"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"
"Electabuzz, use Thunderbolt!"
Both Trainers gave their orders. Charizard and Electabuzz attacked at the same time.
Flames and lightning clashed again, bursting into a brilliant display.
From the details, Gu Yuan could tell that Charizard's power was slightly lower than Electabuzz's.
When the difference in strength was small, what decided victory was the Trainer's commands and the Pokémon's mastery of its moves.
Relying on its top-level mastery of Flamethrower, Charizard could boost itself with Flame Charge while still using Flamethrower.
That was why Ayako's Magnezone had been defeated. It was also the key for Gu Yuan to win against Electabuzz.
"Flamethrower, fly up, then use Fire Blast!"
Using its newly boosted speed, Charizard quickly widened the distance.
The burning flames gathered and formed a massive blazing kanji that fell from the sky.
The hot wind rushed forward, but Reima Mizutani calmly ordered Electabuzz to counter with Thunder.
Right after, he told Electabuzz to use Thunder Punch.
Based on Gu Yuan's earlier battle with Ayako, Gu Yuan had Charizard use Flamethrower again, but this time, Electabuzz blocked it with its prepared Thunder Punch.
Reima Mizutani was arrogant but not stupid.
When he decided to teach Gu Yuan a lesson, he first watched Gu Yuan's battle against Ayako. He identified the key to Gu Yuan's victory and came up with a counterplan.
If he could break Gu Yuan's control of the battle's rhythm, Charizard would be forced into a war of attrition. With slightly higher power, Electabuzz would have the upper hand.
Keeping Charizard in the air would drain its stamina further. Even if Charizard activated Blaze at the end, Reima planned to erase that advantage through accumulated damage and win.
"Charizard, give it everything you've got! Use Flamethrower!"
Gu Yuan's voice echoed, and a flash of excitement passed through Charizard's eyes.
After holding back for so long, it could finally unleash its true power.
A pillar of fire shot forward toward Electabuzz.
"Electabuzz, use Thunderbolt! Prepare Thunder Punch!"
Seeing Charizard repeat what he thought was a useless tactic, Reima smirked.
Just as fire and lightning were about to collide, Charizard's flames suddenly spread out.
Part of the fire wrapped around the lightning, weakening Thunderbolt, while the rest continued toward Electabuzz.
Panicking, Electabuzz used Thunder Punch to block, but that gave Gu Yuan and Charizard the chance to seize the rhythm.
"This is Expert level mastery!"
Unlike the shocked audience, many sharp-eyed viewers watching the live stream realized what was happening.
At that moment, Gu Yuan didn't know that, at his young age, he had already impressed countless people.
"I didn't expect his special ability to be this powerful. Looks like I really found someone extraordinary."
In front of a screen, Shadow watched Charizard demonstrate its Expert-level Flamethrower and immediately knew the battle's outcome was set.
He closed the screen and went back to his work. There were still many plans waiting for Shadow to refine and oversee.
"Charizard, use Flame Charge, then Flamethrower!"
On the battlefield, Gu Yuan's command rang out. As flames wrapped around Charizard, another blazing column burst forward.
On the ground, Reima Mizutani had Electabuzz use Discharge to cover a wider area and avoid a repeat of the earlier mistake.
Charizard concentrated Flamethrower into a single point, piercing through Discharge, then blasted Electabuzz directly.
A moment later, a bloody wound appeared on Electabuzz's left arm.
The pain twisted its face, but it clenched its teeth and refused to retreat.
Charizard's flames burned hotter, gathering again into another Flamethrower.
Seeing that seemingly simple fire pillar, Reima hesitated.
Neither Thunderbolt nor Discharge could counter Charizard's unpredictable Flamethrower.
Helplessly, he ordered Electabuzz to use Thunder again.
With Thunder's raw power, whether Charizard's flames scattered or concentrated, they shouldn't be able to break through. That was Reima's only idea left.
Charizard's scattered flames fell, damaging Electabuzz, while it flapped its wings to dodge the low-accuracy Thunder with ease.
"Charizard, use Flame Charge, then Fire Blast!"
After three Flame Charges, Charizard's speed reached a terrifying level.
Before Thunder's glow even faded, Fire Blast had already formed and shot toward Electabuzz.
"Electabuzz, counter with Thunder!"
The moment lightning and fire clashed, Reima saw Charizard dive lower, unleashing Flamethrower that split into fiery ropes wrapping toward Electabuzz.
By the time Reima shouted a warning, it was too late.
The fire ropes tangled around Electabuzz, burning painfully. It couldn't maintain Thunder, and Fire Blast broke through.
The next instant, Fire Blast exploded on impact, engulfing Electabuzz in searing flames.
Charizard flapped its wings and used Heat Wave.
The wind fed the flames, and Electabuzz's screams echoed through the arena.
Hearing that, Reima instinctively reached for his Poké Ball, ready to recall it.
He knew Electabuzz had no chance left, and continuing would only make it suffer.
But when he saw Gu Yuan's confident expression, anger flooded him. His reason burned away.
"Electabuzz, hang in there, and use Thunder!"
"Charizard, use Fire Blast, Dragon Rush, then Fire Blast again!"
The moment Reima spoke, Gu Yuan's voice followed, sharp and commanding.
A rapid chain of orders. Charizard's eyes turned fierce.
Gu Yuan had already spoken to Charizard through telepathy, telling it to hit hard.
First came Fire Blast. Electabuzz, wracked with pain, couldn't respond with Thunder in time.
The flames that had been fading suddenly blazed brighter.
Taking advantage of the moment, Charizard dove at full speed and sent Electabuzz flying.
Then another Fire Blast followed, hitting faster than the Poké Ball's recall beam.
Electabuzz couldn't even cry out anymore. It was on the verge of collapse.
As it fell onto the stage, Reima quickly surrendered, terrified that Gu Yuan would go too far.
In truth, he was overthinking.
Gu Yuan wouldn't do anything extreme in front of a live audience. But behind the scenes, Reima Mizutani would surely think twice before provoking him again.