"Roooaaar!"
"Roooaaar!"
"Roooar!!"
The entire valley shook as Yozora's Charizard underwent evolution once more, transforming into a brand-new form.
Every Charizard present froze in shock.
These were wild Charizard—powerful, yes, but lacking the ability to Mega Evolve on their own. None of them had ever seen the form of a Mega Charizard before.
There was no question about it—this was a presence that stood far above any ordinary Charizard!
"It's Mega Evolution?!" Liza gasped. To her, Yozora was nothing more than a rookie who had only set out a few years ago. Yet here he stood, already in command of the power of Mega Evolution. His potential was nothing short of terrifying.
"Rooaar!!"
Scarface's lazy, half-lidded eyes sharpened at last. With a bellow, he opened his massive jaws and unleashed a torrent of Flamethrower, roaring forward like a dragon of fire.
The attack was blindingly fast.
Before Yozora could even react, the inferno swallowed his Charizard whole.
But within the flames, Charizard stood firm, unfazed. Its aura only grew fiercer. That quadruple resistance to Fire was showing its worth!
"Rooaaar!!" Charizard roared, opening its maw wide and swallowing the flames that licked around its body.
"Go, Charizard! Use Thunder Punch!"
At Yozora's command, Charizard surged forward in a flash. With a piercing cry, it slammed into Scarface, fists crackling with lightning. A barrage of Thunder Punches rained down mercilessly.
"Bam! Bam! Bam!"
Scarface staggered backward, howling in pain.
With its Tough Claws ability amplified after Mega Evolution, Charizard's physical power was monstrous. And as a Fire/Flying type striking a pure Flying foe with Electric power—the attack was super effective! Double damage with every blow!
Even Scarface, as mighty as he was, could not endure such relentless strikes. His chest heaved, smoke poured from the scorched scales across his belly, and sweat drenched his brow as he panted heavily.
"So strong!!" Liza could hardly believe her eyes. No matter how she looked at it, Yozora was just a boy. And yet… this was the strength he commanded?
"Rooaaar…" Ash's Charizard watched, awe written across its face. In that moment, all it could see was the towering figure of Yozora's Charizard.
It longed for that form. Longed for the chance to surpass it with its own strength!
On the other side of the battlefield—
Even heavily wounded, Scarface's glare remained sharp, his expression twisted with fury.
No wonder he had once been the king of this valley. Even when pushed to the brink, his spirit never faltered.
"Hsssss…"
Steam hissed from his body as if his blood itself had ignited. A wave of blistering heat poured outward.
At the same time, Scarface's aura surged again, climbing to terrifying new heights.
"That's—!" Yozora's eyes widened.
Blast Burn!
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
With a thunderous roar, Scarface unleashed his ultimate move. The ground itself exploded beneath him, fire surging like magma, cascading toward Charizard in a cataclysmic wave.
Too fast.
Charizard couldn't take to the air in time. All it could do was unfurl its wings and brace itself.
"Rumble!!"
The explosion tore the valley apart, hurling up a storm of dust and steam.
When the smoke finally cleared—
Charizard stood battered, fresh wounds bleeding across its wings, but still standing tall.
Scarface, however, collapsed with a thunderous crash. The price of unleashing Blast Burn in his condition had drained him of all remaining strength.
The battle was over.
Yozora and Charizard had triumphed over Scarface.
"Clap, clap, clap—"
Applauding, Liza approached with wide-eyed amazement. "Yozora, your Charizard is unbelievable. To think it could defeat Scarface… Do you even realize what this means?"
As she spoke, she gestured for Yozora to look around.
Every Charizard in the valley was staring at him and his partner. Their eyes were filled with respect.
The respect one predator shows to another who has proven stronger.
Yozora only shook his head. At that moment, his Charizard's Mega Evolution shimmered away, returning to its original form.
While tending to Charizard's injuries, Yozora said quietly, "Scarface truly was powerful. But at the end of the day, he's still a wild Pokémon. He doesn't understand type matchups."
Blast Burn—an ultimate Fire-type move. Devastatingly strong, yes, but still a Fire attack.
And against Mega Charizard X, who resisted Fire fourfold, it was all but nullified.
If Scarface had a trainer, that trainer never would have let him risk using Blast Burn in such a state.
Yes, they had won—but in truth, it had been a two-against-one battle. Hardly something worth boasting about.
Seeing Yozora's humility, Liza nodded with approval.
Such genius talent. Such overwhelming power. And yet not a hint of arrogance. A true king in the making.
Yozora's gaze shifted back to Scarface.
Even unconscious, the fallen giant radiated an awe-inspiring presence.
Ash's Charizard stood around 1.7 meters. Yozora's was over two meters tall. But Scarface—Scarface stood at nearly 2.3 meters, maybe even more.
He was massive. Majestic. The kind of specimen that stirred a trainer's heart. Yozora almost reached for a Poké Ball on instinct.
A natural born pseudo-legendary in potential. With the support of his system, the possibilities would be limitless…
But after a moment's hesitation, he pulled his hand back.
One Charizard was enough. Better to raise his partner into the strongest Charizard in the world than to chase after another.
Though he didn't capture Scarface, Yozora still walked over and tended to his wounds personally. A small gesture of respect—and goodwill.
"Well, Yozora," Liza said suddenly, almost impishly. "Are you going to continue your challenge?"
Yozora blinked, caught off guard. He and Charizard had just defeated Scarface, and she was already egging him on?
But then he looked at his Charizard—and saw nothing but determination in its eyes.
Yozora nodded. "We'll continue. But not today. Tomorrow."
Liza tilted her head back toward the darkening sky and smiled. "Fair enough. It's late. Come rest at my place tonight."
After a full night of rest, Yozora and Charizard returned to the Charizard Valley at dawn.
At the outskirts, no one barred their way—not Scarface, not Ash's Charizard, nor any of the others.
They had already been defeated. The path forward now lay deeper within. Toward stronger foes.
Soon enough, Yozora, Liza, Charizard, and Charla reached the central region of Charizard Valley.
The land here was vast, lush, and filled with vitality—like a natural sanctuary.
Unlike the outskirts, the central zone was quieter. Fewer Charizard roamed here. Instead, there were many Charmander and Charmeleon.
The valley's children. The future of the Charizard clan.
…
…
(End of Chapter)