The Pewter Gym was silent, tension hanging thick in the air. Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town watched helplessly as Rattata collapsed from the intense match against Brock's Sudowoodo. Metapod had already been defeated. Pidgey still nursed its injured wing with Maya by its side.
Ash swallowed hard, fists clenched. He looked down at his Pokémon. "We… we can't win this one. I guess… I'll have to announce our defeat."
Pedige flapped its feathers anxiously, chirping, eager to step in—but Ash shook his head. It wasn't fully healed.
Charizard, who had been silently observing from the sidelines, twitched its wings. Its sharp eyes followed the battlefield. For the first time, the loss of Ash's Pokémon stirred something deep inside. Flames flickered along its tail as a low growl rumbled from its chest.
Suddenly, without warning, Charizard moved. Its massive body shifted, wings stretching. It leapt forward, landing firmly on the battlefield, despite one wing still bandaged. The room seemed to hold its breath.
Ash's eyes widened. "Charizard… you don't need to fight! You need to rest!"
Charizard's eyes blazed. It ignored the command, its tail flame roaring higher. Ash's voice rose, calm but firm: "Then at least… defend!"
The massive Pokémon's claws dug into the stone floor, its wings flaring. Sudowoodo loomed, branches raised defensively. Charizard lunged forward with controlled fury, flames erupting from its mouth. Fire Blast!
The concentrated stream of fire hit Sudowoodo squarely. Rocks shattered and splintered, the Gym floor trembling from the blast. Sudowoodo toppled, unable to continue. The attack was precise, powerful, and decisive—just like the moment Charmander had once triumphed in its early battles.
Charizard flapped its wings and soared back to its resting spot, chest heaving, tail flame flickering softly. The Gym fell silent for a heartbeat before erupting into shocked murmurs.
Ash ran forward, eyes bright. "We… we did it! That's our first official victory!"
Maya smiled, Pedige chirped excitedly, and even Brock's calm expression showed the faintest hint of respect.
Charizard folded its wings, gaze still sharp but flickering with a new light—pride, defiance, and perhaps the first hint of trust.
Ash approached, kneeling before the massive Pokémon. "You didn't have to… but you did. Thank you, Blaze."
For the first time, Ash felt the bond—the unspoken understanding that their journey was only just beginning.
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T/N:
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