"It's almost time… If we're following the original timeline, then within the next month, Charmander will evolve twice in a row and become Charizard!" Yozora thought silently.
At this stage, Charmander was still very cute, its personality perfectly matching with Ash's. Otherwise, there was no way even their physical movements would stay so synchronized.
In a sense, Charmander loved Ash deeply.
Unfortunately, after evolution, its power grew too inflated. First Charmeleon, then Charizard—they gradually began to look down on Ash.
Fortunately, Ash never stopped pouring love and patience into his partner, eventually awakening Charizard's true heart, one that arrogance had clouded for so long.
"No way!" Brock and Misty were shocked when they learned that Yozora still only had four badges, and that Ash had now surpassed him.
Of course, they had witnessed Ash's growth along the journey.
But in the beginning, Yozora had left them with such a deep impression—he was practically the legendary prodigy trainer come to life.
And since he was a prodigy, how could someone like Ash possibly surpass him?
"Hey, hey, hey, what's with those faces? Can't I be ahead of Yozora for once?"
Ash gave Brock and Misty a disgruntled look before turning back to Yozora. "Come on, Yozora! Battle me! I'll show you how strong I am now!"
"Of course," Yozora answered with a calm smile.
The group entered the Pokémon Center, restored their Pokémon, and headed to the backyard battlefield.
To their surprise, it was already crowded. There was only one battlefield, and it was currently in use, with a large crowd of spectators packed around it.
"Aw, man, I really wanted to battle… Why does it have to be like this?" Ash looked at the bustling battlefield with disappointment written all over his face.
Brock, however, explained rationally, "That's normal, Ash. Not far from here, just past Fuchsia City, there's the Safari Zone. I'd say most of these trainers came here for that."
"I see." Ash nodded. It was already four in the afternoon. Setting out on a journey at this hour was clearly unwise.
"No problem, we'll just wait a while," Yozora said leisurely, sitting down in the stands to watch.
The local battles, however, weren't particularly impressive. The trainers mostly used Senior-level Pokémon, but most were only lower to mid-tier, so the fights lacked excitement.
Ash, unlike Yozora, had little patience. As soon as one battle ended, he ran forward to challenge the reigning champion—and defeated him easily, taking the spot himself.
"Alright, Yozora! Now we're good to go—come on!" Ash stood at one side of the field, waving for Yozora to join him.
"Pika~!" Pikachu echoed his trainer's enthusiasm, calling to Yozora.
Yozora stepped forward, facing Ash across the battlefield. Months had passed since they last fought.
"Full six-on-six battle—okay with you?" Ash's eyes burned with determination. He still hadn't forgotten how powerful Yozora once was.
But now, he believed he had grown even stronger than Yozora.After all, compared to before, he had captured three more reliable and powerful partners!
"Of course." Yozora nodded with a smile. He always carried six Pokémon on hand, ready for a full battle at any time.
In fact, he had seven if you counted Mei the Miltank—though Mei wasn't battle-ready just yet…
"I'll be the referee," Brock volunteered, stepping forward to explain the rules. "This is a six-on-six full battle. Each side may switch Pokémon twice during the match. Trainers, prepare yourselves!"
Both Yozora and Ash locked eyes.
Yozora's gaze was calm, even slightly relaxed.
Ash's eyes, however, were blazing. He believed he was already stronger than Yozora, but he still needed this battle to prove it!
"Oh ho, a six-on-six full battle? Now this is worth watching! You two better put on a show for us!" The crowd erupted in anticipation, eager for the match.
"Well then…"
Brock drew out the moment, stretching the words for three whole seconds before shouting sharply:
"Battle begin!"
"Shooo!"
The instant Brock's voice fell, Yozora and Ash threw their Poké Balls.
Yozora's hand flicked out an Ultra Ball, its black and white casing gleaming with twin yellow stripes. Ash, meanwhile, hurled a standard red-and-white Poké Ball.
The two balls met midair before opening simultaneously, releasing brilliant beams of white light.
Ash's lead Pokémon was none other than Squirtle.
"Squirtle, squirtle!" Bursting onto the field brimming with energy, Squirtle spotted the crowd of spectators and immediately pulled out a pair of black sunglasses, striking a cool pose.
Yozora's first choice was Graveler.
The arena erupted instantly.
Squirtle wasn't much of a surprise. While rare and valuable, it wasn't enough to shock anyone.
But Yozora's Graveler was different—because it was a Shiny Graveler!
"A golden Graveler?!" Brock's jaw nearly hit the floor, his eyes shining as wide as saucers.
As the heir to the Pewter Gym, his love for Rock-type Pokémon ran deep.
He had never expected Yozora to own a Shiny Rock Pokémon—something even he didn't have!
"The aura it gives off… Its level must be pretty high," Brock muttered as he examined Yozora's Graveler. But then a frown crept onto his face. "But its body size seems underdeveloped… It's smaller than my own Graveler. That's a shame."
He sighed inwardly. Judging by its age, Yozora's Graveler was nearly an adult. If it didn't grow any larger now, even when it evolved into Golem, its size would still be below average.
"That doesn't make sense… Most of Yozora's Pokémon are well-developed. Why is this one…? Could it be he doesn't know Graveler's dietary preferences, so he can't feed it properly?" Brock's heart ached. If he could, he'd take that Graveler and raise it himself with the utmost care.
What he didn't know—
Though smaller in size, Yozora's Graveler was far stronger than most.
It had spent countless nights tirelessly training in Defense Curl, compressing its body over long periods until most of the excess air and impurities were expelled.
So while its body was smaller, its weight was actually heavier.Its mass and density far exceeded the average Graveler's.
Yozora's Graveler was like a condensed core—its impact force was far greater than normal!
…
…
(End of Chapter)