"Shiftry, use Hurricane Sweep!"
Seeing the power of Gengar, who had reached the High Elite level, Kadyn hesitated for a moment, wary of Ron's battle record. Nevertheless, he commanded his Shiftry to go on the offensive.
A violent gale surged forward, carrying Razor Leaf in its wake, hurtling toward Gengar and Ron.
"Bellossom, One-Sword Style: Finger Pistol—Rebirth of All Things!"
Petals and leaves whirled through the air as Bellossom seemingly vanished from sight.
By the time Bellossom reappeared, Shiftry's Hurricane Sweep had inexplicably dissipated.
A sharp pain bloomed in Shiftry's chest—at first faint, then overwhelming, spreading through its entire body in an instant.
Panting heavily, Shiftry fell to one knee, powerless. It looked on as Bellossom turned its blade toward its Trainer once more, unable to muster the strength to resist or even delay the attack.
"No—"
Before Kadyn could finish his plea, Bellossom's blade pierced his throat.
With practiced ease, Bellossom retrieved Shiftry's Poké Ball and returned it inside.
Ron had cut Kadyn down in mere moments, leaving the previously aggressive horde of Graveler and Geodude frozen in place, awaiting his next move.
"Bellossom, use Grassy Terrain to heal them."
"You've seen my strength. Now, select Graveler from your ranks that have not yet reached Elite level to battle against my Larvitar. Once Larvitar has grown to a sufficient level, I will leave."
Ron's raspy voice rang out, devoid of negotiation, yet his command sent the Graveler clan into swift action.
Fighting was futile. Even Kadyn, who had the power to wipe out their entire clan, now lay lifeless on the ground. Resistance would only hasten their extinction.
Under the effects of Grassy Terrain, Graveler with levels between 25 and 30 were quickly selected.
Having found a suitable group, Ron wasn't about to waste this opportunity—this was the perfect chance to push Larvitar toward evolution.
With the first Graveler chosen, Larvitar eagerly rushed forward, ready for battle.
Against the Rock/Ground-type Graveler, Larvitar's Sandstorm would not be as effective as usual—a clear disadvantage.
But Sandstorm had never been the true reason why Larvitar, and later Tyranitar, were considered pseudo-Legendary Pokémon!
"Larvitar, use Scary Face, then Rock Slide!"
At Ron's command, Larvitar sprang into action.
With its continuous growth, Larvitar's latent potential had begun to emerge.
It wasn't obvious in day-to-day life, but the moment battle commenced, Larvitar exuded an intimidating aura—a presence akin to Dragon's Majesty, yet even more overwhelming.
While Dragon's Majesty was an amplified form of battle spirit that had limited effect on opponents of similar strength, Larvitar's aura was an oppressive force. Against adversaries of comparable or slightly weaker power, it was an undeniable pressure that could not be ignored.
Ron speculated that this might be a unique trait inherent to Larvitar's species. Though similar to Dragon's Majesty, it lacked the same overwhelming effect—until now.
With the aid of Fighting Aura, Larvitar had transformed this natural pressure into a tangible weapon.
Pairing it with Scary Face, Larvitar instantly made Graveler's rocky body feel sluggish and unresponsive.
A massive boulder crashed down, striking Graveler squarely.
Rock Slide, bolstered by Scary Face and Larvitar's sheer presence, sent Graveler into a state of flinching.
"Larvitar, keep using Scary Face in combination with Rock Slide! Close the distance quickly!"
The power of the Scary Face move intensified the intimidating aura around Larvitar, enhancing its presence even further. And with Larvitar's precise control over its moves, the unleashed Rock Slide carried even greater force.
Just when Graveler had regained mobility, it was struck once again by Larvitar's Scary Face and Rock Slide combo.
The only silver lining was that this time, Graveler didn't flinch.
Letting out a roar to steel itself, Graveler launched its counterattack.
Unleashing consecutive Rock Throw attacks to block Larvitar's offensive, Graveler then executed Defense Curl followed by Rollout, forming a deadly combination as it charged toward Larvitar.
"A head-on clash, huh? Larvitar, let's show them your strength! Use Iron Head!"
At Ron's command, Larvitar's head took on a metallic sheen as it gleamed with power.
Fixing its gaze on Graveler, Larvitar surged forward at full speed.
Despite its small stature, its momentum felt utterly unstoppable.
As the two Pokémon clashed head-on, the impact was swift and explosive.
Though Larvitar was smaller in size, it was significantly heavier than Graveler, and its Iron Head attack packed far more power than Graveler's initial Rollout strike.
At the moment of impact, Larvitar was like an unyielding iron spike, smashing into the dirt-formed Graveler and sending it crashing backward.
As Graveler tumbled through the air, Larvitar wasted no time and pursued immediately. Ron's voice rang out in perfect sync with the battle.
"Larvitar, use Rock Slide to stop Graveler! Then follow up with Iron Head!"
A massive boulder, controlled with precision, came crashing down on Graveler, halting its movement completely.
With a thunderous strike, Larvitar's Iron Head slammed into Graveler's chest.
Seeing that Graveler had lost its ability to fight, Larvitar refrained from pressing the attack further. Instead, it calmly stood its ground, awaiting the next opponent.
At Ron's signal, a Bellossom stepped forward, releasing Grassy Terrain to help the defeated Graveler recover. At the same time, Ron channeled his Fighting Aura, restoring Larvitar to peak condition.
Noticing that Ron hadn't gone overboard with his actions, the other Graveler let out a sigh of relief. However, the second Graveler was already stepping up to face Larvitar.
The second battle began!
With the Graveler acting as sparring partners, Larvitar swiftly converted its experience into real strength.
By the time Ron left the Graveler colony, Larvitar had already reached Level 29, just a step away from evolution.
This was precisely why Ron chose to leave—he needed to find a safe location where Larvitar could complete its evolution without interruptions.
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
"Send out the orders—mobilize the Rangers and the Forest Hunters! This time, I'll be leading the mission myself. We must capture the Dark King!"
At Hiro's command, the Ranger Headquarters quickly began assembling their forces, including those stationed at the designated area.
After spending so much time biding his opportunity, Hiro was finally ready to act. He would capture the Dark King and publicly execute him, putting an end to the rising arrogance of Pokémon poachers once and for all!
Unaware that the Rangers were preparing to move against him once more, Ron was focused entirely on the radiant white light before him.
Surrounding him was a rugged, rocky terrain, where Machamp stood watch on high alert.
At the very center, Ron stood still, his eyes locked on the evolving Larvitar, as the moment of transformation had finally arrived.
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