In a Black World —
Ash and Pryce had their first confrontation, which ended with Charizard being inferior in power.
Even mixed with Sacred Fire, the level gap between Charizard and Lapras was too great.
One was a high-tier Champion, the other was mid-Elite Four…
Defeating the opponent in a head-on clash was a complete fantasy.
Ash never planned to defeat Pryce head-on.
What he did just now was simply to test the gap between his current Charizard and Lapras.
The real fun… was just beginning now!
"Grandpa Pryce… you said… that the bond between humans and Pokémon is useless, right?"
Pryce didn't answer, but his expression was equivalent to assent.
"In that case… let me show you the power born from the bond between me and Charizard!"
As he spoke, Ash raised the Key Stone in his hand high!
The black-blue gem fastened to Charizard's right palm also emitted a dazzling light!
Pryce's expression stiffened. He had noticed the gem on Charizard's hand earlier but couldn't figure out what kind of held item it was.
Even with his knowledge, he couldn't identify any item resembling that exquisite, clear gem.
So it really wasn't just decorative… But why did this light look so much like evolution glow?
Pryce wondered silently.
At that moment, Charizard's body also erupted with extremely bright, multi-colored light!
Several brilliant rays burst from the gem on Charizard's hand, linking to the light from the Key Stone in Ash's hand, as if Pokémon and human were connected by some mysterious power!
Pryce could only watch as Charizard's form changed before his eyes!
Its body slowly transformed under the light, and then—the light shattered! A completely different Charizard appeared before Pryce!
It was an existence utterly distinct from the orange western dragon!
A pitch-black body, even more domineering!
Blue flames emitting a temperature that made the air tremble!
Sharp horns adorned its body, making the evolved Charizard look more aggressive!
This was—Mega Charizard! To be precise, Mega Charizard X!
"What is this?!"
At this moment, Pryce was no longer as calm and aloof as before; the cold look on his face had completely vanished, replaced by astonishment.
Prima, acting as referee, also had her eyes wide open, wearing a "what is this thing?" expression. If question marks could appear above their heads, they'd probably be covered in them now!
Charizard evolved again?
Was he dreaming?
Pryce still seemed unable to believe his own eyes.
"As you can see, Grandpa Pryce… my Charizard has evolved once more!"
"Relying on the bond between us, we successfully achieved a greater evolution!"
"Grandpa Pryce, the times have changed! Welcome to the Mega Era!"
Ash spread his arms, chest out, declaring to Pryce and the entire Gym in a passionate, excited tone that the version had been updated!
Now was—the Mega version!
...
[Gary: "The times have changed…" That line sounds so sarcastic!]
[Professor Oak: Something like that… Old man, the times have changed! No ship in the new era can carry you?]
[Pryce: Hey, hey, hey! Who are you calling old man? Don't forget you're the same age as me!]
[Professor Oak: Haha, just an analogy. Doesn't that line sound very impactful?]
[Lance: Look at Pryce's expression—it's even more shocked than when Ash calmed the Gyarados!]
If Pryce's expression before was like a deer in headlights, his shocked expression now was undoubtedly comet-hitting-Earth level, his face completely contorted!
However, Lance didn't dare to provoke him further.
A few more jabs and he might really get hammered into the ground by an enraged Pryce…
[Diantha: No matter how many times I see it, I still feel… this Mega Evolution is too shocking. It's undoubtedly much more convenient than Dynamax, which has time and location restrictions.]
[Cynthia: Indeed. That item might be a bit harder to find… The Dynamax Band can at least be manufactured. But aside from the Key Stones and Mega Stones given in the live stream, and knowing there's one in Charizard Valley, I haven't heard of them anywhere else.]
Giovanni probably had a Mega Stone, but since all memories related to Mewtwo were erased, he likely couldn't find it now.
[Steven: By the way, Steven, didn't you go to Clear Cliff to look for a Key Stone? Did you find it?]
[Wallace: Haha, if he had, he wouldn't be this quiet. He'd have jumped out to show off like crazy.]
[Steven: Hehehehe! How do you talk! Am I that kind of person?]
I am exactly that kind of person!
Steven was very self-aware of his behavior.
Otherwise, he wouldn't call himself "Mr. Charming."
Yes, that title was self-proclaimed!
Steven was actually quite narcissistic…
[Lorelei: It seems Black Ash isn't using Aura Fusion to achieve shared senses this time. Can he really defeat Pryce's Lapras with just Mega Evolution?]
[Pryce: Hmph, as long as Black Ash doesn't use weird tricks like that "Kirin" move, his Charizard definitely can't beat me!]
Previously, Black Ash used his mid-Champion-level Pikachu, enhanced multiple times, to barely hold his own against Giovanni's Beedrill, who had full intel on him while he knew little about Ash. He barely held on and released "Kirin" to defeat the Champion-level ace Beedrill.
But this is a Gym battle, not a life-or-death fight.
If Black Ash can't use that large-scale attack, how can he win?
Furthermore, Charizard doesn't have a life-threatening move like "Kirin," so… how could the Lapras lose?
[Misty: If you underestimate Ash, you'll pay the price!]
[Serena: That's right! Ash has done the so-called impossible countless times!]
[Lillie: Mmm The two above are correct. Especially Black Ash, who has beaten opponents countless times when others looked down on him, so… be careful]
[Pryce: Those were just immature Trainers. A Trainer like me, with decades of battle experience and extremely meticulous control over the field, will definitely not make such low-level mistakes!]
At this moment, Pryce was supremely confident in himself.
...
*In a Black World —*
Pryce's contorted face finally softened after much effort.
So what if it's a higher evolution through bonds, so what if it's the Mega Era…
Was he getting old? Why couldn't he understand what Ash was saying?
What on earth was that evolution?!
Was this dark guy even a Charizard?
It was completely different from the original!
Ah, no… it seemed somewhat similar, but its presence was utterly different from the Charizard just now!
This… this was a direct leap from Elite Four to Champion!
He didn't know what tier of Champion, but it had definitely entered Champion level!
Was this what Ash meant by… Champion-level strength?
He originally thought the opponent was sending Charizard out as fodder, but it turned out… he came with a trump card!
This trump card truly made Pryce's heart uneasy.
Pryce slowly calmed the chaotic thoughts in his mind and asked Ash,
"Is this the next stage of Charizard's evolution? When did this appear? Does everyone outside know Charizard can evolve further? Also, Charizard's evolution has absolutely nothing to do with emotional bonds!"
"If I see correctly, the reason it can evolve depends on the gem on its hand and the gem in your hand."
"Don't talk about the power of bonds here!"
After firing off a string of questions, Pryce took the lead in denying what Ash just said before he could answer.
Even now, Pryce still refused to acknowledge so-called emotions and the power of bonds!
If he admitted it… it would undoubtedly mean his decades-long belief was completely wrong!
By then, he would have already lost half the battle!
Because this wasn't just a Gym battle, but a clash of convictions between both sides!
If anyone admitted their words were false, that side would be no different from losing before the battle even began!
"Indeed, the role of those gems is very important. Without them, I'm afraid Charizard couldn't evolve just through simple bonds."
Ash didn't deny the role of the Mega Stone.
After all, without Key Stones and Mega Stones, at best he could only use Aura Fusion to strengthen Charizard. Achieving evolution… at least he couldn't do it yet.
But…
"To complete this evolution, you need Mega Stones and Key Stones, yes. But more importantly, the bond between Pokémon and humans!"
"Only the bond between humans and Pokémon can stimulate the power of the Mega Stone and Key Stone, turning it into evolutionary energy!"
"Additionally… this evolution is currently only known to be possible by my Charizard in the world. It hasn't officially appeared before the world. If possible… please keep it a secret for me, Grandpa Pryce."
"I also want to use this move as a secret weapon to surprise Miss Lorelei."
Ash mentioned the names "Mega Stone" and "Key Stone."
As for how to activate them, it was Ash's guess, but he did use this method to stimulate their energy.
Hearing this, Pryce fell silent.
He could sense Ash wasn't lying. Was this evolution, relying on the so-called power of Mega Stones, Key Stones, and bonds, really a power unique to this young man…?
Maybe in the future, more Key Stones and Mega Stones would be discovered, and this power would spread worldwide.
But at least for now, only this boy could use it.
That wasn't the point.
The point was… the power of evolution through bonds that Ash spoke of made Pryce's heart waver slightly. How deep must a bond be to produce such a miraculous evolution?!
Could it be… he was really wrong?
No!
He wasn't wrong!
The fact that Piloswine still wasn't by his side was the strongest proof!
No matter what, it was a fact that Piloswine abandoned him!
He wanted to prove that… bonds and such were completely useless!
Thinking this, Pryce's gaze grew fiercer.
If he wanted to prove it… the best way was to defeat this Charizard that evolved through bonds!
"I'll keep your secret. But now..."
"Ah~ I know. Now… let's start the second round, Grandpa Pryce!"
Ash's excitement from Charizard's evolution slowly calmed.
After all, this was his second time commanding Mega Charizard. His mood was relatively normal now; it was normal to be excited.
After calming down, Ash narrowed his eyes and waved his hand!
"Charizard, go! Use Dragon Claw!"
"Roar!!"
The jet-black dragon roared skyward. Emerald green light shone from its thick arms.
In a blink, the emerald energy formed into sharp claws covering its palms.
Then, Charizard flapped the claw-like wings on its back, its figure turning into a streak of black lightning, arriving before Lapras in an instant!
Pryce couldn't help but narrow his pupils. This speed… so fast!
"Protect!"
**Screech—**
The sharp weapon scratched against a transparent green barrier, making a grating sound!
Even though Mega Charizard's speed exceeded Pryce's expectations, he still commanded Lapras to react in time.
Protect's absolute defense helped Lapras block Charizard's sharp claws!
Any slower, and Lapras might have been struck by the Dragon Claw.
"Water Gun."
Without the slightest pause, Pryce immediately issued the next command.
He now completely treated Ash as a Trainer of the same level.
In a Champion-level battle, a moment's hesitation or a slightly slower command could have serious consequences!
One step slow, every step slow!
Now, Pryce was fully in the zone; in his eyes… there was only Charizard!
"Oh~"
The emerald green shield before Lapras vanished after blocking the Dragon Claw.
Churning water instantly gathered in its mouth, then blasted out with the force of a tidal wave!
"Thunder Punch!"
**Crackle!!**
Charizard transformed its claw into a fist, bright golden electricity enveloping it, then swung it out like a meteor!
**Boom!!**
Water Gun and Thunder Punch collided at almost point-blank range!
At this moment, Charizard's strength finally became clear to Pryce!
Low-tier Champion!
Though leaping from mid-Elite Four to low-tier Champion was still terrifying, at the same tier, there was no way to block Lapras's Water Gun!
In a head-on collision, Charizard should still be at an absolute disadvantage!
However, that wasn't the case.
The golden-lightning-wrapped fist and the surging water column were in a stalemate. As Charizard roared, the electric current on its black fist traveled up the Water Gun and violently shocked Lapras's body!
"How can this be? Can Thunder Punch block my Water Gun?!"
Pryce shouted in disbelief.
Simultaneously, Lapras, struck by the electricity, let out a pained cry.
Charizard's power was also spent, its fist and even its whole body sent flying back!
But after Charizard flapped the tooth-like feathers on its back, it hovered mid-air without serious issue.
At this point, Pryce was still puzzled.
True, Electric-type moves were super effective against Water-types, but water only conducted electricity; it didn't have the same effect as water extinguishing fire.
Therefore, Thunder Punch versus Water Gun was purely a contest of strength between the two!
Although it was only a few seconds, Charizard blocked the Water Gun and even allowed the electricity to travel up it to Lapras.
Theoretically… a low-tier Champion Charizard should be instantly overwhelmed by a high-tier Champion Lapras's Water Gun!
What was happening now?
Was this so-called Mega thing… that powerful?
...
[Pryce: I can't understand it, but I'm shocked! How can a non-STAB Thunder Punch from a low-tier Champion temporarily compete with a high-tier Champion's Water Gun?]
[Professor Sycamore: I think… it has something to do with the fact that after Mega Evolving, the Pokémon's various abilities are enhanced.]
It was true that Mega Evolution raised its level, but… there were also gaps within the same tier! A Charmander of the same level can't compete with a Charizard, right?
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