The two Infernape clashed head-on!
On one side, the strikes from Close Combat landed with blinding speed.
On the other, it was Extreme Speed combined with successive Mach Punches—faster than Close Combat itself!
Even Flint noticed this immediately and nodded silently in approval.
Ash really was the one that Miss Cynthia had mentioned multiple times—and the one who even defeated Lucian.
After all, both Extreme Speed and Mach Punch were high-priority, ultra-fast moves. When stacked together, their speed outmatched almost anything.
And with Bulk Up already activated, Ash's Infernape had boosted both its Attack and Defense. That meant Flint's Infernape wasn't going to overpower it as easily as he might expect.
Both Close Combat and Mach Punch landed repeatedly on each other.
Despite the stat boosts, Close Combat had higher base power. So in that brutal exchange, the damage on both sides ended up nearly equal.
A stalemate?
Dawn and Anabel sat at the sidelines, watching with breathless focus. Even Volkner, who had been indifferent earlier, was now fully engrossed.
That whole "I'm not interested in battling anymore" line? Just an excuse.
The real reason? He hadn't encountered anyone strong enough to truly excite him in years.
This was the man known as Sunyshore's Lightning, the strongest Gym Leader in all of Sinnoh.
Flint glanced sideways at Volkner and smirked. Bringing Ash here had been absolutely the right move.
"Flamethrower!"
"We'll use Flamethrower too!"
Both Infernapes unleashed devastating torrents of fire, flames strengthened by the charcoal they each carried.
But this time, Flint's Infernape had the upper hand.
His Flamethrower blasted through Ash's, gradually overwhelming it.
With its power fully unleashed, it was a wall of blazing heat!
Fortunately, Ash's Infernape reacted just in time, leaping into the air and avoiding the full force of the blast.
As if perfectly synchronized, both Trainers shouted:
"Flare Blitz!"
"WAGAAAH!!"
Both Infernapes roared, charging each other with explosive flames and crackling electricity coursing through their bodies.
Neither was willing to lose—especially not to their own kind!
The resulting clash of Flare Blitz rocked the battlefield, causing waves of heat to roll through the stadium.
Even from the spectator seats, everyone could feel the scorching intensity.
"They're both so strong… but Ash's Infernape only evolved yesterday, and it's already keeping up with Mr. Flint's?" Dawn said, eyes wide with admiration.
Volkner heard that and blinked, stunned.
It evolved yesterday?
And it's this strong already?
Now that was the kind of opponent he wouldn't mind battling.
The twin Flare Blitzes collided and canceled each other out—another stalemate.
Not bad, Ash thought. But it's time to go for another Bulk Up.
He prepared for the moment.
Flint, too, watched closely, wary that Ash might try to use another stat-boosting move.
Because when power is evenly matched, whoever gains the upper hand through setup has the advantage.
"Extreme Speed!"
"Mach Punch!"
Uh-oh. Mistake in judgment!
Flint's eyes narrowed.
He had assumed Ash was just as fired up now and would keep clashing directly.
But Ash had already moved to the next phase of his plan.
His Infernape's Extreme Speed was too fast for Flint's Mach Punch to catch!
"Double Team!"
One wrong move leads to another. Flint cursed silently.
"Dig underground and use Flame Wheel while you're at it!"
But Ash was already a step ahead.
If Flint had seen the smirk on Ash's lips, he would've realized he'd fallen into a trap.
Beneath the battlefield, the ground turned molten red.
The heat alone vaporized every illusion created by Double Team.
Then Flint's Infernape burst from underground, ready to land a crushing blow if it hit.
"Detect!"
A glint of light flashed through Ash's Infernape's eyes!
It sidestepped just a hair—but enough to dodge Dig perfectly.
And then—
BAM!
"Focus Palm!"
A clean, powerful strike landed right into Flint's Infernape's chest before it could react.
Stunned!
"Bulk Up!"
"WAGAAAH!"
Another round of stat boosts.
Everything was going exactly as Ash planned.
Flint's eyes narrowed again. Detect, too?
That was another move his Infernape had never learned.
And the first two uses of Detect? Guaranteed dodges.
Now his own Infernape was paralyzed and couldn't move a muscle.
"This is it! Infernape—Flare Blitz!"
BOOOOM!!!
To honor his opponent, Ash's Infernape activated Awakened Blaze—its awakened Blaze ability!
The fire on its head burned dark blue.
Everyone watching felt like they were standing in a desert furnace.
So hot!
The fire-type aura was overwhelming—so strong it shook Flint to his core.
Flint watched in shock as his own Infernape was engulfed by the deep-blue flames and blasted into the wall by Flare Blitz.
The next moment—
"Flint's Infernape is unable to battle. Ash's Infernape wins!"
The referee robot at Sunyshore Gym made the official call.
Ash grinned. "Activate the 10x Experience Multiplier Card!"
Ding! [Congratulations, host. Infernape has defeated Flint's Infernape.
10x Experience Multiplier Card activated—You gained 405,000 experience points!]
Level up!
58!
59!
60!
61!
62!
Five levels up—instantly surpassing the Elite level threshold!
Ash's Infernape roared in victory, radiating immense power!
He looked over and smiled. Since he had already used an Attribute Enhancement Card on Monferno earlier, its effects had lasted until the evolution to Infernape.
That's why he hadn't used a Potential Boost Card yet.
Now was the time.
Use Potential Boost Card!
Pokémon: Infernape
Category: Flame Pokémon
Type: Fire/Fighting
Ability: Blaze (Awakened)
Hidden Ability: Iron Fist (Activated)
Potential: Gold
Level: 62
Moves: Mach Punch, Leer, Ember, Fury Swipes, Flame Wheel, Feint, Extreme Speed, Double Team, Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Bulk Up, Detect, Focus Palm, Close Combat, Dig, Calm Mind, Protect, Flare Blitz…
Excellent—Infernape now had Gold Potential.
With five levels gained and two new moves learned—Calm Mind and Protect—it had taken another huge leap forward in both offense and defense.
Flint silently recalled his Infernape, still processing what just happened.
He looked at Ash and Infernape, visibly stunned.
"Damn… Ash, with power like that, forget the Elite Four. You could go challenge Cynthia straight-up. I wouldn't be surprised if you had a real shot at the Champion's throne."
Flint wasn't exaggerating. That battle had shown him just how far Ash had come.
Champion? Ash curled his lip slightly.
No thanks. He had too many system missions to bother with the formalities of the League.
But just then—
WHAM!
Volkner suddenly stood up.
"Ash—now it's our turn!"
Finally!
Ash had stirred the fire in his heart.
Volkner's old friend had just been defeated, and now he couldn't wait to see just how strong Ash truly was.
And in that very moment, the system alert finally chimed:
Ding! [Congratulations, host. You have arrived at Sunyshore Gym.]
Sign-in in progress…
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T/N:
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