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"Hmm, Rampardos?"
The sight of the fully evolved dinosaur sent a jolt through Ash. In his memory of the "standard script," Roark usually relied on a much smaller, far less intimidating Cranidos. But the beast standing before him now—a towering wall of muscle and bone—radiated a crushing pressure that surpassed even Aerodactyl. It was clear that Roark was no longer testing a rookie; he was battling a rival.
"You've worked hard, Pidgeot. Take a long rest," Ash said, recalling the bird to its Poké Ball. "The next round belongs to the steel!"
He reached for a different ball, his eyes meeting the cold, purple gaze of Paul in the stands. Watch closely, Paul. This is how you manage a heavyweight.
"It's your turn, Scizor!"
In a flash of crimson light, the metallic mantis appeared. It didn't roar; it simply snapped its pincers—clack-clack—and settled into a predatory stance, its eyes locked onto the massive blue dome of Rampardos's skull.
"Rampardos, raise your guard! Don't let your eyes off him for a second!" Roark commanded, his voice echoing in the mine. He knew the Steel-type was a direct threat to his fossil team.
"Bullet Punch!"
Ash didn't waste a breath. Scizor vanished.
"He disappeared?!" Paul muttered, leaning forward. "Even after evolving into that heavy armor, how is he still that fast?"
"It's the Light Metal ability," Roark whispered to himself, his expression grim. "He's half the weight he should be, but with all the power of the steel."
Boom!
A metallic fist slammed into Rampardos's jaw before the dinosaur could even blink. The impact sent the heavy Pokémon skidding across the rocky floor.
"Shake it off! Use Rock Tomb!" Roark yelled.
Rampardos roared, its eyes glowing with earthy energy. Massive boulders erupted from the ground, surrounding Scizor in a jagged cage.
"Agility!"
Scizor became a red lightning bolt, weaving through the rising stones with liquid grace. But Roark was persistent. Rampardos continued to summon rocks, turning the flat arena into a treacherous maze of debris designed to snag a high-speed flyer.
"The terrain is changing," Ash noted, his teeth grit. "He's trying to box us in. Fine. Let's meet him head-on! Charge!"
"Chaa!" Scizor lunged, his crimson armor glinting in the mine's floodlights.
"Finally! Head Smash!" Roark's eyes lit up. This was the clash he wanted.
Rampardos lowered its head, a terrifying aura of earthy power gathering on its skull dome. It charged like a runaway freight train, aiming to pulverize the "egg" that was Scizor against the "rock" of its head.
CRASH!
The collision shattered the surrounding rocks, but as the dust cleared, the red figure of Scizor simply dissolved into a cloud of white smoke.
"A Substitute?!" Roark gasped.
"Now! Flash Cannon!"
The real Scizor emerged from behind a pillar of rock where he had been lurking. He gathered a blinding orb of silver energy between his pincers and fired. The beam of concentrated steel slammed into Rampardos's exposed flank, sending the dinosaur crashing into the cavern wall.
Rampardos struggled to its feet, let out one final, defiant roar, and collapsed.
"Rampardos is unable to battle! Scizor wins!"
"Amazing work, Scizor," Ash said, letting the crimson warrior retract its pincers. He recalled him to rest, knowing the final hurdle would be the highest.
Roark didn't look defeated; he looked inspired. He reached for his final Poké Ball—an Ultra Ball that seemed to thrum with a dark, tectonic energy. "You've pushed me to the brink, Ash. Now, meet the king of the mountain. Go, Tyranitar!"
The ground didn't just shake; it groaned. A massive, green-armored behemoth materialized, its roar so loud it caused dust to rain from the mine's ceiling. Spikes lined its back like a serrated mountain range, and its eyes burned with a cold, predatory intelligence.
"A Tyranitar..." Brock breathed, his voice a mix of awe and terror. "The dream of every Rock-type Trainer... and the nightmare of every challenger."
Dawn checked her Pokédex, her hand trembling.
Tyranitar: The Armor Pokémon. It possesses such immense power that it can crumble a mountain with one hand and trigger earthquakes with a single step.
Ash looked at the green titan. This wasn't just a Gym battle anymore. This was a war.
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