Dune carried Helena on his back as he glided through the tunnels; the temperature began to climb, forcing them to stop.
The air grew too hot to breathe comfortably, and waves of heat distorted the rocks around them, making even Dune pause.
Helena's forehead glistened with sweat as she clung tightly to Dune, her breaths becoming shallow.
"This... it's too hot," Helena gasped, wiping her brow. "I can't go on like this."
With a nod, Dune set her down gently and gestured for her to release the others. One by one, she freed Gardevoir, Lopunny, and Salazzle from their Pokeballs, and each materialized with looks ranging from concern to barely concealed excitement.
Gardevoir, poised as always, immediately raised her hands before her and extended her senses, scanning the surrounding area. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, but then a look of confusion crossed her face.
"Strange," she murmured. "I can't detect any aura beyond this point. It's like something is blocking my sight."
Lopunny let out a low chuckle, pulling a familiar object from behind. "You know what? If we're going into Salazzle's old place, I'm locking the fuck in. For real, for real." With a casual flick, she tossed her buttplug aside, bouncing on her heels as if warming up for a fight.
But her focus didn't last long. Moments later, she sidled up to Gardevoir and wrapped her hands around her chest, grinning mischievously. "But maybe you need to loosen up a bit, Gardi." She squeezed, her fingers sinking into Gardevoir's massive chest through the fabric of her white dress.
"When did you even change? I got a whole ass luxury room in my LuxuryBall, but even I don't get a closet," Lopunny said as she pinched Gardevoir's nipples. "I liked it best when you wore that thin ass Bikini."
"Lopunny!" Gardevoir hissed, pulling herself free. Her cheeks flushed, but she held her composure, her glare sharp. "If you're quite done, perhaps we can get back to the task at hand."
As Lopunny backed off with a smirk, Salazzle prowled to the nearest rocky wall, dragging her claws along its surface. "This was all mine once," she hissed. "Team Magma went and ruined it, but, to be fair, it was a shithole anyway."
Dune stepped forward, his gaze steady on her. "Salazzle, what do you know about the deeper parts of this volcano?"
Salazzle's eyes glinted as she considered the question. "Down in the heart, you'll find the real beasts—those who can survive the heat. A few dragon types and some nasty fire types. Nothing I couldn't handle," she finished with a smirk.
Her tongue flicked out, a gleam of anticipation in her eyes as she raised her clawed hand. "Watch this."
With a smooth, graceful motion, Salazzle opened her snout, and a sphere of blue energy began to form inside. Moments later, a beam of ice erupted from her and dashed the rest of the way.
Salazzle had used [Freeze-Dry], her breath instantly chilling the walls around them, freezing the path forward into a solid sheet of ice.
The intense heat diminished, and the air filled with a refreshing chill as her ice coated the ground and walls, creating a cooler corridor into the volcano.
Helena sighed with relief, giving Salazzle an appreciative nod. "Thanks, Salazzle. This should make it easier to go deeper."
"Don't mention it," Salazzle purred, clearly pleased. She strutted forward, leading the group further down the now-frozen path.
They moved swiftly, with the cool surface giving way beneath their steps as they ventured deeper into the mountain.
But as they progressed, the ice began to melt, and the heat surged back. They found themselves stepping into a cavern, the ground slick with fresh magma and the walls glowing an ominous red.
Salazzle stopped, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the room. "I know this place..." she muttered. "This chamber was mine—my throne room, back when I ruled and had a harem of useless small dicked Salandits..."
She said with a grim expression, turning her head to Dune and lowering her gaze to his crotch covered in black kiss marks as she smirked.
Salazzle and the rest were divided to investigate the chamber and why Team Magma's excavation had ended there.
Salazze ran her hand along a blackened stone. "Ahh~... well, I used to entertain myself here."
Dune raised an eyebrow, but he said nothing. His focus shifted to the chamber's center, where a strange glow caught his attention. There, just a few feet away, lay the burned, unconscious form of Maxie, Team Magma's leader.
His body was charred, his clothes tattered, but his hand clutched tightly to a blue gem that pulsed with a strange, otherworldly light.
Salazzle approached it cautiously, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and disdain for Maxie's singed remains.
With a flick of her tail, she nudged his hand aside and touched the blue orb.
The moment her claws brushed against it, energy pulsed through the chamber. The walls trembled, and a deep, rumbling roar resonated through the lava lake in the center.
Dune's eyes narrowed as he felt the energy swirling around them, growing stronger. "Everyone, be on guard," he warned. "Something's coming."
The lava in the lake began to bubble and surge, ripples spreading across its surface as the chamber quaked. Then, with a blinding flash, an enormous, clawed hand burst from the molten surface, followed by a thick, muscular arm covered in harsh, stone-like scales that glowed with veins of lava.
Slowly, the towering form of Groudon emerged, its body crackling with so much energy it had to leave its body in melting lava.
Its eyes glowed a fiery yellow, unfocused and full of anger beyond reason. A deep, guttural growl emanated from its throat, and the ground shuddered beneath its massive weight.
Helena's breath hitched as she clutched Dune's shoulder. "That's… Groudon?"
Dune's gaze remained fixed, and his eyes narrowed as he took in the massive creature. 'Oh lord, am I cooked?' he thought.
Of course, Groudon was stronger than in the games; he had to be, but Dune didn't think he would be so strong; Maxie was dead, the main villain died as if he were a side character when he tried to control Groudon.
And the Groudon before Dune wasn't just regular Groudon; it was PRIMAL GROUDON, the base form of the Groudon of this universe was a PRIMAL GROUDON.
Dune knew they were in for a fight, but there was no turning back. The air grew hotter as Groudon's presence filled the chamber, and the energy from the Blue Orb reacted to its body, making it shine even brighter. Its blue glow turned purple as it mixed with the room's red.
Gardevoir stepped forward, "Lopunny, Salazzle, stay focused," she ordered, her voice calm but steely.
Lopunny cracked her knuckles, the playful grin on her face fading into one of fierce determination. "Let's lock in for real this time," she muttered, taking a stance beside Gardevoir, ready for whatever came next.
Salazzle's tail flicked in excitement as her eyes glowed, [Freeze-Dry] swirling around her as she prepared to counter Groudon's heat with her ice moves. "This is gonna be fun," she hissed, her claws glinting in the dim light.
Primal Groudon is perhaps the most ridiculously overcentralizing thing to ever exist in any metagame, save for Mega Rayquaza during his 3 seconds before bam at Ubers.
This thing was on at least 9 in every 10 teams, and for a damn good reason, it simply has no gaping flaws.
Its Sp. Def is mediocre but not bad by any means. Its speed is rather average, but it has access to [Thunder Wave] and [Rock Polish]. Its Attack and Defence are titanic, and its Special Attack is a highly respectable base 150.
Its Ground/Fire typing looks like it would give it a horrible crippling weakness to Water, but its ability [Desolate Land] comes to save the day by making it outright immune to what would otherwise be its biggest weakness, as well as powering up his newfound Fire STAB. There's just so much this Pokemon can do; no, it would be easier to say what he can't do.
It can either attempt to set up both a [Sword's Dance] and a [Rock Polish] late game and clean weakened teams, set up just a [Rock Polish] earlier in the match to open some holes, or set up a [Sword's Dance] on an obvious switch to threaten common switching with a +2 Earthquake or [Stone Edge]
Even knowing that Groudon was probably stronger than he remembered, Dune stepped forward, his eyes locked on Groudon's.
"Full scan," Dune said as he began to form a plan in his mind.
===
Primal Groudon #382
Lvl: 85
Nature: Sassy
Ability: Desolate Land
Stats:
HP: 344
Attack: 390
Defense: 356
Sp. Attack: 339
Sp. Defense: 260
Speed: 213
Held item: None
IVS/EVS Stats:
HP: 31/252
Attack: 31/252
Defense: 31/252
Sp. Attack: 31/252
Sp. Defense: 31/252
Speed: 31/252
Shiny: No
Radiant: No
===
Dune's eyes gleamed as he quickly analyzed Groudon's stats, strengths, and the room's layout.
"Gardevoir, Lopunny," he said, his voice firm. "Groudon's speed is its weakest point. I need both of you to keep it distracted—anything to keep it from targeting me."
Gardevoir nodded, "Consider it done, Master." Lopunny smirked, her usual mischief replaced with steely determination. "Let's dance!" she screamed, cracking her knuckles as she readied herself.
"Salazzle," Dune continued, turning to her. "Take Helena and move her to a safer spot. Use [Freeze-Dry] to keep the temperature down as much as possible."
Salazzle slithered over to Helena with a smirk, wrapping her tail protectively around her. "Stay close, princess," she said, her voice a mix of sarcasm and genuine care.
With a flick of her tail, she led Helena to a sheltered spot near the chamber's edge and began to channel her ice abilities, instantly cooling the surrounding air.
Meanwhile, Dune stepped behind Gardevoir and Lopunny as they rushed to Groudon, prepared to boost his stats. He closed his eyes, channeling his inner energy, and used [Dragon Dance].
Dune closed his eyes and began dancing, his tail whipping the ground with a powerful rhythm as his claws moved up and down, heightening his speed and attack with each passing second.
Gardevoir and Lopunny dashed toward Groudon, launching their first strikes. Gardevoir's eyes flared as she used [Psychic], aiming directly at Groudon's eyes.
At that moment, Lopunny darted in from the side, landing a swift [High-jump Kick] against Groudon's face; the sound of the moves made the entire cave tremble, yet it didn't make a single scratch at Groudon, but it was enough to get its attention.
Not phased by their attacks, Groudon used [Rock Slide], sending chunks of searing hot stone against them. Gardevoir deftly dodged to one side while Lopunny twisted and leaped out of harm's way, the rocks narrowly missing her.
Before a chunk of lava hit Lopunny as she fell, Gardevoir picked it up with [Psyquic], Lopunny using the opportunity to use it as a base for another [High-jump Kick], and another, and another...
Dune opened his eyes, feeling the exhilarating effects of his first [Dragon Dance] take root.
He continued the dance, steadily increasing his power with each successive boost while keeping his eyes on the battle unfolding before him.
With every moment he spent charging up, Dune felt a sense of pride watching his harem in action. They'd all come so far since their journey had begun. He could see the dedication in Gardevoir's precise movements, the way she strategically used her [Psychic] to keep Groudon off-balance.
Lopunny was relentless [High-jump Kick], darting in and out of Groudon's reach, each of her attacks as strong as the first one despite the risk she faced.
But he noticed something else: despite the sheer power of Groudon, this felt easier than his battle with Mewtwo.
The primal energy surrounding Groudon was intense, and its power was undeniable, but Dune couldn't help but feel a strange ease as he continued to boost himself.
This was a testament to how much they'd all grown. They were no longer just a ragtag team but a well-oiled machine.
By his sixth [Dragon Dance], Dune radiated with energy, his body practically vibrating with the power he'd accumulated.
His muscles felt like coiled springs, ready to explode into action at any second. He was faster than ever, and his strength had skyrocketed.
Without hesitation, Dune crouched low, his body tensed like a drawn bow and then launched forward.
Dune shot through the air faster than a fighter jet, his speed blinding as he became a blur of light.
Groudon's head turned just in time to see him closing in, but it was already too late. Dune slammed into the colossal Pokemon with a [Dragon Claw], his sharp claws glowing as they tore through Groudon's rugged side.
Leaving a scar and ripping a chunk of its lava body.
The impact echoed through the chamber like a thunderclap, and Groudon staggered back, roaring in agony and surprise a mere regular Pokemon had hurt him.