Ash had already proven his abilities. At this point, the final match was technically unnecessary. The whole purpose of the three-on-three battle was to test whether Ash had the strength to protect Gardevoir.
And now? He had proven far more than that.
Even if Ash couldn't overpower Team Rocket or Mewtwo, he could at least protect himself and escape, unless they specifically brought tools designed to counter Psychic-type abilities. That alone meant Gardevoir wouldn't be helpless as long as she stayed with him.
So why did Blaine still want one more battle?
Because what he wanted now… wasn't a test.
It was curiosity.
He wanted to see with his own eyes exactly how strong Ash was, to see why Ash dared to face a top-tier Magmar head-on.
Blaine knew very well how terrifying his Magmar was. Among his Pokémon, Magmar stood at the very top. Even Koga's fastest Pokémon would likely be defeated in minutes.
Without a Champion present, almost no Pokémon could overpower Magmar.
That was the kind of opponent Ash was accepting.
"This battle can be skipped," Blaine said.
Before Blaine could say anything else, Ash casually turned around.
"Alright then, I'll go home."
Blaine froze.
"COME BACK!! Who said we're not fighting?! I only said it could be skipped, NOT that it would be skipped!"
Ash sighed and stopped walking. "You already admitted I can protect Gardevoir. Why battle me at all?"
Honestly, he didn't like stepping onto the battlefield himself. Pokémon battles were meant for Pokémon.
A human fighting a Pokémon directly? That was just wrong, unless the situation demanded it.
He wanted to be a Pokémon Master, not the world's strongest martial artist.
Blaine raised a hand. "That's true… but I'm still curious. You called your power Aura, didn't you? But Aura shouldn't be able to do everything I saw. You created barriers, amplified your partners, sensed the entire field… That's far beyond normal Aura."
This was the real reason.
He wanted to understand Ash's power, its nature, and its limits.
If Ash lost badly, Blaine would stop Magmar immediately. After all, letting a peak-tier Magmar beat up a kid would be embarrassing even for him.
Ash nodded helplessly and turned toward Magmar.
"Fine, Blaine. But don't blame me if your Magmar gets traumatized."
Magmar: ???
TRAUMATIZED?!
Even Magmar had been confused ever since stepping onto the battlefield.
Why would Blaine make him fight a human? One stray flame, and the kid could die.
Blaine laughed. "If you truly traumatize Magmar, then he doesn't deserve to be top tier in the first place."
"Magma!"
Magmar pointed at Ash, beckoning him forward.
A challenge.
Come at me. If I dodge, I lose.
Ash blinked. "You want me to attack first? You sure?"
"Magma!!" Come. Hit me.
Magmar didn't even bother thinking about why Ash could understand him.
Behind Ash, Pikachu cupped his paws around his mouth:
"Pika!! Pikachu!!!" You got this, Ash!
Gary, from the sidelines, stared.
It looked suspiciously like Pikachu was now the Trainer and Ash was the Pokémon.
Ash nearly face-planted.
"Oh, so that's how it feels when you guys get bossed around," he muttered. Then he smirked and looked back at Pikachu. "Alright then, how about you be the Trainer for once? Call the moves, and I'll follow your commands."
Pikachu froze. Then lit up like a Christmas tree.
He got to command Ash.This was the greatest moment of his life.
Pikachu had yelled on instinct at first, not seriously expecting Ash to listen. But now that Ash had officially handed him the role of "Trainer"…Pikachu straightened up, pointed dramatically at Magmar, and barked:
"Pika! Pikachu!!" Ash, Quick Attack!
Magmar: What?
He wanted the human to use Quick Attack? A Pokémon-exclusive move? That was impossible.
"BOOM!!"
Before Magmar could finish the thought, Ash vanished.
A white blur tore through the volcanic air. The heat warped behind him as if sliced by a blade. In one heartbeat, Ash was already beside Magmar, right fist pulled back, muscles coiled like a spring.
Then he swung.
The punch didn't strike Magmar. It struck the rock wall behind him.
And the world exploded.
"KRRRR-BOOOOM!!"
The volcanic inner wall shattered like brittle clay. Burning-red rock fragments sprayed outward.
A clean hole, almost a meter wide, burst open in the wall.
Silence.
Only falling stones clattering into lava broke the stillness.
And then;
"WHAT THE—!!"
Gary finally screamed, unable to hold it in.
This wasn't normal. This wasn't even Pokémon-level normal.
Ash hadn't used energy, aura spheres, or crazy powers. He simply punched, a raw, physical blow supercharged by pure speed.
A punch that literally pierced a volcano.
Even Magmar felt a cold shiver run through his spine.
A fire Pokémon who lived in molten rock actually sweated. The drops hit the ground and instantly vaporized.
Ash pulled back his fist, still smiling like someone who just finished morning exercise.
"Pretty good, right? Doesn't my Quick Attack match up with yours?"
Magmar: YOU ACTUALLY USED IT?!
"Magmar, create distance, Flamethrower!"
Blaine snapped back to reality, shouting hurriedly.
He had been frozen in place, stunned. If Ash hadn't paused to chat and pose, Magmar would've eaten that punch head-on.
Magmar jerked into action.
He stomped once, launching himself upward. The rock pillar crumbled beneath the impact.
Ash pushed off as well, flipping back in midair.
Magmar inhaled deeply and unleashed it, a scorching crimson beam of fire erupted from his jaws, roaring down from above.
The heat was so intense that the air itself crackled. Wherever the flames passed, the air trembled with a low, dangerous hum.
Ash was midair with no footing. Nowhere to dodge.
Before this fight, Blaine would've told Magmar to hold back against a human.
But after seeing Ash blast a hole through a volcano with one punch?
Yeah, no. If Magmar held back now, he would be the one getting flattened.
"BOOM!!"
Magmar's Flamethrower swallowed Ash whole.
A torrent of fire capable of melting steel poured over him, drowning him in blazing light.
Even knowing Ash was "not normal," Misty and the others felt their hearts stop. That kind of heat wasn't something a human could survive.
But then;
"WHOOSH!"
A burst of blue light erupted from within the flames.
Ash shot straight upward, unharmed, wrapped in a smooth, glowing Aura barrier. The fire clung to the shield like harmless sunlight, unable to scorch even a hair.
"Fire Blast!!"
Blaine didn't flinch. He had expected Flamethrower to do nothing. Ash's defense was absurd, he had just tanked the shockwave of an entire battlefield collapsing.
But no defense was limitless. Aura or not, constant protection had to wear down eventually.
So Blaine commanded the real attack.
Magmar landed on another rock pillar, inhaled, and unleashed it.
A giant, blazing Fire Blast roared through the air toward Ash. Its heat was more than double Flamethrower's. The force alone could vaporize stone.
'Let's see how you handle this,' Blaine thought, eyes locked onto Ash.
High above the lava, Ash didn't dodge. He didn't put up a shield.
He simply pulled back his fist.
Aura surged across his knuckles, glowing a deep, sharp blue.
Then, he punched.
"BAAANG!!"
Fire Blast shattered.
It didn't dissipate, it burst, exploding into thousands of golden embers that rained down like a meteor shower. It was breathtaking, beautiful enough to win a Contest.
But for Magmar, it was nightmare fuel.
Magmar froze. Completely still.
Only tiny flickers of flame sputtered from his mouth, showing he was still conscious, and utterly stunned.
That was his strongest attack. And the human in front of him had simply punched it apart.
Just a punch.
Magmar's mind went blank.
He had clawed his way to this level through brutal training, harsh conditions, and endless resources. He had spent years mastering flames powerful enough to melt mountains.
Yet this human… this boy… shattered his ultimate move with raw physical strength.
How was that fair? How was that possible?!