Clap, clap, clap…
Yozora and his team had just won their battle when, suddenly, the sound of applause rang out.
A green-haired woman walked toward them with a warm smile. Behind her followed a Charizard.
Unlike ordinary Charizard, this one had a cute red ribbon tied to its head. Its eyes were gentle, almost giving off the impression that it was easy to get along with.
A Charizard that radiated kindness and gentleness—so unlike the species' usual fierce reputation.
The moment he saw her, Yozora recognized the woman. She was none other than Charla's trainer, Liza, the caretaker of Charizard Valley from the Johto region.
Liza looked about twenty-four, tall and graceful.
"Kid, you've raised your Pokémon very well—especially your Charizard!" Liza approached with her partner at her side. The Machamp and the others glanced at her once, then silently retreated.
"Thank you for the praise." Yozora nodded slightly. His Charizard also turned its gaze toward Liza, its expression surprisingly friendly.
That, however, was a rare sight.
Yozora's Charizard, though good-natured, usually carried a frosty, aloof demeanor. It seldom showed warmth to strangers—let alone upon a first meeting.
But Yozora wasn't surprised.
After all, Liza had spent years managing Charizard Valley. She knew how to win over Charizard, how to attract and soothe them.
"My name's Liza. I'm the caretaker of Charizard Valley. Kid, your Charizard is unusual—and it looks powerful too. How about it? Would you like to bring it to the valley and test its strength?" Liza's eyes lingered on the end of Charizard's tail, where blue flames burned instead of the usual orange.
As she spoke, she casually walked right up to Yozora's Charizard and compared heights. She found she couldn't even reach its neck. "Your Charizard is so tall! Much sturdier than my Charla."
Charla—the female Charizard at her side—stood at about 172 centimeters, an average height for their kind. But strength-wise, Charla was no weakling; she had already reached the Elite Level Trainer tier.
That in itself said much about Liza's skill.
Before Yozora could reply, Liza whipped out a tape measure and quickly sized up his Charizard.
"Wow, two hundred and five centimeters! Even in Charizard Valley, that would put it in the upper-mid tier!" Liza exclaimed, genuinely astonished.
As the valley's caretaker, she knew better than anyone the standards of Charizard that lived there.
Those Charizard weren't weaklings. They came from all corners of the world, and the valley's environment—rich resources, perfect climate, endless sparring partners—ensured survival of the fittest.
The strong grew stronger. The weak… simply couldn't survive.
Generation after generation, only the finest genes remained, raising the valley's average strength higher and higher.
Even Liza herself, though caretaker, couldn't venture too deep into the valley. Doing so risked provoking its taboos.
And so, the fact that Yozora's Charizard stood at a size considered upper-mid among such elites was no small feat.
But Charizard was far from satisfied.
Its eyes narrowed, flashing cold light.
Upper-mid?
Charizard's prideful heart bristled.
Gentle as it could be, deep inside it was arrogant, unyielding.
In its eyes, it was the strongest Charizard in the world. How could it accept being called merely "upper-mid"?
"Haha…"
Catching the cold gleam in its gaze, Liza laughed aloud. She patted Yozora on the shoulder. "Well, kid, looks like your Charizard doesn't agree with me. How about putting that pride to the test in Charizard Valley?"
Charizard gave a low roar, staring at Yozora. Its meaning was clear—it wanted the challenge, wanted to prove its strength.
"All right. I'd like to see for myself the standards of Charizard Valley!" Yozora's eyes lit with anticipation. After making arrangements with Liza and preparing briefly, they set off.
Yozora rode on his Charizard, while Liza mounted Charla.
They flew swiftly.
In less than ten minutes, trainer and caretaker, dragon and dragoness, arrived at the entrance of Charizard Valley.
ROAR—!
Even before entering, guttural, savage roars echoed from within the canyon, sending shivers down the spine.
But to Charizard, those sounds were a call to battle, igniting its blood.
Charla, used to this atmosphere, remained calm.
Yozora's Charizard, however, grew excited, raising its head and bellowing in response.
"Steady, Charizard. Remember, a true strong one carries dignity." Yozora patted its wing, soothing it.
But in truth, he understood its excitement.
Through their bond—the Mind's Eye—he too could feel the overwhelming presence of countless powerful Charizard, even from the valley's outskirts.
Everywhere, strength radiated.
Here, even the ones lingering at the edge were at least Elite Level Pokémon.
Gym Leader-level Charizard were rare.
Lord-tier? They simply didn't exist.
In the wild, a Lord-tier Charizard was already extraordinary. Yet in Charizard Valley, they were weeded out long ago—outmatched, outclassed, slain in merciless competition.
"Ready? I'm opening the gates!" Liza called out. With a loud clang, the massive doors swung open.
The valley revealed itself—a vast canyon where Charizard of all shapes and sizes roamed.
Some were locked in combat, sparring fiercely. Others lounged in the sun or ate heartily.
But as the gates opened, many paused. Their gazes shifted toward the outsiders.
Toward the unfamiliar Charizard beside Yozora.
Their eyes were cold, indifferent. Some even glinted with scorn.
ROAR—!
Suddenly, a small, wiry Charizard charged forward, bellowing in challenge at Yozora's partner. Its cry brimmed with provocation.
"Hm? That Charizard… could it be Ash's?"
(End of Chapter)