If Haxorus was Iris's ace,
then the Charizard inside Ash's Poké Ball was undoubtedly his ace.
Ace versus ace.
Perfectly reasonable.
As Ash threw the Poké Ball in his hand,
Charizard burst forth into the sky.
The orange-red figure spiraled overhead,
instantly unleashing a scorching heatwave across the battlefield.
The flames at the tip of Charizard's tail burned fiercely—
a symbol of its overwhelming power.
As Ash's ace Pokémon,
Charizard was the embodiment of strength itself.
That oppressive aura—
even Dragonite from earlier couldn't compare.
Below,
Haxorus's crimson eyes burned with battle intent.
At that very moment, it keenly sensed
the terrifying power contained within the figure in the sky.
Just one glance—
And the dragon blood throughout Haxorus's body began to boil.
"Not bad! But Charizard is Fire/Flying, right?
Didn't we agree on a Dragon battle?
Having 'dragon' in the name doesn't count!"
Seeing Ash send out Charizard,
Iris puffed up her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
They had agreed on a dragon duel—
what was this loophole?!
[Lorelei: Iris's critique is spot-on.
Pokémon with 'dragon' in their name don't count as Dragon-types, right, Lance?]
[Lance: …]
For the love of—let it go already!
My entire team is real Dragon-types now!
Stop bringing this up!!
[Bruno: Exactly! Gyarados and Aerodactyl aren't real dragons either!]
You too, Bruno!
You're getting your own page in my notebook!
On the battlefield—
"How could I forget?"
Ash smiled.
"Who said Charizard can't wield the power of dragons?"
He raised his right hand.
Beneath the Z-Ring,
a Key Stone embedded in his glove shone brilliantly.
"This is Charizard's exclusive power—
the beautiful force known as Mega Evolution!"
Under Iris's curious gaze,
Ash extended his left hand, pressing his index and middle fingers against the Key Stone.
Golden light, spiraling like DNA, burst forth.
At the same time,
the Mega Stone around Charizard's neck released the same radiant helix.
The two lights converged in midair—
And Charizard began to change.
Azure-blue flames engulfed its body.
With a powerful flap of its wings, the fire dispersed—
Mega Charizard X descended!
Its body turned dark gray-black,
with sky-blue coloring stretching from jaw to tail.
Blue claw-like protrusions formed on its shoulders,
small fin-like ridges appeared along its neck.
The inner wings darkened to deep blue,
their edges splitting into sharp, jagged points.
Its horns sharpened and turned blue,
with two additional black horns emerging.
Its snout shortened slightly,
and its flames—heated beyond limits—burned blue.
A black dragon straight from hell had arrived.
Iris's eyes sparkled like stars.
Having devoted herself entirely to becoming Unova's Champion,
she had little exposure to Z-Moves or Mega Evolution.
This—
This was the first Mega Evolution she had ever seen.
That dazzling transformation ignited a deep longing in her heart.
"Ash… this is—?"
She looked at him eagerly, desperate to understand.
"This is Mega Charizard X.
A new form born from the bond between Mega Stone and Key Stone," Ash explained enthusiastically.
"And it's a true Dragon-type."
Compared to Z-Moves,
Mega Evolution was far more visually captivating.
And Iris—still a girl at heart—
was instantly entranced by that magnificent power.
"Ash! Can my Haxorus Mega Evolve too?!"
She immediately thought of her own partner.
If Haxorus could Mega Evolve,
it would be unbelievably cool!
But—
"I'm afraid not," Ash said apologetically.
"As far as I know, the only one on your team that can Mega Evolve is Garchomp."
Seeing Iris on the verge of tears,
he quickly added:
"But Haxorus can use Z-Moves and even Dynamax—
those are amazing battle systems too!"
Iris raised her head and glanced at Ash's arms.
Z-Ring.
Key Stone.
Everything was on his wrists.
That sense of completeness—
Pure security.
"I've decided!
After this battle, I'm collecting every battle system!
Next time, I won't let you get ahead of me!"
"In that case, I suggest visiting Steven," Ash said.
"He's very generous. He might even give you a full Mega Stone and Key Stone set.
My Kalos friend Sawyer once got a Sceptile Mega Stone from him."
Iris's eyes shone even brighter.
"As expected of my partner—so thoughtful!"
But to the onlookers, Drayden and Diantha exchanged strange looks.
Why did Steven sound like a walking charity fund?
Mega Stones weren't trash you found on the street!
Was Champion Steven some kind of wandering donor?!
[Steven: Haha, honestly, I don't mind.
If I meet someone suitable, I'm happy to give them one—
as long as they earn my approval.]
[Wallace: Don't feel bad for him.
He's paid by Devon Corporation and digs rocks all day.
If he doesn't give you one, just trade him some random stones!]
[Steven: Hey! I'm not a junk collector!
You just don't understand the beauty of minerals!]
[Flint: I want one too!]
[Bruno: Count me in!]
[Alder: No need.
Unova hasn't fallen that far.
If Iris needs them, we'll handle it ourselves.]
[Iris: But… free stuff tastes amazing!]
The audience collectively nodded.
Facts.
Steven was now officially labeled a sucker.
Of course—
anyone trying to "freeload" from him
had better measure their own strength first.
This was Steven Stone, Hoenn Champion.
One of the strongest Trainers alive.
He was gentle—not weak.
Back to the battle—
Iris raised her hand toward Mega Charizard X.
Golden dragon aura spread instantly.
For a brief moment,
she established a connection—
And confirmed it.
Charizard had truly gained the Dragon-type through Mega Evolution.
Her yearning grew stronger.
But this was still a battle.
She pulled her hand back.
"Psycho Cut!"
Years of training had synchronized Iris and Haxorus perfectly.
One command was enough.
Haxorus swung its axe-like tusks,
launching a pale-blue crescent of psychic energy.
Though not a pseudo-legendary,
Haxorus's potential rivaled Hydreigon's.
Out of its 540 base stats,
147 was pure Attack—
An extreme offensive Dragon.
And as a Champion's ace,
even a non-STAB Psycho Cut was no joke.
"Mega Charizard X—block it with Dragon Claw!"
Ash chose confrontation.
This—
Was confidence.
Green dragon energy wrapped around Mega Charizard X's claws.
It raised its hand—
And caught the Psycho Cut barehanded.
Before everyone's eyes,
the attack shattered into dust.
"That's it! Keep pushing—Dragon Claw!"
Ash clenched his fist in excitement.
Mega Evolution allowed trainer and Pokémon
to resonate emotionally.
Passion fed passion—
And it wasn't just one plus one.
Blue flames roared.
Mega Charizard X charged forward like a general leading an assault—
Even against thousands,
it would strike straight for the enemy commander!
"Ash! I haven't felt this excited in ages!"
Iris showed no fear.
She'd learned long ago—
Hesitation was useless.
Only offense wins battles.
"Breaking Swipe! Throw it back!"
Red light flashed in Haxorus's eyes.
Energy coated its massive tail—
And it spun, lashing out violently.
Dragon Claw met Dragon Tail.
Metallic impact echoed through the gym!
Particles of light scattered everywhere!
But—
Something was wrong.
Breaking Swipe lowered the opponent's Attack.
In a battle this evenly matched,
even a small drop could decide everything.
And it did.
Mega Charizard X took a direct hit.
Sensing danger, it used the force of the blow to reposition—
But—
"Now! Outrage!"
Iris seized the moment instantly.
Haxorus erupted in crimson aura
and launched itself forward!
Mega Charizard X had no time to counter—
Only to beat its wings and try to rise!
Too late.
Haxorus was faster.
Its arms latched onto Charizard's tail—
Yanked—
And slammed a heavy punch into its abdomen!
THUD!
The opening exchange—
Haxorus took the lead.
"Champion Diantha, Iris isn't bad, is she?"
Drayden asked proudly.
"She's excellent.
This level already qualifies her for the Masters Eight."
High praise.
Yet Diantha left one thing unsaid—
Without battle systems,
Iris's options were limited.
Against trainers like herself or Cynthia,
she would be targeted and defeated.
Strong—but not strong enough.
Still—
For a newly crowned Champion,
her performance was remarkable.
On the battlefield—
"Mega Charizard X! Are you okay?!"
Ash asked anxiously.
Dragon-type moves dealt double damage to it.
Outrage, from a monster like Haxorus—
Was terrifying.
Mega Charizard X shook its head.
With a powerful tail swing,
it broke free and soared into the sky.
No more close combat.
Ash finally exhaled.
"Iris… you've really grown so strong."
He looked at Haxorus.
"Axew—you're incredible too.
I almost lost."
"Of course!
After you left, Axew and I trained day and night—
all for the Champion's stage!"
Iris puffed her chest proudly.
Diantha couldn't help smiling.
Friends meeting again at the summit—
What could be more moving?
"Don't think praise means I'll hold back!"
Iris grinned.
Unfortunately—
Beauty had no effect on Ash.
Unless you were Latias.
"Mega Charizard X—Dragon Pulse!"
Ash commanded.
A seven-colored dragon roared from the sky!
Don't forget—
Mega Charizard X excelled at both physical and special attacks.
Even without Tough Claws,
its power was overwhelming.
Below—
Haxorus, having used Outrage,
had fallen into confusion.
This Dragon Pulse—
Was almost guaranteed to hit.
And with pure Dragon typing,
Haxorus would take double damage.
If it landed—
The battle could turn completely.
At this moment—
The tides began to shift.
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to patreon:
patreon.com/ToastWizard