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Erika appeared quite confident in her decision, and she had just told Eddie that regardless of who emerged victorious or suffered defeat, the Rainbow Badge would be awarded to him for his exceptional performance.
"Erika, I want to repeat my words once more," Eddie declared with unwavering determination. "I will defeat you fair and square and earn the badge I truly deserve through my own strength."
Eddie gazed at the powerful Venusaur standing before him without showing even a trace of fear. In fact, he was feeling incredibly excited at this moment, his heart racing with anticipation.
Gym leader-level Pokemon provided significantly more experience points than Peak-level Pokemon when defeated. Eddie calculated that after winning this crucial battle, his Lucario and Charizard would definitely be able to advance to gym leader level themselves. There was even a strong possibility that Sceptile and Greninja could gain two full levels each and directly enter gym leader status as well.
"I originally planned to send Greninja into this battle," Eddie mused aloud, "but since Erika has chosen to send out Venusaur, I know exactly which Pokemon I need to use."
"Show Erika your true strength! Come out, Charizard!"
Eddie sent his strongest Pokemon, his beloved Charizard from the Kanto Region, onto the battlefield with confidence.
"ROAAAAR!"
Charizard had been Eddie's partner for the longest time, and through their countless battles together, it had absorbed much of Eddie's fighting spirit and determination. The Flame Pokemon's own warrior instincts were now nearly as fierce as Gabite's had been.
The moment Charizard materialized on the field, it let out a tremendous roar that echoed throughout the gym, releasing all of its pent-up fighting spirit and eagerness for battle.
Naturally, after laying eyes on the intimidating gym leader-level Venusaur, Charizard's expression became somewhat more serious and focused. However, the fighting spirit blazing in its eyes did not diminish in the slightest—if anything, it burned even brighter than before.
Upon seeing Charizard enter the battlefield, Venusaur responded with its own powerful roar, actually taking the initiative to declare war on its traditional rival. The sound reverberated through the gym like a challenge that could not be ignored.
As two of the three original starter Pokemon from the Kanto Region, Charizard and Venusaur naturally understood each other's capabilities and strength. A sense of deep competition and rivalry was absolutely inevitable between them.
Even though Venusaur was a Grass-type Pokemon, which would normally struggle against Fire-type attacks, and Charizard would typically have a significant advantage in such a matchup, everyone present knew that type advantages didn't determine everything in Pokemon battles.
Eddie recalled several famous examples from Pokemon history and media. In the comics, Pikachu had managed to defeat Onix with electric attacks despite the type disadvantage. Misty had used her Starmie to triumph over Ash's Bulbasaur in an impressive reverse-type victory. In Pokemon: The Origin, Red had successfully used his Charizard to defeat Blue's Blastoise in a stunning display of skill over type matchups. There were countless examples throughout Pokemon history of trainers achieving victory despite unfavorable type matchups.
While it was certainly true that winning a reverse-attribute battle was significantly more difficult than fighting with type advantage, it was definitely not impossible to achieve victory through superior strategy and skill.
Furthermore, Venusaur was currently stronger than Charizard in terms of raw level and power. Combined with Erika's commanding skills as a quasi-elite level trainer, and the fact that Venusaur would no longer fear Fire-type attacks after Mega Evolution, it would theoretically have no trouble defeating Charizard despite the type disadvantage.
Erika's Venusaur was filled with confidence at this moment, ready and eager to give its longtime rival Charizard a thorough and decisive beating.
Under normal circumstances, Venusaur's confidence would indeed be well-founded and its strategy would likely succeed.
Unfortunately for Venusaur, the trainer commanding the Charizard it faced was far from ordinary. Eddie was a trainer with incredibly rich combat experience, someone who had been even stronger than Erika before his current situation.
Reverse-attribute battles were merely routine challenges for Eddie, and fighting against opponents of higher levels had become his standard operating procedure. Only when facing opponents significantly above his current level would Eddie feel any real pressure or concern.
This battle was indeed a clash between higher-level opponents, and even though Mega Venusaur would lose its Fire-type weakness after evolution, Eddie remained completely confident that he could secure victory.
His exceptional combat awareness, his strategic vision developed through countless battles, and his absolute trust in Charizard's abilities were all clear manifestations of his strength as a trainer. With all these advantages, why would he ever lose in a place like this?
"Charizard is Morning Sun's strongest Pokemon, so I absolutely must give this battle everything I have," Erika declared, her voice carrying new weight and determination.
As Erika looked at Eddie's elite-level Charizard, her expression became far more serious and focused than it had been in any of the previous matches throughout this gym battle.
She carefully reached into the sleeve of her traditional kimono and withdrew a delicate petal-shaped pendant. Just as Eddie had expected, the center of the petal contained a Mega Evolution Key Stone that gleamed with mysterious energy.
Erika fastened the pendant around her neck with deliberate, careful movements. Her facial expression showed complete determination and the serious attitude of someone prepared to give absolutely everything they had to this final confrontation.
At the same time, Eddie retrieved his own Mega Evolution bracelet and secured it firmly around his wrist, the familiar weight reassuring him of the power they were about to unleash.
"Show the world our unbreakable bond! Charizard!" Eddie called out with passion.
"Demonstrate our connection! Venusaur!" Erika shouted with equal intensity.
Both trainers commanded their Pokemon partners to begin Mega Evolution simultaneously, and the entire stadium was suddenly bathed in brilliant, swirling lights of transformation.
When the radiant light finally faded, two magnificent Mega-evolved Pokemon stood facing each other on the battlefield. Mega Venusaur, whose body had grown even larger and more imposing, faced off against Mega Charizard X, which had transformed into a striking black and blue Dragon-Fire type.
The incredible momentum and power emanating from both Pokemon created visible waves of air pressure that swept across the stadium. The decorative flowers and carefully maintained grass throughout the gym were blown flat by the intense energy waves.
Eddie quickly checked his Pokedex to analyze his opponent's new form:
Name: Mega Venusaur
Type: Grass/Poison
Ability: Thick Fat (When this Pokemon is attacked by Ice-type or Fire-type moves, the damage from those attacks is reduced by half during damage calculation)
"Venusaur normally has significant weaknesses to Fire and Ice-type attacks, but this ability completely negates those disadvantages," Erika explained with a confident smile. "Morning Sun, how do you plan to defeat a Venusaur that's stronger than your Charizard when you no longer have any type advantage to rely on?"
"Even so, I actually believe you can find a way to achieve victory. Now then, let me witness your battle prowess firsthand!"
Erika finished speaking with unusual enthusiasm, then shouted with rare intensity as she directly commanded her Mega Venusaur to launch the opening attack.
"Mega Venusaur! Use Power Whip!"
Power Whip was a devastatingly powerful Grass-type move with a base power of 120, involving violently swinging vine-like appendages to slam into the target with tremendous force.
This attack was just as powerful as Petal Dance, but it came without any negative side effects for the user. Although Power Whip's accuracy was not quite as reliable as Petal Dance, under Erika's expert training and guidance, any accuracy issues had long been perfectly resolved through dedicated practice.
Mega Venusaur let out a thunderous roar and immediately extended dozens of thick, powerful vines from its body, whipping them through the air directly toward Mega Charizard X with incredible speed and precision.
"Don't show any fear of those attacks! Charge forward! Mega Charizard X, use Aerial Ace!"
Both Eddie and his Mega Charizard X remained completely fearless when faced with this powerful assault. Eddie confidently ordered his Pokemon to meet the attack head-on rather than retreating or playing defensively.
Mega Charizard X's type combination was Dragon and Fire, and fortunately for Eddie's strategy, both of these types provided resistance against Grass-type attacks.
When the resistance from both type advantages was combined together, any Grass-type moves that managed to hit Mega Charizard X would have their damage reduced to just one-fourth of their normal power.
With the opponent's attacks being weakened by such a significant amount, Eddie felt completely confident about charging straight through the assault.
"ROOOAAAAR!"
Mega Charizard X released a powerful battle cry, spread its magnificent dragon wings wide, and charged directly toward the incoming Vine Whip attacks without hesitation.
Of course, while this was indeed a head-on confrontation, Mega Charizard X was far too experienced and intelligent to simply fly straight ahead and allow itself to be hit repeatedly.
Even though it was charging forward aggressively, Mega Charizard X also skillfully dodged and weaved between attacks during its advance. It would charge directly through areas where only one or two vines were present, but naturally had to employ evasive maneuvers when facing clusters of multiple whips attacking simultaneously.
Despite the need for these tactical movements, Mega Charizard X's speed remained extremely impressive. After being struck by only three or four Vine Whips over the course of several seconds, it had successfully closed the distance and arrived directly in front of Mega Venusaur.
Mega Charizard X's powerful wings gathered terrifying energy as it prepared to slash directly at Mega Venusaur with devastating force.
Flying-type moves were super effective against Grass-type Pokemon, dealing double damage. Combined with Mega Charizard X's ability called Tough Claws, which significantly enhanced the power of all physical contact moves, this attack would pack tremendous destructive potential.
While it would be impossible to defeat Mega Venusaur with a single move, this Aerial Ace would definitely inflict considerable damage and establish momentum for the battle ahead!
"I somewhat overlooked Charizard's resistance to Grass-type moves," Erika admitted with a slight frown. "So let's defend against this attack first. Mega Venusaur, use Protect!"
Erika observed Mega Charizard X's aggressive approach and decided to avoid the direct confrontation, choosing to defend against this initial assault before planning her counterattack.
If Eddie's attack succeeded, she would likely fall into his attacking rhythm for the remainder of the battle. Therefore, Erika decided the wisest strategy was to defend first and then launch her own offensive.
Mega Venusaur roared in response to its trainer's command, mobilizing its energy to create a shimmering, light-colored protective barrier that completely covered its massive form.
Mega Charizard X's attack was already in motion and could not be stopped at this point, so the powerful Aerial Ace struck the protective shield directly, only to be completely deflected by the defensive barrier.
"So it knows Protect as well," Eddie observed with growing respect. "It seems that Erika has invested tremendous effort and training into this Venusaur. This is going to be quite a challenging battle."
Eddie watched as Mega Charizard X's attack was completely neutralized, and his expression became considerably more serious and focused. This battle was definitely not going to be easy or straightforward.
However, the more difficult a battle became, the more Eddie found himself enjoying the challenge. Although his face showed serious concentration, he still maintained a confident smile that spoke to his love of strategic combat.
"Since that attack failed, Erika will definitely counterattack next. Let's prepare to deal with Mega Venusaur's incoming assault!"
"Mega Charizard X! Pull back and use Smokescreen!"
"As expected of Morning Sun—did you already anticipate my next move?" Erika called out with a mixture of admiration and determination. "Mega Venusaur! Use Seed Bomb!"
Eddie continued to stay one step ahead of Erika in terms of tactical thinking, and although Erika found herself reacting a step slower, she still commanded her Venusaur to launch its attack.
Mega Charizard X first created distance between itself and Mega Venusaur, then expelled thick, dark Smokescreen from its mouth, spraying the concealing smoke directly toward Mega Venusaur's position.
Within moments, Mega Venusaur found itself engulfed in the area covered by the Smokescreen, making it impossible for the Seed Pokemon to clearly see Mega Charizard X's current location.
However, Erika's command arrived at precisely that moment. Mega Venusaur gathered its energy and expelled dozens of large, hard-shelled seeds from the flower on its back, launching them in all directions around its position.
Unfortunately for Erika, this attack completely missed its target, because Mega Charizard X had already moved to a safe distance under Eddie's strategic guidance.
"Erika, the consequence of reacting even one step slower is exactly this," Eddie explained with tactical precision. "Not only will your attack miss its intended target, but it will also reveal Venusaur's exact position to your opponent."
"Now then, take this blazing flame! Mega Charizard X, use Fire Blast!"
Eddie accurately determined Mega Venusaur's location through analyzing the trajectory of its previous attack, then directly commanded Mega Charizard X to launch a devastating counterassault.
"That was my mistake," Erika acknowledged, her elegant eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Since I was reacting slower, I should not have attacked so hastily."
Although Erika clearly regretted her previous command decision, she absolutely refused to give up or lose hope.
"But Morning Sun, your attack will also reveal your Pokemon's location! Mega Venusaur! Attack toward the direction where those flames are coming from! First use Grassy Terrain, then follow up with Grass Pledge!"
Erika cleverly took advantage of Fire Blast's naturally slow charging speed and directed Mega Venusaur to execute two moves in rapid succession.
The previous effect of Grassy Terrain had already expired during the battle, so Erika had Mega Venusaur use it again. Her intention was clearly to boost the power of all Grass-type attacks on the field.
Before Mega Charizard X's Fire Blast could reach its target, Mega Venusaur quickly completed the field enhancement and then used Grass Pledge to defend against the incoming assault.
This move was naturally not as inherently powerful as Fire Blast, but under the strengthening effect of Grassy Terrain, its power became comparable to the Fire-type attack.
Of course, there was also the matter of type effectiveness to consider, but Erika was not using this move primarily for offensive purposes.
Mega Venusaur faced the incoming Fire Blast and used Grass Pledge in the direction of the flames. Suddenly, several thick grass pillars erupted from the ground to continuously resist and block the Fire Blast's advance.
When one grass pillar was burned through and destroyed, the next pillar would immediately appear to resist Fire Blast's continued assault.
For Mega Venusaur, this defensive technique did not require tremendous energy consumption, which meant it could be used continuously without significant strain.
With the blessing of Grassy Terrain's field enhancement, the power of this defensive move was also improved, making it quite capable of resisting most of Fire Blast's damage potential.
The reality matched Erika and Mega Venusaur's strategic thinking perfectly. Fire Blast was already at the end of its strength after breaking through five consecutive grass pillars. Although it did manage to hit Mega Venusaur, it caused minimal damage to the massive Pokemon.
"Erika, you're celebrating victory far too early! Take a look at where Mega Charizard X actually is right now!"
Eddie was not surprised by this defensive result at all. After all, even he could think of several different ways to deal with the situation they had just faced.
If he could handle such circumstances, how could an experienced gym leader like Erika not have her own solutions?
Therefore, that Fire Blast had merely been a tactical feint on Eddie's part—a clever trick designed to attract and misdirect Erika's attention!
Erika was initially confused by Eddie's confident words, but then her eyes widened in complete shock and alarm.
She suddenly realized that Mega Charizard X had completely disappeared from her sight. More accurately, Mega Charizard X was no longer visible anywhere on the battlefield!
"Oh no! Is it flying high in the sky? Wait, no!" Erika's mind raced through possibilities. "Morning Sun's Pokemon know so many different moves—it might be underground using Dig!"
Erika's first instinct was that Mega Charizard X had flown high into the sky above the battlefield. She started to look upward, but suddenly remembered that Eddie's Pokemon had demonstrated an incredibly diverse move pool throughout their previous battles. There was a strong possibility that Charizard had learned Dig and was currently attacking from below ground.
"No matter where it is! Be prepared to handle Mega Charizard's incoming attack! Mega Venusaur, use Growth!"
Erika immediately began implementing defensive measures. Although it was called a defensive strategy, Growth was actually a move that would increase both Attack and Special Attack statistics.
Mega Venusaur responded instantly to the command. Under the effect of the move, its already massive body grew even larger and more imposing.
While its increased size made it a more obvious target that would be harder to maneuver for dodging attacks, its offensive capabilities in both physical and special attacks were dramatically improved.
"Attack is the best defense! Mega Venusaur, use Sunny Day!"
Erika commanded the use of Sunny Day once again. Like Grassy Terrain, the effect of the weather move that Vileplume had used earlier in the battle had already expired and needed to be refreshed.
This time, the weather change was most likely being used to support two specific strategies: Solar Beam and Synthesis.
Solar Beam could unleash its full devastating power instantly without requiring a charging turn under the intense effects of Sunny Day. Meanwhile, Synthesis would be able to restore a substantial amount of Mega Venusaur's HP when used in bright sunlight.
However, just as Mega Venusaur was in the process of using Sunny Day, Erika finally discovered where Mega Charizard X had been hiding.
Mega Charizard X was diving toward Mega Venusaur from high in the sky, positioned behind Erika's location. Its entire body was covered in blazing blue flames as it charged directly toward its target with tremendous speed and power.
At this critical moment, Mega Venusaur had not yet noticed that Mega Charizard X was approaching from the sky behind its trainer. The Seed Pokemon was still focused on completing its Sunny Day!