The environment within the Valley of Inferno was exactly as its name implied: a veritable hellscape.
The moment Ash took his very first step into the valley, he felt as though the soles of his shoes were beginning to melt.
Even with a body tempered by countless trials and hardships, he felt as though the sheer heat of the place was threatening to melt him down completely.
A barrier formed by the power of Aura enveloped Ash, shielding him from the surrounding heat and sparing his clothes from incineration.
"In an environment like this, even if my body could withstand it, my clothes certainly couldn't. No wonder absolutely no one is able to enter this place," Ash remarked as he looked around. Although there were no artificial lights in the area, it was as bright as day—likely because the rocks throughout the valley glowed a fiery crimson.
These rocks, emitting a faint red luminescence, illuminated the entire interior of the valley.
"Roar!"
'The very ground beneath them was a volcanic caldera; however, the rocks here seemed to possess the ability to absorb thermal energy.
No matter how intense the heat, it would be absorbed by the stone, resulting in rocks that reached temperatures approaching—or even exceeding—that of molten magma.'
The King of the Charizards spoke up to explain why the environment within this "Purgatory Valley" was so harsh.
In reality, however, this so-called "harshness" applied only to humans; for Fire-type Pokémon, this place was the absolute ideal training ground.
Training in such a location allowed Fire-type Pokémon to achieve twice the results with half the effort.
Only he—as the King—was granted the privilege of utilizing this exceptional training ground.
This was, after all, one of the many benefits of being the King of Charizard Valley.
Ash glanced at his own Charizard, who nodded in agreement, confirming the King's assertions.
Spending an extended period in this place—even doing nothing at all—yielded immense benefits.
Not only would one's physical resistance to fire be strengthened, but the intensity of one's own flames would also reach even greater heights!
As for what other benefits might exist, that remained to be explored; yet, the advantages they had already sensed the moment they entered were enough to make the title of King of Charizard Valley seem more than worth the price.
"Roar!"
'Furthermore, the rocks in this place are far harder than you could possibly imagine.
Even a full-power strike from me would leave nothing more than a few faint cracks in the stone; as for fire, it cannot harm these rocks in the slightest.'
Therefore, if we were to engage in battle here, we could unleash our full power without a single reservation.
After speaking, the Charizard King turned his gaze toward Ash. If he had any reservations about the situation, it was solely because of Ash.
Although he was somewhat surprised that Ash had managed to walk into the Inferno Valley unscathed, even if Ash could withstand the valley's scorching heat, there was no guarantee he could survive the residual shockwaves of their battle.
The aftershocks of a Champion-level battle possess a terrifying power—enough to literally shake a human being to death. Furthermore, the Inferno Valley is vast and devoid of obstacles, leaving Ash with absolutely nowhere to take cover.
Once the fighting began, if they didn't hold back, the resulting shockwaves would inevitably slam into Ash. At that point, the Charizard King could offer no guarantees regarding Ash's fate.
Thus, this served as the Charizard King's final attempt at persuasion.
If Ash chose to retreat and leave now, the King would not stop him; he would simply settle the score with Ash's Charizard right there in the valley, then step outside to announce the outcome.
However, if Ash still refused to leave, the Charizard King would show no mercy. Whatever fate might befall Ash in the ensuing chaos would be entirely out of his hands.
"It's fine—don't worry about me. Putting everything else aside, a Champion-level battle isn't enough to affect me. If I couldn't handle even this much, what kind of Pokémon Trainer would I be? Don't you agree, Charizard?"
"Roar!!"
Ash's Charizard nodded without even turning around.
He harbored not a shred of doubt regarding his Trainer's strength; indeed, were it not for Ash, he wouldn't even be capable of standing before the Charizard King right now.
Though he was reluctant to admit it, if he were to face the Charizard King using only his own raw power, he would likely be knocked flat in less than a minute.
Therefore, Ash's presence was absolutely essential!
If Ash were forced to leave because he couldn't withstand the battle's aftershocks—to put it bluntly—there would be no point in his Charizard staying there either.
Without a Trainer present, not only would his Mega Evolution immediately revert, but he would also be unable to utilize their Aura Link.
Coupled with his stamina—which was already running on fumes—how on earth was he supposed to fight the Charizard King?
Seeing Ash's Charizard and Ash's obstinacy...
Faced with such obstinacy, the King of the Charizard Valley had no intention of offering further dissuasion.
They were all adults; they knew their own minds when making decisions and had to take full responsibility for the choices they made.
Even if Ash were to be injured—or even crippled—by the collateral effects of the battle, that, too, would be a consequence of his own choice.
The King felt he had already done everything humanly possible to dissuade Ash; his duty was discharged.
"Roar!"
"Since you have made this choice, I will not try to talk you out of it again. Let us begin, then—the final match, the duel that will determine the true King of the Charizard Valley! If you emerge victorious, in addition to gaining access to the Valley's ultimate training grounds, you shall also receive a special artifact—a treasure that has been passed down through the Charizard Valley for generations."
Ash didn't particularly care about the benefits of the training grounds; while the location was undoubtedly beneficial for a Charizard, it might not necessarily yield better results than training directly under his own guidance.
However, he was genuinely curious about that legendary artifact—the heirloom passed down through the Charizard Valley for so long.
Yet, no matter how curious he might be, he first had to defeat his opponent.
Ash and his Charizard simultaneously stepped back, widening the distance between themselves and the King of the Charizard Valley.
At the same time, Ash cast another glance at his opponent's stats. Although it wasn't his first time observing them, seeing them again left him utterly awestruck by the sheer magnificence of the King's abilities.
Peak Champion Rank—with every single attribute reaching Grade A.
Furthermore, three specific attributes—Special Attack, Speed, and Stamina—possessed a maximum potential ceiling of Grade S.
The only reason they hadn't yet reached that S-rank level was likely because the King had only recently broken through to the Peak Champion Rank.
When Lance's Charizard had fought earlier, this King of the Charizard Valley had likely been merely a "High-Tier Champion."
Now, however, he stood at the "Peak Champion" level.
If given just a little more time to elevate all of his attributes to their maximum S-rank potential, then Ash's Charizard would stand absolutely no chance of winning—it would be a foregone conclusion.
If Ash's Charizard were in peak physical condition, Ash wouldn't fear a head-on clash even against a King whose stats had reached their absolute S-rank limits.
But as things stood... his Charizard's current stamina was, to put it mildly, a complicated and dismal affair.
The mere fact that his opponent was at the Peak Champion Rank was already formidable enough; if he also possessed three attributes at Grade S, then this duel would be over before it even began.
"Do you feel it, Charizard?"
"Roar!"
"He's a formidable opponent; there's a good chance we might lose this time."
"Roar!!"
"True—but I certainly have no intention of giving up! This is the final battle, so let's unleash every ounce of our power!!"
Ash clenched his fists, his gaze sharpening into a piercing glare; the power of Aura he was channeling into Charizard's body surged to its absolute limit!
It wasn't just Charizard expending stamina; Ash, too, had been continuously using his Aura to amplify Charizard's abilities, a process that actually drained even more of his own physical energy than it did Charizard's.
However, Ash possessed a far deeper reserve of stamina, so he was still holding up reasonably well. Charizard, meanwhile, had managed to recover a small amount of energy thanks to their brief conversation and the time they had stalled at the entrance.
Although this recovered energy was merely a drop in the bucket, it was better than nothing.
Now, they had no further reservations; even if they were to collapse into unconsciousness the very moment they defeated their opponent, it would still count as a victory. And so, they chose to hold nothing back—to unleash their full power in one explosive burst!
"Charizard, use Dragon Claw!!"
"Roar!!"
It was his signature move once again—Dragon Claw.
Ever since undergoing Mega Evolution, it had become Charizard's favorite technique to employ; bolstered by the Tough Claws Ability, the sheer power of his Dragon Claw now surpassed even that of his Fire-type Blast Burn!
Emerald-green claws extended from Charizard's hands. With a powerful flap of his wings, his entire body rocketed upward from the ground, closing the distance to the Charizard King in the blink of an eye.
The Charizard King neither dodged nor evaded; instead, emerald-green claws extended from his own hands as well—executing the very same Dragon Claw technique!
"Clang!!"
The two sets of Dragon Claws clashed like blades of steel, sending a deafening roar echoing throughout the entire valley.
A visible shockwave rippled outward, slamming against the surrounding rock walls—yet the stone merely gave a faint tremor.
Just as the Charizard King had claimed, the rocks in this place were not only heat-resistant but also incredibly, impossibly hard.
The shockwave from the clash of Champion-level power caused nothing more than a slight tremor; as for Ash, under Mewtwo's protection, that meager impact had absolutely no effect on him.
Since Ash was currently channeling his full Aura power to link with Charizard, he had no reserves left to use his Aura for self-defense, leaving him entirely reliant on Mewtwo for protection.
Gardevoir had already returned to her Poké Ball earlier. Even from within the ball, she could clearly "see" the unfolding scene outside—including Mewtwo's act of shielding Ash.
At this moment, she felt deeply frustrated. If she could have, she would have been the first to use her Psychic powers to shield Ash.
Surely, she—the one who stood by his side—should be the one protecting Ash and his Pokémon companions.
Regrettably, however, given her current power level, she was simply incapable of generating a barrier strong enough to withstand the residual shockwaves of a clash between peak-level Champions; the disparity in power levels was simply too vast.
Had she undergone Mega Evolution, she might have been able to hold her ground—albeit barely. It would have been a precarious defense at best; managing to block even three strikes would have been considered a success.
Without Ash's assistance, she was currently powerless to intervene in a Champion-level battle—she could barely even manage to serve as a mere spectator.
Charizard, having undergone rigorous trials, had already ascended to the High-Tier Elite Four rank, whereas she remained at the Mid-Tier Elite Four rank... she was already being left behind!
From this point forward, she would have to push herself even harder to grow stronger; otherwise, how could she possibly fulfill her role as the team's leading lady?
Deep within the valley, the head-to-head clash between the two Charizards ultimately concluded with Ash's Charizard emerging as the slight victor.
Not only was Dragon Claw a STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) move for the Mega Charizard X—receiving a further boost from its Tough Claws Ability—but Ash's Charizard also held nothing back, unleashing a full-power strike without the slightest regard for conserving stamina. Consequently, in their initial collision, the "Charizard King's" Dragon Claw was decisively overpowered!
The two combatants exchanged blows three times. During the third exchange, the Charizard King's Dragon Claw was shattered by Ash's Charizard; the razor-sharp claws then slammed violently into the Charizard King's shoulder, leaving behind three gruesome, blood-soaked gashes.
The Charizard King refused to be outdone; enduring the damage inflicted by the dragon claws, he opened his massive jaws and unleashed a torrent of scorching flame—heat so intense it seemed capable of incinerating the very fabric of space itself!
Charizard made no attempt to dodge or evade, instead taking the full force of the Flamethrower directly to the head. Immediately following, the other dragon claw slammed into the Charizard King; three more deep gashes appeared across his chest.
After this fierce exchange, both combatants instinctively pulled back to create distance. Charizard panted heavily, his stamina depleted even further; the Charizard King, though bearing several gruesome wounds, had suffered no fundamental injury to his core vitality.
However, something puzzled the Charizard King: his Flamethrower seemed to have virtually no effect on Charizard.
Had it possessed even the slightest efficacy, Charizard wouldn't merely be panting right now; he would be slumped on one knee.
After all, Charizard's stamina was already running low; taking a direct hit from a Flamethrower to the head—even with inherent resistance—should theoretically have resulted in a significant drain on his remaining energy.
In truth, had Charizard not undergone Mega Evolution, the outcome would have unfolded exactly as the Charizard King predicted. But with Mega Evolution, the rules of the game changed entirely.
The dual Dragon/Fire typing granted Charizard a quadruple resistance to Fire-type moves. Even though the Charizard King's flames burned at temperatures far exceeding those of ordinary fire, they still fell short in the face of such overwhelming resistance.
Only if the Charizard King's flames could reach the same caliber as Charizard's—that transcendent black flame, surpassing even the legendary Sacred Fire—could they hope to inflict critical damage upon him.
In this initial clash, by exploiting the information asymmetry, Charizard had undoubtedly seized the upper hand.
However, the opponent would surely realize that something was amiss before long; if Charizard wished to capitalize on this moment and widen his advantage, now was the only chance.
"Dragon Rush!"
Dragon Rush—the most potent Dragon-type move Charizard is capable of learning.
A palpable aura of killing intent visibly coalesced around him—a chilling, lethal presence intense enough to leave even some entry-level Champion-tier Pokémon gasping for breath.
The Charizard King's expression grew solemn; the two claw strikes he had just endured made it abundantly clear just how potent Ash's Charizard's physical attacks truly were.
Even he—the Charizard King himself—could not hope to simply tank such blows indefinitely.
This time, the Charizard King opted against meeting force with equal force. Instead, he took a deep breath and unleashed a sudden, spiraling torrent of fire—Fire Spin!
His opponent specialized in physical attacks, while his own forte lay in special attacks. To pit his own weakness against his adversary's strength would be an act of sheer folly—something only a fool would do. Since his opponent seemed intent on a head-on physical clash, the logical first step was to use Fire Spin to restrict their movements.
The binding effect of Fire Spin would prevent his opponent from closing the distance and attacking with impunity. The battle would then devolve into a long-range exchange of attacks—a scenario in which the advantage would undoubtedly lie with him!
The Charizard King's strategy was sound, and the Fire Spin did indeed successfully ensnare Ash's Charizard—a beast now radiating with palpable killing intent.
However, in less than a second, the jet-black dragon—shrouded in that immense aura of malice—burst through the vortex.
A visible wave of blue killing intent surged toward the Charizard King, and amidst his look of utter shock, the attack struck dead center—right on the "bullseye"!
"BOOM!!"