Chapter 637 Sandstorm VS Hail! Natural Iron Head

A biting north wind howled as a fierce blizzard swept across the battlefield.

DeFu gripped the Keystone pendant in his hand;

brilliant rainbow light erupted from Abomasnow’s massive form, and the cold wind screamed even louder!

“Abomasnow, Mega Evolution!”

The new bud behind Abomasnow, “Kala,” shot up into a huge ice pillar, its fur turning into sharp ice spikes. A rainbow-colored Mega emblem bloomed on its forehead as it let out a violent roar into the blizzard!

“Roar!!”

The Abomasnow’s Mega trait: Snow Warning!

Huge chunks of hail pelted down with crackling sounds, and the cold surge surged toward the stone-faced Pupitar.

Lu Ye stood on an ice-frozen platform, raised his hand to the sky and clenched his fist, voice stern:

“Pupitar, use Sandstorm!!”

The pupils hidden beneath the mask flared a crimson light. Sand swirls suddenly rose around Pupitar, spiraling up into the air!

As a Rock-type master, Grant’s eyes flickered with admiration:

“He’s using Sandstorm defensively!”

Centered on Pupitar, the sandstorm swirled like a tornado. The raging sand collided with the flying ice shards, stirring up clouds of icy powder!

Two weather forces clashed: sandstorm versus hail. The half-gray, half-white sky rumbled in interlaced thunder;

the entire Battle Chateau trembled!

“Using Pupitar’s Shed Skin to escape the ice, then relying on the Weakness Policy-boosted stats plus Sandstorm to resist the hail—”

“Is that glacial power… the trainer’s faith fueling Pupitar?”

DeFu folded his arms, closed his eyes, and with burning battle fervor in his chest opened his sharp gaze and shouted with a grin:

“Then go! Mega Abomasnow, use Ice Punch!”

A heavy stomping.

Mega Abomasnow’s iceberg-like body moved with a dull weight. Its ice-ridged face opened wide in a roar;

its crimson eyes flared as the hammer-like arms formed sharp ice with “Kala”!

On the ice platform before Lu Ye, auroras rose as Light Screen and Reflect intertwined in color. This brilliant display was a bright spot amid the raging weather.

Pupitar’s base stats alone still couldn’t match Mega Abomasnow.

But with Weakness Policy massively boosting its Attack and Special Attack, the dual walls and Sandstorm’s defensive support, Pupitar now possessed the strength to defeat Abomasnow.

Lu Ye put one hand in his pocket as the surrounding sandstorm howled, his voice resolute:

“Pupitar, use Stone Edge!”

In an instant, the sandstorm and blizzard clashed like two armies;

metal and stone rang together as they collided, sending up puffs of white mist.

“Sajii!” Pupitar’s crimson eyes blazed. Its bullet-like body stood firm on the ground;

the earth in front of its mask cracked and shimmered white as rows of sharp stones shot up!

DeFu roared, “Go in, Mega Abomasnow!”

Boom!!

Mega Abomasnow threw a chilling Ice Punch and smashed right through the Stone Edge, shattering many rocks and ice;

the avalanche of debris slammed into the ground like a landslide!

Thud!!

Pupitar bore the falling ice and rock, its crimson eyes unflinching. The sandstorm suddenly spread outward, seeming ready to swallow the hail whole!

Korrina in the spectator area clenched her sweating palms and murmured:

“A battle for the weather…?”

“No way!”

DeFu clenched his fist. “Abomasnow, keep using Blizzard!”

Mega Abomasnow’s ice-ridged face opened wide. Ice-blue spheres kept condensing as the chill spread, and “Kala” froze the ring of water surrounding the field.

Just then, Pupitar shot forward like a bullet, gliding across the ice toward Mega Abomasnow;

barbed spikes on its forehead flashed a dazzling white!

Both DeFu and Abomasnow’s pupils constricted at the same time.

Mega Abomasnow’s speed looked worrying;

it was far inferior to Pupitar after Dragon Dance!

“Pupitar, use Iron Head!” Lu Ye barked.

“Sajii!!”

Red light sparkled from Pupitar’s eyes beneath the mask. With a flat-footed leap and a ‘thud’, it launched itself at Mega Abomasnow’s face at top speed.

Boom!!

Steel-hard Pupitar slammed into Abomasnow like a bullet. The ice ridges on the latter’s face, “Kala,” shattered and it stumbled back!

“Roar!!”

Mega Abomasnow howled in pain as it swung a punch to send Pupitar flying. The two locked eyes and their pupils narrowed slightly.

Through its mask, Abomasnow looked at Pupitar’s grim stare and unexpectedly felt a flicker of fear.

It seemed to see the savage sandstorm destroying its ice-crystal world!

The deep blue light Abomasnow had gathered in its mouth dissipated.

“How is this possible…”

DeFu stared dumbfounded at the interrupted blizzard, glanced around at the weakening cold surge, and whispered hoarsely, “The snow weather… has been disturbed?”

At the same moment,

Pupitar landed and a raging sand cloud rose around it;

the dark, swirling sandstorm swallowed Mega Abomasnow whole!!

Violet in the spectator area looked astonished.

“Pupitar stole the weather from under Mega Abomasnow?!”

Grant gave a wry smile and said, “Iron Head has a high flinch probability. I think the flinch triggered just now.”

At this, the trainers present came back to their senses and blurted out in astonishment:

“What the hell, Iron Head actually flinched Abomasnow?!”

“Flinching is part of battle—don’t be mad!”

“Evolution, recovery, Iron Head flinch… Looks like Pupitar and Teacher Lu really have a bond!”

Thinking carefully, this seemed to be the first time a flinch effect had been triggered in an actual match.

Lu Ye cleared his throat and looked at Pupitar. It gazed up at the iceberg-like Mega Abomasnow with a cold, determined expression.

Opposite them, the sandstorm had completely swallowed the cold surge—successfully seizing the weather!

“Abomasnow—”

Hearing DeFu call, Abomasnow regained its senses. Ice ridges “Kala” bristled across its whole body;

grass-green energy crystallized over its arms as it stomped toward Pupitar with a thunderous rumble.

“Use Wood Hammer!!”

Responding to Lu Ye’s command, Pupitar used the sandstorm’s cover to speedily retreat as Lu Ye’s voice echoed.

Even when faced with a chilling onslaught and being frozen in a desperate situation, Pupitar still launched fierce offense.

Turning its weakness into attack, the resolve of a true warrior and the flow of life itself—this was the Essence of Earth!

Lu Ye’s voice was sharp:

“Pupitar, use Earthquake!!”

After evolution, Pupitar could channel energy waves to guide tremors under the ground.

The castle’s foundations issued a ‘rumble’ as the quake began.

Sandstorm roared;

grains of sand crackled down. The ground beneath Mega Abomasnow cracked and crumbled, then collapsed further as quicksand swarmed in all directions toward Mega Abomasnow. The earthquake continued to violently shake the field!

Rumble rumble!!

Everyone in the spectator area stared in stunned silence, swallowing hard.

This earthquake… is it really legal?!

“Quicksand plus earthquake—Essence of Earth—somehow gives the sense of a sandstorm burying someone alive—”

Lu Ye’s mouth twitched.

Well then… One more illegal move checked off!

As the sand drift dispersed, Pupitar stood unmoving, staring at Abomasnow whose Mega form had been deactivated.

“Roar…” Abomasnow, battered and wounded, breathed heavily and half-kneeled on the ground. It no longer had the strength to summon blizzards.

DeFu sighed with feeling.

To evolve in a desperate moment and use the sandstorm to crush the snowy weather—this was exactly the core future of a sandstorm team: Pupitar.

DeFu recalled the rumors among Gym Leaders about Lu Ye being a “Tactician.” They said the rumor spread from the Kanto region and had even earned Professor Samuel Oak’s approval.

He was said to be a trainer skilled in tactics—the team’s Blastoise and Arcanine, and the future Pupitar, would all be excellent weather manipulators.

Now, DeFu was fortunate enough to witness Pupitar’s evolution and growth.

The elderly, stout white-haired man lifted a hearty smile, recalled Abomasnow, and said plainly:

“I concede this match.”

Lu Ye paused. “Your Avalugg and Abomasnow could still keep fighting, right?”

“That no longer matters.”

DeFu smiled with feeling.

“My hail, which I’m proud of, has lost to Pupitar’s sandstorm. Forcing Avalugg and Abomasnow to continue fighting? You even have a Rotom on standby!”

Lu Ye nodded in understanding.

After all, it was one of Kalos’s traditions. (strike-through)

DeFu folded his thick arms, eyes glinting with a cloudy light, grinning:

“Ice is very strong when it’s solid… and wonderfully fragile when it’s brittle. I like Ice types. And your Pupitar—its fighting spirit is beautiful!”

Pupitar stood quietly, looking nothing like its rampaging battlefield form;

its gaze flickered faintly:

“Sajii…”

We won.

But I can’t eat anything now.

What a pity.

“Sajii…” Pupitar lowered its head in regret.

Lu Ye glanced at the dejected Pupitar and stroked his chin.

The little dinosaur evolved into a silver bullet… bittersweet, but making him feel like a proud parent.

One thing was certain.

Pupitar won’t need to eat until it becomes Tyranitar!

“Looks like it won’t be able to eat even the Tyranitarite,” Lu Ye said with a crooked smile, then suddenly froze.

Thinking of the bond between him and Pupitar’s natural Iron Head, Teacher Lu’s expression grew complex.

“It won’t be able to Mega Evolve immediately after evolving into Tyranitar, right…”

**

Because DeFu forfeited, Butler Yikong announced that Lu Ye’s title was upgraded to ‘Duke.’

Being granted the title of ‘Duke’ in just two days was extremely rare.

But considering Teacher Lu is the Champion and the ranking matches were more a formality, it was fine to invite him back next time—

Butler Yikong adjusted his monocle and looked at the badly damaged battlefield with mixed feelings.

Forget it… better not to proactively invite Mr. Lu.

Boom! Boom!

Cannon salutes echoed continuously.

“My master won!” Korrina extended her arm;

her long blond ponytail swayed as she laughed happily.

Violet and Grant applauded together.

Not only was the sandstorm’s dominance decisive, but Pupitar’s Iron Head-induced flinch was a major reason for the victory.

The chance of a Rock Slide missing, added to Iron Head’s flinch chance, was not a bad thing.

As they say.

Although Teacher Lu looked grim… his heart was golden!

Lu Ye decided to return to his lodgings to check on Pupitar and then claim his reward from the butler.

Just as he was about to leave, DeFu smiled gently and said:

“Lu Ye, could you stay a moment? I’d like to talk with you.”

“Of course.”

They stood in a corner of the courtyard. DeFu folded his arms, wearing a down jacket, and spoke as if reminiscing:

“Each Pokémon’s heart is different. Some yearn to grow stronger, some want to become closer to their trainer.”

“As for me, I simply enjoy battling together with my Pokémon… I believe you understand that feeling.”

Lu Ye opened his mouth. Haunter appeared beside him, baring its fangs and reaching out a hand: “Gengarrr!”

Fighting alongside my trainer—that’s my Haunter’s joy!

DeFu smiled and looked earnestly at Lu Ye;

his cloudy eyes revealed sincerity:

“Lu Ye, you and your Pokémon possess a fiery and solid spirit. You will surely grow into an even stronger trainer.”

Lu Ye: “...I appreciate your kind words.”

DeFu smiled in relief and said:

“Actually, there is one more thing.”

“That… I want to ask you to accept the Iceberg Badge as proof of Pupitar’s victory!”

…