Inside the monitoring conference room, when everyone saw the wolfish expression on Aaron's face, they were visibly startled.
Someone blurted out,
"This kid isn't seriously thinking about taking on Tyranitar, is he!?"
An officer studied Aaron's gaze and gave a slow nod.
"He's got guts. Most teenagers would freeze up at the sight of a Tyranitar like that. And he still wants to challenge it?"
"Courage is admirable… but charging in without a plan is just recklessness."
"Hmph. In a life-or-death situation, hesitation only gets you killed."
"A real fighter faces it head-on. I think he might just pull this off."
...
The debate continued.
Many believed he had no chance against such a dominant Tyranitar.
After all, it was a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon—one at Gym-level (Late Stage).
Most of the officers present had Pokémon at the Gym Leader level.
How could an eighteen-year-old high school student possibly defeat it?
If he did, what would that say about them?
Because of that, quite a few remained skeptical.
Deputy Commander Xander watched the bright young man on the main screen. A faint, unreadable glint passed through his eyes as he said calmly,
"Whether it's reckless courage or calculated confidence… we'll find out soon enough."
...
Meanwhile, the battle on Aaron's side had officially begun.
He immediately gave the order:
"Sceptile… activate Sage Mode!"
"Then use the fusion technique—Sage Art: Verdant Bloom Dominion!"
A sharp light flashed in Aaron's eyes as he spoke.
"Scep—!"
Sceptile brought his hands together with a crisp clap.
Jade-white radiance surged from his body. His single vertical pupil shifted into a cross-shaped iris, and mysterious black markings spread from the corners of his eyes.
A terrifying wave of energy erupted outward as Sceptile slammed both hands onto the ground.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!"
The earth trembled violently.
Countless saplings burst through the soil, rapidly growing into towering trees over ten meters tall.
Clusters of pink blossoms bloomed across the canopy, releasing a heady, intoxicating fragrance into the air.
Dense roots extended both above and beneath the surface, stabilizing the terrain and weaving the entire battlefield into a controlled domain.
Within a five-hundred-meter radius, the battlefield transformed into a dense forest.
This was the result of Aaron and Sceptile's special training:
Grassy Terrain + Deep Forest Emergence + Flowering Forest World—
The ultimate field technique born from the fusion of three moves:
Sage Art — Verdant Bloom Dominion!!
A powerful domain ability that combined the strengths of all three techniques into one.
[Name: Sage Art — Verdant Bloom Dominion]
[Type: Special]
[Power: / ]
[Description: Upon activation, the field remains continuously in effect. Allied Pokémon gradually recover HP, and Grass-type moves receive a 50% power boost.
Earthquake, Stomping Tantrum, and Earth Power become ineffective. Sandstorm weather is nullified. All offensive and defensive actions within the forest are governed by the caster.
The blossoms release toxic pollen. Once an enemy inhales a sufficient amount, they enter both Poisoned and Paralyzed states, with the poison gradually intensifying over time…]
...
This was the terrifying power of Sage Art — Verdant Bloom Dominion.
Tyranitar froze as its surroundings transformed into a primeval forest in the blink of an eye.
And its most prized weapon—
the Sandstorm—
had completely vanished.
Confusion flooded Tyranitar's eyes.
"Huh?!"
"Where's my Sandstorm?!"
Its eyes widened as it stood there in disbelief.
It frantically tried to stir up the Sand Stream power within its body—and only managed to kick up a faint puff of dust.
There wasn't the slightest response from the surroundings.
Forget a sandstorm— there wasn't even a single grain of sand in the air.
At that moment, Tyranitar truly began to panic.
"ROOOOAR—!"
It roared furiously at Sceptile, as if demanding,
"What did you do to my Sandstorm?!"
"Sceptile…"
Sceptile replied calmly, utterly unbothered by Tyranitar's rage.
A crimson gleam flashed in Tyranitar's eyes.
An earthen-yellow light surged across its body.
It stomped both feet down violently onto the ground.
Earthquake activated.
"BOOM—!"