Many of Leon's fans watching this scene felt a shock that was hard to put into words.
"His hair didn't even move!"
"Damn it, he totally showed off!"
"So frustrating!"
The stands erupted into noisy chaos.
That move from Luo Yuan was nothing short of a flex, putting the people of Galar—who had never witnessed the extent of his psychic abilities—firmly in their place.
Just in terms of sheer presence, Leon had already been thoroughly outmatched.
But at the end of the day, no matter how cool your stance is, a Pokémon battle is decided by the outcome, not appearances.
With that self-consoling logic in their minds, the Galar spectators turned their attention to the battlefield, now veiled in smoke and dust.
What was the result of the clash between Tyranitar and Dragapult?
As everyone watched with bated breath, a muffled thud rang out from within the smoke. Slowly, the haze began to clear—
And what emerged made everyone's eyes go wide.
In the center of where the smoke had been, Tyranitar stood tall and steady. A scorched mark could be seen faintly across its chest—evidence of the impact from Dragapult's [Dragon Rush].
Clearly, [Protect] hadn't been enough to completely block the hit.
After all, Tyranitar hadn't been with Luo Yuan for long. In terms of raw power, there was still some distance between it and Dragapult.
But Tyranitar showed no signs of pain on its face. Instead, it held its head high, puffing its chest with pride as it cast a defiant gaze toward the audience.
And that smugness had a reason.
Because clutched tightly in its massive hand was a defeated Pokémon.
Dragapult, clearly unconscious, hung limply by its tail, held aloft like a trophy. Its limbs dangled lifelessly, and the two Dreepy circled it in panic, occasionally glancing fearfully toward Tyranitar.
A thin layer of frost clung to Dragapult's triangular head, and right at the center of its forehead was the unmistakable mark of an [Ice Punch]—still glinting with shards of ice.
That was clearly the blow that ended the match.
"..."
Leon fell silent.
He'd lost track of how many times today that heavy, sinking feeling of defeat had risen in his chest.
Today, more than ever, he was confronting setbacks as a Pokémon trainer that he had never experienced before.
No matter how optimistic he tried to be, no matter how he reasoned with himself, it didn't change the cold reality: he had lost three consecutive matches.
And on his home turf—Galar's own Wyndon Stadium.
It proved one thing beyond doubt: Luo Yuan was far stronger than he'd ever imagined.
Things had reached a critical point.
I've got to go all in... Leon looked over at Luo Yuan, whispering the words silently to himself.
He raised a hand and recalled the unconscious Dragapult.
Then, Leon drew a deep breath and reached for the innermost Poké Ball on his belt.
"This opponent is unlike any we've faced before. I'm counting on you—my partner!"
A beam of white light burst forth.
"ROAR!"
With a blazing cry, a sharp-eyed, powerfully built Charizard burst onto the field—its tail ablaze with roaring fire.
Charizard wasn't just Leon's ace—it was his first partner. His signature Pokémon.
Although it was a little strange for the Champion of Galar to have a Kanto starter as his original partner, after so many years, the people of Galar had long since accepted it.
"He's here!"
"It's Leon's Charizard!"
"He's got this round in the bag!"
The crowd erupted the moment Charizard appeared.
In Galar, Leon's Charizard was nothing short of legendary.
According to official merchandising stats, the top-selling item from the Galar League was a Leon plush, and second place? A plush of Leon with Charizard.
As Leon's trump card, Charizard had helped him turn the tide of countless battles, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Still, out of respect for the overwhelming strength Luo Yuan had shown so far, most of the Galar crowd only dared to say Leon would win this round—not the whole match.
Even the most casual observers knew: staging a comeback from three down in a battle of this caliber was a daunting task.
But a few die-hard fans still held onto hope—the purest kind.
"Charizard, huh..."
If anyone knew Charizard, it was Luo Yuan.
And as for why Leon would choose Charizard now—Luo Yuan could guess easily enough. It was a Galar specialty: [Dynamax].
As an outsider, Luo Yuan couldn't possibly have gotten his hands on a [Dynamax Band] in just three days. Even if he had, there was no way he could be as practiced with it as Leon.
It might not feel like the fairest fight—but in battle, fairness rarely mattered. As long as it wasn't against the rules, anything was fair game.
Luo Yuan didn't mind Leon planning to use Dynamax.
"So, he wants to make one last stand with Dynamax?"
Looking at the Charizard now roaring defiantly at the sky, Luo Yuan smiled faintly.
Then, under the weight of every gaze in the arena, he calmly withdrew Tyranitar.
"In that case—let me end this match once and for all."
With that, he drew another Poké Ball and gave it a casual toss.
White light flared—
And the battle's final act began to unfold.
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T/N: OMG IS IT GONNA BE CHARIZARD VS CHARIZARD? IF NOT im actually gonna be pissed