"Charizard is unable to continue battling. The winner is the challenger, Ethan."
For the remainder of the fight, Ethan's Charizard, bolstered by multiple boosting effects, completely overwhelmed Julian Drake's Charizard, winning without leaving room for doubt.
"You did very well."
"To defeat my Charizard head-on like that..."
Julian looked at Ethan's Charizard with clear admiration. That Pokémon's Fire-type talent was truly extraordinary.
"The leader Julian must have been holding back," Ethan thought to himself.
After all, Julian had spent years training Charizard. Even if each one specialized in different areas, it wasn't possible that any of them were untrained.
Of course, it was also possible that this Charizard wasn't one of his main Pokémon, but rather one used specifically for gym evaluation battles.
After all, the purpose of the gym exam was to educate and identify trainers with potential, not simply defeat every challenger.
While Ethan was lost in thought, Julian had already retrieved his defeated Charizard and threw another Poké Ball: another Charizard appeared.
This one was visibly larger than the previous one, with a sharp gaze and the aura of a battle-hardened veteran.
"A Charizard specialized in the Dragon type?"
Ethan analyzed it for a moment. He looked at his own Charizard, who seemed ready to continue, and hesitated briefly before leaving him on the field.
"Charizard, Flamethrower," Ethan ordered at the start of the battle.
"Dragon Claw."
Boom!
The flames surged fiercely, but before they could hit, two massive draconic claw shadows crossed in front of the opposing Charizard, completely blocking the Flamethrower.
"Advance! Dragon Claw!"
Upon hearing Julian's command, the enemy Charizard stomped the ground and advanced at high speed, tracing a semicircular arc through the air with its claws, slashing toward Ethan's Charizard.
Ethan's Charizard had no time to take off. His thermal-control ability flared to its limit, and his claws turned red like molten iron as he received the attack head-on.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Without the boosts from Sunny Day and Solar Power, Ethan's Charizard had no advantage in close-quarters combat. In the direct exchange, he was completely overwhelmed.
Ethan wasn't surprised. His Charizard had just evolved: aside from Flamethrower boosted by weather and ability, the rest of his abilities were still untrained.
Especially his newly acquired flight ability, which was far inferior to the opponent's—making aerial combat highly disadvantageous.
Boom!
With a roar, Julian's Charizard appeared behind Ethan's and struck him with a brutal tail whip, sending him flying through the air.
"Return, Charizard."
Ethan withdrew him at once and threw another Poké Ball.
Meltan appeared.
"That Pokémon..."
"I see, you're that Ethan Black!"
"And that Charizard... now I understand why its Fire-type talent was so high."
Upon seeing Ethan's Meltan, Julian was momentarily stunned, and quickly identified him.
A normal trainer would have no way to recognize such a rare Pokémon—of which only one was known in the world. But Julian, while researching the disappearance of the famous starter Charmander, had followed the competitions for starter slots... and thus recognized Ethan.
In fact, the abilities Ethan's Charizard had displayed had already raised his suspicions. Now, they were finally confirmed.
"Then, let's continue. Charizard, Dragon Claw!"
Julian resumed the offensive.
Meltan showed no trace of fear. His body transformed into a sword and he charged straight ahead.
Slash!
Slash!
Boom!
Clashes echoed across the field. Finally, thanks to his ultra-fast magnetic levitation movement, Meltan secured the victory.
Julian then sent out his Charizard specialized in the Flying type. Ethan responded with his own Charizard once again.
However, this time the difference was clear. Against a Charizard highly skilled in flight, Ethan's Charizard's shortcomings were fully exposed.
Throughout the entire fight, the opponent easily evaded every attack. Unable to keep up with the aerial speed, Ethan's Charizard was struck from behind by a sharp blade of air and fell defeated.
"Good job, Charizard. We'll keep working hard from now on."
Ethan recalled him with a smile. Although his Charizard had lost, Ethan was satisfied: understanding his weaknesses was the greatest gain.
He then sent out Vibrava. Both Pokémon possessed great talent in Flying-type moves and airflow control.
After a fierce aerial battle, Vibrava won thanks to the combination of its Levitate ability, wind control, and sonic attacks, securing the final victory.
"Incredible... I didn't expect a Vibrava that hasn't even reached its final form to be this strong." Julian praised sincerely.
"Evolution, huh? Maybe it won't be long now."
Ethan gently petted the Vibrava perched on his arm.
"Then, this gym evaluation has concluded."
The Pokémon Trainer Guild staff member announced the end with a smile.
Seeing how relaxed they were while talking, Ethan confirmed his suspicions: the gym evaluation wasn't focused solely on winning or losing.
"Ethan, would you be interested in staying at our Charizard Club for a while?"
"Although you're already quite strong, our club specializes in training Charizard. It could be very beneficial for your Charizard's growth."
Once the referee departed, Julian stopped Ethan with a smile.
"Charizard training..."
Ethan's eyes lit up. He had just been planning to create a training regimen for his Charizard once he returned.
If he could receive help from the Charizard Club, even better.
So he accepted without hesitation. After all, the Pokémon Trainer Guild gave him an entire year to complete his gym challenges. He had plenty of time.
(End of chapter)