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"Rooaaar!!"
Countless streams of sand surged in from all directions with Garchomp's mighty roar! In the blink of an eye, the sands completely enveloped it. Within moments, the swirling sand gathered rapidly on Garchomp's back until, when all the sand converged, its form had changed entirely. With a thunderous stomp, it raised its massive head and let out a piercing cry to the heavens!
"What—what's going on?!"
The masked man had clearly never seen anything like this before. The pupils behind his mask shrank violently as he stared at the transformed Garchomp, unable to suppress a startled shout.
"Gyaaah…"
Even Ho-Oh, hovering above, was stunned. Its immense eyes flickered with astonishment and a peculiar gleam.
"Scizor, Arcanine! You two stay here and protect Delia! Garchomp, we're going up!"
"Rooaar!"
Seeing Garchomp's transformation complete, Liam turned and gave the order for Scizor and Arcanine to guard Delia. Then, stepping onto Garchomp's back, he felt the creature let out a deep growl as the sand-forged claws on its back spread wide. With a gust of storming sand, Garchomp soared skyward!
....
Garchomp carried Liam up to face Ho-Oh directly. Two Pokémon and two humans stood opposed across the skies — the air between them thick with rising tension.
"Heh… impressive. I've studied your Garchomp's data — it should've already been in its final evolutionary form. I truly didn't expect this… not only does its coloration differ from ordinary Garchomp, it can even transform further. Remarkable. Simply remarkable!"
The masked man's composure returned quickly. Though stunned, he forced a grin, suppressing his amazement as he praised Garchomp with mock admiration.
"...Garchomp, Dragon Claw."
Liam had no intention of entertaining his words. Rage burned inside him — this man had crossed a line beyond forgiveness. Right now, all Liam wanted was to teach him a lesson he'd never forget.
"Rooaar!!"
After evolving, Garchomp had grown even larger — now over two and a half meters tall. But compared to the nearly four-meter-tall Ho-Oh, it still seemed small.
Even so, as soon as it heard Liam's command, Garchomp raised one of its bladed fins high. Instantly, vast currents of sand converged upon it, forming a colossal Dragon Claw of sand. When the attack was fully charged, Garchomp swung with crushing force toward Ho-Oh!
"Ho-Oh! Dodge it!"
"Gyaah!"
Faced with the enormous Dragon Claw, Ho-Oh decisively veered aside, beating its wings to avoid the slash. Then, with a powerful flap, it ascended swiftly toward the heavens.
"Huh? Ho-Oh! Where are you going?! I only told you to dodge!"
The masked man frowned beneath his mask, shouting angrily at Ho-Oh as it kept rising.
Liam's eyes narrowed. "...Garchomp, follow it."
"Rooaar!"
"Gyaah!"
But no matter how the masked man yelled, Ho-Oh refused to obey — it only flew higher and faster, wings blazing with defiance.
"Damn it! Obey my orders, Ho-Oh!!"
Desperate, the masked man pulled out a shimmering, rainbow-colored orb. He thrust it toward the PokéBall in his other hand, shouting commandingly.
"Gyaah!!"
This time, the order took hold. Mid-flight, Ho-Oh froze, trembling violently. The brilliance in its eyes dimmed, replaced by a shadowy haze.
"Ha! Hahaha! As long as I hold this special ball — crafted from your very feather — you'll never defy me again! Now go! Defeat your opponent! Use Brave Bird!"
Laughing maniacally, the masked man pointed toward Liam and Garchomp below, his voice twisted with arrogance and cruelty.
"Gyaaaah!!"
Obeying the command, Ho-Oh twisted midair, a blinding white aura enveloping its body as it dove like a blazing comet — the embodiment of Brave Bird!
"Dodge it, Garchomp!"
"Rooaar!"
Despite Ho-Oh's terrifying momentum, Garchomp's speed rivaled any Pokémon alive. A single sweep of its sand-forged wings sent it gliding aside, narrowly avoiding the strike. Ho-Oh crashed into the forest below with explosive force.
BOOM!!
"Tch… being that huge has its drawbacks — too clumsy. After it, Garchomp! Use Stone Edge!"
Seeing the massive shockwave mushroom up from the crash site, Liam grimaced, then slapped Garchomp's neck to signal pursuit.
"Rooaaar!!"
Garchomp dove, spreading its sand-forged wings wide. Sharp, jagged stones began forming across the wings — countless Stone Edge blades raining down in a devastating barrage, blanketing the forest below.
"Gyaaaah!!"
A cry burst from the smoke — and suddenly, a battered blue-and-white form shot upward! Despite its wounds, Ho-Oh smashed through the raining rocks, crashing straight into Garchomp's chest while it was mid-attack!
"Rooaaar!!"
Taking Ho-Oh's Brave Bird head-on, even Garchomp couldn't escape unscathed. It roared in pain, tumbling backward as its sand-wings crumbled.
"Urgh!!"
Liam groaned sharply, his body tensing with pain. Their bond was so deep that the impact's shock echoed through him as well.
"Rooaar…"
Garchomp turned its head in concern.
"Heh… I'm fine. But damn, that one did hurt."
For the first time since mastering their bond evolution, Liam actually felt his Pokémon's pain. Until now, their victories had been effortless — this time, the stakes were higher.
"Rooaaar…"
"Yeah, yeah, I know it hurt you too. I'm not complaining — I'm fired up!"
Understanding each other perfectly through their bond, Liam patted Garchomp's neck, then turned his gaze to the battered, heaving Ho-Oh. Its once-glorious feathers were falling away, each one igniting into tiny sparks as they drifted into the forest below.
"You see it now? Ho-Oh's reached its limit. After so many battles, it's exhausted. In your current state, you can't escape either. Hand over Ho-Oh's PokéBall and maybe I'll—"
"Enough!"
Hovering before Ho-Oh, he glared at the tattered, desperate masked man. He knew who this man was — and what he was after. But instead of giving in to fury, Liam took a deep breath, trying to offer him one last chance. However, the masked man cut him off.
The masked man then chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "Hehehe… I didn't expect Ho-Oh to be this disobedient. But surrender? That's not an option. Before you got here, I left something behind… Do you know what it is?"
A crooked grin curled across his exposed lips as he shouted toward the forest below—
"Mamoswine! Use Blizzard!!"
"Swine!!"