In this situation, there's no real need for any rewards at Charicific Valley, yet they still have them. Is this what they call heavy pockets?
Liza ignored Ash and the others' confusion and continued, "If you want to challenge the strongest Charizard, you first need to defeat all the Charizards in Charicific Valley. The process is one-on-one, but it's not a simple fight and rest scenario. You must defeat all the Charizards in Charicific Valley in one-on-one battles within a single day!!"
"What?!"
"No breaks! That's way too difficult!"
"Is it really that harsh, Miss Liza? There are at least over a hundred Charizards in the whole valley, right? Even if each battle takes a minute, it would still take over two hours to finish, and facing those powerful Charizards, it's obviously impossible to settle each fight in just a minute. Plus, considering the physical strength loss... how could anyone complete such a challenge?"
The three of them jabbered on, while Ash didn't say a word. Instead, he wore a pensive expression, thinking about something internally.
Liza motioned for everyone to calm down with her hands, indicating for them to quiet down for a bit. When everyone had stopped talking, she continued, "The challenge is indeed harsh, but how do you think the strongest Charizard in this valley was chosen?"
"How was it chosen... Could it be?!" Serena thought for a moment and then showed an incredulous expression. If it was really as she imagined, just how strong would that strongest Charizard be!
"That's right, just as you thought. The Charizard recognized as the strongest in Charicific Valley achieved that position by defeating all the Charizards in the valley in the manner I just described." Liza nodded, confirming Serena's suspicion.
As Serena had guessed, the strongest Charizard in the valley had gone through the trial she described, and only then stood at that position. So naturally, if you want to challenge him, you must undergo the same trial he did!!
This is akin to challenging the League Champion - to challenge the League Champion, you need to defeat all members of the Elite Four, and only then can you stand on the same battlefield as the Champion.
However...
"Miss Liza, I'd like to ask, when you say challenging the strongest Charizard, does it mean that you challenge the valley's Charizards in their entirety before directly challenging that Charizard, or is there a rest period after challenging the entire valley's Charizards to allow for recovery of injuries and physical strength before challenging that Charizard?" Brock asked gravely.
If it's the latter, that's no joke. Considering the number of Charizards in the whole valley, no matter how strong Ash's Charizard is, after dealing with them one by one, it would be close to exhaustion, even if not entirely drained of strength.
No one knows the extent of Ash's sacrifices for powering up his Pokemon like his companions.
Apart from Ash's own efforts, the rapid depletion of the Pokemon's physical strength is also a cost. Every time Ash powers up his Pokemon, while its speed and attack power rise, its physical strength consumption increases exponentially as well.
In battles where Ash powers up his Pokemon, the opponents almost never manage to touch Ash's Pokemon, yet after the battle, Ash's Pokemon are often on the verge of exhaustion.
You could say that every time Ash takes on a challenge above his level, he's dancing on a knife's edge; one mistake, and it could all go up in smoke.
Even though Ash always emerges victorious, his Pokemon are often left utterly drained. If they continue fighting, they would just be acting as cannon fodder and expending all their strength. Ash's so-called complete victory over opponents often sounds better than the reality.
Therefore, if Ash plans to use Charizard to defeat all the Charizards in Charicific Valley, and then continue to challenge the strongest Charizard, the outcome is predictable...
"Why don't you think about the prerequisites for challenging the League Champion in various regions? After defeating the regional Elite Four, what does the process involve?" Liza smiled and posed the question in response.
"After defeating the league's Elite Four, you must immediately face off against the Champion, so attempting to become the League Champion by challenging is much more difficult than other methods," Misty responded to Liza's explanation.
There are several methods to become a League Champion, not just defeating the Elite Four and the Champion. Some Champions are pre-determined by the League, some are chosen as the strongest among the Elite Four, and sometimes, if you gain the recognition of the Elite Four and the League...
Among these, the most difficult method to become Champion is to challenge for the position while the current Champion is still in office.
This means you must consecutively defeat both the Elite Four and the current Champion!
This method of winning the Championship is the most challenging, and any trainer who becomes Champion this way is considered the strongest trainer in the region's history.
The reason for setting such a stringent rule is to prevent the frequent change of Champions, essentially stating outright that if the current Champion has not stepped down, then don't aim to challenge the Champion's position.
If someone insists on becoming Champion under such circumstances, they can only walk this road of hell.
"So you're saying the same applies here. You need to challenge all of Charicific Valley's Charizards before challenging the strongest Charizard in the valley? Isn't this challenge condition too harsh! I bet there are very few people who can even reach the challenge's goal!" Misty couldn't help questioning.
Why set such tough conditions for a challenge? Is it because of some unknown reward? What kind of reward could justify such strict challenge conditions!
"Yes, so Ash, are you sure you still want to challenge?" Liza nodded, her emerald eyes locking onto Ash, seeking his confirmation once more.
She knew Ash's strength, but she believed Ash's Pokemon's power wasn't inherently his, unlike Lance or others. Even if Ash's Charizard overcame Cloyster at Champion Intermediate Level in a direct confrontation, it wasn't truly Charizard's own power. Liza didn't believe there were no side effects to forcibly amplifying one's power.
In a short fight, these effects might go unnoticed, but in such a grueling series of battles, the side effects would undoubtedly become apparent. Although Liza didn't know what the side effects of such forced power ups were, Ash himself must be quite aware.
She detailed the challenge's circumstances just to prepare Ash for what's ahead.
Considering the situation, Ash could choose to proceed with the challenge or act as if the conversation never happened, and no one present would mock Ash for it.
Even an Elite Level Charizard, no matter how well trained, would find it exceedingly difficult to blaze through the entirety of Charicific Valley. This is not some run-of-the-mill Gym battle!
With everyone watching, Ash and Charizard nodded determinedly, "We choose to challenge! Thank you, Miss Liza."
"A fearless newcomer indeed... maybe too much success has made you forget the taste of failure. Perhaps it's time for you to regain some clarity. When do you plan to start?" Liza shook her head with a hint of resignation, already convinced Ash would fail.
Sometimes, retreating isn't failing; it's a strategic move for a better future. Evidently, Ash doesn't understand this yet, maybe because his journey has been relatively smooth sailing, leaving him ignorant of when to step back. So be it... let him truly understand what failure is.
"We can start now! My Charizard and I are always in battle-ready mode!"
"Roar!!" Charizard let out a piercing cry, spitting a blast of searing flames into the sky, with its dark eyes seemingly ablaze with an intense fire!
"Very well, let's start now," Liza said, stepping to the door. She picked up a massive horn, took a deep breath, and blew into it with all her might.
"Woooo———"