Pokemon: Sandstorm Elite

A second Boomburst roared through the battlefield. Greninja leaped into the air, gathering energy in its fist before striking forward with immense force. The ground trembled violently as Greninja, utilizing its Protean ability with seamless precision, flipped mid-air and landed back on solid ground, its gaze sharp with caution.

This Mega Salamence's destructive power far exceeded expectations. Even after adapting its typing in advance, the sheer impact was still overwhelming.

At the same time, as the powerful soundwave swept through, Gary and Eevee were shielded by a thick layer of swirling sand, dampening the outer edges of the attack. Though his ears were still ringing painfully, Gary knew—someone had saved him.

"It's Elite Klein!"

Gary instantly recognized the Sandstorm Elite, who had made a name for himself during the Indigo League Exhibition Matches. A wave of relief washed over him—facing that eerie, androgynous masked man alone had been suffocating.

"Thank you, Gary. If not for your efforts, the Seafoam Islands might have faced a catastrophic disaster today."

Klein approached Gary, his gratitude sincere. If Gary hadn't risked everything to destroy the device, the entire island could have been swallowed by the Distortion World. The very thought sent a chill down Klein's spine, and his gaze toward the masked man grew even colder.

Klein had encountered the dark energy of the Distortion World before. He narrowed his eyes at the masked man. "What's your connection to the Kamiyama Foundation?"

At the mention of the Kamiyama Foundation, the masked man chuckled, tapping his folding fan lightly against his palm as if unwilling to answer.

A flicker of anger flashed in Klein's eyes. The Poké Balls on his belt glowed, releasing his six Pokémon—Tyranitar, Swampert, Scizor, Lucario, Cradily, and the Mega Salamence hovering above. They surrounded the masked man in an instant.

Yet the masked man showed no fear. If Klein had tracked him down all the way here, then this battle was inevitable. No point in hesitating—he would fight with everything he had.

From behind him, several pre-positioned Pokémon emerged. A chilling psychic force swept across the battlefield, stirring up a powerful wind. Klein glanced upward and saw a pale blue Gardevoir hovering in the air, its gaze indifferent as it surveyed the battlefield.

"Gardevoir, use Trace to copy Greninja's Protean ability."

With its eyes locked onto its trainer's Greninja, Gardevoir's body shimmered with the same faint glow. In just an instant, it had successfully replicated Protean.

"Scizor, stop it!"

Scizor launched a barrage of Bullet Punches, red streaks of light flashing through the air. But before they could land, a ferocious blaze erupted from the ground—an Incineroar from the Alola region lunged forward, intercepting the attack.

Klein's gaze flicked to the new opponent. In a split second, Swampert fired a powerful Water Gun from behind, swiftly neutralizing the flames.

The speed at which Swampert reacted was astonishing—even Greninja barely had time to process it. At that moment, Greninja finally turned its attention to Swampert, whose dazed eyes seemed to see through everything.

A powerful opponent.

The masked man let out a chilling laugh, spinning in place as he twirled Erika's bathrobe. With a dramatic flick of his folding fan, several more Poké Balls flew onto the battlefield.

In flashes of light, an Alolan Muk, a Dark/Fighting-type Pangoro, and a massive Drapion appeared, reinforcing his battle line.

The pale blue Gardevoir remained suspended mid-air, its psychic energy weaving threads of light that connected to its allies.

This Gardevoir was the masked man's tactical centerpiece, just like how Tyranitar was for Klein.

With his formation set, the masked man flashed an ambiguous smile at Klein. "Elite Klein, you must've traveled quite a distance from Indigo Plateau. That's quite the effort."

"By the way, that outfit suits you quite well."

"Oh? Klein, are you complimenting me?"

Klein's expression remained cold and unreadable. "This way, I won't have to hold back. Even if I accidentally kill you, some people in the League won't have anything to say."

An Elite-level battle was beyond what ordinary Pokémon could handle. Klein's six sandstorm-specialized Pokémon were the best suited for this large-scale conflict. At his command, Gary quickly withdrew from the battlefield with Arcanine.

"Haha, such bold words! I'm trembling with fear!"

The masked man's tone was lighthearted, but he knew the truth—this young Elite was the real deal. Despite just recently earning his title, his strength was undeniable.

There was a difference between being an "Elite" and possessing "Elite-level strength." The former was a title; the latter was a true measure of power.

A trainer with Elite-level strength commanded a coordinated team, their Pokémon seamlessly covering each other's weaknesses. Many so-called "strong" trainers excelled in one-on-one battles but crumbled in full-team conflicts.

The League had never subjected Klein to a formal team battle test because his strategy, built around Tyranitar, was already proven. Otherwise, passing a team battle assessment would have been a requirement for his promotion to Elite.

Simply put, Tyranitar and Mega Salamence shielded Scizor from its Fire-type weakness. Scizor, in turn, protected them from Ice, Fairy, and Dragon-type attacks. Lucario, Cradily with Storm Drain, and Swampert covered additional defenses, creating an unbreakable formation.

In a proper battle, the trainer and their core Pokémon remained at the heart of the formation—like the king in a chess match. If the centerpiece fell, the battle was lost.

Likewise, the masked man's strategic positioning showed great expertise. This was no ordinary trainer.

At that moment, Gardevoir floated higher, its body radiating a soft glow.

Unlike casual battles, real fights to the death rarely involved trainers shouting out attack names. But Klein quickly deduced Gardevoir's move—Misty Terrain.

Misty Terrain would prevent status conditions and weaken Dragon-type attacks.

So, he's countering Cradily's toxic strategies and Mega Salamence's Dragon moves?

Scizor and Lucario launched their first probing attacks—Bullet Punch aimed at Drapion, Aura Sphere targeting Pangoro.

Gardevoir's eyes flashed coldly. It activated Skill Swap, instantly transferring Protean to Pangoro. Pangoro's form flickered, shifting to a Ghost-type, rendering Lucario's Aura Sphere useless.

On the other side, Drapion swapped places with Incineroar, shielding itself from Scizor's Bullet Punch as a wall of fire erupted between them.

Misty Terrain, Skill Swap, Ally Switch, and Trace—these formed Gardevoir's tactical core.

It was a brilliant strategy, a classic Elite-style battle plan—intricate and well-coordinated. Klein swiftly analyzed his opponent's setup, and in response, Tyranitar and Cradily began their counterplay.

At some point, Cradily had climbed onto Tyranitar's shoulder. Its Storm Drain ability activated, its tentacles burrowing into the ground, siphoning energy from the earth.

The surrounding land began to wither. Sand surged forth, spreading in all directions.

In mere moments, the battlefield transformed into a desert wasteland, as if they had been cast into a sandstorm purgatory.

The energy drawn from the ground twisted into dozens of violent sand tornadoes, swirling relentlessly across the battlefield.

Ordinary Sand Stream ability only created mild sandstorms, but with Cradily's Storm Drain and Ingrain enhancing it, the effect was dramatically intensified. The entire summit of the Seafoam Islands was engulfed in a sandstorm domain.

Everything withered. The land dried up. Water evaporated. The very air became suffocating.

The swirling sands gathered high above, blanketing the entire Seafoam Islands in a suffocating storm.

"What… is that?"

Riding on Arcanine as he retreated down the mountain, Gary turned back and saw the sky above the summit had changed color. A vast sea of sand filled the air, making the heat almost unbearable.

The sandstorm raged wildly, covering the entire sea surrounding the islands.

Encased within this storm, dozens of sand tornadoes spiraled endlessly like massive hourglasses, shifting back and forth.

The masked man's expression darkened as he watched the overwhelming scene unfold.

This was a technique that took sandstorm strategies to their absolute peak—an advanced combination move that prolonged and intensified the weather.

Sandstorm Inferno.

(End of Chapter)