Perhaps... it's really not like Chimchar is acting out a role for him, but rather their compatibility isn't right, and his training methods don't suit Chimchar.
Also, when Chimchar first erupted with Super Blaze, he clearly lost his mind. Now, during the second eruption, he's lost his mind once again. It's unknown what Ash did, but Monferno actually regained his lost sanity.
This is something that only Ash can achieve. If it were him, he estimates that in the previous eruptions of Fierce Fire, he could only suppress the opponent with sheer strength.
The only way for him to control that flame is to have Chimchar keep using it; there's no other method.
As for how Ash managed it... it should be related to that special power within his body, which isn't something everyone can possess.
On the field, the flames gradually subsided, and Monferno descended from the air, standing firmly on the ground with its eyes fixed on the center. After two consecutive eruptions of flames, no one knows if it can deal with Gengar.
The punch and the blast just now have almost exhausted all the strength within him. Having just evolved, his strength was forcibly enhanced, and along with being in the Fierce Fire state close to exhausting physical strength, using the power of Super Blaze rapidly depletes it further.
You could say the debuff is maxed out!
If Gengar doesn't fall, then he's out of options. With his current physical strength, not to mention Flamethrower, even Ember he might not be able to pull off.
The smoke cleared, Gengar stuck out its tongue, lying motionless on the field in a spread-eagle position.
After a moment, the referee announced, "Gengar has lost his fighting ability, Monferno wins!"
He won!
An Advanced Peak level Pokémon beating Professional Junior level! And it just upgraded to Advanced Peak; its abilities across the board can't really be called Advanced Peak. It won under these circumstances thanks entirely to Super Blaze!
"Super reversal!!! Just now, the retreating Monferno suddenly turned the tables and defeated Gengar in an instant. Is this the true power of Monferno?" The commentator's voice was filled with praise for Monferno.
Even he can't decipher what just happened with his wealth of knowledge. The last burst of power from Monferno looked like Fierce Fire, but Fierce Fire only enhances Fire-type moves, not to mention a fifty percent increase won't cause Monferno's power to surge to such a level in such short time.
So the commentator genuinely doesn't understand what happened; was that Monferno's true ability or the ability manifesting after Monferno erupted in Fierce Fire?
Regardless, Monferno has won now, so it's valid to heap praises; an Advanced Peak Pokémon defeating a Professional Level Pokémon in two moves is worthy of praise!
In the special guest seating, Leon stroked his chin whiskers with a curious expression on his face: "Interesting, that eruption must've been Fierce Fire, right? That Fierce Fire is far stronger than normal."
Cynthia nodded: "Yes, before the eruption Monferno was inferior to Gengar in all aspects, but after the eruption, Monferno completely surpasses Gengar in ATK; conservatively estimating, that Fierce Fire enhances Fire-type moves by at least a hundred and twenty percent."
Normally, Fierce Fire enhances by roughly fifty percent, but Monferno's Fierce Fire reaches a hundred and twenty percent, and this is just a guess — the actual might be stronger. This Monferno is not average at all!
"His Fierce Fire doesn't just enhance Fire-type moves; it also increases his physical qualities to various extents, with the most notable being Speed, which now might exceed Professional Level speeds — how can Fierce Fire affect that aspect?" Leon too found this difficult to comprehend.
It's one thing if the enhancement scales with the individual Pokémon, but the Speed and power boost — what's that about? Is it still Fierce Fire?
"It might just be that Monferno's physique is quite unique. From the first moment I saw him, I perceived his potential as high, but I never imagined it'd reach this level. With proper training, future Championship will be within reach, and with that Fierce Fire power, even among Champions it'll be hard to find a match." Cynthia expressed with amazement.
She already thought highly of Monferno's potential, and in Ash's hands, Monferno indeed blossomed, rapidly soaring from Advanced Junior Level to Advanced Peak. Evolution played a part, but his talent was crucial.
Monferno's combat talent is extraordinary too; the Fierce Fire enhanced battle abilities are terrifying. Fierce Fire increases skills by a guaranteed percentage, so if Monferno's Fierce Fire has additional enhancement, then as his level rises, the Fierce Fire won't lose any effectiveness.
This is why Cynthia believes Monferno, upon reaching Champion, can become unrivaled within that tier.
"Oh? You think so highly of that Monferno?" Leon raised an eyebrow, surprised by Cynthia's bold predictions, knowing how cautious she usually is and rarely speaks without certainty.
Cynthia now claims Monferno can reach Champion and even hold an edge among Champions — an assessment he's never heard from her. Is this Monferno truly that impressive?
"Not just Monferno; really, I'm more optimistic about that kid... if it's him, he can fully realize Monferno's potential. We might expect a worthy opponent to face in the near future." Cynthia cast her gaze towards Ash below.
Monferno's potential is one matter; Ash being able to unlock it is what truly makes him remarkable.
Take Paul, for instance; the amount of time Monferno spent with him is less relevant. His approach with Chimchar was too forceful, attempting to evoke Chimchar's power through simplistic means, but it backfired.
Ash in mere days, upon capturing Chimchar, awakened its strength, showing the stark contrast between the two's methods.
It's not about boosting others' prestige over one's own; Paul and Ash indeed differ considerably, and she's quite keen to see the clashes and sparks flying between them head-on.
"Ash... he certainly is an intriguing person, though a bit young still. To stand before us will take two to three years at the quickest." Leon's evaluation of Ash was high, considering that timeframe when Ash would be seventeen or eighteen.
Although Cynthia became a Champion at eighteen, she reached Peak Champion status at twenty, which is now.
Leon predicts Ash might achieve their level — at least having one Champion Peak Pokémon — by eighteen, or he won't stand on equal footing with them.
Cynthia's smile deepened into something breathtaking: "Two or three years... why do I feel he might come to challenge us in less than a year?"
Leon: ???
Less than a year? That's rather extreme! If Ash can train a Champion Peak Pokémon in under a year, he'll gladly discard his promotional cloak!