The reason Gary had specifically asked for Drilbur and Sandile wasn't arbitrary. Both species possessed something that had become increasingly important to Gary's team-building philosophy since acquiring the Ability Expansion Stone: three distinct Abilities.
Excadrill—Drilbur's final evolution—was a Ground/Steel dual-type with one of the most synergistic Ability trios in existence. Its first Ability was Sand Rush, which doubled its Speed in Sandstorm conditions. Its second was Sand Force, which boosted the power of Rock, Ground, and Steel-type moves by 30% during Sandstorm. And its Hidden Ability was Mold Breaker, which allowed its attacks to ignore the target's defensive Abilities entirely—cutting through Levitate, Sturdy, Multiscale, and similar protective effects as if they didn't exist.
With an Ability Expansion Stone, all three could be active simultaneously. The implications were staggering.
In Sandstorm weather—which Tyranitar summons automatically with Sand Stream—an Excadrill with all three Abilities would have doubled Speed from Sand Rush, a 30% damage boost on all STAB moves from Sand Force, and the ability to bypass defensive Abilities with Mold Breaker, Gary calculated. That's not just strong. That's borderline unstoppable. A Pokémon that outspeeds everything, hits harder than anything, and ignores all defensive tricks.
And Excadrill's dual Ground/Steel typing meant both of its STAB types received the Sand Force boost—unlike most Pokémon with weather-dependent Abilities, where only one type benefited.
Before acquiring the Ability Expansion Stone, Gary hadn't been particularly interested in Excadrill. It was strong, certainly, but its reliance on Sandstorm weather made it situational, and choosing between Sand Rush and Sand Force meant sacrificing one devastating advantage for the other. With the Expansion Stone removing that limitation, Excadrill had jumped from "solid competitive option" to "must-have."
Krookodile—Sandile's final evolution—was similarly appealing. A Ground/Dark dual-type with three Abilities of its own: Intimidate, which lowered the opponent's Attack upon entry; Moxie, which raised Attack after every knockout, creating a snowball effect; and the Hidden Ability Anger Point, which maxed out Attack when the Pokémon was struck by a critical hit.
Of the three, Intimidate and Moxie were the stars. Intimidate was universally regarded as one of the best Abilities in competitive battling—a free Attack debuff on the opponent just for switching in. Moxie turned Krookodile into a self-buffing sweeper that grew more dangerous with every Pokémon it knocked out. Anger Point was the weakest link—it required the opponent to land a critical hit, which was unreliable and outside the trainer's control. Even enhanced, an Ability that depended on the opponent's luck was inherently inconsistent.
Excadrill edges out Krookodile overall, Gary concluded. Three universally excellent Abilities versus two excellent and one situational. But ideally, I'd want both.
"I have both Drilbur and Sandile at our breeding facility," Terran confirmed. "But I should warn you—I can't guarantee their potential."
"Can you take me to see them?" Gary asked.
"Of course. Let's head over after lunch—it's not far. And please, stay and eat with us." Terran's tone shifted to something warmer. "My wife would be disappointed if I brought a guest home and didn't feed him."
"That's very kind of you. Thank you."
Gary accepted without fuss. The breeding facility visit would only be productive if Terran's stock met his standards, and turning down hospitality from a man he'd just beaten in a Gym battle would be unnecessarily rude.
The enthusiasm Terran showed over the next hour made it clear just how badly he wanted the Peat Block. He called his wife, and together they prepared a lunch that was considerably more elaborate than what a simple town Gym Leader's family would normally serve on a weekday afternoon. There was grilled Magikarp with herb seasoning, freshly baked bread, a hearty stew thick with root vegetables, and a dessert of honey-drizzled berry pastries that Yuko kept sneaking pieces of when she thought no one was looking.
Gary ate well—the food was genuinely excellent—but his mind was already at the breeding facility. The Peat Block sitting in his system storage was valuable precisely because of its specificity: it was the only known item capable of evolving Ursaring into Ursaluna, and the system's version would boost the resulting Ursaluna's potential by one tier upon evolution. Trading it away for Pokémon with insufficient potential would be a net loss, no matter how generous Terran's hospitality was.
My minimum requirement is Elite-tier potential, Gary had already decided. Anything below that isn't worth the exchange. A Peat Block that can produce a Champion-tier Ursaluna shouldn't be traded for a Gym-tier Drilbur.
After lunch, Terran and Yuko led Gary out of town.
The breeding facility was located on a stretch of sandy wasteland about twenty minutes outside Silvercrown Town. The land had a history tied directly to Crown City's disaster—twenty years ago, when Grings Kodai first absorbed the Time Ripple and the resulting dark energy wave had killed every plant in the region, this particular tract of soil had been left permanently barren. The vegetation never grew back. Over time, wind and erosion had transformed the dead earth into a small desert—flat, dry, and sandy, with dunes forming at the edges where the wind deposited loose sediment.
Terran's grandfather had purchased the desertified land shortly after the disaster, recognizing that what was useless for farming was perfect for raising Ground-type Pokémon. Sand-dwelling species thrived in exactly this kind of terrain. Over the years, the family had enclosed the area with sturdy fencing and developed it into a functional breeding ranch.
The setup was simple but effective: a large, fenced expanse of open sand and packed earth, with a modest house at one end for the caretaker. No elaborate structures, no climate-controlled facilities—just natural terrain that Ground-type Pokémon felt instinctively at home in.
As they approached the perimeter fence, Gary could already see Pokémon moving within the enclosure. Several Hippowdon lounged in the sand, partially buried with only their dark-ringed eyes visible above the surface. A pair of Gligar chased each other through the air above the dunes, their membranous wings catching the warm updrafts. A few Numel plodded along at the edge of the sandy area where the terrain transitioned to harder soil.
And—Gary's system flagged them immediately—two Sandile.
[LV17 Sandile ♂ — Elite-tier potential]
[LV15 Sandile ♀ — Gym-tier potential]
Gary assessed them in a glance. The male had decent potential—Elite-tier, which meant it could eventually reach a respectable level of strength. But it fell short of his minimum standard. The female was even lower—Gym-tier, suitable for a local trainer but far below what Gary needed.
Neither of these meets my requirements, he thought, keeping his expression neutral. Elite-tier is fine for most trainers, but I'm looking for specimens that can reach Champion-tier or higher with proper investment. Anything less isn't worth the Peat Block.
"Dad, I'm back!" Terran called toward the house.
A moment later, the front door opened and an elderly man emerged. He had a gray beard, weathered skin tanned dark by years of outdoor work, and wore a practical yellow breeder's uniform faded by countless washes. His hands were rough and calloused—the hands of someone who'd spent decades working directly with Pokémon in harsh terrain.
This was Terran's father—the previous Gym Leader of what was now the Silvercrown Gym. His name was Granson. He'd retired from Gym duties several years ago and now devoted his time entirely to managing the family's breeding operation.
"Grandpa!" Yuko broke from the group and sprinted toward the old man, throwing her arms around him with the unrestrained enthusiasm of a grandchild who clearly adored her grandfather.
Granson's stern, weathered face softened instantly. He patted Yuko's head with a gnarled hand and smiled. Then his eyes moved to Gary, and the smile was replaced by a look of sharp, assessing curiosity.
"And this young man is…?"
"Dad, this is Gary—a trainer from the Kanto Region," Terran explained. He quickly outlined the situation: the Gym battle, the wager, the Peat Block, and Gary's interest in trading it for high-potential Unova Region Ground-types.
Granson's bushy eyebrows climbed his forehead. "Ursaluna evolves from a Peat Block? I knew the evolution existed—the research community has suspected it for years—but no one had identified the trigger. Remarkable."
"It should be legitimate," Terran confirmed.
Granson absorbed this, then nodded briskly. "Very well. Let me call the rest of the stock out."
He returned to the house and emerged a moment later carrying a well-worn bronze bell. He walked to the edge of the sandy enclosure and rang it—a clear, resonant tone that carried across the open terrain and sank into the sand below.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the sand began to stir.
Pokémon emerged from beneath the surface like creatures waking from a long sleep. Three more Sandile surfaced—smaller than the two Gary had already spotted, their dark-banded bodies shaking off loose grit as they clambered onto the surface.
Gary scanned them immediately.
[LV13 Sandile ♂ — Gym-tier potential]
[LV11 Sandile ♀ — Gym-tier potential]
[LV14 Sandile ♂ — Gym-tier potential]
All three were Gym-tier. Not a single one met his standard.
Gary's gaze moved past the Sandile, searching for Drilbur. It didn't take long—two small, mole-like Pokémon burrowed up from the sand near the edge of the enclosure, their metallic claws glinting in the afternoon sunlight. Drilbur—the Mole Pokémon—compact, dark-furred, with steel-blue claws that were disproportionately large for their small bodies.
[LV10 Drilbur ♂ — Gym-tier potential]
[LV12 Drilbur ♀ — Gym-tier potential]
Gary looked at the data readouts and shook his head slightly. Neither Drilbur met his requirements. Gym-tier potential meant they could eventually become competent battlers for local-level competition, but they'd plateau far below what Gary needed for the Lily of the Valley Conference, let alone the challenges beyond it.
Terran had been watching Gary's reactions closely. The moment he saw the slight head-shake, he knew.
"Not satisfied?" Terran asked, his tone carrying no offense—just an honest question.
"Your Sandile and Drilbur are well-raised," Gary said, choosing his words carefully. He had no desire to insult a man who had been nothing but hospitable. "For Gym-level competition, they'd perform admirably. But for my purposes… the potential isn't quite high enough."
"Oh!" Granson's eyes sharpened with surprise. "You can assess their potential just by looking at them?"
It was an astute observation. The old breeder had raised these Pokémon from eggs—he knew their potential inside and out from years of daily observation, training records, and professional evaluation. Gary had arrived minutes ago and reached the same conclusion with a single glance.
Gary didn't explain his system. "I've had a lot of practice," he said simply.
"Gym Leader Terran," Gary continued, addressing the younger man directly. "If this is the extent of the available stock, I'm afraid the trade won't work out. The Peat Block I have can produce an Ursaluna with Champion-tier potential. Exchanging it for Pokémon that cap at Gym-tier wouldn't be an equivalent value."
Both Terran and Yuko looked crestfallen. Terran hid it better—ten years as a Gym Leader had given him practice at maintaining composure—but the disappointment was unmistakable in the slight tightening around his eyes.
Yuko, who had less practice at concealing her emotions, looked openly dismayed. She'd been hoping the trade would go through, if only because watching her father obtain an Ursaluna would have been exciting enough to make the loss of the Scorching Sands TM sting a little less.
"Are you sure you won't take a closer look?" she asked, her voice carrying a note of plaintive hope. "Maybe one of them has more potential than you think?"
"Pokémon at Gym-tier potential aren't within my breeding standards," Gary said, his tone firm but not unkind. "I don't want to waste resources raising a Pokémon that will plateau too early. It wouldn't be fair to the Pokémon, and it wouldn't be fair to you—I'd be taking the Peat Block without giving you equivalent value in return."
Yuko fell silent. She wanted to argue, but she couldn't find fault with the logic. Gary wasn't being cruel or dismissive—he was being honest about his standards, and his reasoning was sound.