A surge of cold water suddenly appeared around Samurott, wrapping its entire body.
The Heat Wave slammed into the flowing water but failed to deal any real damage. The defensive technique worked perfectly.
Bai Ze smirked.
"Now it's my turn."
From that brief exchange, he had already gauged Charizard's strength—and relaxed. Victory seemed certain.
"Samurott, Aqua Jet!"
This was the precision of an experienced Trainer. Bai Ze had already planned his next move while defending.
The water surrounding Samurott suddenly turned violent. Energy surged through it, transforming the shield into propulsion. In an instant, Samurott shot forward like a cannon.
Drawing the twin blades from its shell, Samurott rushed toward Charizard at blinding speed.
Sam's expression hardened. The burst of speed caught him off guard—there was no time to dodge.
Then there was only one option.
"Charizard… Flare Blitz!!"
If retreat wasn't possible, then clash head-on.
Charizard roared, flames erupting violently from its tail as it entered a peak battle state. The Charcoal hanging from its chest burned brightly, pouring its remaining energy into Charizard.
At this moment, Charizard reached its absolute limit.
Fire and water collided.
The entire arena fell silent as everyone watched.
Then—
BOOM!!!
The result was decided instantly.
The gap between Gym-level and Elite-level strength was still too large. Even with everything it had, Charizard was overwhelmed.
It was blasted out of the air and crashed heavily at Sam's feet.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked quietly.
Charizard struggled… then forced itself back to its feet.
Sam's eyes darkened as he assessed the damage.
The impact from Aqua Jet wasn't the main issue—the real damage came from Samurott's twin blades. A deep cross-shaped wound stretched across Charizard's chest, blood still flowing.
If this continued, Charizard might collapse from blood loss alone.
Sam hesitated.
Should he stop the battle?
Then—
"ROAR!!!"
Charizard turned, locking eyes with him. There was only one thing in its gaze—
It wanted to continue.
Before Sam could respond, Charizard did something shocking.
It unleashed Flamethrower… on its own wound.
The smell of burning flesh filled the air.
Even for a Fire-type, that kind of pain was unbearable—but Charizard didn't make a sound. The flames sealed the wound, stopping the bleeding.
It endured the pain… just to keep fighting.
Sam stared at it for a moment—
Then smiled.
"I understand."
"Let's keep going, Charizard!!"
His blood ignited as well.
This—this was why he loved Pokémon battles.
Pure, relentless will.
Across the field, Bai Ze rubbed his nose, his expression serious now.
"…I think I understand what Biye meant. You really are troublesome."
"But don't get ahead of yourself. I still have the advantage."
"Samurott—Aqua Jet!"
"Charizard—Flare Blitz!!!"
This time, Sam wasn't thinking about victory.
Only one thing mattered—
Fight.
Charizard's flames surged to their peak. The Charcoal finally crumbled into dust, its last energy fully absorbed.
And then—
Something changed.
A new power erupted from within Charizard.
Stronger. Hotter. Different.
The fire in the air responded to it—almost like it was alive, like it was… submitting.
Charizard spread its wings.
BOOM!!!
Flames erupted violently, wrapping around its body like armor. The temperature skyrocketed, and the entire battlefield trembled under the pressure.
Bai Ze's eyes widened.
He had seen this before.
"…An Elite breakthrough…"
But this—
This was far beyond normal.
Panic flickered across his face.
"No… even if it broke through, my Samurott still has more experience… I can't lose!"
He clenched his fists, forcing confidence back into his voice.
But across from him—
Sam stood completely calm.
He didn't need to say anything.
He believed.
At the same level—
Charizard would not lose.
And that confidence wasn't blind.
It was absolute.
---------------Author---------------
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