"Dual Chop!"
Sensing the violent power building up, Ash called out his command, and Haxorus let out a low roar, its body shrouded in scarlet light.
The red-glowing claws suddenly emitted a blue radiance, and then Haxorus charged forward. The previous attack had been deflected momentarily, but Stealth Rock's assault hadn't disappeared yet.
Pieces of small stones continued to rise from the ground and flew toward Haxorus, while Golem's Stone Edge attack didn't stop either, continuing to launch razor-sharp rocks at the charging Dragon-type.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The stones kept pelting Haxorus's body, but at this moment, Haxorus moved like an armored tank, sprinting forward with wild abandon. All the rocks struck its body, yet it seemed completely unfazed.
Explosions erupted constantly along its path, and Haxorus appeared to be charging through a minefield as sand and debris flew through the air with each detonation.
After three Dragon Dances, Haxorus's speed had become incredible. Combined with Outrage's effect, the Dragon-type now wanted nothing more than to destroy everything in its path.
BOOM!
Witnessing the chain of explosions across the battlefield, everyone watching was amazed. Haxorus had already closed the distance to Golem and stomped on the ground, causing it to tremble slightly.
The scarlet energy surrounding its body grew even more turbulent. Golem was still launching its attack, but when it noticed the figure appearing before it, it slowly raised its head.
The two Pokémon's eyes met, and Golem suddenly froze. Its entire body felt engulfed by a violent force, leaving it unable to move for a moment.
Bang! Bang!
The instant Golem was stunned by the overwhelming power of Haxorus's Outrage, Haxorus attacked without hesitation. Striking twice in rapid succession, blue streaks of energy flashed through the air.
Golem cried out and staggered backward, but Haxorus showed no signs of stopping.
The light on its claws didn't dissipate—instead, it continued launching relentless attacks, and the rocky surface of Golem's body rang out with explosive impacts.
Ash watched the scene without intervening. This was the power of Outrage. Even though Haxorus could still maintain some control at this point, under Outrage's influence, its aggression became extremely intense.
If it wasn't allowed to release this power, it wouldn't be able to stop at all.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
ROAR!
Dual Chop was no longer just two strikes. Under the furious onslaught, even Golem with its rock-hard body was covered in wounds. The moment its body rolled backward, Haxorus roared.
Haxorus opened its mouth as violent blue energy condensed in its abdomen and gradually rose to its jaws. The blue energy formed a stark contrast with the scarlet light surrounding its body.
BOOM!
With an explosive sound, energy burst forward, and the blue light rushed directly toward the airborne Golem like a ferocious dragon.
CRASH!
Dragon Rage struck Golem head-on, triggering an astonishing explosion. A mushroom cloud rose across the battlefield, and the previously undamaged grass was blown by the shockwave.
Facing the blast wave before it, Haxorus was still roaring excitedly while swinging its claws wildly, clearly not yet recovered from its frenzied state.
"Haxorus, calm down!" At this moment, Ash finally spoke.
Haxorus, who had been in a state of rampage, paused slightly upon hearing the voice. It stiffly turned its head to look at Ash, and their eyes met.
The consciousness that had been slipping away gradually returned. Haxorus turned its head, growled, and closed its eyes. The violent red energy surrounding its body slowly began flowing back into Haxorus.
When it opened its eyes again, the scarlet glow in them gradually faded, returning to normal. Haxorus let out a low rumble, then shook its head as if trying to clear its mind.
Johto Region
Blackthorn City
"Ash can actually calm the power of Outrage!" Lance, who had been watching the match closely, showed an expression of admiration when he saw this scene.
The blue-haired young woman beside him was equally surprised. The dragon taming power passed down through generations in their family gave them the ability to control Dragon-type Pokémon and enhance their strength.
However, although Dragon-type Pokémon were powerful, their strength wasn't easy to control. Therefore, Trainers with dragon taming abilities also bore the responsibility of calming the wild power of Dragon-types.
Outrage was a powerful move that granted tremendous strength once activated, but once a Pokémon entered the state of Outrage, it became extremely difficult to control.
She and Lance were siblings, and both possessed the dragon taming power. There was no doubt that Lance could perfectly control Dragon-type Pokémon.
But even she didn't dare claim she could control the power of Outrage. To master this kind of force that could spiral out of control required exceptional strength as a dragon tamer.
Another factor was that the Pokémon's own willpower had to be strong enough. Only then could it control its violent emotions. At the same time, the Pokémon itself had to undergo rigorous training.
She had witnessed Ash's strength over the past few days, but seeing this scene now made her even more certain why her brother, the Champion, held such high expectations for this young trainer.
Back at the competition, after Haxorus gradually calmed down, it felt slightly dizzy but didn't fall into a confused state.
At this time, the smoke on the battlefield slowly dissipated, revealing that a massive crater had been blasted in the center of the field, and the grass had been completely burned to scorched earth.
In the center of the charred ground, Golem lay unconscious, its body blackened from the assault. Looking at this scene, the screen showed that Giselle's remaining Pokémon count had decreased by one.
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!
"ASH! ASH!"
"ASH! ASH!"
Although the match wasn't over yet, amazing applause erupted throughout the stadium, with many spectators shouting Ash's name.
Because at this moment, all the viewers might be about to witness history in the making—the youngest person ever to win four consecutive qualifying matches using only one Pokémon in each battle.
This was something no genius had accomplished before Ash, and it would be something very few people would achieve in the future.