"A o-one hit...? Was that an instant knockout?"
Everyone was stunned as they watched Rhyhorn collapse on the ground.
That Pokémon—known for its thick skin, high endurance, and even having a type advantage—hadn't been able to withstand even a single Flamethrower attack! The fire from that tiny Charmander was unbelievably powerful.
"I lost..." Arthur said, still shocked. He clearly hadn't expected such an outcome. His Pokémon specialized in defense, and yet it had been defeated in a single blow!
"Chaarrr, Chaarrr!" Charmander cheered enthusiastically after taking down its opponent.
But its eyes were still burning with intensity. It looked around at the gathered students with an expression that clearly said it wasn't satisfied with just one battle.
"I see... you still want to fight?" Ethan smiled.
If his Charmander wanted to continue, he wasn't going to stop him.
"Is there anyone else who wants to face my Charmander?" he asked, looking around.
"If it's just a Charmander, then leave it to me!" a student replied, eyes lighting up with interest.
After all, winning meant earning 10,000 pokédollars; for someone with few resources, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
"Then let's begin," Ethan said with a nod.
The student threw his Poké Ball, and a Magcargo appeared on the field, radiating intense heat.
"Magcargo, a Fire- and Rock-type Pokémon?" Ethan sighed with a bitter smile.
Against a Pokémon that lived in magma, Charmander's flames might not have any effect.
Even so, he decided not to stop the battle. Defeats were also part of growth.
"Chaarrr, Chaarrr!" Charmander roared, showing not a hint of fear.
As the saying goes, "newborn calves do not fear the tiger." The little one opened its mouth and shot a stream of fire straight at its opponent.
Boom!
But Magcargo didn't even move: it took the attack head-on. As a Pokémon used to magma, its body didn't suffer even the slightest damage.
"Charrr...?" Charmander's eyes widened completely. Its fire hadn't done anything at all!
That made it angry. Really, really angry!
"Magcargo, use Flamethrower too!" ordered its trainer with a grin.
The magma snail opened its mouth and released a torrent of fire much larger than Charmander's, engulfing it completely.
Everyone thought the battle was over.
But then, something changed. The flames covering the little Pokémon's body began to swirl, and suddenly they converged into a single point, as if they had found an exit.
When the fire finally dissipated, Charmander could be seen... swallowing the flames!
(Translator: Natsu, Erza is looking for you, run!)
Hic!
After devouring them, it let out a small satisfied burp. The flame on its tail suddenly grew, burning with renewed strength.
"Is it... eating them?!" someone shouted.
"Does it have the ability Flash Fire?" asked another.
Everyone was stunned.
"No," Ethan intervened with a slight smile. "Charmander can only have the ability Blaze or Solar Power."
"Then how did it do that?"
"It used its temperature control to raise its own body heat above that of the flames. When the enemy's fire temperature is lower than its own, it stops causing damage."
The students exchanged looks of amazement. That was something not even many Advanced-level trainers could accomplish.
Charmander kept its mouth shut, but small flames leaked out between its teeth. It had to cover its mouth with both hands to contain the fire trying to burst out.
"Incredible, it tanked the attack!" someone from the crowd shouted.
"Magcargo, use Rock Slide!" ordered Magcargo's trainer, seeing the fire was useless.
Red-hot rocks began forming in the air and fell toward Charmander.
The little one growled through clenched teeth, still covering its mouth, until at the very last moment—it let go.
Woooah!
A gigantic blast of fire shot out, far wider and more intense than a simple Flamethrower. It was like the roar of a fire dragon.
Heat spread across the entire field as the fire beam devoured the rock slide completely and continued straight toward Magcargo.
Boom!
In an instant, everything was engulfed in flames.
"What the hell was that?!" someone screamed.
"Don't tell me that was Flamethrower too! It had the power of a Hyper Beam!" another exclaimed, face full of shock.
The flames roared for a few more seconds before finally dying down.
When the smoke cleared, everyone was speechless.
In the center of the field, Magcargo—known to withstand even molten magma—lay defeated. Its shell was shattered into pieces scattered across the ground.
The rocks from its own attack, now incandescent, fell to the floor steaming, leaving a smell of scorched stone in the air.
"Holy crap..." someone murmured. "That fire was way too strong!"
"Even with quadruple fire resistance, Magcargo was obliterated!"
Everyone stared at the scene in awe. Judging by the destroyed shell, the attack not only had extreme heat but also tremendous impact force.
"Chaarrr... Chaarrr...!" Charmander, exhausted after releasing that "dragon's roar," fell to the ground sitting, panting heavily. He had given everything he had.
"Good job, Charmander," Ethan said, filled with both pride and surprise.
He knew his partner had the ability Solar Power, not Flash Fire. And yet, he had managed a feat that mimicked that ability and unleashed a devastatingly powerful attack on top of it.
(End of chapter)