Chapter 42: Charmander Evolves! Gyarados Appears!
Faced with the charging Houndour, Melody didn't issue a command immediately. Her eyes remained fixed on the closing distance. Charmander, without orders, stood its ground, watching the Houndour get closer and closer.
Just as the gap was about to close, a sharp glint appeared in Melody's eyes.
"Dragon Breath!"
The instant she spoke, Charmander opened its mouth, unleashing another blast of pale blue energy.
"Dodge it!" the opponent yelled.
The Houndour, already committed to its charge, saw the attack coming and tried to veer away. But at such close range, its speed wasn't enough to evade the fast-moving Dragon Breath.
FWOOSH!
The attack slammed into Houndour's side, sending it tumbling backward with a pained yelp.
From the waiting area, Kenji nodded in approval. Melody's timing had been perfect. If she had attacked from too far away, Houndour could have easily dodged. Too close, and Charmander would have been in danger. The distance she chose maximized the chance of hitting while still giving Charmander time to react if the attack missed.
Her opponent, on the other hand, had made a mistake. In that situation, the better call would have been to have Houndour push through the Dragon Breath with Bite, rather than attempting an impossible dodge.
That single error had completely shifted the momentum of the battle.
"Press the advantage! Charmander, use Dragon Pulse!" Melody commanded, giving Houndour no time to recover.
Charmander gathered energy in its mouth, a swirling vortex nearly twice the size of the previous Dragon Breath. It then unleashed a powerful shockwave that surged across the field.
"Oh no! Houndour, get out of the way!" the opponent shouted desperately as his Pokémon struggled to its feet.
But the Dragon Pulse was already upon it. Houndour managed to scramble a few steps, but the edge of the blast still caught it, sending it flying once more.
This time, it didn't get back up. Its eyes swirled.
"Houndour is unable to battle! Charmander is the winner!" the referee declared, raising his flag.
The opposing trainer slumped, recalling his defeated Houndour with a dejected expression.
"Char-char!" Charmander turned to Melody, waving its arms happily.
Melody smiled back, raising her Poké Ball to recall her victorious partner.
But just as she was about to press the button, Charmander's body erupted in a brilliant white light.
"The light of evolution!" Melody gasped, her eyes widening in surprise and delight.
The sudden transformation immediately captured the attention of the entire stadium. As everyone watched, Charmander's form began to change within the glowing cocoon, its body growing taller and more robust.
A few moments later, the light faded. The small, orange lizard was gone. In its place stood a larger, deeper red Pokémon with a sharp crest on its head and powerful claws.
"Charmeleon!" Melody breathed.
"Char-mel!" the newly evolved Pokémon roared, letting out a celebratory burst of flame.
As Charmeleon's evolution completed, the matches on the other battlefields also concluded. Melody recalled her Pokémon and walked off the field, beaming.
Several more rounds passed. Finally, it was Leo's turn.
Compared to Melody's effortless victory, Leo was visibly nervous. Like Kenji, this was his first real tournament. Fortunately, luck was on his side. His opponent sent out a Machop. Thanks to the type advantage, Leo's Pidove managed to secure a hard-fought victory.
"The following competitors, please prepare to enter the arena and proceed to your assigned battlefields."
In the waiting area, Kenji saw his name appear on the screen. He took a long, slow breath, stood up, and walked toward the entrance tunnel. He walked down the long corridor, his hand gripping his Poké Ball, his expression focused and serious.
As the final match on the center stage concluded, Kenji stepped out into the bright lights of the main arena, heading toward Battlefield 1.
"Kenji! You got this!"
"Kenji! Kick some ass!"
He looked up and saw Melody and Leo leaning over the railing in the spectator stands near the entrance. With their matches finished, they had come to cheer him on.
Kenji gave them a small smile and a nod, then strode confidently onto the largest battlefield.
His opponent was a pale, thin boy who looked just as nervous as Leo had been.
At the referee's signal, both trainers threw their Poké Balls.
"Go! Turtwig!"
"Gyarados! Let's go!"
Two beams of red light shot onto the field. First, a small, green turtle Pokémon with a twig sprouting from its head appeared.
"ROOOOAAAAAR!"
Then, with a deafening roar that shook the entire stadium, a massive, blue serpent materialized opposite the tiny Turtwig.
"Gya... Gyarados!"
A wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the crowd. Seeing a Gyarados, an already rare and powerful Pokémon, in a tournament for recent high school graduates was astonishing.
Kenji's opponent just stared, his mouth slightly agape, his expression a mixture of disbelief and despair.
"Turt..."
An intense pressure radiated from Gyarados, causing the Turtwig to instinctively take a few steps back, letting out a small, fearful cry.
Turtwig
Level: 14
Ability: Overgrow
Potential: C
Kenji raised an eyebrow. A C-Rank Turtwig at level 14. If this poor kid hadn't drawn the short straw and faced him, he probably would have easily made it through the first round.
But unfortunately for him, there were no 'what ifs' in battle.