Ryan stared at the bodies lying in the snow, his eyes burning with rage.
They were members of his Rivergate team.
"Open fire!"
Grant reacted first.
"Take down that Alolan Sandslash!"
The expedition immediately raised their energy rifles.
The Sandslash barely seemed to care.
It stood beside the fallen Frostfruits with an almost unnerving calm, picking them up one by one and eating them while dozens of people surrounded it. There was no fear in its eyes, not even caution. To the Pokémon, everyone around it seemed little more than an inconvenience.
The first volley struck.
Energy rounds hammered into its body in rapid succession, but instead of piercing through, they crashed against its icy armor with sharp metallic impacts.
Sparks scattered across the snow.
Not a single shot left a visible wound.
The expedition members hesitated.
"Slash..."
Sandslash finally raised its head.
Its gaze swept over them with unmistakable contempt.
Then it ate the last Frostfruit.
Grant's expression changed.
"Wait—"
Sandslash vanished.
A heartbeat later, screams erupted from the side of the formation.
Several members of the Rivergate team collapsed almost simultaneously as the Pokémon tore through them with its claws. Blood splashed across the snow before the freezing air began frosting it over.
"Fall back!" Grant shouted. "Everyone behind the Pokémon!"
Whatever this Sandslash was, ordinary weapons were useless against it.
"Metagross, Aggron, Skarmory—stop it!"
The three Pokémon moved immediately.
Metagross shot across the snow and blocked the Sandslash's path. Aggron closed in from one side while Skarmory descended from above, forcing the attacker away from the retreating expedition members.
Grant's mind raced.
The speed.
The defense.
The ease with which it had killed several people before anyone could react.
Class Champion...
At the very least, this Sandslash had reached Class Champion.
Ryan forced his anger under control and joined him.
"Venusaur, Vileplume, Exeggutor—help them!"
His three Pokémon moved into position alongside Grant's team.
Within moments, six powerful Pokémon had formed a loose circle around the Alolan Sandslash.
Snow drifted between them.
Sandslash looked from one opponent to another.
It did not seem impressed.
Grant reached for his remaining Poké Balls.
"Come out—Excadrill, Bisharp, Bastiodon!"
Three more Steel-types appeared across the clearing.
Steel had always been Grant's specialty. His family had produced some of Hualis's finest Steel-type Trainers for generations, and the Steel specialist among the nation's Ten Great Champions had repeatedly come from their line.
Ryan released his remaining Pokémon as well.
"Meganium, Breloom, Torterra!"
Three more flashes lit the snow.
Unlike Grant, Ryan had not come from an influential Trainer family. He had built his team gradually, and Grass-types had always been relatively practical Pokémon to raise. Their food and recovery costs tended to be lower, and moves such as Synthesis made them easier to keep healthy during long periods in the field.
It was the team he had built his career around.
Now all twelve Pokémon were focused on the same opponent.
The Alolan Sandslash slowly looked around at the circle tightening around it.
"Slash..."
Its claws flexed.
If anything, it seemed amused.
Ryan stepped beside Grant, his attention fixed on the Pokémon that had killed his people.
"This thing's dangerous."
Grant nodded.
"No kidding."
"We take it together."
"Agreed."
Around them, their Pokémon lowered their stances and prepared to attack.
For the first time since entering the secret zone, the expedition was facing an opponent that neither Grant nor Ryan could afford to underestimate.
And the Sandslash still showed no sign of backing down.