Through countless observations, Yozora had come to a startling realization—Charmeleon's Blaze didn't necessarily require being on the brink of fainting to activate.
Low HP wasn't the only trigger. Blaze could also be ignited by sheer fighting spirit and raw anger.
That meant, at least in theory, if trained properly, a Charmeleon could awaken Blaze even at full strength.
However…
Yozora also discovered that Blaze was a double-edged sword. Its explosive power was undeniable, but so too was the toll it took on stamina—consumption multiplied several times over.
Earlier, in the pouring rain, Charmeleon had endured repeated Thunder Punches from Emboar. Already battered and exhausted, its stamina had been cut down by more than half.
When Blaze activated afterward, its energy drained even faster.
Now, Charmeleon's state was hardly better than Emboar's. Both were at their limits, fighting on sheer willpower alone.
"This is it—the final deadlock of the championship match!"
"Both Fire-type Pokémon—Charmeleon and Emboar—seem determined to prove themselves! Neither is willing to fall first!" the announcer's voice rang out in excitement as the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers for both sides.
"Both are at the brink… From here on, it's no longer about stamina or power. It's a clash of pure will."
Off the field, Sherry whispered, her face pale with awe.
"Yeah…" Ritchie nodded heavily, admiration flooding his heart.
Who could have imagined it? Yozora—just like him, a rookie—had climbed to such heights in this grand tournament…
He was just one step away from becoming the Champion.
On the battlefield, Charmeleon and Emboar staggered, locked in stillness for ten long seconds, before both forced themselves upright again.
"Well done, Emboar!"
Seeing Emboar stand once more despite its grievous injuries and depleted strength, Derrick's blood surged. For a fleeting moment, he felt like the boy he once was—back when he and his Tepig had accepted challenge after challenge, falling and rising again, charging ahead without hesitation…
"Use Earthquake!" Derrick roared.
Earthquake was no ordinary move.
Though Emboar's way of unleashing it was simple, the toll it exacted was immense.
Derrick was gambling—that in this final moment, Charmeleon wouldn't have the strength to leap clear.
But he gambled wrong.
"Charmeleon, jump!"
At Yozora's shout, filled with a vigor that seemed to breathe life into the air itself, Charmeleon's dimming eyes refocused. Then, with a surge of will, it launched itself skyward.
It was a call that not every trainer could give.
Such a revival—such a "second wind"—required an unbreakable bond between trainer and Pokémon.
"Don't stop now! Show them the fruits of your tireless training—Flare Blitz!"
At that command, the fire of determination blazed once more in Charmeleon's eyes.
Unlike most Pokémon, Charmeleon had always been hardworking.
Back in its Charmander days, even after grueling daytime drills, it would sneak out at night to train for at least two extra hours.
Sometimes practicing Fire Punch, sometimes Flamethrower, sometimes just raw endurance exercises.
If all that effort as Charmander had been to stockpile strength for evolution… then surely, after evolving, it would have eased up.
But it hadn't.
On the contrary, with its new body, Charmeleon only pushed itself harder, training with even more ferocity.
At first, Yozora hadn't known.
One night, woken suddenly by an urgent need for the bathroom, he had stumbled across Charmander secretly training alone.
That night, he'd forced himself to endure until morning, pretending not to notice, even though his bladder nearly burst.
At first, Yozora thought it was just a one-time act of diligence. But after secretly watching for several nights in a row, he realized—it wasn't. Charmander trained like this every night.
And after evolving into Charmeleon, its efforts doubled.
That night, Yozora had been shaken to the core. From then on, he knew—this partner would one day become his greatest ace.
"Whoosh—!"
In midair, Charmeleon ignited. Blue flames surged across its body, so hot they warped the very air.
To the spectators, its figure seemed to blur and twist.
In truth, Charmeleon's form hadn't changed—the flames were simply so intense they bent space itself, creating the illusion.
Flare Blitz!
Like a blazing comet, Charmeleon transformed into a massive sphere of blue fire and crashed headlong into Emboar with an earth-shaking boom.
"Graaah—!!"
Emboar screamed in agony as the impact tore through it.
The specially reinforced battlefield shattered under the blast. Cracks spiderwebbed across the platform before it exploded outward.
A colossal wave of blue fire surged skyward.
The crowd was stunned into silence, eyes wide, jaws hanging open.
This kind of power—they had only ever seen it in televised battles.
And those were matches at the level of regional League Tournaments—at least top eight caliber.
But Yozora?
He was just a rookie trainer who had only recently set out… and yet he had already reached this level?!
At last, the flames and smoke cleared.
The battlefield lay in ruins.
Emboar lay motionless, defeated.
Charmeleon, trembling and gasping for breath, still stood amidst the rubble—its body battered, but unbroken.
"Emboar is unable to battle!"
The referee's declaration made Derrick's body stiffen. His strength left him in an instant, but a long sigh escaped his lips.
"The match is over! Congratulations to Yozora, the champion of this Cruise Tournament!" the announcer shouted.
Applause and cheers erupted, shaking the arena.
"Charmeleon…" Yozora hurried forward, supporting his partner before it collapsed.
They exchanged a weary smile, standing together as waves of cheers washed over them.
In that moment, a blinding white light flashed before their eyes. Within it, they glimpsed a vision of the future—
Yozora, grown tall and dashing, commanding a mighty Charizard X. With a single strike, he toppled Leon himself, and on the world stage, he held aloft the trophy of the Pokémon World Champion—the highest honor of all.
Millions of voices screamed his name.
…
…
(End of Chapter)