"What?! It's a Dragonite!" Bill stared in disbelief as the Pokédex finished its analysis. He compared the colossal figure to the silhouette of a normal Dragonite in his mind, and the truth finally sank in. The mysterious creature he had been searching for was a Pokémon of legend. "But... why is it so enormous?"
"Pidgeotto, use Hurricane to clear this mist!" Red commanded.
His golden raptor beat its wings, summoning a powerful vortex of wind that tore through the thick fog. As the view cleared, the Ancient Dragonite was revealed in its full glory. Just like the super-ancient Pokémon said to slumber deep beneath Pallet Town, this creature had mysterious, gray stripes crisscrossing its body, pulsing with a faint, magical power.
"Is it really a kind-hearted Pokémon?" Ash said timidly. "Because that Dragonite looks very, very angry!"
He was right. Deceived by mere humans after centuries of solitude, even the most benevolent creature would lose its temper. The Ancient Dragonite roared, a sound of pure fury, and swung its massive tail, shattering the lighthouse and reducing it to a pile of rubble in an instant. Red reacted immediately, throwing up a psychic barrier to shield his brother and their companions from the blast.
"I understand now..." Bill said, his voice full of repentance. "I've been so selfish, trying to understand its feelings on my own, but I've been ignoring the loneliness of a creature longing to find its own kind."
Having vented its initial rage, the Ancient Dragonite's expression shifted from anger to a deep, profound gloom. It was still hurt by the deception.
"Aura, reside in my heart," Red murmured, extending his senses to communicate with the creature, trying to soothe its turbulent emotions.
"If you seek others of the ancient era," Red projected, his thoughts clear and honest, "I know a place where three of them now sleep."
"Is that true?" a powerful, ancient voice echoed directly in Red's mind. "I will not be deceived by you humans a second time!"
Red gave his silent promise. The Dragonite's anger subsided further, replaced by a flicker of hope. At least now it had a destination, an end to its endless wandering. It chose to believe Red for two reasons: his Aura was pure and just, and it could sense the faint, lingering energy of the Rainbow Wing he carried. A human acknowledged by Ho-Oh could not be evil.
"Dragonite," Red declared, his eyes blazing with a fierce fighting spirit. "Let's have a battle!"
The Ancient Dragonite did not refuse. It moved its massive body into the sea near the ruined lighthouse, indicating that the ocean itself would be their battlefield.
"Don't worry," Red said, seeing the panicked looks on his friends' faces. "I never fight a battle I'm not confident I can win."
He threw six Poké Balls. Beedrill, Charmeleon, Onix, Pidgeotto, Gyarados, and Scyther appeared on the beach, their gazes fixed on the colossal dragon in the distance. This was the opponent they had been preparing for. In unison, they unclipped the heavy resistance harnesses they wore for training, their bodies suddenly feeling light and explosive.
"Let your companions come together," the Dragonite projected. "That way, you might have a chance to defeat me."
Since the ancient creature had suggested it, Red would not refuse a six-on-one battle.
"Beedrill, Pin Missile! Charmeleon, Flamethrower! Onix, Stone Edge! Pidgeotto, Air Slash! Gyarados, Hydro Pump! Scyther, Razor Wind!"
The six Pokémon unleashed their attacks simultaneously. The Ancient Dragonite roared, its right fist crackling with immense electrical energy as it met the barrage with a single, sweeping Thunder Punch, nullifying every attack in a massive explosion of power.
"He blocked everything with one move!" Ash yelled in shock.
"Just as I thought," Brock said grimly. "This is not an opponent that can be easily defeated."
"In that case," Red said, his voice dropping to a low, determined whisper, "let's go all out!"
He tipped his hat down, and his exposed left eye began to glow a luminous crimson. A breathtaking wave of power—a perfect fusion of his psychic energy, his Aura, and the Power of Viridian—erupted from his body, resonating with the six Pokémon on the field. Their own Auras flared to life, their minds linking with his, their fighting spirits becoming one.
"This is... truly eye-opening!" Bill exclaimed, witnessing a phenomenon that defied all conventional understanding of a Pokémon trainer.
"Human," the Dragonite's voice echoed, its tone now one of deep respect. "You are very powerful. And your companions trust you completely." It would hold nothing back. It opened its mouth and spewed raging fire, while its antennae crackled with lightning and its wings whipped up a ferocious Hurricane.
"Beedrill, Drill Run! Gyarados, Hydro Pump! Onix, ground that electricity!"
Beedrill spun like a living drill, tearing the hurricane apart. The Blood-Red Gyarados met the Flamethrower with a massive torrent of water. Onix bravely moved forward, drawing the lightning into its body and safely grounding it.
"Charmeleon, Dragon Breath! Pidgeotto, Scyther, Air Slash!"
Charmeleon's attack intertwined with the twin blades of wind, striking the Ancient Dragonite and finally drawing first blood. Enraged, the giant swung its tail, knocking the five airborne and aquatic Pokémon aside, and unleashed a massive Dragon Pulse from its mouth, a roaring wave of purple-gold energy that shot toward the grounded Onix.
Onix braced itself, ready to take the full force of the attack to protect its partners.
"Charmeleon!" Red yelled, throwing the Dragon Fang he had received from Lance. "Rush forward! Absorb the energy of that Dragon Pulse! Evolve under the dragon's might!"
With absolute trust, Charmeleon caught the ancient fang. It didn't hesitate. It shot past Onix, placing itself directly in the path of the overwhelming attack and actively absorbing the raw, draconic energy into its body.
An astonishing, blinding light erupted from its form.
"Charmeleon, it evolved!" the others screamed in unison.
Its body stretched and grew, its form shifting dramatically. Powerful wings sprouted from its back. Intimidating horns grew from its head. Its skin, once smooth, was now overlaid with a fine layer of shimmering draconic scales, forming a natural armor. Its claws, now five to a hand, were longer and sharper. At a terrifying 2.7 meters tall, it was a full meter larger than a normal Charizard, a true incarnation of a dragon. This was no mere evolution. This was an ascension.
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