Although the Giant Dragonite had that naturally goofy, gentle expression common to its species, the aura it radiated told a different story.
Red understood instantly.
The sheer pressure coming from the Giant Dragonite was on a completely different dimension than his Pikachu.
The path to strength is a slow climb. The higher you go, the thinner the air, and the harder it is to take the next step.
You have to fight uphill battles constantly to gain even an inch of ground.
"This trip to Sinnoh... was worth it!"
Red wasn't frustrated that Sam's Pokémon was stronger than his Ace.
On the contrary, the fighting spirit in his eyes burned even brighter.
A true strongman is not intimidated by a rival's power; he is emboldened by it.
"Pikachu!" Red shouted, abandoning all complex tactics.
"Thunderbolt!"
Having absorbed the lessons of the previous two rounds, Red didn't intend to use any tricks.
Against a creature of this size and power, tricks were useless.
It had to be straightforward.
"Pikaaaa-chuuuu!!"
Pikachu felt Red's surging fighting spirit.
Intense arcs of yellow electricity erupted from his cheeks, converging into a jagged spear of lightning that shot across the field.
Sam also chose to forgo roundabout tactics.
"Big Guy," Sam commanded loudly.
"Dragon Claw."
"ROAAAR!!"
The Giant Dragonite roared, shedding its silly demeanor instantly as it entered a battle state. The aura of a Mid-Tier God flooded the arena.
Its massive hand glowed with green energy, forming a claw the size of a small house.
BOOM!
Thunderbolt vs. Dragon Claw.
The Electric and Dragon energies collided violently.
A deafening bang echoed through the stadium as the energies canceled each other out.
"Pikachu, keep going! Thunderbolt!"
"Big Guy, Dragon Claw!"
The smoke hadn't even cleared before the commands rang out again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The collision of violent energy shocked the spectators.
Ash, Dawn, and Brock were forced to take a few steps back as the shockwaves blasted against them.
One crash stopped, and another immediately followed.
Eight consecutive clashes.
Only then did Sam and Red tacitly stop, waiting for the smoke to clear.
"Haa... Haa..."
Red's Pikachu lay on the ground, panting heavily, sparks sputtering weakly from its cheeks.
"Hmph!"
Sam's Giant Dragonite exhaled two plumes of white smoke from its nostrils.
Neither side was feeling good after that exchange.
However, the difference was clear: The Giant Dragonite, with its immense vitality and higher divine rank, was still standing tall.
Pikachu was at its limit.
Red clenched his fist. "Pikachu! Let's finish this!"
"Pika!" Pikachu returned a determined look.
"Then let's go!" Red screamed, pointing to the sky.
"THUNDER!"
"PIKA!!!!"
Pikachu's growl resounded throughout the battlefield.
The dark clouds in the sky, remnants of the Rain Dance set up by Blastoise in the previous round, seemed to respond.
Lightning crackled and roared in the heavens.
A massive pillar of lightning, three meters thick, crashed down from the clouds, aiming directly at the Giant Dragonite.
Perhaps it was Red's passion that infected him.
Sam's eyes froze, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"Draco!" Sam shouted.
"Hyper Beam!"
"ROOOAAAR!!!!"
The Giant Dragonite threw its head back.
Although it lacked the terrifying "Dragon Might" of Rayquaza, its roar was enough to shake the entire town.
It opened its massive maw, and an orange sphere of energy, so dense it distorted the air, condensed in an instant.
BLAST!
The beam fired, colliding head-on with the falling lightning.
KABOOOOM!!!!
An unprecedented explosion tore through the battlefield.
Ash, Dawn, and Brock instinctively covered their ears.
Fortunately, Cynthia reacted fast.
"Milotic, Light Screen!"
A shimmering wall of light enveloped the spectators, isolating them from the ear-splitting crackle and the shockwave that followed.
When the smoke finally dissipated, the round was over.
Not surprisingly, Sam's Giant Dragonite was the one left standing.
The gap in raw stats was just too wide.
After a brief pause, Red sent out his final Pokémon: A Champion-Peak level Charizard.
But there were no miracles left.
Under the crushing suppression of the level gap, Champion versus Tier 2 legendary, Sam's Giant Dragonite defeated Charizard with relative ease.
At this point, the battle was over.
Sam wins. A complete shutout.
Red recalled his exhausted Charizard.
"Hoo..."
He exhaled heavily. He was a militant trainer who hated losing, but he looked at Sam with clear eyes.
"I lost!" Red said loudly.
"But I showed my best condition! I lost hard, but it felt great! You are exactly what Steven described... a Rival beyond imagination!"
Red took off his cap and bowed deeply to Sam.
"Thank you, Sam! You let me experience an extreme battle!"
"I also benefited a lot from fighting you," Sam replied, helping Red up. He meant it.
Red was a trainer with rare qualities, he lost without discouragement and won without arrogance.
"Sam," Red said, his expression turning serious.
"I have something to ask you."
Sam nodded. "Say it."
Red considered his words carefully.
"There are too many things about you that I need to learn. After fighting you, I realized something. Instead of staying on Mt. Silver and training behind closed doors, it is better to face the strong."
Red looked Sam in the eye.
"Please... teach me!"
Sam was stunned.
He subconsciously looked at Cynthia.
Cynthia stared back, equally confused.
Red was the Champion of Kanto. The second-ranked trainer in the world. And he wanted Sam to teach him?
But then, she thought about it.
Who else but Sam could defeat Red so easily? It was understandable for Red to make such a move.
Emotionally, however, it was hard to process.
But slowly, the confusion was replaced by a swelling sense of pride.