The air above the stone platform felt strangely calm.
Not empty—balanced.
Charizard and Gallade faced each other in perfect silence. Neither rushed forward. Neither tried to intimidate the other. In the Champion Zone, reckless openings were punished instantly.
Lia inhaled slowly.
This was the first time their strength would be tested in a true Champion-level interaction.
"Charizard," she said quietly, "steady heat cycle."
Charizard's wings lifted slightly, not for flight but for balance. A controlled warmth rolled across its scales as its internal fire circulated in a tight, stable loop. At Level 60, its strength was formidable—but the opponent before it was something else entirely.
Gallade moved first.
Not fast.
Precise.
In a single step it crossed half the distance between them, blade arm flashing forward in a controlled strike.
"Guard!" Lia called.
Charizard reacted instantly, shifting its body sideways while reinforcing its forearm with compressed heat. Gallade's blade met Charizard's arm with a sharp metallic sound.
The impact echoed across the platform.
Charizard slid half a step backward—but did not lose balance.
The observing Champion nodded faintly.
"Good structure."
Gallade retreated just as quickly as it had advanced, returning to its starting stance as if the strike had been nothing more than a greeting.
Lia realized something.
"They're not trying to defeat us," she whispered.
Eren nodded. "They're measuring how we respond."
Controlled Escalation
"Charizard, forward pressure," Lia said.
Charizard stepped in.
This time it initiated the exchange. Its claws swept forward in a wide arc—not reckless, but heavy enough to force Gallade into movement.
Gallade ducked smoothly beneath the strike and countered with a spinning slash.
Charizard twisted mid-motion, wings adjusting its balance as the blade skimmed past its scales instead of cutting cleanly.
Both Pokémon separated again.
No damage.
But the platform trembled slightly.
Gallade's red eyes narrowed with interest.
Charizard's tail flame burned brighter for a moment before settling again.
The Champion Watches
The silver-haired Champion leaned casually against a stone pillar at the edge of the platform, arms crossed.
"This is already better than most newcomers," she said.
Lia didn't respond.
Her attention stayed completely on Charizard.
Champion battles weren't about speed alone.
They were about timing.
Gallade stepped forward again, this time faster.
Its blade flashed twice.
Charizard blocked the first strike with its forearm.
The second came from below.
"Jump!"
Charizard pushed off the platform with a burst of controlled heat, wings spreading wide as it rose just high enough to avoid the upward slash.
From the air, Charizard countered.
A short burst of flame shot downward—not a full attack, just enough to force Gallade to reposition.
Gallade slid backward gracefully, the fire passing harmlessly beside it.
When Charizard landed again, the two Pokémon were exactly where they had started.
Balanced.
Equal.
A Subtle Shift
Something changed then.
Gallade's stance lowered slightly.
The Champion raised an eyebrow.
"Ah," she murmured. "Now we're getting serious."
Lia felt the shift instantly.
Until now, Gallade had been testing reflexes and control.
Now it was testing combat intelligence.
Gallade disappeared.
Not literally—but it moved so quickly that its form blurred across the platform.
"Left!" Lia shouted.
Charizard spun, blocking another precise slash.
But the strike wasn't the real attack.
Gallade pivoted behind Charizard in the same motion.
Doublade reacted instantly.
The twin blades shot forward between them, intercepting Gallade's second strike with a ringing clash of steel.
The platform vibrated under the impact.
Gallade leapt backward again, landing lightly.
Its expression remained calm—but now it was clearly engaged.
Doublade Joins the Battle
Lia glanced toward Eren.
He gave a slight nod.
Doublade moved beside Charizard, the spectral bond between its two blades glowing faintly as they rotated into a defensive formation.
The silver-haired Champion smiled.
"So you fight together."
Gallade adjusted its stance again.
The next exchange came faster than anything before.
Gallade dashed forward.
Charizard met it head-on, claws clashing with Gallade's blades.
Doublade struck from the side, forcing Gallade to twist away mid-attack.
Three fighters moved across the platform in a rapid blur of motion.
Clash.
Shift.
Counter.
Every strike was controlled.
Every defense exact.
No one was dominating—but no one was falling behind either.
The Evaluation Ends
After several more exchanges, the Champion raised her hand.
"Enough."
The moment she spoke, Gallade stepped back and lowered its blades.
Charizard immediately stopped attacking.
Doublade returned to its position beside Eren.
The silence that followed felt heavier than the battle itself.
The Champion looked at Lia thoughtfully.
"Level sixty," she said. "Yet you fight like someone who understands restraint."
She recalled Gallade in a flash of light.
"That's rare."
Lia exhaled slowly, her muscles finally relaxing.
"Did we pass?"
The Champion smiled faintly.
"You survived interaction."
The system chimed quietly.
[Champion Zone Recognition Increased]
Charizard — Level Increase:Lv. 60 → Lv. 61
Doublade — Level Increase:Lv. 60 → Lv. 61
The growth wasn't dramatic.
But it was acknowledged by the zone itself.
The Champion stepped off the platform.
"Stay alive," she said over her shoulder.
"That's the real test."
Then she disappeared into the pale horizon.
Charizard stood quietly, tail flame steady.
Doublade hovered beside Eren.
Lia looked across the endless Champion Zone and felt something new.
Not fear.
Not excitement.
Belonging.
For the first time, the world had treated them not as intruders—
but as participants.
And somewhere deeper in the zone, stronger Champions were already waiting.