Tyranitar's tail lashed the ground subconsciously. Fist-sized rocks burst out and hovered in the air. Under the control of rock-type energy, the rocks suddenly became sharp and jagged. Each rock shot towards the Vigoroth in a different arc and trajectory, creating a complex and inescapable net of projectiles.

"Ah!!" the Vigoroth growled deeply, its cry echoing across the battlefield. The tribesmen around it instinctively took two steps back, giving the combatants more space. The Vigoroth's muscles, which already looked very bloated and powerful, seemed to swell and become three times bigger as it tensed for the incoming assault. It pushed its legs hard against the ground, and instead of passively defending against the incoming Stone Edge attacks, it chose to rush directly towards the stones that were attacking it. It clenched its fists tightly, and two balls of fiery energy appeared and enveloped its fists. It aimed at the first attacking stone and punched it directly with immense force.

Bang——!

The violent collision between the stone and the fist ended with the stone instantly turning into a cloud of powder. But the Stone Edge was not just a single stone; it was a relentless barrage. The Vigoroth jumped high into the air to avoid the grounded strikes, but this left it with no place to gain leverage and it became a sitting duck for the remaining projectiles. However, the Vigoroth proceeded to teach Tyranitar a lesson about what true mastery of skills and body truly meant. The Vigoroth was indeed unable to dodge mid-air, but it demonstrated that it didn't need to dodge anymore. Every joint and every part of its body could become a weapon for both attack and defense. Its fists, feet, knees, elbows... all the space around it was utilized perfectly. The Stone Edge attacks were all directed at these hardened points, or it could be said that the Vigoroth expertly maneuvered its body to make the Stone Edge attacks target these specific, well-defended places.

Bang—bang—bang—!

The continuous sounds of collisions filled the air, a rapid staccato rhythm of impact. However, none of the sharp stone attacks actually managed to land a clean hit on the Vigoroth's core body; each was shattered against its limbs. Blaziken, watching from behind Aoki, observed the series of actions of the Vigoroth with intense focus, and its eyes flashed with an inexplicable brilliance of understanding and inspiration. That's it! This is the way of fighting it longs for! The philosophy of training every part of your body into an unbreakable weapon; the belief that the best defense is a relentless and precise offense.

Aoki was genuinely surprised when he saw the series of actions performed by the Vigoroth. This Vigoroth had surprised him once again with its incredible combat intuition and physical control. "Tyranitar, keep going!" Aoki commanded, his voice firm. He wanted to see just how far this Vigoroth could push itself and what the limits of its capabilities were. Even if Aoki hadn't said it, Tyranitar had already arrived at the same idea, and now Aoki's order simply confirmed its own battle instincts. This is what is called the perfect tacit understanding between a Trainer and their Pokémon, where each can intuitively guess the skills and strategies the other is considering.

Crunch--

Tyranitar stomped its foot heavily on the ground, causing the earth to tremble. More gravel and shards of rock erupted from the ground around it, hovering menacingly. The number of stones comprising the Stone Edge attack also increased significantly, creating a much denser and more dangerous volley that constantly bombarded the Vigoroth still jumping in the air. The reason why the Vigoroth was still in the air for such a long time was not solely because of its own strong innate ability to stay aloft, but largely because the relentless nature of Tyranitar's attack prevented it from finding a safe opening to come down. Otherwise, Tyranitar's Stone Edge attacks, coming from different attack angles, would be able to score a direct hit.

But the Vigoroth also had its own unique way of handling the situation. With the help of deflecting the flying stones, it managed to keep its body in the air again and again without losing its balance or momentum, a stunning display of acrobatics and coordination. The sharp stones drew curves of different arcs in the air, and each stone attacked under Tyranitar's precise control. From the side, it looked like there was a single enemy desperately holding its own in the air, and Tyranitar's stones were like a relentless barrage of crazy surface-to-air missiles, yet they just couldn't break through the opponent's impeccable defense. The Vigoroth's body seemed to be performing a deadly dance, and as Tyranitar added more and more stones to the assault, the Vigoroth's body moved faster and faster to compensate.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...!

The sound of collision continued without cease, a testament to the Vigoroth's astounding defense. This Vigoroth was not only physically strong, but also had a very clear and profound understanding of every part of its own body, utilizing every muscle and tendon in its body to its maximum potential in battle. Aoki thought all of this silently as he watched the Vigoroth with a calculating gaze. At this time, the Blaziken standing behind Aoki had its eyes completely fixed on the Vigoroth, and its own body began to move involuntarily, subtly mimicking some of the movements and techniques of the hyperactive apes. It was learning.

It is also impossible for any Pokémon to remain in a purely passive defensive state all the time. After getting thoroughly used to Tyranitar's attack style and rhythm, the Vigoroth suddenly seized a tiny opportunity within the barrage. It twisted its body into a very strange and seemingly impossible posture, contorting itself to pass through several sharp stone attacks unscathed, and used the momentum to bounce directly towards Tyranitar. Its body was curled up tightly, and one could see that the prolonged Stone Edge attack on its fists had only caused some superficial skin to be broken; its fists were incredibly tough. This was the benefit of the ability Iron Fist! Soon, the fist and the entire arm were wrapped in a dark, focused energy. With the help of the force of the shot, it swung its arms towards Tyranitar without any hesitation.

Hammer Arm!

It seems that after enduring the attacks for a period of time, the Vigoroth had seen through a key aspect of Tyranitar's nature and was now going on the offensive. A glimmer of light appeared in Aoki's eyes as he recognized the skill. This Vigoroth is a little too smart for its own good, he mused.

"Tyranitar, Brick Break!" Aoki said to his Pokémon, his voice calm and directive.

Tyranitar looked at the Vigoroth charging towards him without any fear, a low growl rumbling in its chest. It stretched out its own powerful arms, and a similar fighting-type energy, white and focused, settled and coalesced in its claws and hands, ready to meet the attack head-on.

Bang——!

CRACK, click, click——!

This time it was a direct, unadulterated collision between fists and claws! There was no obstruction in between them. Tyranitar withstood the attack of the Vigoroth's Hammer Arm! But the ground where Tyranitar was standing told the story of the impact; the earth around its feet sank directly downwards from the force, creating a small crater! The Hammer Arm's attack from above had generated so much power that it actually caused the ground around Tyranitar to collapse and compact instantly.

But similarly, after colliding directly with Tyranitar's powerful Brick Break attack, the Vigoroth was flung violently into the air. It flew backwards at a speed even faster than when it had rushed towards Tyranitar, hurled by the sheer power of the impact. The Vigoroth, however, still possessed an incredibly strong balance ability. After rolling several times inelegantly in the air, it somehow managed to orient itself and crash to the ground on its feet. But it still couldn't stand completely still immediately. After taking several stumbling steps backward again, it finally managed to dig its heels in and stand still, its chest heaving.

There was a look of deep horror now etched on its face. It was the first time it had encountered another Pokémon that was physically stronger than it was in a direct contest of power. Although the big guy opposite him looked very powerful and imposing, this was simply too exaggerated and beyond its expectations. You have to understand how much effort and dedication it had put in to train its own strength to its current peak condition. In the entire tribe, not even those Slaking who had successfully evolved were stronger than him in raw power. But when he had just come into close combat with Tyranitar, he found that his strength was completely at a disadvantage. Although the Hammer Arm skill had successfully connected with Tyranitar and even caused the ground around him to sink, it was actually a direct collision of two attacks, and Tyranitar did not appear to have suffered much visible damage from it. But after Tyranitar withstood his attack, the Brick Break skill was able to not only withstand his strength but also generate enough counter-force to directly knock him away, sending him flying through the air for a long distance before he could recover. After landing, he was unable to stand steadily for a while, his arms still vibrating from the impact.

After the intense battle just now, the Vigoroth had discovered that although Tyranitar was immensely powerful, its level was definitely not yet at the Champion level; it was simply a creature of immense natural power and well-honed skill. This was what surprised him the most. Of course, he was not the only one who was surprised; Tyranitar was equally as impressed. At this time, Tyranitar was standing in the small crater it had created, frowning slightly and swinging its right hand and arm constantly, working out a slight numbness. It's a little numb, Tyranitar thought, acknowledging that this Vigoroth was much more physically powerful than Aoki's Blaziken in a direct contest of strength. Across from it, the Vigoroth's arms, hanging naturally at its sides, were also trembling slightly from the tremendous feedback of the clash. The raw power of both Pokémon was simply too strong. After this first direct contact, there was no clear winner, only a mutual respect for the other's power.