From Professor Oak's perspective, these two are freaks among freaks.
One, after only six months in the journey, can already rival a champion, and even without relying on his special abilities, he's raised his Pokémon to the intermediate Elite Four level.
The other is similar; while Gary doesn't possess Ash's terrifying ability to battle beyond his level, having a Champion-level Pokémon after only six months is still incredibly unbelievable.
And what's most outrageous is that neither of them actually had a Champion-level Pokémon at the Indigo League. One's peak strength was at the Gym Leader level, and the other's was at the intermediate Gym Leader level.
In just one month, they've transformed, one possessing an intermediate Champion-level Pokémon and the other a Champion-level Pokémon.
Are Pokémon that easy to train?
Even the most gifted trainers take until around fifteen to raise a Champion-level Pokémon. Even the trainer hailed as the most talented in the history of the Kanto League didn't acquire a Champion-level Pokémon until around twenty-one.
Those were different times. There was no way to acquire and train Pokémon earlier. So, he genuinely spent six years raising nearly a whole team of Champion-level Pokémon.
Such talent was unprecedented. The League initially thought it would be unparalleled, but as it turns out, teams change, and talent emerges with each passing year. Now, it's the era of the young.
Cynthia, Lance, Leon—these new generation champions have already broken their records. And now, even brighter new stars are rising. These two young men were personally trained by him; one is his student, his grandson.
Professor Oak believes that with these two prodigies, the recapture of Pallet Town and the Kanto region is just around the corner.
On the field, the first clash between the two ended with Charizard holding a slight advantage. Despite Blastoise's rapid improvement over the past month, it still couldn't match the current Charizard.
However, Pokémon battles aren't just about raw power; external factors also play a role!
"Blastoise, use Rain Dance!"
"Charizard, Thunder Punch!"
Gary wanted to boost Blastoise's power by changing the weather. Rain boosts Water-type moves and weakens Fire-type moves, effectively giving Blastoise a double boost!
Ash didn't care about that and immediately had Charizard use Thunder Punch. If the opponent used Rain Dance, so be it; After all, Mega Charizard isn't limited to Fire-types. Even better if Thunder Punch prevented Blastoise from using Rain Dance.
A win-win situation.
"Roar!" Charizard roared, flapping its massive, tooth-like wings, and its body shot out like a bolt of black lightning, arriving before Blastoise in the blink of an eye.
Blastoise was currently concentrating on the power of nature with its eyes closed. The once clear sky was now visibly clouded as dark clouds swept in from the horizon.
Charizard swung its claws, golden lightning crackling on them, and slammed them down onto Blastoise's shell! With a deafening boom, the golden lightning exploded, cracks appearing on Blastoise's hard shell. The intense pain caused it to arch its back and roar, but it didn't stop its efforts to draw upon the power of nature.
With Blastoise's efforts, a sudden gust of wind swept across the field, swirling up pebbles and grass clippings from the edges. The light grew increasingly dim, and the next second, large raindrops began to pour down without warning, pattering against the ground.
The rain was a success!
While Thunder Punch inflicted considerable damage on Blastoise, even cracking its shell, it still couldn't stop Blastoise from using Rain Dance. This defensive prowess impressed both Ash and Charizard.
It's important to understand that this wasn't just a matter of a super-effective move. After evolving into Charizard X, its physical attack power increased dramatically. Unlike its original special attack-focused form, Charizard X is a dual-wielder, meaning it excels in both special and physical attacks.
Adding to this is its Hard Claws ability, its physical attack power rivals that of some top-tier Elite Four Pokémon. Even so, Thunder Punch failed to incapacitate Blastoise or interrupt its Rain Dance. Its resilience is truly remarkable!
The moment the raindrops touched Blastoise's shell, it launched a sudden attack, using the rain as cover. Pale blue waves emerged around it, rapidly expanding with the rain and slamming into a massive wave that effortlessly carried the surrounding raindrops.
"Blastoise, use Surf!" Gary's voice rang out just then!
Blastoise used its move almost simultaneously with Gary's shout. Their coordination was comparable to Ash and Pikachu's; they knew what their trainer was going to do before the command was even given—it was practically a state of perfect unity!
A massive wave, carrying a deluge of rain, crashed down, its crest several meters high, whipping up pebbles and mud from the ground with a deafening roar. Like a moving wall of water in the rain, it slammed into Charizard.
At this distance, coupled with Blastoise's sudden attack, Charizard had no chance to dodge and could only take the hit!
"Charizard, Dragon Claw!!" In a panic, Ash could only have Charizard use Dragon Claw. Both Ash and his Pokémon were used to offense, and in this situation, using Protect would have been a better choice. But Ash and Charizard weren't choosing the best option; they were choosing the option most suitable for them!
"Clang!" The emerald green dragon claws collided violently with the crest of a wave. The immense dragon power struck the pale blue water, instantly torn apart by the surging current. Tiny fragments of the shattered claws mixed in with the spray, sending the Charizard flying!
The hastily formed claws were no match for the immense force of the rain-buffed surf. The Charizard felt a brutal force surge through its body from its claws, instantly shattering the power of its wingbeats. Like a kite with a broken string, it was violently tossed forward by the waves.
In mid-air, it tried to adjust its posture and land smoothly, but the force of the rain-buffed surf was simply too overwhelming. The Charizard was swept back, finally crashing into the barrier. After creating ripples, it slid helplessly to the ground.
"Such powerful defense! It even managed to use Rain and Surf after taking a direct hit from Thunder Punch! What kind of training did you give Blastoise?!" Ash, usually the one being praised, was now impressed by Gary.
Blastoise's unusual performance was truly beyond Ash's expectations. No one knew better than him how powerful Charizard's attacks were. Theoretically, Thunder Punch combined with Hard Claws should, even if it couldn't interrupt Blastoise's Rain Dance, prevent it from using any further moves afterwards.
However, every move Blastoise made was unexpected. If Charizard hadn't been a Dragon-type, Surf would likely have seriously injured it.
"What Blastoise and I have experienced this past month is unbelievable even to ourselves. While Blastoise's level is still lower than your Charizard's, in terms of defense, even a high-level Elite Four defensive Pokémon can't compare to my Blastoise!" Gary said with a hint of pride.
His Blastoise was a completely different beast!
Ash activated his Eye of Insight again, carefully examining Blastoise's stats. He discovered that Blastoise's Defense had reached S-rank!
Not just Defense, but HP and Special Attack were also S-rank!
If he remembered correctly, while Gary's Blastoise had good potential, it was still a long way from achieving three S-rank stats. Even with many A-rank stats, it was worlds apart from S-rank.
But now, Blastoise had three S-rank stats, and Gary had successfully trained it to its current peak!
Blastoise's progress wasn't just in level; its stats were also drastically different from before.
What had happened in the past month?
"It's our turn to counterattack! Blastoise, use Water Pulse!" The exchange of pleasantries was brief. Taking advantage of Charizard's current knocked-down state, Gary quickly summarized his attack.
And this time, it used a powerful Water-type move: Water Pulse!
"Kame—!!" Blastoise roared, its body instantly enveloped in a thick, almost tangible layer of water. The deep blue water flowed rapidly on the surface, emerging as if it had a physical life of its own.
Pulse Wave is one of the most powerful physical Water-type moves, possessing power comparable to Flare Blitz, and it's also immune to Blastoise's Giga Launcher ability!
Furthermore, it's raining now, and rain amplifies Water-type attacks by fifty percent. Even Blastoise, which isn't particularly adept at physical attacks, still possesses devastating power after using Pulse Wave!
As Pulse Wave materialized, Blastoise shot out like a cannonball. Raindrops from the sky gathered on Blastoise's body, further amplifying the power of the water around it.
The raging water grew increasingly powerful, and Charizard could feel the deadly force rapidly approaching.
If this attack were to hit, even with his Dragon-type damage reduction, he might not survive.
"Charizard, Flare Blitz!" Ash's voice rang out, and Charizard, without hesitation, unleashed a burst of intense flames!
He'd protect it.
Both Ash and Charizard knew that using Protect to block the opponent's attack was the best option at this moment.
If they could block Blastoise's powerful attack, Blastoise's momentum and energy would plummet, allowing them to seize the opportunity for a decisive counterattack—this was the ideal response.
For Ash and Charizard, achieving this ideal wouldn't be difficult, yet they still chose a head-on confrontation!
Defense was the best option at this moment, but it wasn't their choice, just like when they still used Dragon Claw to counter Surf.
If they were to defend, they wouldn't be Ash and Charizard!
Intense flames erupted from Charizard's body, covering it in a deep blue expansion. Rainwater within three meters was instantly evaporated.
Even in the rain, Charizard's flames showed no signs of weakening. While rain does weaken Fire-type moves, it depends on who uses the rain and what kind of flame it's facing.
If it were a weather-based move used by a legendary Pokémon like Lugia, even if Charizard pushed its physical limits to the limit, it wouldn't be able to resist it. The flames would be weakened by at least fifty percent.
If it were a Fire-type move used by an ordinary Fire-type Pokémon, its power would be reduced by more than half against Blastoise's Rain Dance.
However, unfortunately, the nature of Charizard's flames was extraordinary, and Blastoise wasn't at the level of a legendary Pokémon. This level of rain couldn't suppress Charizard's flames!
"Boom!!" The moment the flames coalesced, Charizard shot out like an arrow, the two azure figures rapidly approaching each other in mid-air before colliding!
"Boom!!" A deafening explosion rang out, the collision of flames and water instantly releasing a large amount of steam into the arena. However, the steam was immediately dispersed by the shockwave from the collision.
Visible shockwaves reverberated in the center of the arena, sending surrounding debris flying several meters high. A circular gap was torn in the rain, only to be quickly filled by subsequent rain.
The azure flames and deep blue water clashed fiercely at the point of impact, the hissing sound of evaporating steam extremely piercing. For a moment, the two were locked in a strange stalemate.
But this stalemate did not last long. The power of the Wave Rush, amplified by the Super Launcher's properties and the rain effect, grew increasingly violent. The blue flames on Charizard's body were gradually suppressed and consumed, until only a final barrier of fire remained between the two.
Once this last flame was consumed, the clash of moves would mean Charizard's defeat.
"You can't fall here, Charizard! Give it your all!"
Ash's shout rang out behind him. Charizard gritted its teeth, relentlessly pushing the limits of its fire power.
Full power...full power...even without Ash's help, it was already giving it its all!
Don't be fooled by the current azure appearance of the flames; in reality, it was unleashing the power of Sacred Flare—a full-force Flare Charge!
Otherwise, how could it unleash such formidable power in the rainy conditions?
"Face reality, Ash! This match is mine! Defeat him, Blastoise!" Gary's slightly excited words caused Blastoise's power to emerge once more, seemingly becoming the final straw that broke Charizard's back…