"The Eight Gates Release… what a powerful self-developed move. Even if it's temporary, it grants incredible power!"
Cynthia couldn't help but be stunned by Dr. Bill's explanation.
"Wait… then the offspring of that Pokémon… would they inherit this too?"
A sudden thought struck Cynthia—inherited techniques. The potential consequences left her astonished.
Ding—
Name: Arcanine
Level: Tier-2 Legendary (Champion Class)
Abilities: Flame Body, Blaze
Type: Fire
Potential: S-Rank
Ash smiled. "Perfect. The gamble paid off. A champion-level Arcanine really can handle Six Gates!"
Today, he would fight without holding anything back—no regrets.
"Roaaar!!"
Watching Arcanine's rising power, Dragonite let out a furious roar. Its yellow tail gleamed with a metallic sheen as its wings flared. In an instant, it vanished—reappearing before Arcanine with a spin and lashing out with Iron Tail.
"Arcanine—Flame Charge!" Ash commanded.
The majestic beast became engulfed in brilliant azure flames, so intense that the ground around it cracked and scorched. The heat shimmered through the air, betraying how dangerously hot the blue fire was.
Boom!!
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Dragonite's glowing Iron Tail slammed into Arcanine mid-charge, sending the beast skidding back nearly eight meters! But thanks to the flames cushioning the impact, Arcanine took minimal damage. Dragonite, on the other hand, had burn marks where the flame had licked its tail.
"Flare Blitz!" Ash called out instantly.
Blue fireballs surged from Arcanine's maw, massive and fast—like cannon fire. Their sheer speed and destructive force were unmistakable.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dragonite weaved between the blasts with astonishing agility. The fireballs crashed into the ground one after another, raising the temperature drastically.
Fwoooosh!!
Suddenly, Dragonite released a massive torrent of water—Hydro Pump—onto the scorched ground. The blast cooled the area instantly and sent up thick steam.
"A clever counter." Ash narrowed his eyes, raising his right arm to shield his face from the steam. Dragonite had seen through his strategy.
Ash's plan had been to manipulate the battlefield—raising the temperature to give fire-type moves a significant boost. But Dragonite had countered it perfectly.
"ROAR!!"
Dragonite lunged again. Its claws extended and began to glow with white energy—Metal Claw. With a flap of its wings, it closed the gap and delivered an upward strike to Arcanine's jaw, sending it flying!
"Nice Metal Claw, but don't count us out yet! Arcanine—Ashen Burst!"
Midair, Arcanine twisted and landed smoothly on all fours. Then, from its maw, it exhaled a dense cloud of grey smoke that spread across the battlefield.
"We need to move! That attack's too dangerous—one wrong move and we'll be caught in it too!"
Brock's face went pale. He quickly gestured for the others to retreat from the combat zone.
Cynthia and the others complied at once, backing away from the battlefield as the smoke continued to thicken.
"Now—detonate!" Ash shouted.
As his words echoed, Arcanine clamped its jaws shut, sparks flickering in its mouth. The moment they touched the smoke—
BOOM!!!
A massive black mushroom cloud burst into the sky, and a shockwave tore across the beach.
"Susanoo!"
Ash activated his protective aura barrier—Susanoo—which enveloped him and the others, shielding them from the blast's aftermath.
As the smoke slowly cleared, Arcanine stood firm, eyes locked on the dispersing mist. Its nose twitched—it still hadn't caught the scent of its opponent.
But then—
Dragonite emerged.
Encased in a barely-holding Protect, the dragon's emerald barrier was cracked and flickering, but it had held. Ashen Burst had failed to fully break through.
Ash narrowed his eyes. "Not over yet—Fire Blast!"
Arcanine growled. A massive fireball, over 30 meters in diameter, burst forth from its jaws.
"What kind of battle is this…? This is beyond Champion level!"
Cynthia stared in awe.
From the sidelines, Giselle blushed as she murmured, "He's so cool…"
"ROOAARRR!!!"
Faced with the approaching inferno, Dragonite didn't flinch. It let out a roar as its body was wrapped in a blue aura—Dragon Rush, its signature move!
The Legendary Pokémon charged headfirst into the giant fireball.
BOOM!!!
The two forces collided. The resulting explosion tore across the battlefield, altering the landscape completely. The beach was scorched beyond recognition, the terrain ripped apart.
Ash clenched his fists. "Arcanine—Peacock Formation!"
Arcanine's azure flames surged skyward and coalesced into the shape of a massive peacock. As the spectral bird spread its fiery feathers, hundreds of blue fireballs rained down upon Dragonite like a blazing meteor storm.
From the sidelines, Brock was speechless.
"What a battle…"
Just like Brock, the others—Cynthia, Dr. Bill, and Giselle—were all stunned by Ash's strength. He wasn't just another powerful trainer; he was the strongest they had ever witnessed.
Still, there remained some uncertainty. Though Ash currently had incredibly strong Pokémon, much of their strength came from technical discs and enhancements. In the long run, their growth would inevitably slow down, requiring genuine effort and time to train them further.
But maybe… that wasn't a bad thing.
After all, long-term training would only deepen the bond between Trainer and Pokémon—and Ash could better understand their strengths, weaknesses, and potential.
"ROAR!!!"
"ARRFF!!"
"Arcanine, hang in there!" Ash shouted.
The moment their two Pokémon collided, a wave of fire and wind exploded outward, forming a rising vortex of pressure. At the heart of the clash, Ash's Sharingan flared—he noticed something strange.
Arcanine's body was trembling.
"Tch… So the constant use of advanced techniques shortened the duration of the Eight Gates. The backlash is kicking in early…!"
Ash cursed under his breath.
Through the crimson glow of his Sharingan, he could clearly see Arcanine's internal energy plummeting. The side effects had arrived too soon—and he had miscalculated.
...
TN:
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