world.
---
"Tyranitar?!"
The entire Indigo Plateau Stadium erupted into deafening cheers.
No one expected Sam's final Pokémon to be Tyranitar.
The livestream chat exploded with messages.
People watching from home flooded the screen with comments.
Everyone agreed on one thing—
This year's Indigo Plateau Conference was the most exciting one they had ever seen.
---
The moment Tyranitar stepped onto the battlefield—
A violent sandstorm rose instantly.
Yellow sand spread across the entire arena.
Within seconds, the battlefield had transformed into a desert.
---
"Hasn't the referee announced the start of the battle yet?"
Karen urged impatiently.
Tyranitar's Sand Stream Ability allowed it to summon a sandstorm automatically without using energy.
The longer the sandstorm continued—
The worse the situation would become for Karen and Sableye.
She had to end this quickly.
---
"Oh—right!"
The referee finally snapped out of his shock.
He waved the flag.
"The battle continues!"
---
"Sableye, use Brick Break!"
Fighting-type attacks were extremely effective against Dark and Rock types.
Karen felt slightly relieved.
Fortunately, Sableye had learned enough moves.
Otherwise she would be completely helpless now.
---
Sableye rushed forward.
Its right hand formed a blade-like shape as it charged toward Tyranitar.
---
Sam chuckled softly.
"Too naive."
"Really too naive."
Karen still didn't realize the massive gap between Sableye and Tyranitar.
If that was the case—
Sam would show her personally.
---
"Tyranitar… Sand Tomb."
---
The moment Sam finished speaking—
Tyranitar lightly stomped the ground.
Energy surged into the earth.
Instantly—
The solid battlefield transformed into quicksand beneath Sableye's feet.
The sand grabbed onto Sableye's legs, dragging it downward.
---
"I think my eyes might be broken!"
The commentator shouted in disbelief.
"The solid battlefield turned into a sand field with just one step from Tyranitar!"
"What terrifying control over energy!"
"Karen and her Sableye are in serious danger!"
At this point, the commentator had completely switched sides.
He had become Sam's biggest fan.
---
Sableye struggled desperately.
But the quicksand held it firmly in place.
It couldn't move even half a step.
The surrounding sand began gathering rapidly.
Massive dragons formed from yellow sand rose from the battlefield.
They roared as they circled the arena.
The sand dragons looked incredibly lifelike.
Even knowing they were made of sand—
The sight still filled everyone with fear.
---
"ROOOOAR!!!"
With thunderous roars—
The sand dragons launched their attack.
---------------Author---------------
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