"Greetings, dear audience! Welcome back to the Indigo League Conference quarterfinals!" Commentator Lucia's sweet voice echoed through the stadium via broadcast. "After a ten-minute halftime break, our Trainer Ash and Xiao Huo are ready for the second half of the match!"
Champion Lance took the microphone: "At the end of the first half, Trainer Xiao Huo had already lost three Pokémon: Scizor, Rhyperior, and Electabuzz, while Trainer Ash's Lucario and Metagross still retained their fighting capabilities.
This means Trainer Ash only needs to defeat three more of Xiao Huo's Pokémon to advance to the semifinals!"
"Go Ash!"
"Xiao Huo is doing well, too; he played great in the first half."
"Looking forward to the second half of the match!"
The referee stood in the center of the field, holding up two flags: "Both trainers, please send out your first Pokémon for the second half!"
Ash and Xiao Huo simultaneously took Poké Balls from their waists and exchanged a knowing glance.
"Go, Nidoking!" Xiao Huo was the first to throw his Poké Ball.
"Blastoise, it's up to you!" Ash was not to be outdone.
The two Pokémon appeared on the multi-type field—Blastoise landed steadily in the Water Field area, while Nidoking stood in the Rock area, looking down at its opponent.
"The battle begins! Blastoise versus Nidoking!" the referee announced.
Lucia excitedly commented: "From a type perspective, Nidoking's Ground-type moves are very disadvantageous for Blastoise! How will Trainer Xiao Huo utilize this advantage?"
"Nidoking, Earthquake!" Xiao Huo indeed started with a killer move.
Nidoking raised its thick hind legs and stomped heavily on the ground. The entire field shook violently, causing huge waves on the Water Field, and Blastoise was rattled unsteadily.
"Blastoise, Withdraw!" Ash reacted quickly.
Blastoise immediately retracted its limbs and head into its hard shell, reducing the damage from the Earthquake.
"Bullet comments: Ash reacted so fast."
"That's a smart move."
"But it can't keep taking hits passively like this, can it?"
"Don't give it a chance to breathe, Nidoking, Thunderbolt!" Xiao Huo pressed the attack.
Nidoking's horn gathered dazzling electric light, and a thick bolt of lightning struck Blastoise directly.
"Blastoise, Rapid Spin to avoid, then use Hydro Pump!" Ash shouted.
Just as the lightning was about to hit, Blastoise's shell suddenly spun at high speed, using the buoyancy of the water to launch itself into the air, narrowly avoiding the Thunderbolt. In mid-air, Blastoise extended its head and limbs, firing a powerful jet of water from the cannons on its back, directly at Nidoking.
"Nidoking, dodge quickly!" Xiao Huo hurriedly shouted.
But Nidoking, being large and relatively slow, was hit head-on by the Hydro Pump and staggered back a few steps.
"Well done!" Ash clenched his fist. "Keep attacking, use Ice Beam!"
Blastoise fired another attack, this time a cold blue beam of light.
"Block it with Poison Jab!" Xiao Huo commanded.
Nidoking's fist glowed purple, and it shattered the incoming Ice Beam with a punch, but a thin layer of ice formed on its fist, slowing its movements.
Lance analyzed: "Trainer Ash is very clever, using Blastoise's agility to compensate for the type disadvantage. Although the Ice Beam was blocked, the low temperature still affected Nidoking's movements."
"Nidoking, don't give up! Use Megahorn!" Xiao Huo shouted.
Nidoking shook the ice off its hand, and the horn on its head glowed white as it charged fiercely towards Blastoise.
"Now! Blastoise, use Protect followed by Water Pulse!" Ash seized the opportunity.
The moment Nidoking's horn was about to pierce Blastoise, a green barrier suddenly appeared, perfectly blocking the attack. Immediately after, Blastoise unleashed a Water Pulse at close range, pushing Nidoking back to the edge of the field.
"Nidoking is unable to battle, Blastoise wins!" the referee announced. "Trainer Xiao Huo, please send out your next Pokémon."
"Ash is too strong."
"He can still win with a type disadvantage."
"That command was amazing."
Xiao Huo recalled Nidoking and took a deep breath: "Go, Pidgeot!"
A robust Pidgeot spread its wings and flew into the sky, circling the field.
Ash smiled slightly: "Then we'll use Pidgeot too!"
From the Poké Ball he threw, a golden Shinny flashed across the sky—a golden Pidgeot, more than one and a half times larger than a normal Pidgeot, appeared in the arena. Under the sunlight, its feathers shone with dazzling brilliance.
The entire audience instantly erupted, with gasps of surprise rising and falling.
"Wh-what?" Xiao Huo's eyes widened. "Pidgeot is even bigger than it was at Professor Oak's Laboratory."
"Holy crap! A golden legend!"
"This is way too big."
"How does Ash have so many Shinny Pokémon?"
"I'm crying with envy."
Lucia's voice rose an octave in excitement: "Audience members! Trainer Ash has sent out another Shinny Pokémon! This is already his fifth Shinny Pokémon displayed in this competition! And this Pidgeot's size far exceeds the normal standard!"
Lance also couldn't hide his surprise: "It's truly astonishing. Pidgeot's average wingspan is about 2 meters, but this one looks to be at least 3 meters or more. The size advantage will be very obvious in aerial combat."
"The battle begins! Pidgeot versus Pidgeot!" the referee announced.
Xiao Huo quickly recovered from his shock: "Pidgeot, use Air Slash!"
His Pidgeot flapped its wings, and several sharp wind blades flew towards the golden Pidgeot.
"We'll use Air Slash too!" Ash commanded almost simultaneously.
The golden Pidgeot's wing flap generated wind blades that not only canceled out the opponent's attack but also forced the opponent to dodge with their residual force.
"Such strong power…" Xiao Huo gritted his teeth. "Use Brave Bird!"
His Pidgeot was enveloped in blue energy and shot towards the golden Pidgeot like an arrow from a bow.
"Dodge and then use Steel Wing!" Ash responded calmly.
The golden Pidgeot's seemingly heavy body was surprisingly agile, dodging the attack with a sidestep, while its wings glowed with a metallic sheen, striking the opponent heavily.
"Pidgeot—" Xiao Huo's Pidgeot cried out in pain, being knocked back several meters before stabilizing itself.
Lance commented: "The strength advantage from its size is too obvious. With the same move, the golden Pidgeot's power is much greater."
"Pidgeot, hold on! Use Roost to recover your stamina!" Xiao Huo tried to regain the advantage.
His Pidgeot landed on the Grass Field, its feathers glowing faintly as it began to recover stamina.
"I won't give you a chance!" Ash's gaze was sharp. "Pidgeot, Brave Bird!"
The golden Pidgeot was enveloped in red energy, diving down like a meteor.
"Dodge quickly!" Xiao Huo hurriedly shouted.
But his Pidgeot was still recovering and was a beat too slow, getting hit head-on by Brave Bird. It slammed heavily onto the Ice Field, sliding a long distance.
"Pidgeot is unable to battle, the golden Pidgeot wins!" the referee announced. "Trainer Xiao Huo, please send out your last Pokémon."
"It's a complete crush."
"This Pidgeot is so cool."
"Xiao Huo only has one left."
"Ash is going to win."
The audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. Xiao Huo recalled Pidgeot, his expression grave but his eyes still firm.
"Only one left…" He took the last Poké Ball from his waist. "My partner, go, Charizard!"
With a deafening roar, a powerful Charizard appeared on the field, the flame on its tail burning fiercely.
Ash also showed a serious expression: "Charizard, it's our turn!"
His Charizard flew out of its Poké Ball, circled once in the air, then landed on a rock at the edge of the Water Field, confronting Xiao Huo's Charizard.
"The battle begins! Charizard versus Charizard!" the referee announced.
Lucia said excitedly: "Finally, the most thrilling moment! A showdown between two Charizard! And from what I know, both sides have the ability to Mega Evolve!"
"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Xiao Huo launched the first attack.
"We'll use Flamethrower too!" Ash commanded almost simultaneously.
Two scorching pillars of fire collided in the air, erupting in dazzling light and scattered sparks, evenly matched.
"Dragon Claw!" Xiao Huo continued his offense.
His Charizard's claws glowed green as it pounced towards Ash's Charizard.
"Block it with Dragon Tail!" Ash responded.
The two Charizard clashed fiercely in the air, their Dragon Claws and Dragon Tails constantly colliding, emitting dull thudding sounds.
"This is the real showdown."
"They're evenly matched."
"Hurry up and Mega Evolve."
"Can't wait."
After several rounds, the two Charizard separated, both a little breathless.
Xiao Huo suddenly raised his right hand, revealing the Key Stone on his wrist: "Charizard, go beyond evolution! Mega Evolution!"
The Key Stone resonated with the Mega Stone on Charizard, and dazzling light enveloped Charizard. When the light faded, a completely black Charizard X, spitting blue flames from its mouth, appeared before everyone.
"It's finally here!" Lance said excitedly. "Trainer Xiao Huo's Charizard has Mega Evolved into its Charizard X form!"
The entire audience held their breath, awaiting Ash's response.
Ash smiled slightly, gripping the azure flute hanging around his neck: "We can't fall behind either! Charizard, Mega Evolution!"
The same light flashed, and Ash's Charizard also completed its Mega Evolution, also transforming into the Charizard X form. Two pitch-black giant dragons confronted each other in the air, a breathtaking sight.
"Double X showdown!"
"So cool."
"This match is worth the price of admission."
"What kind of divine artifact is Ash's necklace?"
"Charizard, use Flare Blitz!" Xiao Huo shouted.
His Charizard was enveloped in blue flames, rushing towards its opponent like a meteor.
"We'll use Flare Blitz too!" Ash did not back down.
The two Charizard collided in the air, unleashing a massive energy shockwave that caused waves on the water surface of the field and cracks in the ice.
After separating, Xiao Huo's Charizard suddenly turned, its tail sweeping with a sharp gust of wind: "Now, Iron Tail!"
"Dodge quickly!" Ash hurriedly shouted.
But the attack came too fast, and Ash's Charizard was hit by Iron Tail, falling towards the ground, barely stabilizing itself at the last moment.
"Well done!" Xiao Huo pressed the attack. "Use Dragon Pulse!"
His Charizard condensed a blue energy orb in its mouth and fired it at its opponent.
"Counter with Flamethrower!" Ash commanded.
Ash's Charizard spewed scorching flames, colliding with the Dragon Pulse in the air, creating a violent explosion.
In the smoke, Ash suddenly had an idea: "Charizard, dive into the water!"
His Charizard swooped down and submerged itself in the Water Field.
"What?" Xiao Huo was stunned. "Isn't Charizard afraid of water?"
Lance also exclaimed in surprise: "A bold tactic! Although Mega Charizard X is no longer Flying-type, water is still a weakness. Trainer Ash is trying to…"
"Now, come out and use Thunder Punch!" Ash shouted.
Water splashed everywhere as Charizard burst out of the water, its right fist wrapped in dazzling electric light, unexpectedly striking Xiao Huo's Charizard.
"Roar—" Xiao Huo's Charizard roared in pain, its entire body paralyzed by the electric shock.
"Absolutely spectacular!" Lucia excitedly commented. "Trainer Ash used his opponent's fixed mindset, having Charizard dive underwater to avoid detection, then launching a surprise attack! Although water is damaging to Charizard, brief contact is within an acceptable range!"
"It's not over yet!" Ash pressed the attack. "Charizard, use Seismic Toss!"
His Charizard grabbed the paralyzed opponent, spun rapidly, and then slammed it heavily onto the Rock Field.
Xiao Huo's Charizard struggled to get up, but its injuries were too severe, and it finally collapsed.
"Charizard is unable to battle, Ash's Charizard wins!" the referee announced. "Since all of Trainer Xiao Huo's Pokémon are unable to battle, the winner is—Trainer Ash! He has successfully advanced to the semifinals of the Indigo League Competition!"
The entire venue erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. Ash ran to the center of the field, high-fived his Charizard in celebration, then walked towards Xiao Huo.
"Great match." Ash extended his hand. "Your Charizard is truly strong."
Xiao Huo shook Ash's hand, looking disappointed but smiling: "I'll definitely win next time. Your Shinny Pidgeot was so surprising; how many secret weapons do you still have?"
Ash winked playfully: "Well… you'll find out in the next match."
"Ash won!"
"That was amazing."
"Looking forward to the semifinals."
"Ash's Pokémon are too strong."
Lucia concluded: "Audience members, this spectacular quarterfinal match has finally come to an end. Trainer Ash advanced with an overwhelming advantage, especially that Shinny Pidgeot and the Mega Evolution showdown between the two Charizard, which will surely become a classic moment of this competition!"
Lance nodded and added: "Trainer Xiao Huo also performed exceptionally well; it's just that Ash's tactics and Pokémon strength were superior. Let's look forward to Ash's performance in the semifinals!"
Amidst the cheers of the audience, Ash waved to the four stands, then left the arena with his Pokémon, continuing towards his next goal—the League Champion.