In a Black World —
Inside Charizard Valley,Ji Kehu looked at the heavily panting Ash with suspicion.
Ash had clearly been standing behind Charizard the whole time—issuing commands, shouting loudly, and making exaggerated gestures.
So why did he look even more exhausted than Charizard itself?
Something felt off.
Just now, when Charizard had been blasted away, Ash had twisted his body in a strange, unnatural way.
Could it be that—
"Ash is… imitating Charizard?" Ji Kehu suddenly blurted out."He probably thinks that by copying Charizard's movements and entering the same state, he can better understand Charizard's emotions and issue better commands. Right?"
The trio fell silent.
…What kind of thought process is that?
Does a normal person even think like this?
After a brief exchange of looks, the three decided not to explain the truth.
After all, this was Ash's signature trump card.
If Ji Kehu figured it out herself, that was fine—but there was no reason to spell it out for her.
Besides…
Ji Kehu clearly looked intelligent, but somehow she felt a little too straightforward.
On the battlefield —
"Huff… huff… huff… Is that all?""Come again!"
"ROAR—! Cough!"
Charizard, the victor, roared proudly toward the sky in provocation.
But just as flames reached its throat, it only spat out a weak wisp of smoke—choking itself in the process.
Even Ash felt a surge of exhaustion ripple through his body.
The Charizard defeated just now was already considered Elite Four–level.
And even though Ash's Charizard had undergone Aura Fusion, it still hadn't truly reached the mid-tier Elite Four threshold.
The gap between levels wasn't enormous—
With proper tactics, defeating a wild Charizard at that level wouldn't have been this hard.
But tactics?
Ash and Charizard had never planned to use them.
They had come to Charizard Valley.
What tactics were there to talk about?
Straightforward.Head-on.No tricks.
No clever moves.No exploiting openings.No opportunistic victories.
None of that existed here.
In this place, there was only one standard—
Who had the stronger body.Who had the stronger will.
Winning by any other method was no different from losing.
That was Charizard's belief.
And it was Ash's belief as well.
That was why they now looked completely drained.
At this point, even a Charizard slightly weaker than the last one could probably defeat them.
But surrender?
That word didn't exist for them.
As long as they hadn't fallen—
They hadn't lost.
"BOOM—""BOOM—"
Heavy, thunderous footsteps echoed throughout the valley.
The ground trembled.
A massive Charizard with a deep scar slashed across one eye slowly stepped forward.
Every step it took shook the entire valley.
And the moment it appeared—
Most of the Charizard present lowered their proud heads in reverence.
Only two or three Charizard continued to stare at it solemnly.
Ji Kehu's expression changed drastically.
"How… how is this possible…"
Sabrina spoke calmly.
"Shouldn't you be saying something like, 'He's here—Ash is done for this time,' instead?"
Ji Kehu's mouth twitched.
"That's not just 'done'—that's certain death!"
"The moment he steps out, Ash's challenge is over."
She clenched her fists.
"Honestly, even if he hadn't appeared, any high-tier Charizard would've been enough to defeat Ash in his current state."
"But maybe…"
"…this is about respect."
Ji Kehu couldn't help but admire Ash and his Charizard.
"To challenge Charizard Valley as an outsider and reach this point—Ash is only the second person in history to do so."
"The first was the current Johto Champion, Lance."
"But even Lance couldn't force the top-tier Charizard to come out."
She took a deep breath.
"That means Charizard Valley acknowledges Ash's Charizard even more than they acknowledged Lance back then."
As she spoke, Ji Kehu finally revealed the scarred Charizard's identity—
One of the top three Charizard in the valley.
A Champion-level existence.
Even at his absolute peak, Ash's Charizard would never have been its match.
Sabrina didn't argue this time.
She understood perfectly what Champion-level truly meant.
She silently began gathering psychic energy—
If Charizard fell, Ash would fall with it.
Misty and Brock watched Ash anxiously.
Misty wanted to shout for him to stop.
But when she met Ash and Charizard's eyes—
The words died in her throat.
Persuasion would only be an insult.
To be honest—
Ash looked miserable right now.
But—
He looked incredibly cool.
Live Broadcast —
Lance: "No way—that Charizard actually came out?! Does Charizard Valley value Ash that highly?"
Ji Kehu: "Even Champion Lance didn't receive this treatment back then.""Perhaps Ash's willingness to fight alongside his Pokémon—and Charizard's indomitable will—earned their respect."
Lance: "…There's more to it.""They may have realized that Ash's Charizard has even greater potential—and fiercer willpower—than mine."
Lance: "Black World Ash's Charizard had its foundation repaired by the Rainbow Wing, and evolved naturally through constant battle."
"That's how a Charizard should grow."
"Even under a trainer, it retained its ferocity—and that willpower can allow it to fight above its level."
"That's why the top Charizard stepped out."
"This is the highest respect Charizard Valley can give."
Ash clenched his fists.
A Champion-level enemy…
In another world, he would be facing that monster.
Even Elite Four Lorelei's ace would struggle against it.
Yet now—
It stood before another version of himself.
Hope was slim—
But Ash still shouted from the depths of his heart:
"Charizard will win!!"
Misty and Brock jumped.
"What are you doing?!""You scared us half to death, Ash!"
Ash scratched his head awkwardly.
In Charizard Valley, another Charizard watching the broadcast felt the same tension.
It was as if he himself stood on that battlefield—
Cheering for his counterpart in another world.
In a Black World —
Facing the scarred Charizard, the feedback from Ash's Aura screamed a single truth:
You cannot win.
Against a Champion—
Victory was impossible.
Then fight anyway.
"Charizard—let's go!"
"Divine Jet Flame!"
"ROAR!!"
Brilliant flames erupted from Charizard's tail.
Within the orange-red inferno, a faint yet dazzling iridescent light flickered.
After mastering wind manipulation through the Silver Wing, Pidgeot had gained incredible control.
So what had Charizard gained from long-term contact with the Rainbow Wing?
The answer—
Divine Fire.
The sacred flame wielded by Ho-Oh and Entei.
A flame belonging to top-tier Legendary Pokémon.
Even in minuscule quantities, Divine Fire crushed ordinary flames outright.
Charizard could only convert a fraction—
Perhaps 5% of its flames.
But even that increased its firepower by at least 50%.
This move had been saved—
For this impossible opponent.
Flames surged forth, space itself seeming to distort.
Yet—
The scarred Charizard simply flapped its wings.
BOOM!
The flames engulfed it.
"Did it work?!" Brock shouted.
Sabrina's face darkened.
"No… not at all."
The flames shattered apart.
The scarred Charizard stood unscathed.
It had brushed the attack aside like dust.
The gap between them—
Was an abyss.
"One more time!" Ash shouted stubbornly.
But the scarred Charizard had already shown enough respect.
Now—
It was time to end this.
In an instant, it vanished.
The next second—
Charizard's throat was seized by silver-white claws.
Ash clutched his own neck, mirroring the pain.
Ji Kehu frowned deeply.
"Is Ash… really imitating Charizard now?"
No one answered.
Sabrina was ready to strike.
Misty's fists trembled.
Ji Kehu finally fell silent, confusion filling her face.
This was supposed to be just a battle—
Why did it feel like everything might collapse?
On the field—
Charizard struggled, flames fading.
The scarred Charizard struck its abdomen.
Pain exploded.
Ash's vision blurred.
Was this… the end?
No.
I refuse.
Charizard's claws suddenly tightened—
Gripping the scarred Charizard's wrists.
At that exact moment—
The image froze.
Everyone watching froze with it.
What the hell?!
Why stop now?!
They wanted to see—
Could Black World Ash find hope in this despair?
Text appeared on the screen:
A: Aura erupts against the flow, Charizard reaches Champion-level briefly, but Ash loses Rainbow Wing qualification.
B: Charizard repels the enemy through sheer will, but collapses from exhaustion.
C: Ash loses control, strikes directly, and all three are defeated.
D: Bond synchronization reaches its peak, causing a miracle—Charizard evolves further and reverses the outcome.
The timer began.
Even the Champions went silent.
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