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Flames roared across the battlefield, casting dancing shadows that illuminated every corner of the arena. Charizard's piercing eyes locked onto Gengar, its orange scales taking on a crimson glow as the fire blazing from its tail intensified dramatically, sending sparks cascading through the air. Something was different about Charizard now—the flames wreathing its body burned with unprecedented ferocity, far beyond what anyone would expect from a typical Heat Wave attack.
In this pivotal moment, Jacob felt an extraordinary connection with his Charizard, as if their souls had truly merged into one. Memories of countless hours spent training and bonding with his Fire-type partner flooded his mind, and he realized with crystal clarity that among all his Pokemon, Charizard's personality mirrored his own most closely. Their understanding of each other had reached its absolute peak.
Jacob could sense Charizard's burning desire for victory pulsing through their bond, along with an iron determination to succeed no matter the cost. This realization struck him with profound impact.
From the very beginning, Charizard had always been the most competitive member of Jacob's entire team. No other Pokemon in his roster possessed such an intense drive to win.
However, as Charizard had grown stronger over the years, it had learned to bury that competitive fire deep within its heart. Though it often appeared indifferent to the outcome of battles, Jacob understood the truth—beneath that calm exterior, Charizard craved victory more desperately than any of his other Pokemon. That burning need for triumph was an uncomfortable reality that Charizard tried to hide.
Suddenly, Jacob's thoughts turned to his Sceptile. Like Charizard, Sceptile harbored an inexplicable obsession with achieving victory at any cost.
The fundamental personalities of these two Pokemon made one thing inevitable—someday, Charizard and Sceptile would face each other in battle. Charizard had been holding back only because a significant gap still existed between its current strength and Sceptile's superior power. But once their abilities reached equal levels, Charizard would undoubtedly challenge Sceptile to a decisive confrontation.
This clash was unavoidable, and Jacob knew that even he lacked the power to prevent it when the time came.
Despite their completely opposite temperaments—one calm and composed, the other fierce and relentless—both Pokemon shared a single, defining trait: an overwhelming hunger for victory that consumed them from within.
"ROOOOOAR!"
Charizard threw back its head and released a thunderous roar that echoed across the battlefield and into the sky above. Accompanying this earth-shaking cry, Jacob felt Fire-type energy exploding outward from Charizard's body like a wild beast breaking free from its cage, raw and untamed.
"Wait, that's—that's Blast Burn!" Layne's voice cracked with excitement from the commentary booth. His extensive knowledge allowed him to immediately identify the devastating move Charizard was preparing to unleash. "Charizard actually knows Blast Burn! Just how many trump cards does Jacob have hidden up his sleeve?"
Blast Burn ranked among the most powerful Fire-type moves in existence. After using this technique, the Pokemon would experience a dangerous period of vulnerability and exhaustion, though extensive training could reduce this recovery time. Due to these severe drawbacks, most Trainers reserved Blast Burn as an absolute last resort—a finishing move to end battles decisively.
The sheer destructive power of Blast Burn was legendary. Among all known Fire-type attacks, only Victini's signature V-create possessed greater raw power than Blast Burn.
Beyond that elite technique, only a handful of moves could match Blast Burn's devastating potential: a full-power Eruption from a healthy Pokemon, Turtonator's explosive Shell Trap, or Blacephalon's suicidal Mind Blown attack.
Jacob hadn't expected Charizard to master Blast Burn at this crucial moment! The learning requirements for this move were notoriously strict—currently, only fully evolved starter Pokemon and the mythical Mew could naturally learn it, and even then, the bond between Trainer and Pokemon had to reach extraordinary depths.
In most cases, acquiring this technique required either direct instruction from a master or the use of an extremely rare TM.
Staring at Charizard's powerful silhouette, Jacob felt his partner's desire for victory blazing like an inferno, perfectly matching the nature of the Blast Burn technique itself. At this moment, both Trainer and Pokemon existed in a state of pure, burning determination.
Their hearts beat in perfect synchronization, two minds united by an unbreakable bond.
Flames seemed to dance in both Jacob's and Charizard's eyes as an intense heat began radiating from the Key Stone embedded in Jacob's chest. In that instant, a single thought crystallized in his mind with startling clarity.
If he possessed Charizard's corresponding Mega Stone right now, with their spirits so perfectly aligned, they could definitely achieve Mega Evolution together.
"Charizard, finish this with Blast Burn!" Jacob's voice rang out with passionate intensity. In this moment, he too had become infected by Charizard's burning determination.
Following Jacob's commanding roar, with Charizard at the epicenter, devastating Fire-type energy erupted outward in all directions.
Torrents of flame spread across the battlefield like tsunami waves, expanding in concentric circles that rippled outward with unstoppable force!
Simultaneously, Wylder's Gengar gathered its remaining strength to unleash its most powerful Sludge Bomb attack. The purplish-black toxic sludge reeked of dangerous chemicals as Poison-type energy coated its surface, then rocketed toward Charizard with deadly intent!
"BOOM!"
The violent collision between Poison-type and Fire-type energy triggered a massive explosion that shook the entire stadium. The resulting shockwave blasted outward like hurricane winds, affecting even the reinforced walls surrounding the battlefield.
Glowing embers scattered in every direction while thick, choking smoke filled the entire arena!
Layne sat speechless in the commentary booth, completely overwhelmed by Jacob's incredible performance. "I can say with absolute certainty that this match represents the most spectacular and highest-level battle we've witnessed since the Frosthollow Province High School Cup tournament began. The skill displayed here has reached the caliber of National Championship finals."
As he gazed at the rolling clouds of smoke obscuring the battlefield, Layne felt genuine emotion welling up inside him.
"Regardless of whether Charizard or Gengar emerges victorious, this battle has been absolutely thrilling from start to finish. From tactical planning to raw power, and from split-second command decisions to flawless execution, both competitors performed at peak level. Watching this match, I can see the bright future ahead for our Frosthollow Province. This year truly represents our most promising opportunity in over a decade."
"Frosthollow Province hasn't claimed the High School Cup National Championship trophy for more than ten years, but every single participant from our region has dedicated themselves to achieving this ultimate goal. I have complete faith that this year, Frosthollow Province will finally lift that Champion trophy once again!"
As Layne spoke with growing emotion, he couldn't help but feel his passion igniting. He was born and raised in Frosthollow Province and had personally witnessed the region's former championship glory. Decades ago, he too had competed in the High School Cup, though his own journey ended at the provincial level.
Back in those days, the pressure on young Trainers wasn't nearly as intense as it was now. Pokemon at the Overlord Class level represented the absolute peak of High School Cup competition. However, with advancing technology, refined breeding techniques, specialized nutrient formulas, expanded secret realm exploration, and the discovery of increasingly powerful high-aptitude Pokemon, the internal competition among Trainers had grown exponentially more fierce.
Internal competition—yes, that perfectly described the current situation. Nowadays, Overlord Class Pokemon could barely qualify for provincial main tournaments, while Gym Leader level Pokemon appeared with increasing frequency in high-level matches.
According to official Pokemon Association statistics, this year's High School Cup featured an all-time record number of Trainers commanding Gym Leader level Pokemon, and this count didn't even include competitors who hadn't updated their official registrations while concealing their strongest team members.
This intense escalation represented the inevitable result of Trainer evolution—each new generation pushed the previous one forward, with fresh talent constantly replacing established competitors.
The future undoubtedly belonged to these rising young stars, and individuals like Wylder and Jacob, had they competed in earlier eras, would have been considered absolutely elite-tier Trainers. However, in this year's tournament, they could only be classified as first-rate competitors.
Above them stood truly exceptional talents like Eleanor, Isaac, Julia, Yang Shuo, Zhang Zheng, Han Bing, and Chen Yuze. Each of these remarkable individuals served as their region's pride and joy—absolute rulers of their respective territories.
This incredible depth of talent made this year's High School Cup tournament the most magnificent and exciting competition in the event's entire history.
Layne found himself intensely curious about who would overcome every obstacle and claim this year's ultimate Championship title!
His eyes turned toward Jacob on the battlefield—Jacob who had continuously delivered surprise after surprise—and he wondered just how far this young Trainer could advance in the tournament.
As the Smoke Screen gradually cleared, it revealed both Charizard and Gengar's motionless forms lying on the battlefield. Both Pokemon had collapsed, their bodies bearing the evidence of their fierce struggle. Charizard's orange scales were marked with numerous battle wounds, while wisps of steam still rose from Gengar's ghostly form, clear signs that it too had long since lost its ability to continue fighting.
"Both Charizard and Gengar are unable to battle!"