Chapter 0630: Reforging Sandstorm's Glory(Two-in-One)

"Tyranitar!!"

Tyranitar threw back its head and bellowed, its gray-green armor bristling with spikes as yellow sand swirled violently through the arena.

The sandstorm raged, obscuring vision, yet Tyranitar's overwhelming presence remained undeniable.

The undisputed core of Sandstorm teams—while other weather strategies rotated their setters, Sandstorm had only one true monarch.

Natsume shouted: "BANGIRAS!"

"Headphone users just got obliterated."

"Why so loud?!"

"Tyranitar's entrance just lit my soul on fire!"

Unnoticed, Larvitar had wandered back inside, staring at the rampaging Tyranitar on-screen with gleaming eyes.

"Larvitar... "

I want to get stronger.

So I can eat even more delicious things!

Hidden within the sandstorm, Excadrill stood cold-eyed, the drills on its arms and forehead razor-sharp.

In a Mossdeep City mansion filled with an impressive collection of ores...

Steven's sky-blue eyes gleamed with depth, a confident smile curling at his lips.

His strategies were flawless—a Space-Based Strategy centered around Aggron and Claydol, a Spikes + Toxic defensive core with Skarmory and Cradily.

He even had a Swift Swim Armaldo for rainy battles, not to mention his all-powerful, near-invincible Mega Metagross.

Steven's tactical mastery was unparalleled—a truly perfect Hoenn Champion!

On the battlefield, Tyranitar stood with its back to the camera, its jagged spines sharp and menacing.

Excadrill, wearing a Focus Sash across its brow, radiated an aura as piercing as a drill, capable of taking down two Pokémon in an instant.

Cradily extended its suction-cupped tendrils, anchoring itself to the ground, while Claydol levitated mid-air, spinning ceaselessly.

"Claydol will likely set up Trick Room or use Ally Switch," Cynthia observed.

Natsume-sensei nodded. "Or it might just Protect."

"Who’s the real streamer here?"

"Moe-Moe! Used ‘Guidance’—Natsume-sensei’s stats just skyrocketed!"

Natsume analyzed aloud: "If it’s Ally Switch, doubling into Cradily might not KO it. If it’s holding a Sitrus Berry, I’m done for."

Scanning the chat’s frantic theories, Natsume dismissed them one by one:

"Excadrill using Earthquake to trigger Tyranitar’s Weakness Policy? That’s a terrible trade."

"Double Rock Slide? Yeah, that could work… if they don’t miss."

It seemed reckless, but against a Claydol that knew Ally Switch, this might be the only way.

Meanwhile, Steven closed his eyes calmly.

His Claydol held a Focus Sash—there was no fear of a one-hit KO.

The smarter play was to Protect, scouting Natsume’s item and move choices.

After all, Tyranitar might not even be holding Weakness Policy—it could easily be Choice Scarf-locked—

"Claydol, use Protect!" Steven commanded. "Cradily, hit Tyranitar with Toxic!"

As the battle erupted...

Natsume narrowed his eyes, predicting:

"The real question is—Steven won’t ignore the threat of Double Rock Slide."

"I’ll call his Protect bluff." He raised his voice. "Excadrill, Swords Dance!"

"Natsume-sensei’s getting greedy today?!"

"Swords Dance?! That’s insane!"

Amid the raging sandstorm, Excadrill—boosted by its Sand Rush ability—moved first.

Its claws sharpened like blades, its forehead drill gleaming, as its entire body spun into a devastating whirlwind. Even Mega Metagross would hesitate to face this onslaught!

Excadrill spiraled through the storm like a drill piercing the earth, kicking up a furious sandstorm.

My drill is the drill that will pierce the heavens!

BZZZT—

Claydol's multi-faceted eyes flashed red as its spinning body shimmered with an emerald barrier—Protect.

Fans were all shocked, Natsume-sensei Prediction actually came true!

"Who can stop this Excadrill now?!"

"Now THIS is the raw firepower of a Sandstorm Team!"

Steven’s brow furrowed slightly.

On the other side of the battlefield, Tyranitar unleashed a thunderous roar, its fist encased in jagged ice as it launched a devastating Ice Punch straight at the rooted Cradily!

With type advantage and Tyranitar’s monstrous attack stat, this should have been a guaranteed knockout—

BOOM!!

The impact sent shards of frost scattering through the sandstorm. Natsume’s expression darkened.

Cradily survived.

Its tendrils lashed out like whips, coating Tyranitar in a deep, venomous Toxic before it could react!

"What the hell?! Tyranitar’s damage is pathetic!"

"This is what happens when Weakness Policy doesn’t trigger! (LOL)"

Natsume’s prediction had been right… but this Cradily was holding a Yache Berry, drastically weakening the Ice Punch.

Cradily’s injuries were minor—its shadowed eyes flickered yellow as its tendrils swayed, already preparing to Recover!

Cynthia pressed a finger to her lips, murmuring:

"Ice, Steel, and Fighting are Cradily’s weaknesses… Most Sandstorm Teams carry Ice-type moves for coverage, so a Yache Berry is a smart choice."

"It’s called a damn Yache Berry," Natsume muttered. "The real problem is Tyranitar getting poisoned..."

Amid the swirling sands, Tyranitar writhed, its body now tainted with purple toxin.

If it stayed in, Cradily’s Recover would slowly but surely grind it down to nothing!

"Return, Tyranitar."

Natsume recalled Tyranitar, swapping it out with a flick of his Poké Ball.

"Go, Rotom!"

Wash Rotom fluttered into the battlefield, its plasma-formed wings crackling as it levitated above the ground, its washing machine form humming ominously.

Meanwhile, Excadrill—boosted by Swords Dance—surged forward like an unstoppable drill. Sand whipped around it as its Iron Head rocketed toward Cradily with type-advantaged force!

"Why not Earthquake or Rock Slide?"

In the chat, Gold typed curiously.

"Earthquake wouldn’t affect Claydol. And if Steven switches in Skarmory, it’d be useless. Iron Head at least guarantees accuracy."

Red added thoughtfully: "As for Rock Slide…"

"He’s probably worried it’ll miss."

The battle wasn’t slipping from Natsume’s control yet.

But Steven raised his arm.

"Claydol, Ally Switch! Cradily, Leech Seed!"

Claydol’s eyes flashed red—its form blurred as it swapped places with Cradily in an instant!

Excadrill’s Iron Head, meant to crush Cradily, instead slammed into Claydol’s spinning body!

CLANG!!

Claydol shuddered in pain… but its Focus Sash shattered, saving it from fainting!

Meanwhile, the repositioned Cradily fired a volley of Leech Seeds at Rotom.

The freshly sent-out Wash Rotom was immediately entangled in thorny vines, its energy being drained away by Cradily!

The fans gasped.

"Steven’s playing DIRTY!"

"Karma’s a bitch—Natsume-sensei just got Ally Switch’d into oblivion."

"DAMN, this Cradily is toxic!"

Cynthia rested her chin on her hand, frowning.

"I thought his Space-Based Strategy and backup Aggron were the core of Steven’s plan…"

"But no. It’s SubProtect Toxic and Leech Seed stall, isn’t it?" Natsume finished grimly.

This whole time, you were just running a scummy stall team, Steven?!

"Because it works," Cynthia said with a faint smile.

"Enough."

Natsume decided to go all-in.

"Excadrill—Rock Slide!"

Excadrill swung its claws, hurling massive boulders in a crushing landslide toward both Claydol and Cradily!

The fans held their breath.

"With Swords Dance boost, this could wipe them BOTH!"

"But Rock Slide’s accuracy… is it REALLY 90?!"

Under the spotlight of the battle…

Claydol’s body shimmered with another Protect, deflecting the rocks.

Cradily, however, had nowhere to dodge—

At the last second, Steven recalled Cradily, sending out Skarmory in a flash of light!

SCREEEECH—!!

Skarmory tanked the Rock Slide head-on, its 140 Defense barely keeping it standing as its HP plummeted to red!

"OHHHHHH!!"

"IT DIDN’T MISS?!"

But Skarmory hadn’t even triggered Sturdy—instead, it pecked at its own armor, pulling out a Sitrus Berry and gulping it down!

"SITRUS BERRY?! On SKARMORY?!"

"HOLY—THIS ISN’T A SPACE TEAM, IT’S A FULL STALL DEFENSE!"

Now, Steven’s true strategy was clear.

Claydol’s "Space-Based Strategy" had been a decoy.

The real plan?

A defensive core of Skarmory and Cradily…

…with an unstoppable Mega Metagross waiting to sweep under Tailwind!

"Got played by Steven, huh…" Natsume muttered.

"This is one of his signature strategies," Cynthia said with a faint smile.

Natsume’s expression soured.

"And here I thought he just brute-forced everything with Mega Metagross…"

At the same time…

Wash Rotom, still afflicted by Leech Seed, surged forward in a crackling burst of electricity—Volt Switch!

The battlefield lit up with sparks as fans held their breath.

Logically, Skarmory’s 4x weakness to Electric should have guaranteed its defeat…

But in this sandstorm, its Special Defense was boosted—meaning it might just barely survive!

CRACKLE—!!

The electric blast struck true—but Skarmory clung on, its silver armor scorched and dented!

"Ugh, stall teams are the WORST!"

"Now we know how it feels to fight Natsume-sensei."

"Tyranitar’s back in the game!"

BOOM!

The sandstorm raged on as Tyranitar stood tall, its body wracked with Toxic—yet its eyes burned with ferocity.

"Skarmory—!"

Skarmory soared high, activating Protect to shield itself from Excadrill’s Rock Slide.

The remaining boulders crashed into Claydol, burying it under rubble—its role as a decoy complete.

"Holy—Rock Slide hit TWICE in a row?!"

"What are the odds?! Who even ARE you?!"

Natsume’s gaze sharpened as he predicted Steven’s switch.

"Tyranitar—Crunch!"

With a roar, Tyranitar lunged forward, its jaws wreathed in dark energy—

—only for a blinding light to erupt from Steven’s side as a figure materialized in its path.

"Metagross, go!"

"Metagross—!!"

The shining silver Metagross stood firm, its X-shaped crest glowing as it tanked the Crunch with barely a flinch.

Meanwhile, Excadrill—boosted by Sand Rush—acted first, hurling another Rock Slide at Skarmory!

"Return, Skarmory!" Steven called. "Cradily, take the field!"

Cradily materialized on the field—

—only to be instantly buried under the collapsing Rock Slide!

Natsume grinned fiercely.

"Started with Swords Dance, ended as the ground-type pseudo-legendary—that’s Excadrill for you!"

"Damn, he’s even dropping Pokémon haikus now?!"

"Professor Oak would be losing his mind!"

The battle now stood at 4 vs. 2—

—with Excadrill securing a brutal double KO via Rock Slide.

The chat erupted into chaos, viewers hype beyond words.

"Today, Excadrill stands above the three pseudo-legends!"

"DRILLS ARE A MAN’S SOUL!!"

Then—silence.

Steven, ever composed, plucked the glowing Key Stone from his lapel.

A blinding rainbow light engulfed the arena as Metagross’s form began to shift—

—and Natsume’s Rock Slide MISSED, the boulders sailing harmlessly past!

"NO WAY—ROCK SLIDE FINALLY WHIFFED?!"

"Of ALL the times to miss?!"

"That’s the bond between Steven and Metagross for you…"

Even in the world of competitive Pokémon, some things transcended logic—trust.

Natsume remembered a tale from his past life:

A Champion’s Heracross, holding a Focus Sash, had survived three lethal hits in a row—defying all odds to reverse-sweep its opponent.

That was the "Heracross Miracle"—proof that sheer willpower could shape reality.

Because if a Trainer couldn’t even believe in their Pokémon…

What was the point of battling at all?

Steven’s light-blue hair fluttered in the wind. Dressed in a suit, he smiled warmly and pressed a kiss to his Key Stone pin.

" Metagross, Mega Evolution!" Steven said loudly.

“Metagross!!”

Mega Metagross’s X-marked crest expanded, its eyes flickering with red light as four metallic arms extended, claws gleaming with a cold edge.

An overwhelming aura radiated from the Mega Metagross.

Amid the swirling sand, the speed-focused Mega Metagross roared, clenched its fists, and slammed them into the ground!

Instantly, a terrifying shockwave tore through the battlefield, barreling toward Tyranitar and Excadrill.

The fans winced, swallowing hard.

Mega Metagross’s power was simply staggering!

BOOM!

Dust filled the air as Tyranitar was swallowed by the Earthquake, and Excadrill’s Focus Sash shattered.

The battle had turned on its head with that devastating Earthquake.

Larvitar stared at the screen, watching Tyranitar collapse, its gaze hardening.

“Larvitar… (▼へ▼メ)”

On the battlefield, Steven's Mega Metagross stood imposingly while Skarmory soared through the air.

Natsume threw his Poké Ball:

"I Choose You, Garchomp!"

The sandstorm continued raging as crimson-eyed Garchomp disappeared into the swirling sands like a deadly predator.

Abandoning hopes for Rock Slide's accuracy, Natsume commanded Excadrill to finish off the weakened Skarmory with Iron Head.

Excadrill's drill gleamed coldly as it leapt straight up, spiraling toward Skarmory!

BOOM!!

"Excadrill with a triple KO!?"

"Garchomp: Well crap, I'm the underdog now!"

The battlefield now showed Mega Garchomp in a desperate 1v3 situation.

Steven remained calm as he ordered:

"Earthquake!"

"Metagross!!"

The white Mega Metagross slammed its fist into the ground, the violent tremors swallowing Excadrill whole.

However, Garchomp crossed its twin scythes, its body glowing with a green Protect barrier!

KABOOM!

Garchomp stood unharmed as a beam of light appeared beside it - Rotom-Wash re-entered the fray, still affected by Leech Seed but at least making it a fairer fight.

Fans licked their dry lips, sensing the razor's edge strategy at play.

Mega Metagross had superior Speed, while Garchomp's quadruple weakness to Ice—

Steven's white Metagross almost certainly carried Ice Punch!

"Bad news: Garchomp's 4x weak to Ice. Good news: Rotom's packing Ally Switch."

"Here comes the classic Ally Switch play!"

In his Mossdeep City mansion, Steven took a deep breath, his eyes darkening.

Should he predict Natsume-sensei's Ally Switch and target Rotom's position, or...

As he pondered, Natsume suddenly declared: "Garchomp, Mega Evolution!!"

A brilliant light erupted as Garchomp's scythes turned crimson, its jaw protruded further, and white bone-like spikes covered its body.

The sandstorm intensified as Sand Force empowered Mega Garchomp, its eyes burning brighter red.

Steven felt his heart pounding, an excited grin spreading across his face before his expression hardened:

"Metagross, Ice Punch!!"

"Metagross!!"

Mega Metagross roared, its four metal arms spreading wide before forming fists encased in freezing ice crystals.

Trailing white light, it launched a devastating punch straight at Rotom-Wash!

SMASH!!

Cynthia's eyes flashed with surprise.

Viewers held their breaths as Rotom-Wash survived with a sliver of HP, quickly devouring a Berry before Leech Seed could finish it off.

Fans were stunned.

"Holy crap, Rotom actually tanked that!"

"Natsume didn't even use Ally Switch? My childhood is ruined!"

"Wiki Berry," Natsume-sensei explained. "Harder activation than Sitrus Berry, so it's a more discreet item choice."

"Rotom's double resistance to Ice meant I knew it could survive that Ice Punch... Even if Garchomp got knocked out, I still had a path to victory—"

As Natsume spoke, Rotom unleashed a brilliant Thunder Wave that struck the white Metagross!

"Because now Metagross is paralyzed."

Natsume said, "Making Ally Switch unnecessary."

"OHHHHHH!!"

"Dammit, Natsume-sensei just styled on us!"

"Watch Thunder Wave miss and Steven sweep three mons to turn the tables (lol)"

Natsume: "Results speak for themselves—"

"Garchomp." Natsume-sensei commanded sharply: "Earthquake!!"

"Garchomp!"

Garchomp's crimson eyes blazed as it swung its blood-red scythes into the ground.

The earth split apart violently, terrifying shockwaves ripping across the battlefield toward the white Mega Metagross.

"Metagross!!"

In the widening eyes of Mega Metagross—

The catastrophic Earthquake crashed down like a collapsing mountain!

KABOOOOOM!!

The screen flashed: VICTORY!

On the slightly laggy livestream, Natsume said flatly:

"Told you. I never use Ally Switch."

"Steven predicted a switch to Garchomp... Should've watched more of my streams."

Instantly, chat exploded with messages and a flood of gift donations!

"Natsume-sensei you legend!!"

"I'm fired up! Gonna go battle right now!"

Whether outpredicting Steven's predictions or perfect switch timing—

Natsume's sandstorm strategy mastery was flawless, down to the millisecond Earthquake execution!

Beyond Boss Giovanni's teachings in "Giovanni's Techniques"—

This undeniable connection between Natsume and Earthquake couldn't be ignored.

With this victory over Steven, Natsume's world ranking rose to #3.

Steven dropped one spot, while Mustard—still napping on Isle of Armor—somehow claimed #1.

Fans gradually forgot their original reason for watching—

Completely absorbed in the high-level strategic duel between Steven and Natsume-sensei.

"Setting aside breeding, Trainer battles ultimately come down to rock-paper-scissors."

Natsume said: "But more importantly, it's about the bond between Trainer and Pokémon."

"Trusting Gengar's Hypnosis, believing in Pachirisu's Follow Me, having faith in Heracross's Reversal—"

Natsume smiled: "Pokémon battles showcase conviction—not cold, unfeeling battle machines."

Moved fans quickly responded with skepticism:

"You and Garchomp have a bond?"

"Lies! That's just your bond with Moe-Moe!"

"So if I bond with my 'ruthless' team, they stop being ruthless? (lol)"

Suddenly, Natsume paused before announcing:

"Thanks to 'EndedUpFirst' for ten Super Rockets! Big spender!!"

"Wait, that's STEVEN'S ACCOUNT?!"

"Steven no!!"

"Tyranitar really got bullied all match..."

With the simulated battles concluded, Natsume prepared to play cards with Gold before uploading his Sandstorm Team guide.

Even the mighty Giovanni might learn some... "unconventional tactics" (cough)—valuable skills.

Additionally, seeking a second Tyranitarite for Sand Stream, Natsume consulted Cynthia.

"Evolution stones..."

Cynthia pondered: "The Battle Facilities in Kalos might have leads."

"Kalos's Battle Facilities?"

"Mhm. There's a Battle Castle—local Leaders visit, and victors earn titles and rewards."

As they talked—

"Larvitar..."

Larvitar recalled the battle, face stern as it clenched tiny fists.

The glory of sandstorms... begins with me!