"Aooo!" With a thunderous roar, Ninetales unleashed Burn Up, fiery flames erupting in an instant and surging toward Arcanine with overwhelming power.
Ash, however, didn't flinch. His face remained calm, and he gave no command at all.
"Boo~!" Just as Burn Up was about to engulf Arcanine, the Fire-type dashed aside with blinding speed, avoiding the attack.
Ninetales was already running on fumes, its stamina drained like the last flicker of an oil lamp. In its weakened state, even Arcanine's sheer speed—bolstered by the Third Gate—was impossible to match.
"Boom!!!"
The ground where Arcanine had just stood erupted violently, scorched earth cracking as a massive explosion followed in Burn Up's wake.
But once the flames died down, Ninetales collapsed. Unlike Flamethrower, Burn Up consumed not just fire energy but also mental and physical strength. The move was devastating, but each use drastically weakened the Pokémon.
"Ninetales is unable to battle. Arcanine wins!"
Lorelei declared from the side, stepping in as the de facto referee. At night, there was no official judge.
"Huff… huff…" Arcanine panted heavily, its chest rising and falling.
The battle had been against an opponent of equal strength, and between Burn Up's sheer power, the Eight Gates' strain, and its own exertion, Arcanine was nearing its limit.
"It's my mistake," Blaine admitted as he recalled his fainted Ninetales. "You used Arcanine's Scent ability before, and I completely forgot about it. Fighting you carelessly is a mistake in itself."
Ash recalled Arcanine as well, smiling faintly. "Well, luck seems to be on my side this time." In truth, Arcanine couldn't continue any further, but resting in its Poké Ball might help it recover just enough for later.
"The next Pokémon I'll use has been by my side for over forty years. He's my ace. Be careful, Ash." Blaine's voice held both pride and warning.
"Woooah!!!" At his words, the magma surrounding the battlefield began to churn violently. A blazing red figure rose from the molten heat, stepping forward with an aura that shook the air itself.
"Roooar!" Flames flared from the Pokémon's tail, its horned head, and its wrists. The heat radiating from its body was intense enough to distort the air.
Ash's eyes narrowed.
His Kaleidoscope-like perception locked onto the creature, instantly recognizing the immense fire energy burning within it. Against this Pokémon, even his Arcanine stood no chance without unique techniques.
A notification chimed in Ash's mind.
Name: Magmar
Level: Champion
Ability: Flame Body
Type: Fire
Potential: A+
"This Magmar… it's far stronger than the one I remember from the anime in my past life." The sheer pressure radiating from Blaine's ace was enough to make Ash tense.
Magmar, a pure Fire-type, with the Flame Body ability, burned at nearly two thousand degrees—hotter than most magma. Naturally, it thrived in volcanic regions like this one.
"This Magmar isn't just experience. Its aura alone is worthy of a true Champion."
Cynthia's eyes widened, visibly impressed.
"Well, Ash," Blaine grinned, his hand resting proudly on Magmar's Poké Ball belt, "which Pokémon will you choose?"
"Hmph." Ash scoffed lightly at Blaine's challenge. He reached for a Poké Ball at his waist—the one belonging to Suicune.
But just as he was about to send it out—
"ROOAAAR!!!!"
A draconic roar thundered from the heavens. A blazing pillar of fire descended from the sky, striking the battlefield and painting it crimson. The temperature skyrocketed, the heat washing over everyone like a living furnace.
"What?!"
Everyone present was stunned. Even Ash didn't immediately notice what had appeared above. Moments later, a massive fire-breathing dragon descended from the sky, landing in front of him with a ground-shaking impact.
"Roar!" The dragon bellowed, spewing a jet of flame into the air. Centered on Ash, a violent gust of wind spiraled outward, carrying the sheer force of the Pokémon's presence.
"That's Spitfire… and it's a quasi-Champion-level Spitfire Dragon!" Blaine, Cynthia, and Lorelei all gasped in shock. They knew that Spitfire Dragons were powerful, but the one before them, though young in age, radiated an extraordinary vitality and raw potential.
It was precisely the youth and untapped strength that left the spectators astonished. Even as a potential Champion-level Pokémon, such a fiery and capable dragon was rare to see at this stage of growth.
"You… a Fire Dragon?"
Unlike the others, Ash's eyes remained cold and calculating. A flash of recognition sparked in his gaze as he addressed the Pokémon.
"Roar!!!" Spitfire Dragon responded with an excited roar, nodding almost reverently.
Since Ash's rise to fame, Spitfire had been searching for him, scouring nearly half of Kanto. Along the way, it had faced many trainers attempting to challenge it—but none succeeded.
It had arrived here today after a run-in with a fossilized Aerodactyl in Grampa Canyon. Naturally, the fiery temperament of the dragon made it difficult to stay calm.
That fossilized Aerodactyl was the same one Ash had helped Gary capture previously.
At Gary's current level, he could no longer command the Aerodactyl, so Ash had entrusted it to Professor Oak for safekeeping.
...
TN:
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