"Why did it come to this… damn it."
Ito stared at his Garchomp, which was clearly in pain, its movements growing weaker with every breath. No matter how much he tried to understand, he couldn't figure out how things had gone so wrong—nor how to fix it.
"Bang!!"
Suddenly, Garchomp, its face twisted in pain, leapt high into the air. Then, as if finding relief, it took deep gulps of the cool air above. Charizard, naturally capable of flight, hovered easily, unaffected by the fire raging below.
"I see… this guy really planned it out. He even forced me into this situation—damn him."
Watching Garchomp gasp for air, realization dawned on Ito. Ash's strategy became painfully clear, even to him.
The audience quickly understood too. Every step of Ash's plan now made sense—especially to Sam Blackstone, who couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration for the sheer precision of Ash's tactics.
"This isn't good. At this rate, Garchomp won't be able to use its full strength!"
Ito clenched his fist, then raised his Poké Ball. "Come back, Garchomp!"
The beam of red light recalled the exhausted land shark. Without hesitation, Ito tossed his final Poké Ball onto the battlefield.
A flash of white light burst forth—and a mighty Pokémon with blood-red wings and a powerful draconic body appeared in the air, facing down Charizard with an ear-splitting roar.
"ROAAAR!!"
The Pokémon's cry shook the stadium. Its fierce eyes locked onto Charizard, a declaration of challenge.
Commentator:
"Ito has recalled his Garchomp and sent out his final Pokémon! All of Ito's Pokémon have now appeared—while Ash still has four left in reserve!"
"The Pokémon sent out by Ito is a Salamence from the Hoenn region—classified as a pseudo-legendary Dragon-type!"
Pokémon Data:
Name: Salamence
Level: Champion-tier
Ability: Intimidate
Type: Dragon/Flying
Potential: A+
"So the last one's a Salamence?"
Ash smiled slightly. He wasn't the least bit nervous—because he had absolute faith in his Charizard's power.
"Salamence, use Crunch!"
Salamence roared and lunged forward, fiery energy swirling around its fangs as it bit toward Charizard's neck.
"Steel Tail!"
Charizard's expression didn't waver. It spun midair, its tail glowing with metallic light before striking Salamence squarely on the head—hard enough to send the dragon staggering backward.
"Salamence, use Flamethrower!"
Recovering mid-flight, Salamence roared again, spewing a massive stream of fire that illuminated the sky.
"Boom!!"
Charizard snorted, unimpressed. Flames flickered from its nostrils as it folded its wings before its body, shielding itself from the incoming inferno.
"Flame Punch!"
As the jet of fire dispersed, Charizard's fists burst into flames. With explosive speed, it closed the distance and unleashed a barrage of fiery blows.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Caught off guard, Salamence took three solid hits in quick succession. Each strike exploded with heat and power. Had it not been for its tough dragon scales, Salamence would've been knocked out cold already.
The two dragons hovered in the air—wings spread wide, fire and fury swirling between them. The crowd held its breath, knowing they were witnessing a clash worthy of champions.
"Salamence, use Crunch!"
Makoto Ito seized the opening. Salamence lunged forward, its fangs blazing with energy, and bit down hard on Charizard's shoulder. A roar of pain tore from Charizard's throat as the impact echoed through the arena.
"Burn Up."
Ash didn't flinch. Instead, he smirked, eyes glinting with confidence. "Charizard, let's end this!"
"ROAARRR!!!"
Charizard bellowed, flames erupting from every pore of its body. It grabbed Salamence's massive blood-red wings with both claws and forced them open, pinning the dragon in place. In its mouth, a sphere of searing light began to form—growing brighter and hotter with every second.
Ito's eyes widened in horror. "No! Salamence, pull back, now!"
He hadn't expected his counterattack to backfire so completely. What should have been an opportunity had turned into a trap.
But Charizard's grip was ironclad. No matter how much Salamence thrashed, its strength couldn't break free from those claws. The heat in Charizard's mouth reached its peak.
"BOOM!!!"
A colossal beam of white-hot flame erupted from Charizard's jaws, engulfing Salamence point-blank. The shockwave blasted through the air, shaking the arena and scattering clouds high above. Salamence screamed in agony as the attack struck its back, hurling it through the air like a meteor.
Commentator:
"The stalemate is over! Makoto Ito's Salamence has taken a direct hit from Ash Ketchum's Charizard's Burn Up! What an incredible blow!"
The crowd exploded.
"Unbelievable! That's the kind of battle we came to see!"
"Go, Charizard! Kanto forever!"
"Get out of Kanto, Sinnoh scum!"
The Sinnoh spectators—those who had come to support Ito—sat frozen. Their expressions soured, not out of anger at the taunts, but from embarrassment. Ito was one of their best, and yet he was being utterly outclassed.
If the situation were reversed—if Ash were this arrogant in Sinnoh—they'd feel the same way. But watching one of their own fall this hard… it stung.
"Raaaargh…"
As the flames and smoke began to clear, Salamence's battered figure became visible once again. Its back was scorched black, deep claw marks carved into its wings. The mighty dragon that once dominated the skies now trembled, barely holding itself aloft.
Ash narrowed his eyes. "Charizard… stay sharp. This battle isn't over yet."
...
TN:
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