Chapter 200: Alain VS Ash
Ryan and his group quickly arrived at the second arena of Group B. Ash was already in the middle of battling his opponent.
They found seats and quickly sat down to watch. Ash's opponent was formidable—a trainer using Charizard that had Mega Evolved into Mega Charizard X using a Key Stone and Charizardite X.
This trainer looked familiar; Ryan felt like he'd seen him somewhere before, but couldn't quite place him. Ryan asked Lillie beside him, "Lillie, who's Ash battling right now?"
"Oh, let me check." Lillie pulled out her small laptop. "Found it. His name is Alain, from the Kalos region. He used to be Professor Sycamore's assistant, and he was the champion of the last Kalos League Conference. He's incredibly strong."
Ryan instantly realized—this guy was Alain! The same trainer who had defeated Ash in the Kalos League finals! This guy had already proven himself a champion; his skills were undeniable.
And now, Ash was facing him again! However, Ash didn't have his Greninja with him for this tournament, so the famous Ash-Greninja synchronization battle wouldn't be happening. But this match was still quite interesting: Mega Charizard X was battling Suicune!
Okay, let's have a moment of silence for Mega Charizard X. Charizard versus Suicune—and a veteran legendary Pokémon at that. Even Ryan's own Charizard would probably only have a 50/50 chance, let alone this Charizard that hadn't even reached pseudo-legendary tier yet.
"Man, what a tough draw for Alain. Let's see how long he can last," Ryan shook his head and sighed.
Ruby nodded and said, "Yeah, I didn't expect Ash to have caught Suicune. I wonder if this Suicune has learned the Domain skill."
Ryan shook his head and said, "Definitely not, otherwise what's the point of the battle? They might as well just hand the championship trophy to Ash right now."
The Team Rocket operative and Lillie nodded in agreement. After all, they had experienced the power of Domain firsthand. They were the most qualified to speak on just how overwhelming Domain could be.
In the arena, Alain watched as Suicune easily thwarted his Charizard's attack, a bitter expression crossing his face. Was the gap between him and legendary Pokémon really that vast?!
"Charizard! Dragon Claw!" Alain shouted.
"Suicune, Iron Head," Ash commanded calmly.
Mega Charizard X's claws were wrapped in pale green Dragon-type energy, and with a powerful flap of its wings, it pounced towards Suicune. Suicune leaped lightly in response, the crystal on its head gleaming with metallic energy, directly knocking Mega Charizard X away before landing gracefully.
Ruby couldn't help but marvel, saying, "So beautiful! I wish I could catch a Suicune too."
Ryan nodded in agreement. Suicune was indeed the most elegant of the three Legendary Beasts. And now, seeing Suicune up close in the arena, its beauty was even more striking.
Suicune itself was the embodiment of the legendary North Wind. It had a blue jewel-like crest, surrounded by flowing purple ribbons that resembled auroras, showcasing its lithe figure. Its body was covered in blue and white patterns, perfectly embodying the essence of water and wind.
"Charizard, don't give up! Thunder Punch!" Alain shouted desperately.
Mega Charizard X clenched its fists, electricity crackling and surging around its hands, and charged at Suicune again with fierce determination. But Suicune simply blasted Mega Charizard X away with a Water Pulse. Although Mega Charizard X's Fire/Dragon typing could resist some Water-type moves, this Water Pulse was launched by Suicune, and its primal power greatly amplified the attack, dropping Mega Charizard X's HP into the red zone.
Ash sighed and said, "I probably shouldn't have used Suicune for this round. Suicune's current level isn't something most trainers can handle. I should have saved it for when I face Ryan."
Alain nearly ground his teeth to powder when he heard this. But he also knew that Ash was right. Although he and Charizard had successfully won the Kalos League championship, the world was vast, and there were countless powerful trainers out there. He was no match for Ash at the moment. Even if he and Charizard gave everything they had, it would be in vain.
"But giving up isn't my style! Charizard, one last stand! Blast Burn!" Alain roared.
"Finish it, Suicune! Blizzard!" Ash commanded.
Fighting with all your might is a form of respect for your opponent. Finish it with your strongest move!
Mega Charizard X roared, slamming its fist into the ground. Pillars of fire erupted from the earth and hurtled towards Suicune. But Suicune took a deep breath and unleashed a devastating blizzard.
The blizzard swept across the entire arena, and when it subsided, Mega Charizard X remained frozen in ice, still locked in the pose of its final punch. As the ice shattered, Mega Charizard X reverted to its regular Charizard form, completely unable to battle.
"Charizard is unable to battle! Suicune wins! Therefore, the victory goes to Ash from Pallet Town!" the referee announced loudly.
"Return, Charizard." Alain recalled his partner. "Charizard, you did great out there. Let's keep training together and challenge them again someday."
Ash walked over, extended his hand to Alain, and said, "Hey, Alain. Good to officially meet you. I'm Ash from Pallet Town. You're really strong. If you hadn't run into me this early, you definitely would have made it to the top 32."
Alain shook hands with Ash and said, "I lost this time, but I'll challenge you again. I'm going to keep training with Charizard. We made a promise—to become the strongest team in the world!"
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to our rematch." Ash said with a smile.
Ryan watched Alain leave, stood up, and said, "He's got potential. I'll go talk to him and see if I can recruit him into our guild ."
After saying that, Ryan left first, heading to the Pokémon Center to find Alain.
Ruby watched Ryan's retreating figure and said with a helpless smile, "What a busy boss. Anyway, I think Tyson has a match coming up. Why don't we go cheer him on?"
"Sounds good. Let's go check it out. My match isn't until tomorrow anyway," said the operative.
Afterwards, Ruby and the others met up with Ash and his friends, preparing to cheer Tyson on together.
Meanwhile, Ryan arrived at the Pokémon Center and spotted a somewhat dejected Alain, with his travel companion Mairin beside him. Mairin was doing her best to encourage Alain, hoping he would cheer up.
"That was a rough loss," Ryan said as he walked over.
Alain looked up at Ryan and said, "You're... Ryan
"That's right. The one and only." Ryan smiled. "So, kid—do you crave power? Come join Guild. Work under me, and I can teach you how to unlock even greater strength!"
(End of Chapter)
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