Brandon's first Pokémon was Registeel, the Steel-type Legendary Titan; this signaled his intention to field all three Legendary Titans during the course of the battle!
Facing Ash, Brandon would hold nothing back, knowing full well that if he did, he might be the one getting soundly thrashed.
Ash was no Paul; though young, his strength far surpassed Paul's—he had even managed to defeat Lorelei.
Yet, Brandon was different from Lorelei. Ash's victory over her had involved defeating only two Champion-Intermediate level Pokémon.
In contrast, Brandon's three Titans were all Champion-Advanced level. As Legendary Pokémon, they possessed superior base stats and far greater stamina than ordinary Pokémon.
As for tactical command, he didn't believe he would lose to Ash, either.
Just because Ash had beaten Lorelei didn't mean he could beat Brandon.
"Registeel, the Steel Titan... In that case, I choose him. Go, Charizard!" Ash tossed his Poké Ball; with a flash of light, a Charizard—its physique even more robust than before—appeared on the field!
Indeed, upon arriving in Goldenrod City earlier that day, Ash had recalled Charizard from Charicific Valley specifically for this battle.
"Charizard? Fire is super-effective against Steel—a solid choice. But Registeel isn't an opponent you can defeat with simple type advantages alone." Brandon's expression remained unchanged as Ash sent out Charizard.
The last person to rely on type advantages was currently sitting in the spectator stands watching the match. Ash's Charizard might be stronger, but Brandon's Registeel was no pushover.
"We know type advantages aren't everything. I'm going to use my full power to defeat you, Mr. Brandon! Charizard, show your true power—Mega Evolve!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Ash commanded Charizard to Mega Evolve right from the start.
"Roar!!"
The light of evolution shimmered across the arena; in the blink of an eye, the Charizard transformed from its original orange-red hue into a dragon of jet black.
Mega Charizard X!
"Do you two know what level Ash's Charizard has reached now?" Brock suddenly asked the two young women, who were watching the match with rapt attention.
Both women shook their heads; while they knew Ash had temporarily brought Charizard back from Charizard Valley, they were unaware of its current power level.
When they had parted ways, Charizard was at the High Elite Four level.
Less than a month had passed since then—at most, it might have reached the Peak Elite Four level. Even factoring in Mega Evolution, there would still be a significant gap compared to Registeel.
To secure a sure victory, relying on Aura Fusion would likely be necessary.
After all, Legendary Pokémon aren't exactly easy to defeat when fighting above one's weight class!
"Ash's Charizard... is already at the Champion level," Brock dropped the bombshell.
He hadn't spoken quietly; Paul, standing below, heard it too. He didn't turn around, but his pupils contracted sharply.
That Charizard... had reached Champion level?
Back at the Indigo Plateau Conference, that Charizard hadn't even been at the Elite Four level yet.
Even during the battle against Lorelei—where it managed to hold its own against her mid-level Champion Pokémon—it had only bridged the gap through Ash's special tactics and Mega Evolution.
In reality, its level back then was likely around the mid-Elite Four range... How much time had actually passed since then? And it was already at the Champion level?
Did that guy's Pokémon level up by taking a jet plane?!
Unless one resorted to methods with side effects, even a Pokémon with exceptional talent shouldn't improve that quickly—and even with such methods, reaching the Champion level was no easy feat.
What exactly was going on with that Charizard?
"Champion level? How could it be so fast? Just half a month ago, it was only at the High Elite Four level! Brock, are you sure you didn't misjudge it?" Serena's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
She was no longer a greenhorn; she was a junior trainer with some experience under her belt, and she fully grasped the implications of jumping from the high-end Elite level to the Champion level in just half a month.
Even a Charizard shouldn't be capable of that kind of feat, surely!
"I'm not mistaken. I can get a rough idea just by looking at the sheen of its hide and other physical traits. The aura it exuded during its evolution confirmed it for me—it has definitely reached the Champion level, though it likely only just broke through," Brock stated with absolute certainty.
He would stake his pride as a Pokémon Breeder on this; he couldn't possibly be wrong. Incredible as it seemed, it was the undeniable truth.
Paul, overhearing all of this, felt his strength draining away—could someone explain to him how a Pokémon goes from the high-end Elite level to the Champion level in a single week?
Was that even human language? Was there a translation error from some alien tongue?
In half a month—let alone jumping from high-end Elite to Champion—even advancing from entry-level Elite to mid-level Elite is incredibly difficult!
For a fleeting moment, Paul wondered if Brock was just saying this to mess with him, but that thought vanished from his mind in a fraction of a second.
Brock wasn't that petty, nor did he have any reason to target him.
Which meant... what Brock said was likely true.
High-end Elite to Champion in half a month... Is he even human?!
...
On the battlefield—
"Impressive presence. You used Mega Evolution right off the bat—are you aiming to secure the first match?" Brandon nodded, acknowledging Charizard's imposing aura. As a Champion-level trainer, he could gauge Charizard's level at a glance, even without a battle.
Entry-level Champion.
That level might not look like much compared to Registeel, but when contrasted with Charizard's previous level, the progression was staggering...
How long had it been since the battle against Lorelei? Back then, that Charizard had only been at the entry-level Elite stage.
And now, in less than three months, it had reached the Champion level? That kind of leveling up was like riding a rocket! However, Brandon could tell that Charizard had only recently reached the Champion level—it might have barely attained that rank just today.
Consequently, even after Mega Evolving, Charizard's strength hovered at the entry-level of the Champion tier rather than reaching the intermediate level.
While level isn't everything, having a higher level grants a massive advantage; furthermore, Brandon's Registeel had been entrenched at the high Champion level for years, with its stats pushed to the absolute peak of that tier.
If the opponent dared to clash head-on with Registeel, they would be overwhelmed in the very first exchange.
"Charizard, use Fire Punch!"
Ash launched the first attack. Since he was at a disadvantage in terms of level, he had to compensate with speed and sheer momentum!
Although Charizard was at a level disadvantage, the gap wasn't as wide as it had been in the battle against Paul; thus, it still held the edge in speed over the sluggish Legendary Titan.
Charizard flapped its wings, and its massive body shot through the air like a fighter jet!
The flames swirling around its right fist left a brilliant blue trail as it moved at high speed, bringing it right in front of Registeel in the blink of an eye!
"So fast!" Paul's pupils contracted sharply.
He hadn't even had time to react before Charizard was already upon its opponent. If he were in Brandon's shoes—facing Charizard with his Electivire—he would likely have been sent flying dozens of meters away by now.
"Registeel, Iron Defense!" Brandon's calm voice rang out.
The Steel Titan crossed its arms in front of its chest, and its silvery-gray metallic body took on a faint sheen as its defensive power was pushed to the absolute limit.
BOOM!!!
The Fire Punch slammed solidly into Registeel's arms!
The moment the intense flames collided with the steel, a piercing, screeching sound—like the metal itself crying out in pain—echoed throughout the Battle Pyramid.
Registeel's body—renowned for withstanding any physical attack—was actually forced to slide backward over ten meters by the impact, its feet carving two deep furrows into the ground! There were distinct burn marks on its arms, and its entire body had taken on a reddish hue—the result of the intense heat from the Fire Punch!
"What?!" For the first time, a look of astonishment appeared on Brandon's face.
He hadn't expected Charizard's physical attack to be so powerful; even with Iron Defense in effect, Registeel had sustained such devastating damage.
That Charizard's attack power might well be on par with that of a Champion-level Pokémon.
Even Registeel couldn't withstand many hits like that.
"Great job, Charizard!" Ash clenched his fist. "Hit it with another Fire Punch!"
Ash wanted Charizard to repeat the move, but Brandon wasn't the type to fall for the same trick twice.
Just as Charizard charged toward Registeel to replicate the attack, Brandon's voice reached the Legendary Pokémon: "Take the hit, then use Hammer Arm."
BOOM!!
Charizard's Fire Punch connected with Registeel's arm once again, but this time, Registeel wasn't sent flying. Instead, it planted its legs firmly into the ground; the floor cracked and splintered further, a testament to the sheer power of the blow.
In the very next instant, Registeel's left arm swept out with thunderous force!
Charizard had just finished its attack and was still caught in the momentum of its punch, leaving it no time to dodge. That thick, metallic arm slammed squarely into Charizard's flank!
BOOM!!!
The force of the blow was staggering. Charizard's massive body was driven straight into the ground, much like a baseball struck by a bat!
The already battered battlefield shattered completely under the impact; a massive crater, over five meters in diameter, erupted amidst the dust and debris, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading out in every direction.
A violent shockwave, carrying debris and dust, surged outward; Misty and the others in the stands instinctively raised their arms to shield their faces as the blast wind stung their cheeks.
The entire pyramid began to tremble and sway from the force of the collision.
The shockwaves from a battle between Champion-level Pokémon are powerful enough to level an entire town!
Yet, the tremors were contained in less than a second; now, the impact of the battle was confined solely to the arena itself.
Mewtwo had made its move.
"Charizard!" Serena couldn't help but cry out.
As the dust slowly settled, Charizard was revealed pinned hard against the ground by a powerful Hammer Arm. The immense force, combined with the gap in their levels, nearly knocked Charizard unconscious.
Had it not been for its Mega Evolution, that single blow would have decided the match right then and there!
Ash clenched his fists tightly, his expression grim and tense.
"A Legendary Pokémon—it truly lives up to the reputation... Charizard, break free from that Hammer Arm!" Ash's voice roused the dazed Charizard. It tried to flap its wings and escape, only to find the arm pinning it down felt like a massive mountain, rendering it completely immobile!
"It's over. Registeel, Ancient Power," Brandon shouted, sweeping his arm forward.
The six red, diamond-shaped gems on Registeel's chest lit up simultaneously, unleashing a surge of ancient, immense energy.
Nearby shattered rocks seemed to lose the pull of gravity; they floated into the air, glowing with an earthy-yellow light fueled by the Ancient Power, hovering behind Registeel like a cluster of meteors.
If this attack connected, the combination of type disadvantage and Registeel's formidable attack power would undoubtedly render Charizard unable to battle!
Misty and the others held their breath in suspense—Why... why aren't you using Aura Fusion, Ash? Without Aura Fusion, the gap between the two sides was simply too wide; Charizard's defenses were like paper against the low-attack Registeel, yet continuing like this offered no chance of victory!
"Charizard, Flare Blitz!!!" Ash's shout echoed throughout the entire stadium.
"Roar!!" Crimson flames suddenly erupted across Charizard's body!
The red flames even engulfed the blue flames on his tail and shoulders; though crimson in color, this fire burned at a higher temperature than the blue flames!
Under the intense heat, the arms Registeel had used to pin Charizard down turned glowing red in an instant, nearly melting away!
Stung by the pain, Registeel was forced to release Charizard, but the Ancient Power rocks in the sky were already raining down like a meteor shower!
Charizard didn't dodge or weave; he charged straight upward. The falling boulders melted the moment they touched the flames, scattering as molten lava—they couldn't slow him down in the slightest!
Powered by Flare Blitz, Charizard finally broke through the barrage and hovered in mid-air; though panting heavily, he still retained the strength to fight.
Registeel, however, had sustained far more damage than Charizard!
Two Fire Punches, combined with the burn from Charizard's explosive Flare Blitz (fueled by Sacred Fire), had depleted at least two-thirds of its total stamina.
Meanwhile, Misty and the others breathed a sigh of relief as they watched Charizard break free from the meteor shower.
This battle was a real heart-stopper—it felt like one's heart might stop at any moment. Had Ash used Aura Fusion, things certainly wouldn't have been this perilous.
In fact, had Ash used Aura Fusion, he wouldn't even have needed Mega Evolution; Charizard could have simply smashed through all three Legendary Titans on his own.
The reason he didn't use it was simple: neither he nor Charizard wanted to.
It was one thing to rely on unconventional tactics and give it his all just to compete on equal footing when he was weaker, but now that his strength had grown—allowing him to go toe-to-toe with the opponent using his own raw power—why would he need Aura Fusion?
Charizard would prove it in this battle—staking the pride of the "Big Three" aces on Ash's team!
Even without relying on Aura Fusion, he could defeat a Champion-level Pokémon fair and square!
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