Seeing this, the Beldum on the sidelines immediately tensed up, its red eyes fixed on the Manectric, its metallic shell gleaming with vigilance.
"Alright, Beldum, come back and rest."
Lionel called out to Beldum, his tone soothing.
Beldum reluctantly flew to Lionel's side, gently rubbing its cool head against his palm.
Its body still made a resentful "ding-ding" clanging sound, and its red eyes were full of unwillingness, as if saying, "I can still fight."
Lionel couldn't help but smile, reaching out to gently pat its head, his tone gentle: "I know you're very strong, but leave the next opponent to your companion."
"Let Tyrantrum have a turn too; it hasn't officially shown itself to others since it evolved. You watch from the side and cheer it on."
Hearing that its good friend, who often played Tackle games with it, was going to battle, Beldum immediately stopped sulking.
It was very generous.
Although Tyrunt had evolved into Tyrantrum and now always protected the crown-like protrusion on its head, no longer willing to play head-butting games with Beldum; Tyrantrum still played Tackle with its Iron Tail and allowed Beldum to play on its 'crown', remaining its best companion.
But Tyrantrum would still play Tackle with its Iron Tail and was willing to let itself play on its 'crown', still its best companion.
Upon hearing Lionel's words, the audience in the live stream immediately erupted.
[What? Tyrunt evolved?! I didn't mishear, did I?]
[Oh my god! Looking at the desert training video the streamer posted a few days ago, it was still pushing rocks with great effort, and now it has evolved? That's too sudden!]
[No wonder I didn't see Tyrunt today, so it was holding back a big move! This surprise came too suddenly!]
[Quick, let us see! What does an evolved Tyrunt look like? Is it even cuter?]
Discussions also broke out in the audience seats, and everyone's eyes focused on the other Poké Ball in Lionel's hand, filled with anticipation and curiosity.
Lionel took a deep breath and raised the Poké Ball high: "Then, let me show you Tyrunt's growth!"
"Come out, Tyrantrum!"
"Roar—!!"
Accompanied by a deafening roar, a flash of red light appeared, and a colossal dark red beast suddenly materialized in the center of the arena.
Tyrantrum's nearly 3-meter-tall body was like a small mountain. As soon as it appeared, it let out a powerful roar at Manectric.
The Dragon-type aura it emitted made the audience on the sidelines involuntarily hold their breath, and even the air seemed to solidify a bit.
"This, is this what Tyrunt looks like after evolving?"
Many of Lionel's fans around the battle arena exclaimed in surprise, "It's too imposing! This size, this aura, it truly wasn't in vain for me to rush here from Petalburg City just to watch the streamer's match live."
And the bullet comments in the live stream went completely wild, refreshing like a waterfall:
[Holy crap! Is this Tyrunt's evolution? It grew so tall! Much more robust than I imagined!]
[No wonder the streamer dared to send Beldum first; he had such a trump card hidden!]
[If I remember correctly, the streamer's Tyrunt has Dragon-type and Rock-type attributes, which is simply a bane for Electric-type Pokémon! Now that it has evolved, Manectric is in danger!]
[The size difference is too ridiculous! Manectric looks like a kitten in front of it————]
Wattson looked at the Tyrantrum in the arena, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.
He remembered Walter mentioning that Tyrunt when he introduced Lionel earlier.
As a Fossil Pokémon, possessing both Dragon and Rock attributes, now evolved into Tyrantrum, the disadvantage of type effectiveness was truly a headache.
Manectric seemed to feel the pressure from its opponent, letting out a low growl from its throat.
The currents around its body became more active, the golden mane on top of its head stood on end, adopting a ready-to-attack posture.
Lionel looked at the two Pokémon confronting each other in the arena, feeling the tension in the air, and a confident smile played on his lips: "Tyrantrum, show them your power."
Beldum also swayed its body on the side, vigorously waving its short arms, cheering for its good friend Tyrantrum.
Metallic sounds of "ding-ding-dang-dang" rang out continuously, like beating gongs to cheer it on.
Wattson looked at Tyrantrum, his mind pondering how to give commands, his brow furrowed into a knot, his face full of solemnity and distress.
Tyrantrum's size was almost double that of his Manectric. The crimson scales covering its entire body gleamed with a cold light under the illumination, and just standing there, it exuded the powerful oppressive aura of a Dragon-type Pokémon.
"Rock and Dragon attributes————"
He murmured softly, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the Poké Ball at his waist, "I should have sent Magneton out earlier. Steel-type moves can counter Rock-type, so there might have been a chance to turn the tide. Sending Manectric now, it's really————"
"Now sending Manectric, it's really————"
The more Wattson thought about it, the more troublesome it seemed.
Although Manectric was one of his main Pokémon, it specialized entirely in Electric-type attacks. Facing the dual-type Dragon and Rock Tyrantrum, it was naturally at a disadvantage.
What's worse, among Manectric's known moves, only the Normal-type special move Swift could cause some damage, but it was also resisted by the Rock-type.
As for physical attacks, just looking at Tyrantrum's enormous size, coupled with the strong defensive capabilities of Rock-type Pokémon, and the powerful resistances of Dragon-type Pokémon.
It would probably be no different from a tickle.
"Fine, since it's on the field, we have to fight!"
Wattson's eyes sharpened, and he ordered in a deep voice: "Manectric, first use Thunderbolt to attract lightning and boost your stats, then use Swift!"
His plan was simple:
First, use Thunderbolt to boost its Special Attack with the Lightning Rod ability, then try a special attack with Swift to see if he could find any opportunities to break the deadlock.
Lionel watched as Manectric's body began to glow with lightning, feeling no ripple in his heart.
As soon as Manectric appeared, its information panel had already popped up in his mind:
[Pokémon: Manectric]
[Type: Electric]
[Category: Discharge Pokémon]
[Ability: Lightning Rod (Draws Electric-type moves to itself, takes no damage, and raises its Special Attack)]
[Moves: Fire Fang, Bite, Quick Attack, Shock Wave, Discharge, Thunder Fang, Charge, Thunderbolt, Swift————]
This move list, in his opinion, posed almost no threat.
Manectric specialized in special attacks. Aside from the Normal-type move Swift, its other Electric-type moves would deal no damage to a Rock-type.
As for other physical moves, facing Tyrantrum, which had an absolute advantage in size and defense, they would be utterly ineffective.
"Tyrantrum, Sandstorm, then Charge straight ahead! Show them what you can do!"
Lionel's command was concise and domineering.
"Roar!"
Tyrantrum roared, and a violent wave of sand instantly swirled around its body.
The tiny grains of sand beneath the battle arena were awakened by its power, seeping out of the ground little by little.
As if imbued with life, they spun wildly, converging into a sky-obscuring Sandstorm that instantly enveloped the entire battle arena.
Amidst the swirling yellow sand, only Tyrantrum's massive dark red figure could be vaguely seen moving through the Sandstorm.
Each step made the ground tremble slightly, like a king in the Sandstorm, charging directly towards Manectric with an unparalleled aura.
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