Commander-tier entry level, with quasi-legendary potential!
And that wasn't all—Charmander had also entered Blaze…
Through Aura, Yozora could clearly sense Charmander's immense power. That presence was already at least at Commander high-tier strength—perhaps even stronger!
Of course, Blaze was a double-edged sword. While it greatly increased the power of Charmander's flames, it also burned away his stamina every passing second.
"Awesome! Charmander's entered his rage state!" Ash shouted. He didn't realize it was Blaze—he simply thought it was anger.
During their journey, Charmander had repeatedly entered this so-called "rage" state, and each time, he displayed terrifying battle strength.
Staring at the blazing flames erupting from Charmander's tail, Ash felt his blood boil with excitement.
"Charmander, use Fire Spin!" Ash commanded loudly.
"Rawrr!"
Charmander roared, spewing out a spiraling torrent of flames that expanded rapidly, spreading like a fiery net toward Pidgeot.
"Pidgeot, dodge it!" Yozora called out quickly.
Pidgeot reacted sharply, darting aside in an instant.
But Charmander bellowed again, forcefully increasing his flame output. The fiery net expanded wildly, growing massive until it trapped Pidgeot inside.
The net then constricted, forming a blazing vortex that engulfed Pidgeot, burning it relentlessly.
Within the scorching inferno, Pidgeot let out a piercing cry of pain…
In Blaze, Charmander's physical attributes were enhanced, and his flames became even more devastating!Pidgeot couldn't withstand it!
"Return, Pidgeot!" Yozora recalled his partner at once. Ash's face twisted in anger, but he couldn't protest.
This was within Yozora's rights.
In a 6v6 full battle, each trainer had two free switches available.
Of course, Yozora had already used both of his.
"Ash, you've gotten stronger," Yozora said, glancing at him with a hint of pride.
But when Yozora looked back at Charmander, he noticed something alarming—the little Pokémon was already gasping for breath.
What? Already?Was Blaze's toll really that heavy?
Yozora froze, then quickly realized the truth.
Ash's Charmander was strong and had great potential, but his development had been ordinary. His stamina and defenses, then, would naturally be just average.
It made sense. Ash was just a kid from a regular family. Even with Brock around, how much proper nutrition could he provide Charmander? At best, basic sustenance—Brock had his own many siblings to care for.
Without abundant nutrition and intensive training, it was impossible for Charmander's stamina to exceed his level.
Charmander's strength already surpassed his level—that alone consumed enormous energy. Add Blaze on top of that… without stamina beyond his level to support it, there was no way he could last long.
No wonder, in the original story, Charizard almost never activated Blaze—perhaps not even once!
Even during the Battle Factory match against the Legendary Pokémon Articuno, Charizard didn't use Blaze…
That must have been intentional—Charizard had likely learned to control the ability, but refused to use it because the drain was too much.
"Golduck, you're up!" Yozora sent out his third Pokémon.
Charmander might have been weakened, but his strength was still terrifying.
Against Pidgeot, Machop, or Graveler, none of them would stand a chance.
If Yozora had been just a second slower recalling Pidgeot earlier, it would have been knocked out instantly. Though, truthfully, even losing Pidgeot wouldn't have changed much in the battle's flow…
"Whoa, a Golduck? That one looks incredible!" the spectators exclaimed, smiling as they admired the newcomer.
Yozora's Golduck, decked out with sunglasses and a flashy plaid shirt, looked ridiculously stylish.
"Golduck? Did that Psyduck evolve?" Misty blinked, then her eyes sparkled as she stared at it.
Sure enough, its skin tone was darker and more vibrant than an ordinary Golduck.
Misty knew the truth—if Yozora's Psyduck had been Shiny, then its evolution would be a Shiny Golduck as well!
"Go, Golduck!" she cheered, betraying Ash instantly and running over to Yozora's side to support his Pokémon.
At first, Misty had remained neutral in this battle. She was Ash's strategist and naturally leaned toward him. But the moment she saw Golduck, she abandoned him without hesitation.
"Tch." Ash clicked his tongue in annoyance, then shouted, "Charmander, show them your strength—use—"
"Boom!"
Before Ash even finished his command, Charmander had already unleashed a burst of flames.
"So it begins—the pride of a warrior, huh?"
Yozora sensed the shift in Charmander's spirit and ordered swiftly: "Golduck, block it with Psychic!"
Golduck stretched out his arm with cool ease, summoning a violet barrier. At the same time, a faint water veil shimmered around him.
Boom—!
Charmander's flames struck, but the moment they touched the water veil, their power weakened, and then the psychic barrier stopped them cold.
Golduck's talent was extraordinary. With recent training, he had even begun merging his Psychic power with his Water-type energy.
It was still crude, but even so, both his offense and defense had leveled up significantly!
"Not enough! Ash, is this really your full strength?" Yozora taunted—not just to provoke Ash, but Charmander too.
As expected, before Ash could react, Charmander completely lost control.
With a furious roar, the flames on his tail flared even higher.
But his face and body were now drenched in sweat—proof that his body was failing, his stamina nearly gone.
Boom!!
Before Ash could issue an order, Charmander attacked on his own—Flamethrower!
"Shatter his pride, Golduck! Use Hydro Pump!" Yozora commanded.
Golduck's chest swelled as he gathered immense water energy.
The moment Charmander's flames roared toward him, Golduck released a massive torrent.
In an instant, the Hydro Pump tore through the Flamethrower, overpowering it, and blasted straight into Charmander.
Bang!
Charmander's small body shot backward like a cannonball, crashing heavily onto the ground.
But despite his injuries, the flames on his tail burned just as fiercely. Blaze was still active.
He refused to give up.
"Huff… huff…" Charmander panted desperately, but still staggered back to his feet.
"Charmander, that's enough!" Ash cried, his heart aching.
He didn't want to lose. But if winning meant forcing Charmander to squeeze out every drop of his strength, then… that was a victory Ash would rather not have.
(End of Chapter)