Inside the massive stone gates, the scorching air seemed frozen in place.
Every Charizard living in the valley stopped what they were doing, their eyes fixed upon the highest rocky platform.
A king's battle that would determine the valley's new order was about to begin.
Ash took a deep breath of the blazing sulfur-filled air and stepped back, leaving the entire battlefield to his old partner.
He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with absolute trust.
"Charizard! This time, do it on your own! Show them the strength we've built together through all our journeys!"
The two Charizard stared at one another, their auras steadily rising.
The surrounding Charizard all consciously stepped backward, clearly making room for them.
Liza, who had just arrived, could not help but say, "Ash, your Charizard has incredible presence!"
"Charizard, you can do it!" Misty cheered from behind.
There was no referee, no commands. The battle exploded forth the instant both Charizard unleashed earth-shaking roars simultaneously.
Neither side chose to test the waters from a distance. Instead, they charged at each other like two burning meteors!
The gigantic claws of both dragons collided violently in midair!
BOOM!!!!
A thunderous impact echoed throughout the valley!
It was a pure clash of strength. The sound of muscles and bones grinding against each other made everyone's teeth ache. Both Charizard desperately pushed against one another, their powerful legs sinking deep into the rocky ground as cracks spread beneath their feet!
Scorching breaths blasted across each other's faces while flames of absolute determination burned in their eyes!
A contest of raw power!
For a moment, neither side gave way!
"Ash, your Charizard is unbelievably strong," Liza praised.
"Of course! I trained him personally. I put a lot of effort into raising him," Ash replied proudly.
As the power struggle reached its peak, the two Charizard finally separated. At that moment, Ash clearly sensed two intense Dragon-type energies erupting from their bodies.
His Charizard's claws became covered in enormous cyan dragon claws, while the towering wild Charizard swung its tail, now coated in azure dragon scales.
Dragon Tail!
Facing the sweeping tail attack, Charizard blocked it directly with both claws. Then, seizing the opportunity, it grabbed the opponent's tail and hurled it away!
"Ash, your Charizard is really strong," Liza exclaimed again after seeing the scene.
"Definitely. My Charizard is going to become the strongest Charizard there is," Ash declared confidently.
Pressing the advantage, Charizard lunged forward with another claw strike. The wild Charizard had only just regained its footing before being forced back another two steps.
The battle escalated once more!
The two Charizard abandoned their simple clash of strength and entered a far fiercer and more dangerous close combat battle!
Claw slashes, wing strikes, tail sweeps... every collision came with deafening impacts and exploding sparks.
They fought from the ground into the sky, then crashed violently against each other in midair before falling back to the earth. Everywhere they passed, rocks shattered and clouds of dust filled the air.
Relying on its more flexible combat techniques and unyielding willpower, Ash's Charizard gradually gained the upper hand.
Its battle instincts were completely awakened, perfectly integrating everything it had learned in the past into a fighting style that was both wild and intelligent.
Finally, after a fierce aerial struggle, Ash's Charizard caught a tiny opening in its opponent's defense and unleashed a devastating Wing Attack infused with the full force of its body, smashing brutally into the wild Charizard's back!
"ROOOAAAR!!"
The wild Charizard let out a painful cry as its enormous body plummeted like a broken kite.
It looked at Ash's Charizard, who still hovered in the air while breathing heavily, its eyes as sharp as ever.
In the end, it lowered its proud head and let out a low growl of acknowledgment.
The entire valley fell silent for a moment.
Then countless deafening dragon roars erupted at once!
It was the Charizard of the valley paying tribute to the strong!
Ash's Charizard slowly descended to the ground. Though exhausted and covered in wounds, the aura of a victor surrounding it only became even more overwhelming.
It did not indulge in its victory for long. Its burning gaze immediately shifted toward another Charizard that had clearly been waiting impatiently.
This Charizard was relatively slender, with smooth muscular lines and broader wings. Its sharp eyes instantly revealed it to be a speed-focused fighter.
It had long been eager to battle. The moment it received Charizard's challenging stare, it released a piercing cry and shot into the sky!
The second battle erupted instantly!
As expected, this Charizard's speed was astonishing! It left behind countless afterimages in the sky as it darted around Charizard like a phantom, constantly harassing it with Air Slash and Flamethrower attacks.
"ROAR!"
Ash's Charizard roared furiously and immediately chased after it without hesitation!
Its peak speed might have been slightly inferior, but its explosive power and the flying techniques Ash had drilled into it over years of training allowed it to stay tightly on the opponent's tail without falling behind in the slightest!
An incredibly dazzling aerial chase unfolded across the skies!
The two Charizard became intertwined flaming meteors, rapidly weaving, rolling, climbing, and diving through the narrow valley airspace!
The violent winds generated by their speed swept shattered rocks from the ground, while their flames and Dragon Breath attacks continuously collided in the air, exploding into brilliant yet dangerous fireworks of energy.
The exchange of special attacks became the battle's main theme!
Flamethrower clashed against Dragon Rage, Heat Wave intertwined with Ancient Power... the entire valley became flooded with violent energy and scorching shockwaves.
Ash's heart tightened nervously, yet he still did not interfere.
He trusted Charizard. Trusted that it could find its own path to victory!
A prolonged high speed chase combined with constant energy clashes placed enormous strain on both sides' stamina.
The speed-focused Charizard's movements gradually began showing a nearly imperceptible sluggishness. After releasing another Dragon Rage, its body stiffened briefly.
Now!
A brilliant light flashed through Ash's Charizard's eyes! It abandoned the ranged clash completely and poured all of its remaining stamina into instantly closing the distance!
The speed-type Charizard was shocked and attempted to dodge, but it was already too late!
Ash's Charizard's powerful dragon claws clamped onto its shoulders like iron pincers with brutal precision! The overwhelming strength made escape impossible!
"ROOOAAAR!!!"
Ash's Charizard unleashed a roar that surpassed its limits as it grabbed its opponent and began spinning rapidly through the air!
One rotation, two, three...
Faster and faster, until they formed a gigantic blazing sphere in the sky!
It poured all of its kinetic force, momentum, and the final burning power within its body into this attack!
Ultimate move!
Seismic Toss!!!
Like hurling a falling meteor, Charizard violently slammed the speed-focused Charizard toward a gigantic boulder below!!!
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!
The terrifying impact shook the entire valley itself! The massive rock shattered instantly as smoke and debris exploded skyward!
When the dust finally cleared, the speed-focused Charizard lay buried among the rubble, completely unable to continue fighting.
Ash's Charizard hovered in the sky, breathing heavily. Its body carried even more wounds now, and its stamina was nearly depleted, yet it still stood proudly in the air. Its domineering gaze swept across every Charizard in the valley as though declaring its supremacy!
After consecutively defeating two of the valley's Charizard, its aura rose to an entirely new level.
It roared wildly into the sky, as if announcing its rebirth.
It wanted to become the strongest of them all!
Ash suddenly felt the invisible bond between himself and Charizard become incomparably clear and solid at that very moment. In fact... it was undergoing some kind of qualitative transformation!
He could now sense every flow of Charizard's power and every fluctuation of its emotions with perfect clarity. Their wills seemed to have completely synchronized in this instant!
Their bond had reached an unprecedented peak!
"Charizard! Show them our true power!"
Charizard felt an incomparably powerful energy surging endlessly from within its body.
Then brilliant white light enveloped Charizard entirely, while the sun in the sky seemed to respond to it. Endless rays of sunlight poured onto its body.
The sight was enough to leave everyone stunned, except for Ash, who already knew what was about to happen.
"Th... that light... what is it?" Misty stammered in shock.
"It should be the light of evolution."
Although Brock appeared calm on the surface, waves were already crashing violently inside his heart.
"Can Charizard... evolve even further?" Even Liza, a Charizard trainer herself, was utterly stunned.
"ROOOOAR!"
A dragon's roar echoed through the valley.
When the light exploded apart, the figure that appeared was still Charizard... yet no longer its ordinary form.
Its wings had transformed into gigantic blazing wings that nearly covered the sky once spread open. Its body was colored in a mixture of black and orange, occasionally glimmering with golden-orange highlights. Its powerful claws looked capable of tearing apart anything in existence, while sharp blade-like edges extended from its forearms. Two spikes protruded from its shoulders, and its savage dragon fangs looked capable of crushing everything.
Most terrifying of all, after it landed, its body was far more muscular and imposing than every other Charizard present.
The aura radiating from its body belonged entirely to the dragon race itself, forcing every Charizard in the valley to lower their heads instinctively.
"This is incredible! I never imagined Charizard could have such a handsome form! This is just too moving!" Liza cried openly, tears streaming down her face from sheer excitement.
"Charizard, how does it feel?" Ash stepped forward and asked.
"ROAR!"
The answer he received was an excited, thunderous roar.
At that moment, Liza hurried forward and urgently said to Ash, "Ash, you absolutely must leave Charizard here! It will definitely reach the pinnacle of all Charizard in this valley!"
Ash nodded, then said to Charizard, "From now on, you'll stay here and train. When I'm not around, don't you dare slack off, or I'll personally come back and deal with you."
He then had Charizard return to its original form before speaking seriously again.
"This power can only be awakened when you and I fight side by side together. So normally, don't rely on this strength too much, understand?"
Charizard nodded firmly.
Then Ash turned back toward Misty and Brock.
"Misty, Brock... it's time for us to continue our journey."
"Ash..." Misty wanted to comfort him, but she did not know what to say. Brock beside her quietly signaled for her not to disturb him.
A faint smile rose on Ash's lips as he softly murmured:
"Parting is only for the sake of a better reunion. Do your best, Charizard."
Charizard would still temporarily leave the team for now.
But one day in the future, it would definitely return once more!
.....
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