Third Move: Stomping Tantrum!
Just as Lin Xia was still immersed in the heaven-shattering might of Rock Slide, Larvitar's next action made his scalp go numb. A chill shot straight from the soles of his feet to the top of his head!
After demonstrating Rock Slide, Larvitar did not stop.
It deliberately pointed its little claw toward another patch of completely intact glazed sand nearby, as if simulating a missed attack.
Then it suddenly let out a deep roar like rolling thunder!
"LAR—!!!"
Its right hind leg, which contained terrifying strength and was covered in thick molten armor, lifted high into the air! The center of its body's weight pressed down instantly!
A heart-palpitating aura, mixed with the rage of the earth and violent power instantly condensed beneath its foot!
BOOM—!!!!
Its seemingly short hind leg came crashing down with the terrifying force of collapsing mountains and splitting peaks, stomping violently onto the iron-hard glazed sand beneath it!
This stomp felt as if it was not striking the ground, but stepping on the very pulse of the earth itself!
Centered on its foot, the glazed sand within a radius of twenty meters seemed to suffer a magnitude-ten earthquake!
The incomparably hard glass-like surface shattered with a world-shaking explosion, cracking apart like fragile eggshells and exploding into countless fragments!
A massive crater—larger, deeper, and far more jagged than the one created by Rock Slide earlier, instantly formed!
The violent shockwave was no longer just simple vibration. Instead, it became a visible ring of destruction mixed with shards of glazed sand and dust, spreading outward like a collapsing mountain!
Wherever it passed, the air exploded from compression, and the ground was violently torn open!
Compared with the earlier Rock Slide, its power had increased by far more than double!
"Th-this… what is this?!"
Lin Xia's pupils shrank to pinpoints!
He instantly understood the core principle behind this move, a strike born of pent-up fury!
If the previous attack failed to hit the opponent, then the anger and power Larvitar had accumulated would have nowhere to vent.
All of it would be poured into this Stomping Tantrum, causing its power to double with terrifying effect!
Combined with Larvitar's monstrous physical strength and the Sand Power ability granting an additional 30% boost to Ground-type moves (Stomping Tantrum)…
Lin Xia's mind instantly simulated a real combat scenario.
An opponent, relying on incredible speed, narrowly dodges Larvitar's world-destroying Rock Slide. A hint of relief appears in their heart, perhaps they even prepare to mock or counterattack…
In the very next second, Larvitar gives them no time to breathe at all, launching Stomping Tantrum with the furious rage triggered by that evasion!
Double power! The earth shatters! A massive area shockwave!
The opponent who dodged Rock Slide would likely have no time to evade again before being swallowed by the wider range, stronger impact, and crushing seismic shockwave of that stomp!
With the additional 30% boost from Sand Power, the might of this stomp would probably be enough to make even a Soul King-Level defensive Soul Master feel their blood surge violently and their bones and tendons crack!
If struck directly at the core, anyone below the Soul Ancestor Level would likely lose their combat ability instantly!
"Hiss—!"
Lin Xia could not help but suck in a cold breath.
A chill crept up his spine and spread through his entire body, making him shiver. He even subconsciously stepped back half a step, as if wanting to move farther away from the terrifying crater created by Stomping Tantrum.
Scary Face (speed reduction and battlefield control), Rock Slide (high damage + flinch effect), Stomping Tantrum (power doubled after a miss + area attack).
Each of these three moves was already extremely powerful and uniquely effective on its own.
But when combined together and used by Larvitar, whose body possessed Soul Ancestor-Level strength, boosted by the Sand Power ability, strengthened by the Phoenix Divine Mark, and guided by its considerable battle intelligence, the tactical chain they formed was utterly despair-inducing!
This was no longer a simple combination of moves.
It was a perfectly linked sequence of lethal attacks, each step filled with killing intent!
"This… this is the power Pokémon are truly meant to possess!"
Lin Xia stared at Larvitar, who stood proudly amid the drifting dust. It seemed extremely satisfied with its new move, even smugly patting its chest armor with its little claw.
Inside Lin Xia's heart, waves churned like a stormy sea.
The bizarre escape technique of the Sandstorm Worm King, which split apart at the brink of death, had not only failed to render their efforts meaningless, it had instead allowed Larvitar to comprehend these terrifying moves!
Lin Xia walked forward. Ignoring the lingering heat and dust still clinging to Larvitar's body, he pulled the little fellow into a firm hug.
This tiny companion had brought him endless surprises and confidence.
His voice trembled slightly with uncontrollable excitement and a trace of lingering fear.
"Good! Well done, Larvitar! With these new abilities… the road ahead for us will be much stronger!"
Larvitar seemed to understand Lin Xia's praise. Its crimson eyes narrowed happily as it let out cheerful cries of "Larvi, Larvitar," while its small tail wagged with delight.
It rubbed its head affectionately against Lin Xia, then suddenly raised its little claw and pointed toward the west, deeper into the desert.
That direction led into the heart of the wasteland, and Larvitar clearly showed a strong desire toward that area.
Lin Xia followed the firm direction indicated by Larvitar's claw.
What lay ahead was an endless sea of sand, shimmering beneath the blazing sun, waves of distorted heat rising from its surface.
Unlike the areas where they had previously fought, the sand dunes here were far taller and stretched endlessly.
The sand itself carried a lifeless gray-yellow color, as though the land had been completely drained of its final trace of vitality.
A deep and indescribable desolation filled the air, far heavier than that of an ordinary desert.
Even the wind seemed to have stopped here, leaving only the merciless sun scorching everything beneath it.
"It's attracting you but you're not sure whether it's a mineral vein?"
Lin Xia crouched down, meeting Larvitar's eyes, which flickered with confused crimson light.
The little Pokémon nodded firmly.
From its throat came a few short and uncertain cries: "Larvi…Lar…"
Its voice carried a hesitation Lin Xia had never heard before.
Its tiny claw unconsciously scratched at the scorching sand, looking both eager and uncertain, completely different from the pure, impatient excitement it usually showed when sensing a precious mineral vein.
Lin Xia's curiosity was instantly ignited to its peak.
Larvitar's treasure-hunting instinct had almost never been wrong, and it had never shown such uncertainty before!
What exactly was buried deep within this desert?
Was it some rare heavenly treasure completely different from ordinary minerals?
Or perhaps an ancient relic containing special energy?
Or even the nest of a powerful soul beast?
"Let's go take a look!"
Lin Xia made the decision without the slightest hesitation.
The unknown often carried risks, but it also held tremendous opportunities.
He picked up Larvitar and activated the Sand Stream ability. A subtle fluctuation of soul power spread outward.
Under the guidance of his soul power, the loose sand beneath his feet condensed slightly, forming a thin "sand carpet" that greatly reduced the resistance of sinking into deep sand.
Fixing his direction, he ran toward the silent sea of sand in the distance.
Passing over several towering dunes that resembled frozen waves, the terrain ahead gradually flattened.
However, the sense of desolation and oppression grew even stronger.
The ground beneath his feet was no longer rolling dunes, but rather a relatively flat quicksand plain that was extraordinarily soft.
The sand grains were as fine as powder. Stepping on them gave almost no sense of support. Every step sank deeply into the surface, kicking up faint clouds of sand like drifting smoke.
The surroundings were eerily silent.
Only the soft rustling of sand beneath Lin Xia's feet and his slightly hurried breathing echoed through the empty expanse.
The air was so dry it felt as if it could draw the last trace of moisture from his lungs.
Even the sunlight seemed to carry a greedy hunger, as though it were draining the vitality of all living things.
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