Mega Evolution—the very term means transcending evolution!
It is a power that allows Pokémon, even those that have already reached their so-called final forms, to evolve once more—beyond their natural limits!
"Charizard—Mega Evolve!"
As soon as Leon's calm yet resolute voice fell, the Key Stone on his wrist resonated in perfect harmony with the Mega Stone around Charizard's neck. A blinding light burst forth between them, pure and radiant, engulfing the entire battlefield.
Within that dazzling brilliance of evolution, Charizard's silhouette began to change—its outline blurring, reshaping, transforming.
"ROOOAAAR!"
With a deep, dragon-like roar that echoed across the stadium, the light of evolution finally dissipated, revealing Charizard's brand-new form to everyone's astonished eyes.
Its once bright orange skin had turned into a sleek, dark gray-black. The flames burning on the tip of its tail had become a ghostly blue, while two fierce blue fires burned from the sides of its jaws. Its underbelly shone with a metallic azure sheen, and its wings radiated raw, draconic power.
It was none other than—Mega Charizard X!
"Oh? So, this is Charizard's Mega Evolution… The power of a dragon…"
Lance raised an eyebrow, his interest finally piqued. Folding his arms, he studied the transformed Charizard X with an intrigued smile.
He could feel it—the pure, unmistakable power of dragons emanating from its body.
Charizard might have looked like a dragon before, but in truth, it wasn't one. Like Gyarados, it was dragon-like only in appearance. Its typing was still Fire and Flying, with no true connection to Dragon-type energy at all.
But this—this Charizard X before him—was different. The aura pulsing from its body was the genuine energy of a Dragon-type Pokémon.
That meant one thing—Charizard X was now truly a Fire and Dragon-type Pokémon!
"Hmm… looks like I'll have to ask my people to help me find one of these Mega Stones for my own Charizard," Lance thought to himself, eyes gleaming faintly. He, too, owned a Charizard.
However, while his Charizard was strong, he rarely used it. His Aerodactyl usually served as his mount, and in battle, he relied mostly on his Dragonair and Dragonite.
After all, up until now, who in Indigo could possibly force him to go all out?
Almost no one.
So, no one outside of Lance himself truly knew the full depth of his strength.
But now—seeing that Mega Evolution could transform Charizard into a Dragon-type—his interest in his own Charizard had risen sharply.
"This is Mega Charizard X," Leon said firmly, his tone low but filled with conviction. "Champion Lance—this is my final Pokémon. I'll defeat you with it!"
"Even though I can't Gigantamax here, after Mega Evolving, my strength won't be any less than the me from Galar!"
He lowered his arm, his golden eyes burning with determination. No matter the outcome, his will and spirit could not—and would not—lose.
Mega Charizard X!
Although Leon wasn't as familiar with Mega Evolution as he was with Gigantamaxing, he had to admit—the power of Mega Evolution was truly captivating.
Gigantamaxing gave a Pokémon tremendous size and power, but it also made them slower and less agile. In comparison, Mega Charizard X's speed, maneuverability, and tactical flexibility far surpassed that of a Gigantamax Charizard.
Lance gave a faint snort, his lips curling slightly. "You sure talk big. Your jokes are amusing."
Did Leon really think he could defy fate with just one Mega Charizard X?
If Leon wanted to win, he'd have to defeat Lance's remaining three Pokémon—including his ace, Dragonite!
"If it's purely from the standpoint of an opponent," Lance said calmly, his eyes sharp and cold as steel, "then I'll admit it—you're qualified. Your skills aren't bad."
His tone was indifferent, but there was a hint of genuine respect hidden beneath the arrogance. He could sense, through his Dragon Force, the strong bond between Leon and his Pokémon—a sign that Leon truly loved and understood them.
That, at least, was something Lance didn't despise.
"However…" his gaze darkened, voice dropping an octave. "Because of a certain someone, I can't lose. And I won't."
As he spoke, a shadow flickered in Lance's eyes, his handsome face turning grim.
Yes. It wasn't just his pride as a trainer—there was another reason.
Because his cousin was watching.
Lance was certain that Lucas was somewhere in the audience, observing every move of his battle.
If he really lost to Leon here, he wouldn't be able to face himself—or that infuriating cousin's smug, sarcastic remarks later.
"???"
Leon blinked in confusion. What was that supposed to mean?
In the audience—
"So he really used X-Charizard, huh? Figures—his opponent is Lance, after all," Lucas said, lips curling in amusement as he watched the familiar black-and-blue Charizard dominate the field.
A nostalgic smile crossed his face. It was indeed the same, magnificent form he remembered.
Strictly speaking, both Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y had their own advantages. In the games, Charizard X had excellent balanced stats in both Attack and Special Attack, making it a perfect dual-attacker. With its ability Tough Claws, its physical moves were further enhanced—turning it into a deadly melee fighter.
Charizard Y, on the other hand, though less famous, was arguably even stronger in the right hands. Its massive 159 base Special Attack and Drought ability made it an absolute monster in special offense and team support.
Still…
When it came to popularity, Charizard X was untouchable. Its anime appearances—its cool, powerful design, and major story moments—had turned it into an icon.
Red's Charizard defeating and capturing a wild Mewtwo, Alain's Charizard X crushing Ash's Greninja to end his Kalos League run—those moments had burned into fans' memories forever.
Although Alain's victory was controversial, the memes and hype surrounding "Mega Charizard X" only grew stronger.
And undeniably, Charizard X was cool—impossibly cool.
"Huh? Charizard X?" Green blinked, turning toward Lucas in confusion.
"But wow, this evolved form looks amazing! I wonder if my Blastoise will look this cool when it Mega Evolves?"
Her gaze lingered on Charizard X, sparkling with excitement.
She already knew, thanks to Lucas, that Blastoise could Mega Evolve too—but she had yet to see what Mega Blastoise actually looked like.
Lucas glanced at her, his expression twitching slightly.
Mega Blastoise's design… eh, let's just say it's not exactly as cool.
"Charizard has two Mega forms," Lucas explained casually. "This one's the X form—Fire and Dragon type. The other, Y form, keeps its original typing."
"So, against Lance, the X form's definitely the better choice."
He chuckled softly. Truly, "Charizard is the creator's favorite" wasn't an exaggeration—just like Mewtwo, it was one of the only Pokémon with two Mega forms.
"So, it really became a dragon, huh?" Marnie blinked, intrigued. "Guess the 'dragon' in its name finally makes sense."
"I just hope it's strong enough," Green murmured, resting her chin on her hand. "After all, this is Leon's ace Charizard. It must be incredibly powerful."
"This Mega Charizard X is no joke," Lucas remarked with a grin. "Lance should be careful."
Both he and Lance could feel it—the aura of this Charizard X was far beyond that of Leon's earlier Pokémon.
On the battlefield—
"Dragon Claw!"
Leon's command came sharp and swift.
Charizard X's claws gleamed with a sharp cyan light as it flapped its wings, rushing forward like a jet toward Dragonite!
"Dragon Claw!"
Lance's response came instantly. His Dragonite met the challenge head-on—after all, his dragons never backed down from a fight!
Dragon Claw clashed against Dragon Claw, their attacks colliding midair!
But after only a few exchanges, it became clear—Charizard X's strikes were stronger, faster, sharper.
Its Tough Claws ability boosted the power of all contact moves by thirty percent—a terrifying advantage in close combat.
And this Charizard X was already stronger than Lance's secondary Dragonite to begin with. With that added boost, the difference was undeniable.
Another clash—and this time, Charizard X's Dragon Claw broke through, slicing across Dragonite's chest in a brilliant flash of blue!
"Dragon Pulse!"
Lance's expression darkened. This Charizard X was far stronger than he had anticipated.
Dragonite staggered back but quickly stabilized itself, unleashing a beam of concentrated draconic energy straight at its opponent.
"Flamethrower!"
Charizard X's chest swelled as it unleashed a torrent of blazing blue fire, the inferno colliding with the Dragon Pulse midair—
BOOM!
A violent explosion tore through the air, sending shockwaves across the battlefield!
"Draco Meteor!" Lance roared before the smoke had even cleared.
Dragonite soared upward, gathering pure Dragon-type energy into a glowing sphere that detonated high above, raining down blazing draconic meteors upon the field.
"Dragon Rush!"
Leon's eyes flashed. He didn't panic. Timing was everything.
Charizard X roared and surrounded itself with swirling Dragon-type energy, its form morphing into that of a spectral dragon as it shot upward—colliding with Dragonite's Draco Meteor head-on!
"Dragon Rush!"
Lance's Dragonite flapped its wings, charging forward as well. Two dragons—one orange, one black-blue—slammed into each other midair!
BOOM!
The collision unleashed a shockwave so fierce it sent gusts of wind rippling across the entire stadium. Spectators could barely keep their eyes open against the gale.
"So strong… and Leon's attacking nonstop," Green murmured, frowning as she watched.
It was clear to anyone—Charizard X had the upper hand.
Lance's Dragonite fought bravely, countering again and again, but Leon's relentless offense gave it no chance to breathe.
Every move was faster, sharper, and fiercer than the last.
"Dragonite can't hold on much longer," Lucas said quietly, eyes narrowing.
Lance never backed down—he didn't retreat, he fought. That was his way.
Even when his Pokémon were outmatched, he'd keep attacking, searching for that one opening.
But this time, there would be no comeback.
THUD!
With a heavy crash, Dragonite hit the ground, its wings folding as Charizard X landed proudly before Leon.
"Dragonite is unable to battle! Charizard X wins!"
The referee raised his flag, his voice firm and steady—clearly, he had learned from the previous rounds not to tremble even when Dragonite fell.
Lance silently recalled his fallen Pokémon, gazing at Charizard X for a long moment.
"What a powerful dragon…" he muttered, a dangerous smile slowly spreading across his face. "That only makes defeating it… even more satisfying."
"Dragonite! Battle on!"
Lance's voice was laced with both icy sharpness and barely contained excitement as he snatched a Poké Ball from his belt and hurled it into the air with force.
He was going to face this Mega Charizard X with everything he had.
"Defeating a dragon like this… now that would truly be worth something!"
A sinister grin slowly spread across Lance's face, the corner of his mouth curling into a predatory arc.
A dragon this strong—defeating it would be glorious. There was nothing more thrilling, more satisfying, than crushing a powerful dragon with his own hands!
"Of course… there's still another Dragonite."
Leon heard Lance's words clearly. His eyes narrowed, his expression turning solemn.
The Poké Ball burst open midair with a blinding flash—
and with a heavy boom, yet another massive orange figure descended from above, landing powerfully in front of Lance.
But unlike the two Dragonites that had appeared before, this one was… different.
Its gaze was razor-sharp and cold as ice. Despite that normally gentle, rounded face, there was something in its expression that made the air itself grow tense—an unmistakable, chilling malice.
Yes. "Malice" was the only word for it.
Even though Dragonite's appearance was supposed to be warm and endearing, this one radiated something dark and oppressive, an aura that sent shivers down the spine just from a glance.
The sheer pressure it emitted was suffocating—heavy, unyielding, and far more terrifying than the previous two.
"That's the one…"
Leon's expression grew grim, his tone deep with certainty. He could feel it—this was the one.
This was the Dragonite.
The one that had carried Lance to the Indigo Championship.
His true ace. His partner among partners.
The very air around the battlefield seemed to grow heavier the moment this Dragonite appeared. Its presence alone demanded silence.
In the stands, the trainers from Galar all fell quiet for a moment. Then—
"…What the hell?"
One finally couldn't hold back.
"Seriously?! That's the third Dragonite already!"
"If you love Dragonite so much, just make a whole damn team of them, why don't you?!"
Complaints and exasperated murmurs rippled through the Galarian spectators.
Three Dragonites.
This man had just sent out his third Dragonite!
The first two hadn't even been weak—each of them was a powerhouse in its own right. And now, here came another one, even more imposing and battle-hardened.
"Unbelievable…"
"Does this guy seriously have an entire team made of the same species?! What's next, a fourth Dragonite?!"
Some were frustrated, some were speechless—but most, if not all of them, were quietly awed.
Because no matter how outrageous it sounded…
this was Lance.
The Dragon Master. The man whose name alone symbolized Indigo's indomitable might.
For ordinary trainers, even obtaining a single Dragonite was a lifetime dream—an impossible feat requiring immense effort and luck. But for Lance?
He had three.
Three Dragonites.
And each one carried an aura that could crush most pseudo-legendaries with ease.
Someone in the crowd muttered half-jokingly, half-terrified, "At this point, I'm starting to think his final Pokémon is gonna be another Dragonite!"
The others fell silent, exchanging looks—
And the scary part was… that didn't sound impossible at all.
Given Lance's record so far, who could say for sure that his final Pokémon wasn't, in fact, yet another Dragonite waiting in reserve?
For a man who lived and breathed dragons, it somehow felt completely believable.
(End of Chapter)