"Roar!" Charizard raised a claw and gave Pikachu a confident thumbs-up, responding to his old friend's cheer. It was a gesture full of pride—not the arrogance of ignorance, but the confidence of a Pokémon who truly understood his own strength.
Both trainers were ready. The battle was about to begin. Blaine felt a heavy pressure weighing on him. This Charizard was now Champion-level—comparable to his own ace, Magmar. It was hard to believe that the Rare Candy had worked so effectively.
"Magmar, Flamethrower!" Blaine commanded as the match started. Magmar spewed a blazing column of fire, its heat so intense it rivaled molten magma.
"Charizard, use Fire Spin," Ash countered calmly.
The two flames collided, roaring against one another. For a while, they were evenly matched—until Charizard's Fire Spin began to overwhelm Magmar's Flamethrower.
Unlike Flamethrower's straight, searing blast, Fire Spin created a swirling vortex of fire that only grew stronger the longer it was sustained.
"Don't back down! Charge in with Fire Punch!" Blaine ordered quickly.
Magmar pressed forward, maintaining its Flamethrower as flames suddenly ignited around its fists. Normally, Pokémon can't move while sustaining an attack, but Champion-level Pokémon like Magmar could bend that rule.
"Roar!" Charizard broke off his Fire Spin, letting flames surge around his own claws in response. Ash hadn't even needed to command him—Charizard's instincts and reflexes were razor sharp.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Their fists collided, each strike echoing like thunder. Both Pokémon exchanged fiery punches in close combat. Charizard, who had been battling nonstop before reuniting with Ash, showed his vast experience in hand-to-hand fighting and didn't yield an inch.
Lorelei watched with awe.
"This Charizard… it's incredible. It's not just strong at long range—even in close combat, it holds its own."
Cynthia nodded. "And its flames… they're burning as hot as Magmar's. I wouldn't be surprised if it could withstand magma itself."
They weren't wrong. Very few Fire-type Pokémon can endure magma directly. Magmar's ability, Flame Body, allowed it to survive such conditions.
But Charizard had no such trait—yet its flames burned with extraordinary heat. Even its tail flame blazed far larger and fiercer than most. Though Charizard isn't a Dragon-type, many trainers value it precisely because of its versatile and powerful moves.
"Charizard, use Iron Tail!" Ash seized the moment as Magmar staggered from a traded blow.
Charizard's tail gleamed with white light, then swung with brutal force.
Boom!
"Roar!" Magmar cried out as the Iron Tail struck its jaw, hurling it back into a boulder. The impact sent rocks tumbling, but Magmar quickly scrambled back onto the battlefield, badly shaken but still able to fight.
"Magmar, use Fire Blast!" Blaine's voice was tight with frustration. His ace Pokémon was rarely pushed this far, but now it was clearly at a disadvantage.
"Roar!"
Determined to strike back, Magmar unleashed its signature move. A massive burst of fire erupted from its mouth, taking the shape of the kanji for "big" as it roared toward Charizard.
"Roar!!!"
Hearing Magmar's battle cry, Charizard responded with a thunderous roar of his own. Instead of dodging, he braced himself, crossing his claws over his chest in defiance.
BOOM!!!
Magmar's Fire Blast struck head-on, yet Charizard's claws held firm. Even under the crushing impact, the heavy Dragon Pokémon was pushed backward, skidding more than ten meters across the battlefield.
"What?! He actually blocked it!" Blaine exclaimed in shock. Fire Blast was one of the most powerful Fire-type techniques—few could withstand it directly.
But there was one exception: Fire-type Pokémon who could control their flames with absolute precision. By forming a thin aura of fire around their bodies, they could absorb the heat of Fire Blast before it detonated. However, this technique required extraordinary mastery of fire control; even the slightest mistake could lead to devastating backlash.
"Such control over fire… even Ash's Arcanine couldn't reach this level. How was this Charizard trained?" Blaine muttered in disbelief. Even Cynthia, a seasoned Champion, raised her eyebrows in surprise at the display.
"It seems you've grown far stronger than I expected," Ash said calmly. "Charizard—Dragon Rage!"
The flame at the tip of Charizard's tail flared violently, his eyes glowing red with raw power. In the next instant, a blazing sphere of energy gathered in his jaws, swirling with draconic force.
"Magmar, counter with Fire Blast!" Blaine commanded, his expression sharpening.
"ROAR!!!" both Pokémon bellowed as their attacks prepared to clash.
...
TN:
⚡ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)