The Flamethrower dealt effective damage to Blastoise.
Mizuki's eyes bulged as he felt a surge of shock. What's going on? How can Charizard deal so much damage to Blastoise?
If the power of a skill used by a normal Charizard was a 10, then the power of Sato's Charizard's Flamethrower was a 50. Why was the gap so massive? Firstly, the Pokéblocks Sato used to feed his Charizard were custom-made by Senior Breeders. Furthermore, Sato underwent frantic training daily; in terms of sheer effort, Mizuki clearly fell short of Sato.
Mizuki's background was similar to Sato's in that his family was very wealthy, but even among the rich, there are levels. Millionaires differ from decamillionaires and billionaires. Mizuki's family was a major clan in the Johto region, but they were still a step behind Sato's. The Sato family business spanned both Johto and Kanto. Currently, they were actively expanding into other regions, making them one of the top-tier families in Johto.
Usually, because they have access to the best resources, they can become very strong without trying too hard. Thus, Mizuki hadn't worked that hard. Sato was different. Having been suppressed by his older sister since childhood, he was exceptionally diligent. He finally thought the pressure would lift when she went to Indigo Academy, only to be suppressed by Eichi. His sister was one thing—she was two years older, so losing to her could be blamed on age. But Eichi was the same age. Losing to Eichi meant he simply wasn't good enough; there were no excuses.
Moreover, Eichi's family background was very ordinary. That such a person could suppress him made Sato realize just how much pressure he was under. To surpass Eichi, he had worked incredibly hard in private. He didn't just train blindly; he also learned from Eichi's strengths and methods. Sato had undergone a transformation as he stared down the Blastoise.
Sato issued his command:
"Charizard, use Steel Wing!"
Charizard beat its wings, gathering energy. Its wings glowed with a white light as it dove toward Blastoise.
Swoosh!
Mizuki didn't panic upon seeing this; instead, he flashed an excited smile.
"Blastoise, use Skull Bash!"
"Kar-meh!"
Blastoise stared at Charizard. The moment the impact was imminent, it tucked its limbs and head into its shell. A surge of aqua-blue energy gathered on the shell, and Blastoise's defense instantly skyrocketed.
A gust of wind heralded Charizard's arrival as it charged forward, surrounded by energy. Its wings slashed fiercely against the shell.
Bang! Clang!
The collision produced the sound of metal striking metal. Blastoise's shell was knocked back a distance, but in the very next second, Blastoise's entire body took flight, hurtling toward Charizard.
"Charizard, stop it with Dragon Claw!"
Blastoise was moving extremely fast and was about to collide with Charizard in an instant. At that critical moment, one of Charizard's arms suddenly erupted with white light. It turned slightly and managed to block the Skull Bash just in time.
However, since it was a hurried defense, it couldn't block everything. A large portion of the force was transmitted to Charizard's body. Charizard bore the brunt of the attack.
"Roar!"
Charizard was knocked back a long distance by the counter-force, crashing to the ground. It climbed back up, catching its breath. It then charged toward Blastoise again, a pillar of fire erupting from its mouth.
The cannons on Blastoise's shoulders aimed at Charizard, and a pillar of water shot out with a whistle.
Hydro Pump!
In Eichi's eyes, the battle on the field was reflected as the water and fire collided. At the point of impact, a pfft sound erupted as white steam began to billow out. Fire and water merging resulted in vaporization, a phenomenon that only occurred when the powers were evenly matched.
Hydro Pump was already Blastoise's strongest Water-type move, yet Charizard was only using Flamethrower. If Flamethrower alone could match Hydro Pump, wouldn't it be over if Charizard used an even stronger fire move?
Naturally, Mizuki also realized that Blastoise didn't seem as strong as Charizard. But he wouldn't give up until the very last moment.
The two sides engaged in another round of fierce combat. Sato's Charizard was indeed powerful, but Blastoise was no weakling either. It managed to inflict significant damage on Charizard. Charizard used Dragon Claw to rush Blastoise, while Blastoise countered with Skull Bash, followed by another clash of fire and water.
After five minutes of confrontation, both Pokémon were covered in injuries, and their stamina was largely depleted. Finally, Charizard seized an opportunity and used its signature move—Seismic Toss.
Charizard grabbed Blastoise and flew high into the sky, circling once before diving toward the ground. Everyone's eyes followed Charizard as it plummeted with Blastoise. Charizard released Blastoise when it was less than a meter from the ground, flapping its wings to pull away.
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed as Blastoise slammed into the ground, leaving a large crater. Blastoise lay in the pit, unable to battle. Charizard stood before Sato and let out a roar.
This scene reminded Eichi of the match between Ash's Charizard and Gary's Blastoise in the anime. Sato had won. Everyone was stunned; so far in the competition, Sato was the only person to defeat an opponent despite a type disadvantage.
Sato looked at Akemi, who was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected Sato to improve this much. Asen also began to take him seriously; the strength of this Charizard had reached a level that demanded his attention.
Mizuki found it hard to believe. He had lost. His strongest Pokémon, Blastoise, had actually been defeated despite its type advantage. After a few seconds of silence, Mizuki recalled Blastoise and released his second Pokémon—Aerodactyl.
Aerodactyl was a very rare Pokémon, yet Mizuki actually possessed one. It seemed his family background was indeed not simple. However, this Aerodactyl's level hadn't broken into the Elite rank; it was only at the Experienced Late stage.
The second round officially began as both sides launched into a fierce aerial battle. Aerodactyl was the ancient overlord of the sky, exceptionally brutal. Every attack carried rampaging energy, but Charizard's momentum had reached its peak. It didn't back down at all, meeting the opponent head-on. Charizard was truly formidable!
Despite having taken damage and consuming a lot of stamina in the previous fight against Blastoise, it still fought Aerodactyl to a standstill. Finally, the attacks of both Pokémon struck simultaneously.
Two roars echoed as Charizard and Aerodactyl fell to the ground together, both losing their ability to battle.