"Metronome?"
From his Dragonite's back, Lance froze when he saw Ethan toss Munchlax into the fray. For one of the fiercest battles he'd ever witnessed, the boy had chosen… that?
He scowled. "What's going on in that kid's head?"
To unleash Metronome at such a moment—was it desperation? Insanity? Or sheer arrogance? Lance clenched his teeth. "Charizard, Mega Evolution, and yet squandered like this. If that power belonged to the Dragon Clan, we'd wield it with dignity."
His thoughts hardened. That Red Gyarados must not fall into such hands. It would be a disgrace to Johto's League.
He leaned forward, patting Dragonite's neck. "Dragonite, let them witness the true strength of a Dragon Pokémon. Dragon Rush!"
Dragonite bellowed, body glowing with golden energy as it dove headlong toward Charizard's searing Flamethrower.
In the sky above Lake of Rage, a surreal clash unfolded.
A dragon-shaped beam of light cut into the inferno, splitting the flames down the middle. On one side, fire blazed brighter, retreating step by step. On the other, Dragonite's glowing charge surged forward, closer, closer, pressing Mega Charizard Y into retreat.
Ethan gritted his teeth. He could see it clearly—Lance's Dragonite was stronger. With a level in the mid-60s and perfect training, it outclassed his Charizard in raw stats, skill, and experience. Even Mega Evolution couldn't fully bridge that gap.
"This is the difference between us," Ethan admitted under his breath. "But gaps can be closed. We fight. We retreat. We learn."
A cry pulled his attention sideways.
"Muncha—!"
Munchlax's stubby arms glowed. Its pupils widened unnaturally, black streaks rippling across its round body. For an instant, Ethan felt a chill run down his spine. He knew this state—he had seen it before, when Metronome had pulled forth impossible, legendary moves.
"What now?" he muttered, heart pounding.
The answer came almost immediately.
The lake beneath them shook violently, waves churning in unnatural rhythm. Steam hissed as the water began to boil.
"What the—?!" Lance jerked upright. Even Dragonite faltered mid-dive.
The Red Gyarados shrieked in pain, thrashing wildly as the water seared its scarlet scales. Lance's own blue Gyarados bellowed, steam curling from its skin.
The lake erupted.
Pillars of molten rock burst upward—blades of fiery red stone slicing through the waters. One jutted directly beneath Dragonite, raking its scales with a deep gouge. Were it not for its Multiscale ability, the sword of earth would have pierced it clean through.
"DRAGOOON!" Dragonite's scream split the sky as it lost lift, crashing toward the scalding waters. Lance barely clung to its neck, his cloak sizzling as boiling waves engulfed them both.
Ethan's jaw slackened. He recognized it instantly.
"Groudon's… Precipice Blades?"
His eyes darted to Munchlax, whose stubby arms still glowed faintly. The black streaks faded from its body as it swayed on its feet, exhausted.
"You really did it…" Ethan whispered. "You pulled a signature move of a super-ancient Pokémon."
On the shore, villagers screamed and ran as the entire lake seethed with volcanic power. In the depths beneath, hidden machinery whined and sparked—Team Rocket's secret laboratory, monitoring the evolution waves, now thrown into chaos.
"Emergency alert! Seismic activity off the charts!" scientists shouted, alarms blaring. "It's not a normal Earthquake! The magma vents under the lake are erupting! Grab the data and retreat!"
At the center of the storm, Munchlax staggered back toward Ethan, tugging at his trouser leg with a weary "Munch…"
Ethan knelt, scooping him up. "You did it. You crazy little genius." He fed him three energy cubes in quick succession. Munchlax stuffed them in his mouth, chewed once, then sighed in bliss before dozing off instantly.
"Rest. You've earned it." Ethan recalled him into his Poké Ball, lips curving into a rare, proud smile.
"ROOOAAR!"
The Red Gyarados thrashed toward the shore, desperate to escape the boiling lake. Its Hyper Beam tore across the water, scattering debris and mist.
Ethan straightened on Charizard's back, his eyes locked.
"This is it. Charizard, now—close in and suppress it!"
Charizard roared, flames spiraling in its jaws as it dove at the wounded beast.
Meanwhile, Lance's Dragonite and his blue Gyarados reeled in the scalding waters, struggling to recover. Team Rocket's vessel burned, Tentacruel and Pidgeot already defeated, their commander screaming futile orders.
And in the lake itself, another storm brewed.
Amid the boiling waves, Ethan's Annihilape reveled. Unlike every other Pokémon, the Ghost/Fighting-type didn't retreat from the heat. It only grew more frenzied, fists slamming against the surface as its aura flared hotter. Rage Fist burned brighter, fueled by the searing water, its eyes glowing red with exhilaration.
Ethan's heart skipped as he caught sight of it. "Annihilape… you're the only one not retreating. You're thriving."
But he had no time to worry. The Red Gyarados's crimson coils surged closer, snapping at Charizard. Flames and water clashed, shockwaves flattening the forest around them.
Ethan clenched his teeth. "We'll end this. Today, Red Gyarados—" His voice rose to a shout. "You're mine!"