"Send out your Charizard directly. Let's settle this in one battle!"
Taishi Utsunomiya's voice rang out, and immediately after, Dragonite appeared on the battlefield. It stared intently at Gu Yuan, remembering clearly that it was this person's Charizard that had defeated it in their previous duel.
"Fine. Go, Charizard!"
"Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!"
"Charizard, Fire Blast!"
The commands from both sides rang out simultaneously. Dragon Pulse surged forward, taking the form of a flying dragon, only to be melted away by Fire Blast in the next instant. Dragonite flapped its wings, releasing two sharp blades of energy that easily dissipated the remaining power of the Fire Blast.
"Dragonite, charge with Agility, then follow up with continuous Thunderbolt!"
"Charizard, accelerate with Flame Charge. Incorporate Dragon Dance into your evasive maneuvers and use Flamethrower!"
A series of commands followed, and Dragonite beat its wings to start accelerating. Flames erupted as Charizard also took to the air to dodge. Lightning and fire collided, then scattered into tiny currents and sparks in the air.
With the more impressive boost from Agility, Dragonite soon gained a speed advantage. However, Taishi Utsunomiya noticed that Charizard was weaving Dragon Dance into its dodging techniques. Gu Yuan had gained the upper hand against Hawkins using this exact trick, so Taishi was naturally on guard.
"Dragonite, Hurricane! Dragon Rush!"
A storm coalesced, preventing Charizard from continuing its flight. Next, Dragon-type energy enveloped Dragonite, transforming it into a massive dragon that charged toward Charizard.
"Chain Air Slash, then strike back with Dragon Rush!"
Under the twin strikes of Air Slash, the Hurricane collapsed. The moment the storm dissipated, Dragonite collided with Charizard, who had also transformed into a glowing dragon.
Boom!
A dull thud echoed as Dragonite's Dragon Rush began to crumble. Charizard already held the advantage in raw strength, and having just boosted its attack with Dragon Dance, Dragonite simply couldn't withstand its charge. As Charizard exerted more force, Dragonite was pushed back directly.
"Pursue it! Use Dragon Claw combined with Fire Punch."
The moment Gu Yuan's voice fell, Charizard accelerated to close the distance. Emerald Dragon Claw energy condensed, and Dragonite struck back without hesitation. However, Charizard was clearly superior in close-quarters combat. After all, training daily with an Annihilape—a Pokémon with a Fighting-type—had allowed it to learn many techniques that were now suppressing Dragonite.
In the next second, their Dragon Claw attacks collided again.
"Now! Follow up with Flame Charge!"
As the power of the Dragon Claw reached its limit, both sets of claws shattered simultaneously. Under Gu Yuan's command, flames rapidly surged over Charizard's body as it slammed into Dragonite's chest.
"Use Thunder to force Charizard away!"
Matt gave Charizard no chance to follow up. Orange-yellow lightning began to gather, forcing Charizard to abandon its pursuit. In the next second, a Fire Spin rose, trapping both Charizard and Dragonite within. In the scorching heat, Charizard was in its element, and the power of its Fire-type moves was further enhanced.
"Break out with Air Slash! Outrage, then Dragon Rush!"
Seeing Dragonite being suppressed, Taishi Utsunomiya knew that continuing like this was just a slow death. He had to gamble with Outrage! As the move activated, Dragonite's eyes instantly turned blood-red, and its strength began to surge.
"Charizard, we'll use Outrage too, then follow up with Dragon Pulse!"
Dragon Pulse shot out, halting the charging Dragonite in its tracks. A split second later, Charizard rushed forward to engage Dragonite in a brawl. At this point, the sheer power of the two Pokémon had turned the battlefield into a mangled wreck. Noting this, Gu Yuan sighed helplessly; it seemed the title of "Battlefield Destroyer" would be hard to shake off.
The battle continued. Through recent efforts, Taishi Utsunomiya's Dragonite had gained complete mastery over Outrage, allowing it to avoid the negative side effects. However, one thing could not be ignored: even with Expert Mastery, Outrage made a Pokémon's temperament violent. A Trainer could only guide them and could no longer command them with perfect precision.
In contrast, Telepathy allowed Gu Yuan's commands to ring directly in Charizard's mind, making the effect much better. After another clash, Dragonite and Charizard pulled away before simultaneously unleashing Dragon Pulse. The collision of the moves served as a signal for the next charge. Dragon Claw energy condensed once more as the brutal, physical brawl resumed.
No matter how hard Dragonite struggled, Charizard maintained a steady advantage. Blocking another of Dragonite's attacks, Charizard lunged forward with a direct strike aimed at Dragonite's heart. Sensing danger, Dragonite dodged frantically, barely avoiding a lethal blow, but the Dragon Claw still pierced its flesh.
As Charizard withdrew its claws, blood splattered. It gave Dragonite no time to adjust to the pain, launching a fierce assault immediately. Distracted by the pain, Dragonite exposed more and more openings, which Charizard frequently exploited. In a flash of inspiration, Dragonite repeated its old trick, using Thunder to force Charizard to pull back.
At this point, the effects of Outrage began to fade, and a hollow sense of exhaustion hit Dragonite. Most importantly, the wounds on its body grew increasingly painful, and its stamina was so depleted that it was gasping for air.
"Let's settle this with one final move, Dragonite! Giga Impact!"
Receiving the order, Dragonite desperately channeled its remaining strength into a charge, looking like a falling meteor. Simultaneously, invisible flames erupted from Charizard's body. The Blaze ability had triggered, enhancing the power of its Fire-type moves.
"Charizard, Blast Burn!"
A massive torrent of fire surged forth, instantly swallowing Dragonite. An explosion followed, yet it still couldn't stop Dragonite from bursting through the wall of fire—but that was as far as it went. In the next second, Gu Yuan had Charizard unleash Fire Blast, which sent Dragonite flying backward.
Crashing onto the battlefield, Dragonite lost consciousness completely, ending the battle.
"You lost. I'll wait for your next challenge."
Recalling Charizard to its Poké Ball, Gu Yuan turned and left. To his slight surprise, no other attacks occurred; it seemed he had made Dar come along for nothing.
After having Nurse Joy help Charizard recover, Gu Yuan threw himself back into the training room, striving to become even stronger before reaching the Sinnoh region. After tasting the "sweetness" of success in the Hoenn League, Gu Yuan's ambitions grew even larger. As for whether being too dazzling would attract resentment, that was not his concern. Since he didn't plan to build a career in other regions anyway, his priority was building his reputation in the Kanto region.