Charizard is a very special Pokémon because it has two Mega Evolution forms.
One is its Y form, which does not change its typing (Fire/Flying) and possesses the Drought ability, allowing it to alter the weather.
The other is its X form, which changes its typing to Fire/Dragon and has the Tough Claws ability, increasing the power of contact moves by 30%.
Alain's Charizard is the second kind—Mega Charizard X.
Another Pokémon with the same privilege is a Legendary and artificial Pokémon—Mewtwo.
Mewtwo is a pure Psychic-type.
Its Y Mega Evolution retains its pure Psychic typing, enhancing its special attack capabilities significantly.
Meanwhile, its X Mega Evolution changes its typing to Psychic/Fighting, boosting its physical attack power tremendously.
As Angie pondered these facts, Astrid's Mega Absol and Alain's Mega Charizard X had already engaged in a fierce battle.
"Absol, Sucker Punch!"
At Astrid's command, Absol leaped forward, transforming into a streak of black light as it charged toward Charizard.
"Charizard, Dragon Claw!" Alain shouted.
However, Absol was too fast. Before Charizard could react, it had already slammed into Charizard's abdomen.
"Charizard~"
Charizard roared in pain as it was sent flying backward. It flapped its wings forcefully, quickly stabilizing itself in midair.
"Absol, Psycho Cut!" Astrid continued her assault.
"Absol~"
Absol swung its now even larger curved horn, releasing an incredibly sharp purple energy blade straight at Charizard.
"Charizard, Dragon Claw!" Alain commanded calmly.
"Charizard~"
Charizard flapped its wings hard and slashed with its claws, shattering the incoming Psycho Cut in an instant. In the blink of an eye, Charizard closed the distance and struck Absol with a powerful claw swipe.
"Absol!" Astrid called out in concern as her Pokémon was sent flying.
But Charizard wasn't done yet.
"Absol, Double Team!" Astrid quickly gave a counter-command.
Absol swiftly adjusted its stance, and in a flash, its figure multiplied into over a dozen copies.
Alain remained unfazed. "Charizard, Flamethrower!"
Charizard opened its mouth and unleashed a sweeping wave of flames. The illusions of Absol shattered one by one until the real one was hit as well.
Absol let out a pained cry as it collapsed, reverting from its Mega Evolution.
It had lost.
Absol was a fragile Pokémon, and even after Mega Evolution, it still couldn't withstand many attacks from Charizard, whose strength was already superior.
"Absol!" Astrid rushed forward, kneeling beside her Pokémon to check its condition.
Seeing that Absol wasn't too badly injured, she sighed in relief. As she tended to Absol's wounds, she looked up at Alain and asked: "I don't sense any enjoyment from you in this battle. Are you always like this? Only chasing after strength?"
Alain answered, "I will keep battling with Charizard until we reach the top."
"How dull." Astrid shook her head at his response.
At that moment, Alain turned to Angie and asked, "Hey, you over there. Do you want to battle me too?"
Angie pointed at himself, looking completely dumbfounded. "You… mean me?"
Alain nodded and said, "That's right. Is there a problem?"
"But I'm not a Trainer!" Angie replied helplessly.
At that moment, Astrid suddenly gave Angie a mischievous wink. "Angie, just battle him! Show him your strength."
Angie: Huh?
Hearing Astrid's words, Alain bowed deeply to Angie. "Please, have a battle with me."
Angie: …Is this really necessary?
With a deep sigh, he said, "Since you're asking so sincerely… fine."
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Munchlax clenched its fists, looking eager to fight.
Angie patted its head and said, "Let Darkrai handle this one. You won't be able to beat him."
"Munchlax~"
Munchlax huffed, clearly unhappy.
Angie sighed helplessly. "Alright, alright, I'll let you battle next time, okay?"
Who would've thought his little student had become so competitive? It wasn't like this before.
Was it because of Bruno and his Fighting-type Pokémon's influence?
"Munchlax~"
Munchlax reluctantly nodded.
With that, Angie stepped up to face Alain, pulling out a Poké Ball and releasing Darkrai.
The moment Darkrai appeared, Alain's eyes widened in disbelief.
"A… a Mythical Pokémon… Darkrai!"
He hadn't expected the person in front of him to be a Legendary Trainer.
"Then let's begin the battle," Angie declared.
Alain quickly shook off his shock, his eyes turning sharp with determination. "Charizard!"
"Charizard~"
Charizard let out a fierce cry and took to the skies.
At the same time, Darkrai slowly floated up until it was level with Charizard, exuding an overwhelming presence that put pressure on Charizard.
"Charizard, Dragon Claw!" Alain commanded the first attack.
"Charizard~"
Charizard flapped its wings and charged at Darkrai with its claws glowing.
Angie: "Darkrai, Dark Pulse."
"Dark~"
Darkrai formed a ball of dark energy in its hands and fired it at Charizard just as it approached.
Charizard tried to swipe the Dark Pulse away with its Dragon Claw, but it failed. Instead, it was sent flying.
"Charizard~"
Charizard let out a pained cry as it crashed into a large tree, snapping it in half.
"Charizard!" Alain gasped in disbelief. He knew Darkrai was strong, but he hadn't expected this level of power.
Just one exchange, and Charizard had already taken a heavy hit.
Charizard shook its head and beat its wings, trying to get up. But just then, a ripple of energy spread out from Darkrai.
The moment it touched Charizard, an overwhelming drowsiness took hold. Charizard's head drooped, and it fell straight to the ground.
It had been put to sleep by Darkrai's Hypnosis!
Hypnosis wasn't usually that accurate, but in Darkrai's hands, it was different.
As soon as Charizard fell into sleep, its expression twisted in pain—Darkrai's ability, Bad Dreams, had activated.
"Charizard! Charizard!"
Alain anxiously called out to his Pokémon, but Charizard was trapped in its nightmare, unable to respond.
Seeing this, Angie said, "Darkrai, Dream Eater."
Darkrai's expression twisted in discomfort. Even after leaving the Azoth Kingdom, it was still being ordered to eat dreams?
But it didn't dare disobey Angie's command. It obediently used Dream Eater, causing Charizard's face to contort in even greater agony.
However, this also seemed to be waking Charizard up.
Just as Charizard was about to open its eyes, Angie commanded, "Darkrai, Dark Void."
Alain barely registered the momentary darkness around them before Charizard, which had been on the verge of waking up, sank into endless darkness once more.
Angie gave another order: "Darkrai, Dream Eater."
Darkrai used Dream Eater again, and finally, Charizard lost all ability to battle, reverting from its Mega Evolution.
As he stared at his unmoving Charizard lying on the ground, Alain fell into a long silence.
He had lost—completely and utterly.
After a long while, he took out a Poké Ball, recalled his Charizard, and then asked Angie, "May I know your name?"
Angie nodded and replied, "Angie."
"Angie…" Alain murmured the name, then, after a moment of silence, his expression became firm again. He looked at Angie and said, "I will challenge you again. By then, I will have become much stronger."
Angie hesitated for a moment before saying, "Then… good luck?"
Alain nodded. "Well then… goodbye."
With that, he turned and left without hesitation.
After Alain left, Angie suddenly heard Astrid shout, "I've decided!"
Angie looked at her in confusion. "Decided what?"
Astrid answered, "I've decided to participate in this year's League tournament."
"What made you suddenly want to enter the League tournament?" Angie asked, puzzled.
Astrid said, "I thought I was pretty strong, but now I see I'm still far from it!"
Angie replied, "Then… good luck to you too?"
Afterward, the two of them returned to Ambrette Town and said their goodbyes.
Since Astrid had decided to compete in the League tournament, she had to hurry and challenge Gym Leaders.
Meanwhile, Angie took Munchlax and Magearna and boarded the light rail back to Azoth Kingdom.
By evening, they had returned to Azoth Kingdom. After passing through Munchlax's Home, they finally arrived back at their own house.
Stepping out of the space portal, Angie walked onto the balcony.
The Nebel Plateau was as peaceful as ever.
By the walls, Scovillain, who had been basking in the sun all day, was leading the Capsakid back home.
Two Dolliv jumped down from the walls, holding hands, chatting and laughing as they headed back.
In the distant grasslands…
Croconaw was expertly herding a group of pigs toward their pen.
Deerling and Bunnelby were also herding the chicken flock. Though there were many of them, they handled it with ease.
Pachirisu and Buneary stood atop the heads of the herd leaders—one on a sheep, the other on a cow—guiding the sheep and cattle back home.
Angie took out three Poké Balls and released Solrock, Lunatone, and Doublade.
"This is our home now!" he told them.
"Solrock~"
"Lunaton~"
Solrock and Lunatone floated off the balcony, marveling at the vast grasslands, the clear sky, and the soft sunset, letting out sounds of awe.
Having lived in the Glittering Cave all their lives, they had never seen such a magnificent view before.
Doublade hovered beside Angie, equally amazed by the sight before it.
Just then, a Swablu, Fletchinder, and Spritzee flew overhead and spotted Angie. Excited, they landed on the balcony railing.
"Fletchinder~ Fletchinder~"
Angie, you're back!
Fletchinder hopped excitedly.
"Yeah, I just got back," Angie said with a smile.
"Swablu~ Swablu~"
Angie, I missed you so much!
Swablu flapped its wings and landed on Angie's shoulder.
Angie chuckled. "But I've only been gone for a few days!"
"Swablu~ Swablu~"
I missed you every day! Even in my dreams!
Swablu nuzzled against Angie's cheek with its soft feathers, acting spoiled.
"Alright, alright, I got it." Angie laughed.
"Spritzee~ Spritzee~"
We missed Munchlax too!
Spritzee landed on Munchlax's head, hopping up and down.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
I know, you just miss my cooking.
Munchlax picked up Spritzee from its head, ruthlessly exposing its true intentions.
Without Munchlax at home, everyone had to survive on standard Pokémon food for days—it had been unbearable.
"Spritzee~ Spritzee~"
Having its lie exposed, Spritzee grew flustered and started pecking Munchlax furiously, despite its beak not being very sharp.
"Hahaha~~" Seeing this, Angie couldn't help but burst into laughter.
At that moment, the other Pokémon noticed the new faces of Solrock and Lunatone. Angie took the time to introduce them to everyone.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Diancie was lounging on a chair, cuddling two Spinarak and a Munna, when she suddenly heard cheerful voices from above.
She quickly sat up and saw Angie.
"Angie!!" she called out excitedly.
"Diancie!" Angie smiled and waved at her.
Seeing this, Diancie hurried into the house, while Angie turned to head downstairs.
But before that, he looked at Spritzee, Fletchinder, and Swablu and said,
"Spritzee, Fletchinder, Swablu, could you show Solrock and Lunatone around? And introduce them to everyone?"
"Spritzee~"
Leave it to me!
Spritzee patted its chest confidently.
With that, the three Pokémon took Solrock and Lunatone and flew off.
Watching Doublade still floating close to him, Angie asked, "Doublade, aren't you going with them?"
"Doublade~ Doublade~"
I will protect Angie.
Doublade spoke seriously.
Angie couldn't help but laugh, surprised to see such a serious side of the usually lively Doublade.
"Doublade, this is home. I won't be in any danger, so you don't need to protect me. Just go and have fun."
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Munchlax chimed in, echoing Angie's words and reminding Doublade that its master already had it by his side.
"Doublade~"
I'll protect Angie.
However, Doublade remained firm and shook its head resolutely.
"Alright then, you can follow me." Seeing its unwavering stance, Angie had no choice but to let it be.
As Angie made his way downstairs, he ran into Diancie coming up. Stepping forward, he gave Diancie a big hug.
"Diancie, I'm back."
"Welcome home." Diancie patted Angie's back as she spoke.
With that, the two of them headed downstairs together while Angie shared stories of his recent journey.
Once downstairs, Angie released Magearna and Tyrunt as well.
Gengar and Inteleon, upon seeing their master return, immediately lunged forward and hugged him from both sides.
"Pawmot~ Pawmot~"
Seeing Angie surrounded by Diancie, Inteleon, Gengar, Magearna, and the others, the small Pawmot realized it couldn't squeeze in and anxiously hopped up and down at the back.
As it jumped, it found itself face-to-face with Tyrunt. The two Pokémon locked eyes.
"Pawmot~"
Who are you?
Pawmot asked.
Chomp!
Instead of answering, Tyrunt simply opened its mouth and bit down on Pawmot's head.
Pawmot: …
At that moment, Volcanion returned from outside. The moment it laid eyes on Magearna inside the house, its eyes lit up with an unprecedented glow.
"Magearna!" it instinctively called out.
"Magearna~"
Upon seeing Volcanion, Magearna's face also lit up with joy, and it quickly stepped forward toward Volcanion.
However, after just two steps, it tripped and crashed onto the floor with a loud thud.
Volcanion rushed over to help it up. "Honestly, you never fail to worry me."
Though its words seemed like a complaint, its tone was full of indulgence and affection.
"Magearna~"
Magearna beamed at Volcanion with a sweet smile.
The two Pokémon then moved to the side, where Magearna chattered excitedly about the new and fascinating experiences it had encountered on its trip.
Volcanion listened with a bright smile, nodding as it took in everything Magearna shared.
By the time Angie finished catching up with the rest of his Pokémon, Pawmot had finally managed to squeeze its way to his side. Holding its head in its hands, it pointed at Tyrunt with an aggrieved expression, complaining to Angie.
"Pawmot~ Pawmot~"
Angie, it bit my head!
Angie chuckled, rubbing Pawmot's head as he explained, "That's just Tyrunt's way of showing affection."
Pawmot: ??? Are you sure you're not messing with me?
"Oh right, where are Passimian and Komala? At the brewery?" Angie glanced around and, seeing no sign of them, turned to ask Diancie.
"What do you think? They might as well live there at this point!" Diancie sighed helplessly.
Not seeing Metagross either, Angie asked, "Is Metagross still in the lab?"
Diancie nodded. "It feels like now that their master is away, everyone's started slacking off."
"They do seem a bit too relaxed." Angie agreed.
After chatting with his Pokémon for a while, Angie turned to Pawmot and said, "Pawmot, go let everyone know they can come for dinner tonight. I'll cook."
"Pawmot~ Pawmot~"
Pawmot cheered excitedly and dashed off.
Angie then turned to Diancie. "Diancie, could you arrange rooms for Solrock, Lunatone, and Tyrunt?"
Diancie nodded. "Alright, leave it to me."
With that, she led Tyrunt toward the staff dormitories.
Tyrunt, who had been rowdy just moments ago, was now as obedient as could be.
Tyrunt: She's not someone I can mess with!
Angie then said, "Munchlax, Inteleon, let's get to the kitchen!"
"Munchlax~"
"Inteleon~"
The two of them cheered and eagerly followed their master into the kitchen.
Doublade, as always, remained close by Angie's side.
Gengar also wanted to join in on the cooking, but it had to head to the city for work, so it had no choice but to give up.
Just as Angie reached the kitchen door, he suddenly turned around and called out to Gengar.
"Gengar, I've got a gift for you when you get back tonight."
"Gengar~"
Gengar's eyes lit up with excitement, and it happily headed off to the city with Poliwrath and the others.
News of Angie's return spread quickly, and soon, all of his Pokémon had gathered in the square outside.
Before long, a rich, mouthwatering aroma filled the air.
Ah~~ so good! It smells amazing!