Z-Moves—not inferior to Mega Evolution.
That was Diantha's evaluation.
These techniques were powerful enough to completely change the course of a battle,
even capable of delivering a decisive, finishing strike.
"What… what is that?!"
On the battlefield, Iris stared at the unfamiliar Dragon-type technique in shock.
Unova was the Land of Dragons—
the region with the largest number of Dragon-type Pokémon.
And yet now, Ash had unleashed a Dragon-type move she had never seen before.
What was more terrifying was that its power had directly shattered Dragonite's Dragon Rush.
How absurdly strong was that?!
"You mean this?"
Ash pointed at the Z-Ring on his wrist, along with the Z-Crystal embedded within it.
"This is Alola's specialty—a battle system called Z-Moves,"
Ash explained patiently.
When he left Alola, Professor Kukui had specifically told him:
If you ever battle well-known Trainers, make sure to use Z-Moves.
Ash had always regarded Kukui as a father figure.
So he took that request seriously.
And Iris—the Unova Champion—was definitely a famous Trainer.
Judging from the results,
the effect of Z-Moves was obvious.
BOOM!
Dragonite's massive body fell from the sky and slammed heavily into the arena floor.
Seeing Dragonite covered in wounds,
Iris was utterly stunned by the sheer power of the Z-Move.
One single attack had inflicted this much damage on her Dragonite.
Not only Iris—
even Diantha and Drayden were shocked.
This wasn't some random Dragonite.
This was a Champion-level pseudo-legendary,
using a high-power move like Dragon Rush—
and it still lost in a direct clash against Ash's Noivern.
That alone spoke volumes about the power of Z-Moves.
[Professor Kukui: The Alola League hereby invites all interested Trainers to join!
Sign up now and receive a Z-Ring!
Pass the trial to obtain a Z-Crystal!
Limited supply—first come, first served!]
[Flint: I'll take one!]
[Bruno: Same here!]
[Professor Kukui: Elite Four members, please stop teasing me.
If you need one, I'll just give it to you.]
[Flint & Bruno: Then we won't refuse!]
[Lorelei: You really have no shame.]
[Professor Kukui: Lorelei, don't you want one too?]
[Lorelei: …Same here.]
Truly, no one escapes the law of "it smells good once you try it."
[Steven: Damn… I thought only Ash's signature Z-Move like 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt was special.
Turns out standard Z-Moves are terrifying too.
At equal strength, the side with Z-Moves has an absolute advantage.]
[Diantha: Exactly. Compared to Mega Evolution, Z-Moves are far more versatile.
They don't require Pokémon to hold special stones, yet they can still decide the battle.]
[Lance: So here's the real question—
Z-Moves, Mega Evolution, and Dynamax.
Which one is stronger?]
Someone was clearly trying to stir trouble.
It was like asking whether sweet or savory tofu was better.
There was no single answer.
Each system excelled in different situations and came with its own limitations.
[Leon: I don't know about the others,
but in Galar, Dynamax is the strongest.]
Confidence—pure confidence.
As long as Dynamax was allowed,
Leon believed himself invincible.
On the battlefield—
It seemed Ash's growth over the years had far surpassed Iris's expectations.
"Dragonite—can you still fight?!"
"ROAR!"
Despite its severe injuries, Dragonite struggled back to its feet.
Because Dragon Rush had spread Dragon-type energy across its entire body,
the Dragon Z-Move hadn't fully discharged its power.
That was why Dragonite survived.
But that also made it even more furious.
Its tightly furrowed brows revealed its foul mood.
Losing a direct clash to Noivern—
That infuriated Dragonite.
At the same time, Iris finally discarded the pride in her heart.
Ash had taught her a harsh lesson—
There was always someone stronger.
Even defeating Alder and becoming Champion
wasn't something worth getting arrogant over.
If Dragonite hadn't been protected by Dragon Rush's energy earlier,
It might've been knocked out on the spot.
From this moment on,
Iris knew she had to fight with 120% focus.
Otherwise—
She would definitely lose.
Fresh off her Champion victory, Iris had been proud.
Ash shattered that pride in a single turn.
But—
She didn't hesitate.
"Dragonite—Ice Beam!"
"Noivern, dodge!"
Ash reacted instantly.
Ice Beam was deadly to Flying Dragons—
a 4× weakness.
One clean hit meant defeat.
A certain Kanto Dragon-type Elite Four member had very strong feelings about this.
"I've lived my whole life under Lorelei's shadow!"
...
Dragonite understood this too.
When it fired Ice Beam, it led its aim.
Combined with the naturally fast release speed of beam attacks—
Noivern, despite reacting immediately, still had the tip of its wing clipped.
Ice rapidly spread.
Its speed dropped sharply.
"Nice hit, Dragonite! Follow up—Dragon Pulse!"
Seeing Ice Beam connect,
Iris immediately pressed the advantage.
Dragon-type energy gathered in Dragonite's mouth.
Ash frowned.
Battles changed in an instant.
He never expected that once-reckless Dragonite
had learned prediction.
You thick-browed guy actually studied tactics?!
With Noivern's wing frozen, evasion was nearly impossible.
So—
Only one option remained.
A head-on clash!
"Noivern—Boomburst!"
Boomburst—a Normal-type move.
Many Pokémon could learn it,
but most couldn't use it effectively.
Noivern was different.
This was the very move that had once severely injured Zapdos.
Boomburst was Noivern's signature technique.
Since dodging Dragon Pulse was no longer viable—
Noivern landed on the ground.
It crouched low, facing Dragonite in the sky.
The ear-like organs atop its head vibrated violently.
Dragonite unleashed its seven-colored Dragon Pulse,
charging straight at Noivern!
Due to the earlier Devastating Drake,
Dragonite's condition was poor.
This was an all-in attack—
meant to decide the duel of dragons!
But—
Was it really going to end like that?!
The seven-colored dragon surged downward—
And Noivern calmly gathered all its strength.
The next instant—
A piercing shriek tore through the heavens!
Even space itself trembled under the overwhelming sound waves!
Boomburst vs. Dragon Pulse!
The duel of flying dragons reached its climax!
Which side would prevail?!
This battle would determine the ranking of the Unova and Alola Champions!
Alola:
A true hero does not live long beneath others!
BUZZZZZ—!!!
For a brief moment—
The world fell silent.
Awaiting the verdict.
[Drasna: So this is Ash's Noivern…
Honestly, it's stronger than mine.
That's Champion-level strength.]
[Raihan: I thought Lance was unrivaled among Dragon Trainers—
but Ash surpassed him.
This kind of Dragon-type Pokémon is worthy of leading a Champion's team.]
[Lance: I hate to admit it,
but aside from my Dragonite,
I don't currently have anything that can match that Noivern.]
[Leon: Hahaha! I'm really getting excited now!
Ash—come face me!
That way, even if I keep moving forward, I won't be lonely!]
[Wikstrom: Ash doesn't blindly trust dragon power—
he trusts his judgment.
Boomburst really might break Dragon Pulse.]
[Drayden: There's always someone stronger…
Iris, don't fall behind!
You're the hope of the Dragon Village!]
Dragon vs. Dragon!
Clash of titans!
So this was the world five years into the future…
Alder slowly drained his glass, then burst into laughter.
In just a few exchanges,
he saw the brilliance of the future.
The future belonged to Ash, Iris, and the younger generation.
This old man—
It was finally time to step aside.
Drayden was good—but not good enough.
If Iris was destined to be Unova's future Champion,
Then she should start shouldering that responsibility now.
"Marshal, go bring Iris here.
From today onward, she'll be your junior sister."
"Yes, Master."
Seeing hope return to Alder's face,
Marshal felt his own heart stir.
How many years had it been
since his master smiled like that?
With Alder's guidance,
Iris's future Dragon battles would surely surpass even what was shown on the screen.
Back on the battlefield—
Dragon Pulse was a wave-based attack,
not a pure beam.
And sound-based moves were its natural counter.
Ash wasn't reckless—he wasn't stupid.
After all, he owned a Naganadel capable of firing triple Dragon Pulses.
He understood these techniques thoroughly.
This was the perfect chance to test theory with practice.
When Boomburst fired—
Spiral sound waves expanded outward.
Upon contact—
The seemingly unstoppable seven-colored dragon collapsed instantly.
Its head, body—
all disintegrated under the vibration.
Iris stared in disbelief.
What kind of move was this?!
Even Drayden, Gym Leader for decades, had never seen anything like it.
He wasn't unfamiliar with Boomburst—
But no Pokémon had ever used it with such effects.
The moment they collided—
The outcome was decided.
"Diantha… do you know what Ash's been through all these years?"
Drayden turned to her, puzzled.
If she could accompany Ash to Unova,
She had to know something.
How had Ash grown this strong so quickly?
Yet Diantha shook her head solemnly.
In her memory,
Ash was still the boy who failed to win the Lumiose Conference.
But barely a year later—
He had become someone she no longer recognized.
All she could recall was hearing that Ash had become Alola's Champion.
But that alone couldn't explain this.
Could one trip to Alola really change someone this much?
The answer—
Yes.
Under Professor Kukui's guidance,
Ash fused everything he'd learned into one.
Kukui was indispensable to Ash's growth—
But Ash's own talent mattered just as much.
With Dragon Pulse shattered—
And attacking from below—
Dragonite had no room to dodge Boomburst.
It crossed its arms, desperately defending.
But Ash wouldn't let this chance slip.
"Iris—this round is mine!"
He pointed at Dragonite in the sky.
"Noivern—Dragon Pulse!"
Drayden and Iris froze.
Defeating the opponent with their own move—
That was cruel.
The momentum reversed instantly.
Noivern ceased Boomburst and fired a seven-colored beam.
A coiling dragon surged upward—
And swallowed Dragonite whole.
The remaining shockwaves crushed Dragonite's body.
Already exhausted from resisting Boomburst,
Dragonite stood no chance.
It fell.
Crashing into the ground—
leaving a massive crater.
The referee took one look and declared:
"Dragonite is unable to battle!"
Iris looked disappointed.
She had hoped to test Ash after two years—
But the result was this.
She recalled Dragonite.
Then smiled.
"As expected of you, Ash!
You've grown even stronger!
But I won't fall so easily!"
She waved her arm.
Behind her, Haxorus leapt onto the field.
"Axew's been waiting to battle you, Ash.
Now it finally has its chance."
No frustration.
Only confidence.
Once the Axew in her arms—
Now a true powerhouse.
Even among Iris's team,
Haxorus was the ace of aces.
[Steven: Now I'm really curious—
with Pokémon like this, why did Ash only win his first League in Alola?
Was that Kalos Trainer Alain actually stronger?]
[Diantha: Uh… Alain is currently a wanted criminal in Kalos.
He's suspected of threatening regional security.]
[Flint: …WHAT?!]
Somewhere, grinding levels—
Alain felt his vision go dark.
Reputation destroyed.
He hadn't even done anything yet!
…Except, well, participating in Lysandre's plan.
Wronged—but not completely innocent.
Either way, the Lumiose Conference was definitely off the table.
[Diantha: Rest assured—
Kalos will never allow someone like that to compete again.]
On the battlefield—
Seeing Haxorus enter the field,
Ash recalled Noivern.
Its frozen wing meant it stood no chance.
So—
Ash took out another Poké Ball.
Ace vs. Ace.
…
(To be continued.)
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