"What's this guy planning now? The battle's clearly in my favor. That Charizard of his shouldn't be able to…"
Seeing the confident smile on Ash's face, the satisfaction on Sawakoshi Ito's lips vanished.
A sudden chill ran down his spine — a flashback of Ash's Venusaur using Mokuton techniques earlier made him instinctively wary. His eyes flicked toward Charizard on the field, every muscle tense and ready.
"Garchomp, use Slash — continuous strikes!"
Ito barked sharply, deciding to finish the battle before any strange tricks could unfold. Victory, he told himself, was the only truth in battle.
"Raaagh!"
At Ito's command, Garchomp's fins gleamed, coated in a sharp white aura. With explosive force, it launched itself into the air, blades slicing toward Charizard.
Ash watched calmly as the dragon-like Pokémon ascended. Despite its name, Garchomp looked more shark than dragon — a terrestrial predator shaped by speed and power, yet carrying the blood of dragons.
Its leap was monstrous, nearly matching a Flying-type's altitude. In an instant, it was upon Charizard.
"Charizard, drop down — Shave! Then circle around!" Ash ordered swiftly.
Charizard responded in a flash, vanishing from its previous spot and diving sharply. Garchomp's slashing attack cut nothing but air.
The two Pokémon landed almost simultaneously. Garchomp's assault didn't relent — blade after blade, its Slash attacks came in a relentless flurry. Yet Charizard, darting in rapid movements across the clearing with blinding speed, evaded every strike.
"Zhe! Zhe! Zhe!"
Each missed swing shredded tree trunks instead, carving through the dense forest. From above, it looked as though a circle of devastation had been carved into the jungle — the heart of a forest turned wasteland.
Ash smirked.
"That's enough. Charizard, take to the skies — and unleash Flare Blitz right where Garchomp stands!"
"ROAAAR!!"
Charizard's wings spread wide, a deep roar shaking the battlefield. Having spent the last minute dodging, it was eager to strike back. Flames burst around its body as it shot upward, then dove down with blinding ferocity.
A swirling inferno engulfed the clearing — flames spanning over twenty meters in diameter.
Commentator: "Incredible! Charizard's Flare Blitz is covering nearly twenty meters! Can Ito's Garchomp withstand such overwhelming power!?"
"What the—?" Ito froze, momentarily stunned by the sight.
"Even if it's that big, Garchomp's a Ground-type. Fire moves won't be effective! He's wasting energy!"
The flames crashed down.
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening explosion tore through the forest, the shockwave bending trees outward. The once-green glade now blazed like a furnace.
"GARCHOOOMP!!!"
A deep, guttural roar echoed through the blaze. Flames licked across the clearing — every tree ignited except the exact center, where Garchomp stood.
But to Ito's shock, Garchomp was clutching its chest, scales scorched, body trembling with visible pain.
"H-how is that possible? Fire shouldn't do that much damage!" he shouted, disbelief flooding his voice.
Ash's gaze sharpened. "That's because you underestimated me, Ito. Charizard's flames… burn hotter than normal fire."
As the inferno raged, the realization dawned — this wasn't a regular Flamethrower or Flare Blitz. Charizard's flames carried something deeper — an Aura of willpower, infused with life force itself.
And even a Ground-type couldn't shrug off that.
Reception Room
Nate Mugino: "Why is this happening? Garchomp's a Ground- and Dragon-type. Even if Ash's Charizard has incredible firepower, its flames shouldn't be able to cause that much damage."
Agatha Blackstone: "I agree. I can't make sense of it either. Garchomp just entered the battle — its stamina should still be high. There's no reason for it to look that exhausted."
Professor Oak: "You're both mistaken. What we're seeing here is perfectly logical. I've never witnessed a case quite like this before. Ash's tactical awareness is far beyond what I expected — it's not just power; it's precision and insight."
Skye Draconis: "Suzie, explain. What exactly happened out there?"
Even Sawakoshi Ito, standing near the battlefield, was at a loss. His Garchomp's pained expression defied everything he knew about type matchups.
Suzie: "Charizard's flames weren't aimed directly at Garchomp. They were aimed at the forest around it. Look closely — from above, you can see the burned trees forming an open circle."
She pointed toward the battlefield projection.
"The surrounding forest caught fire first. As the temperature rose higher and higher, the center — where Garchomp was standing — became a superheated, low-oxygen zone. Essentially, Charizard trapped Garchomp inside a blazing furnace and cut off its air supply."
Everyone turned toward Professor Oak as Suzie's words sank in. He nodded in agreement.
"That's right. Ash deliberately had Charizard dodge Garchomp's attacks earlier. Each missed Slash destroyed the trees in the center, creating that clearing. Once the fire surrounded it, the flames consumed all the oxygen. Garchomp isn't being burned — it's suffocating."
The explanation left the room in stunned silence.
On the battlefield, Garchomp's agonized roars echoed across the inferno. Its claws tore at the scorched ground as the surrounding flames blazed ever higher, and the oxygen-deprived air made every breath labored.
If Ash didn't end the match soon, Garchomp would be the first Dragon-type Pokémon ever to lose consciousness from suffocation.
Commentator: "Ash's Charizard has unleashed an unbelievably powerful attack! The flames have spread across the entire battlefield and even reached the edge of the stage! Can Sawakoshi Ito find a way to save his Garchomp before it's too late?!"
Fortunately, the fire was contained to the battlefield and hadn't spread to the audience stands — otherwise, panic would've erupted. From outside the stadium, all anyone could see were massive waves of flame rising from the center of the field, illuminating the night sky.
...
TN:
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