Since Grampa Canyon was still under construction, Professor Oak, Skye Draconis, and Mugino had assigned people to remain there at all times. On this occasion, Professor Oak had decided to let the Aerodactyl get some fresh air.
Because of this, when Charizard defeated Aerodactyl and was about to teach the professor a lesson for recklessly reviving it, he suddenly felt a strange wave of energy brushing against him—an energy filled with goodwill.
That power came from Skye Draconis. His old friend couldn't just stand by and let Charizard lash out. After all, it was partly their fault for letting Aerodactyl stir up trouble in the first place.
What surprised Skye even more was the sheer strength of this Charizard. It was practically at a quasi-Champion level. The battle against Aerodactyl had been completely one-sided, and Charizard even used techniques it had seemingly created on its own. From this, Skye began to suspect there was some kind of connection between this powerful Charizard and Ash.
So, using his Aura, Skye extended goodwill toward Charizard. The Pokémon recognized the intent immediately.
After all, Ash had also used Aura to reach out to him in the past. For Charizard, it was rare to encounter a human who could truly understand him, and this gave him hope: perhaps this old man could help him find Ash.
After briefly communicating through Aura with Charizard, Skye understood the situation. He couldn't help but envy Ash's luck. Who would've thought that a simple act of guidance years ago would one day bring him such a powerful ally?
Upon hearing from Skye where Ash was, Charizard roared with excitement and quickly took off in Professor Oak's direction. That was how Charizard arrived here, appearing before Ash at this exact moment.
Ash looked straight at Charizard, fire burning in his eyes. He reached out his right hand and declared:
"It looks like you've made your choice. Will you join me and my partners on the path to becoming the strongest? You're the first Pokémon I've ever had to invite twice."
"Rooaaar!" Charizard snorted, releasing twin bursts of flame from his nostrils. Then, with surprising gentleness, he bumped his fist against Ash's, agreeing to join him once more.
"Welcome back, Charizard," Ash said warmly. "No, you're no longer that little Charmander—you're a true Charizard now."
Lorelei glanced at the scene in surprise. "Wait… does Ash actually know this Charizard?"
Suzie shook her head. "I just joined Ash's group recently, so I'm not too sure either."
Cynthia added, "Same here. I've never seen this Charizard before. Maybe Ash raised him in the past. Sabrina, you've known Ash since childhood—didn't you ever see this Charizard?"
Sabrina shook her head. "No. Perhaps Ash met him before his journey began."
Very few people knew about this Charizard's existence, and Ash wasn't planning on explaining right now. After all, a battle was still underway.
"My second Pokémon is Charizard," Ash declared to Blaine. The powerful dragon-like Pokémon growled, flames flickering at the corners of his mouth. Despite towering over Ash, Charizard's spirit was wild and battle-hungry. He didn't care about levels or ranks—only about fighting strong opponents.
"You've thought this through?" Blaine asked gravely. "That Charizard is impressive, I'll admit, but it's only at a quasi-Champion level. Your chances of winning aren't high."
"Quasi-Champion?" Ash shot back with a confident grin. "You're underestimating my partner."
As Blaine's words faded, Ash flipped his right hand to reveal a shimmering pink candy—a Rare Candy. Without hesitation, he tossed it to Charizard.
Ash knew the truth: Charizard's body and spirit had already reached their limits. All he needed was one last push to break through.
A Pokémon advancing to Champion level requires raw power, while a trainer breaking through requires heart and will. In comparison, a Pokémon's breakthrough is easier—but still rare and extraordinary.
When Ash tossed the Rare Candy to Charizard, the Pokémon didn't hesitate.
He swallowed it in one gulp—he had already decided to rejoin Ash, and with that decision came complete trust. If Ash believed in him, he would follow without doubt. Ash had also taught him how to forge his own unique moves, and now he had the chance to gain even greater strength.
"It's a Rare Candy!"
Lorelei exclaimed, her eyes widening. A flicker of heat burned in them. For her, this item represented the slimmest hope of breaking through to the Champion level herself. To see such a thing in action again stirred an almost childlike excitement.
"ROAARRR!" Charizard roared as the Rare Candy's power surged through him. A wave of raw force exploded outward, his aura swelling and transforming. The presence he gave off now was unmistakable—far beyond his earlier quasi-Champion level. Charizard had been reborn.
Rare Candy usually only offers about a fifty percent chance to trigger such a breakthrough, but Charizard had already been at the brink of his limits. That final push dramatically increased his odds, and now the barrier shattered completely.
"It really worked…" Lorelei whispered, her mouth slightly agape. She had heard rumors of Rare Candy forcing such leaps, but witnessing it firsthand was on another level entirely.
Blaine, too, looked on in shock.
He had never expected the effect to be so profound. And what surprised him even more was that Charizard's newfound Champion-level strength wasn't unstable—it was solid, controlled, without any dangerous backlash.
"Very well then," Blaine said gravely, his eyes narrowing. "Show me the true extent of your new strength."
Ash nodded. "Charizard, let's go."
With a thunderous beat of his wings, Charizard landed on the battlefield opposite Blaine's Magmar, eyes blazing with determination. The fiery tension between the two Pokémon was almost tangible, each daring the other to make the first move.
"Pika~ Pika!" Pikachu cheered from Sabrina's arms.
He was overjoyed to see Charizard again. After all, back when Charizard was just a tiny Charmander, Pikachu had known him well. In truth, not much time separated their ages—making this reunion feel even more special.
...
TN:
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