The two-meter-tall Charizard stood proudly, its body battered and scarred, yet its spirit burned brighter than ever. The ragged breaths of its former Charmeleon state had completely faded.
Clearly—
Through this evolution, Charizard's strength and vitality had surged to new heights, restoring much of its stamina in the process.
At the same time, under the effect of its Blaze ability, the flame on Charizard's tail roared into a blazing inferno, its azure fire swelling as large as a water tank. Though blue in color, it radiated a searing heat no less fierce than crimson flame.
Staring at his majestic partner, Yozora could feel the torrent of energy surging through Charizard's body like a raging river. His heart raced with excitement.
"Charizard, use Wing Attack!"
"Whoosh!"
Charizard's figure blurred as it launched forward, charging straight at Alakazam.
In midair, its wings doubled in size, glowing with sharp white light—like two colossal wind blades cleaving down toward Alakazam.
"So fast…! Alakazam, use Teleport, now!" Sabrina's heart skipped a beat as she felt Charizard's terrifying speed and presence. She quickly issued the order.
Earlier, against Yozora's Blaze-empowered Charmeleon, she had dared to command Alakazam to use Protect—even though it had failed, she'd still possessed that confidence.
But now… before this Charizard, she dared not.
Because she knew: Charizard's strength had already soared beyond the point where Alakazam could guard against it!
"Shhh!"
Alakazam instantly vanished, escaping Charizard's Wing Attack by the narrowest margin.
"Charizard, prepare Flamethrower!"
Charizard halted midair, flames already gathering in its jaws.
The moment Alakazam's form reappeared, Charizard snapped its head around, unleashing a torrent of fire like a blazing cannonball.
"Boom!"
The flames struck dead-on, blasting Alakazam to the ground in a single overwhelming strike.
One hit. A clean knockout.
Charizard's speed and reflexes were simply too overwhelming. Even with Teleport, Alakazam couldn't escape.
Of course—
Yozora's Aura had played a crucial role. Within his aura field, he could instantly pinpoint Alakazam's new location the moment it Teleported.
Through their bond, Charizard reacted in perfect synchronicity.
To an outsider, it looked like a simple Flamethrower. But hidden within were countless layers of precision—trust, coordination, and the resonance of their bond.
Without it, no matter how strong Charizard was, this outcome would have been impossible.
"You've done well, Alakazam." Sabrina withdrew her fainted partner, a trace of regret in her eyes. Facing Yozora's Charizard, she found herself wishing the battle could continue.
But the match was already over.
The Gym Challenge had been decided.
"Here. This is the Marsh Badge—it's yours now."
Sabrina produced a golden badge and handed it to Yozora with a serene smile. "Yozora, was it? I'll remember your name. Your strength is impressive, and your talent remarkable. I hope you can go even farther."
Accepting the badge, Yozora nodded his thanks, his expression calm.
The Sabrina before him smiled softly, gentle as a neighborly elder sister.
Yet who would have thought that this same woman was also a notorious high-ranking executive of Team Rocket?
Leaving the Saffron Gym, Yozora found the evening sky slowly darkening.
He returned to the Pokémon Center and entrusted all of his partners—especially Charizard, Pidgeot, and Machoke—to Nurse Joy for recovery.
As for himself, he headed next door to a restaurant for dinner.
Halfway through his meal, an old memory stirred.
Mr. Fuji, back in Lavender Town.
The kindly elder had once told him: "When you obtain a Charizard, come find me. I'll prepare a gift for you."
The gift itself wasn't important.
What mattered was the man's fondness for Charizard.
Since that was the case, Yozora decided—why not bring his Charizard to visit?
Lavender Town lay between Saffron City and Celadon City. From his current location, it was less than half an hour away by car.
If he flew there by Pidgeot, the trip would take only ten minutes.
But Pidgeot had been overworked these past days…
Wishing to let it rest, Yozora reclaimed his Pokémon from Nurse Joy and instead mounted Charizard for the journey.
Charizard was towering and powerful—much larger than the one Ash had raised in the original stories.
At first, it wobbled, unused to carrying a rider. But soon, it found its rhythm.
And its speed… was far beyond Pidgeot's!
What Yozora thought would be a ten-minute flight took barely seven or eight minutes before Charizard touched down at Mr. Fuji's humble cottage.
"Grandpa! Brother Yozora is here!" Reina called out cheerfully, broom in hand as she swept the yard. Seeing Yozora descend on the mighty Charizard, she quickly shouted into the house.
Soon, Mr. Fuji slowly ambled out.
But when his gaze fell upon Yozora's Charizard—more precisely, the magnificent dragon itself—his eyes lit up.
"What a splendid, majestic Charizard!" Mr. Fuji hurried forward, his small, hunched frame barely 150 centimeters tall. Standing before a Charizard over two meters tall, he was dwarfed.
Reaching out, he patted its solid flank, eyes filled with awe.
"Yes, yes… the stronger the Charizard, the more powerful its Mega Evolution will be!" His heart surging with excitement, Mr. Fuji quickly returned indoors.
When he came back, he carried a small, timeworn wooden box, which he solemnly placed into Yozora's hands.
"This is…" Yozora opened it, revealing two dazzling gems—one large, one small.
The smaller one was a Key Stone, no bigger than a thumb.
Yozora already had one, fashioned into a bracelet around his left wrist.
A Key Stone was sufficient on its own, as it could pair with any Mega Stone. Worn by a Trainer, it acted as the conduit for Mega Evolution. (Pokémon carrying it gained no effect.)
But the larger gem was different—deep azure in color, the size of a clenched fist.
Most people wouldn't sense anything unusual. But through his Aura, Yozora could feel the overwhelming, boundless energy contained within.
It was a Mega Stone.
And from its size, it clearly belonged to a large Pokémon species.
Indeed, Mega Stones varied in size depending on the Pokémon they were attuned to. For example, Beedrill's was no larger than a ping-pong ball.
"Could this be… Charizard's Mega Stone?" Yozora's heart trembled with shock.
"That's right…"
Mr. Fuji nodded, clearly pleased with Yozora's reaction. With a smile, he continued: "Charizard possesses two Mega Evolution forms—and thus, two possible Mega Stones. This one is the Charizardite X."
"Just as I thought!" Yozora's eyes lit up with joy.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Mr. Fuji's promised "gift" would be something this priceless.
After all, Charizardite X alone could be worth nearly two hundred million Pokédollars!
(End of Chapter)