That afternoon, Ash and Sabrina finally witnessed the so-called Dragon Fang ceremony.
In reality, it was a prayer ritual performed within the crescent-shaped lake of Dragon Valley. The valley itself was famous for being the place where countless Dragon-type Pokémon had once gathered before eventually spreading throughout the world.
Later, they also met Joe's mother and her Dragonite.
Ash quickly sensed the Pokémon's strength. It had clearly reached the peak of the Champion level and was even slightly stronger than Lance's Dragonite.
By the time the ceremony ended, it was already past three in the afternoon.
Ash originally thought there would be no Gym battle today, but after noticing there was still plenty of time remaining, he directly challenged Joe, who was currently acting as the Gym Leader.
Naturally, she accepted.
"The match format will be a two-on-two battle. The challenger may switch Pokémon once during the match, while the Gym Leader may not."
Inside the Blackthorn Gym battlefield, Kabu stood at the center holding red and green flags as he calmly announced the rules.
"Go, Kingdra!"
The moment Kabu finished speaking, Joe immediately sent out one of her main Pokémon.
Although Ash's Charizard had placed tremendous pressure on her earlier, she still held onto a trace of confidence. In her mind, Ash had already used one of his strongest Pokémon today, so the rest of his team might not necessarily surpass hers.
"Kingdra? Compared to the ones we met at the Whirl Islands, this one isn't even close."
Ash glanced at Joe's Kingdra and instantly judged its strength before casually throwing out a Poké Ball.
"Go, Mega Rhyperior."
A massive Pokémon appeared on the battlefield with a heavy roar.
Mega Rhyperior was the evolved form of Ash's Rhyperior. Not long ago, after intensive training, Ash had finally used the Armor Stone to complete its evolution into Mega Rhyperior.
After evolving, it retained the Water typing it had mutated into during its earlier stage. Although it could no longer use Water-type attacks, Ash wasn't disappointed in the slightest.
After all, the Water typing completely eliminated Mega Rhyperior's greatest weakness.
"Mega Rhyperior? He's really still a rookie. He doesn't even understand type matchups."
The moment Joe saw Ash send out a Ground and Rock-type Pokémon against Kingdra, the nervousness in her heart instantly faded. She even began wondering if she had been overly cautious from the start.
"Hmph."
Ash merely snorted after hearing Joe's comment.
For trainers who judged battles solely based on type advantages, he couldn't even be bothered explaining himself.
The best response was crushing them completely.
"Is Ash underestimating Joe a little too much? Using a Ground and Rock-type Pokémon against Kingdra..."
Liza frowned slightly while watching from the sidelines.
"He wouldn't make such a basic mistake. Ash's Mega Rhyperior isn't ordinary."
Sabrina spoke calmly.
After all, she had personally witnessed Ash training Mega Rhyperior.
"Kingdra, use Water Gun!"
Seeing Ash's dismissive expression, Joe let out a cold snort before immediately giving an order.
"King!"
Kingdra cried out as a powerful stream of water burst from its mouth and shot toward Mega Rhyperior.
Under normal circumstances, Water Gun would be extremely effective against a Rock and Ground-type Pokémon.
But Ash's Mega Rhyperior had already mutated and possessed the Water typing.
The instant the Water Gun struck its body, it had absolutely no effect whatsoever.
Mega Rhyperior simply shook its massive body, instantly dispersing the attack.
"What?!"
Joe, Liza, and even Kabu widened their eyes in shock.
Kabu was experienced enough not to judge battles purely at surface level. He had already guessed that Ash's Mega Rhyperior likely possessed some method of dealing with Water-type attacks.
But he never expected Kingdra's Water Gun to become completely ineffective.
It was practically unbelievable.
Yet the reality stood directly before them.
"ROAR!"
After dispersing the Water Gun, Mega Rhyperior suddenly roared toward Kingdra before leaping directly into the battlefield's central pool.
"How is this possible? Mega Rhyperior should be Rock and Ground-type. No matter which typing it has, Water should still be its weakness!"
Watching Mega Rhyperior standing within the water completely unharmed, Joe's confidence began wavering once again.
"Hmph... Ash's Rhyperior mutated back when it was still a Rhydon and gained the Water typing. That attribute remained even after evolving. Otherwise, why would Ash send it out against Kingdra?"
Sabrina explained coldly, even giving Joe a contemptuous glance that made her grit her teeth in frustration.
But Sabrina was right.
The moment Ash sent out Mega Rhyperior, Joe had underestimated him.
"Mega Rhyperior, use Rock Wrecker."
Almost the instant Sabrina finished speaking, Ash's command followed.
"ROAR!"
Mega Rhyperior let out a thunderous roar as enormous rocks formed around its body through condensed energy before launching forward like massive artillery shells toward Kingdra.
"Kingdra, dodge it!"
Joe reacted quickly after seeing the incoming attack.
Within the water, Kingdra's speed was extremely high. Although Mega Rhyperior's Rock Wrecker possessed terrifying power and impressive speed, its massive size still made it easier for Kingdra to evade.
"Even if it isn't afraid of Water-type attacks, fighting Kingdra inside the water is still a mistake."
Watching Kingdra swiftly dodge the barrage, Joe gradually regained some confidence.
Unfortunately for her, that confidence shattered almost immediately in the next moment.
"Mega Rhyperior, change the battlefield. Use Earth Core Shift."
Under Joe's stunned gaze, Mega Rhyperior slammed both feet down within the water.
RUMBLE!!!
The entire battlefield began shaking violently.
Huge cracks instantly spread across the arena floor as the water from the central pool rapidly drained into the fissures.
Then Mega Rhyperior stomped down once more.
BOOM!!!
The entire battlefield split apart.
Once the smoke and shattered debris finally settled, the entire arena had completely transformed.