The Dragon Rush struck dead center, landing a direct hit on the Charizard King, who remained rooted to the spot.
The Charizard King had never imagined that his Fire Spin would fail to stall Ash's Charizard for even a single instant; he was struck by the Dragon Rush before he even had a chance to dodge.
In the very moment the Dragon Rush connected, amidst the searing pain, the Charizard King realized a crucial fact: Fire-type moves had a negligible effect on Charizard in its current form.
The same applied to his earlier Flamethrower attack.
Although he had elevated the intensity of his Fire-type moves by several notches—to a level where even Fire-type Pokémon, typically resistant to fire, would sustain significant damage (certainly more than the standard reduced damage)—for Ash's Charizard, such attacks felt no more threatening than a mere tickle.
Ultimately, the explanation lay in the specific form Ash's Charizard had assumed. This particular form possessed an exceptionally high resistance to fire; consequently, fire-based attacks were rendered virtually useless. Thus, the only effect the Fire Spin could exert was that of physical restraint—a mere vortex to bind him.
Lacking the destructive power of actual flames to wear down and weaken Charizard, the move was easily overwhelmed; Charizard simply channeled the raw force of its Dragon Rush—relying on sheer brute strength—to smash straight through the purely physical vortex of the Fire Spin!
However, realizing this now was too little, too late; he had already been struck by the Dragon Rush, and the damage inflicted by that single blow was substantial.
Even at his current level—where his stamina had grown to rival the immense reserves of a Legendary Pokémon—his endurance was, after all, not infinite.
With various buffs stacked upon it, Ash's Charizard's offensive power had subtly ascended to the very pinnacle of the Champion tier.
Furthermore, since the Charizard King possessed no inherent resistance to Dragon-type moves—meaning Dragon-attribute attacks inflicted their full, standard damage—the cumulative impact of these successive Dragon-type attacks had already whittled the Charizard King's stamina down to less than half.
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust of the massive explosion, Charizard's jet-black silhouette shot forth.
"Dragon Rush" is a move that involves directly slamming one's body into an opponent; however, unlike moves such as "Double-Edge" or "Flare Blitz," it does not inflict recoil damage infused with raw energy—at most, it merely subjects the user to the slight physical kickback generated by the impact itself.
Yet, given Charizard's current condition, every single ounce of stamina is critical; even that minuscule physical recoil from Dragon Rush constitutes a form of damage—however slight—to Ash's Charizard.
Gasping for breath, Ash's Charizard stared unblinkingly into the smoke, his body taut and rigid, daring not to relax for even a moment.
After the relentless barrage of attacks he had just unleashed, he had finally—albeit barely—managed to pull himself onto equal footing with his opponent.
No—not quite equal footing yet. It would be more accurate to say he had significantly closed the gap; the true battle was only just beginning.
"ROAR!!"
An earth-shattering roar erupted from within the smoke, reverberating throughout the entire valley.
The thick, pitch-black haze was instantly blown away by the sheer force of the cry, revealing the Charizard King standing within.
The King's body was riddled with scars, yet his spirit remained utterly undaunted.
He showed not the slightest hint of frustration despite the successive setbacks he had suffered; on the contrary, his fighting spirit burned even brighter!
Now this is the kind of opponent that makes for an exciting battle!
He wasn't holding back or fighting tentatively due to his dwindling stamina; every claw swipe, every physical impact—each was executed with absolute, unreserved power.
If he had his way, he would have preferred to face such an opponent at the absolute peak of their respective powers; winning under these current circumstances would feel like a hollow victory.
However, such are the rules of engagement.
Even if he yearned for a perfectly fair duel, it simply wasn't possible; that would have to wait until after this battle was concluded.
As for the outcome of this specific fight... even if the victory felt unearned, he was going to win it regardless!
The Charizard King flapped his mighty wings, sending a flurry of silvery-white energy blades slicing through the air—a Flying-type move: "Air Slash"!
In his Mega Charizard X form, Charizard is capable of dealing standard, unreduced damage with Flying-type moves.
Even though the Charizard King's Flying-type attacks were significantly weaker than his Fire-type attacks, against an opponent with a quadruple resistance to Fire—such as a Dragon/Fire-type—the damage inflicted by those Flying-type moves would actually be far greater than that of his Fire-type attacks!
"Dodge it! Then use Dragon Claw!!"
The moment he saw the Charizard King unleash Air Slash, Ash knew that Charizard's resistance had been exposed; otherwise, his opponent wouldn't have resorted to using a move outside of the Fire type.
Although Charizard possesses the dual typing of Flying and Fire, for the Charizard King—who had spent years training in this very place—his mastery and the sheer power of his Fire-type moves far surpassed those of his secondary, native Flying-type moves.
If he chose not to use a Fire-type move in such a situation, it could only mean he had realized that Fire-type attacks were proving ineffective against Ash's Charizard, prompting him to switch to Flying-type moves instead.
And historically, this held true: when facing the Charizard King's Flying-type attacks, even Ash's Charizard—"Ash-Charizard"—was compelled to dodge.
While dodging the previous Fire-type attacks might have required even more effort than simply tanking them, the Flying-type attacks were a different story entirely—they could not simply be shrugged off.
Guided by the power of Aura, those dense, swarming attacks—which appeared to leave absolutely no openings—revealed themselves to Charizard as a maze of countless escape routes.
This was the other trump card—the secret weapon—that Ash and his Charizard had brought to their challenge against the Charizard King!
In battles between opponents of equal level, the skillful application of Aura provides an unparalleled advantage.
Indeed, one could even argue that within the same tier of power, the observational capabilities granted by Aura make one—quite literally—invincible against peers!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Ash-Charizard moved with agile grace, weaving through and dodging every single Air Slash.
His hands once again glowed with the emerald-green energy of Dragon Claw, which he then brought down with crushing force!
However, in that very instant, the Charizard King suddenly opened his massive, gaping maw; within it, a concentrated mass of Dragon-type energy began to coalesce.
By now, the Dragon Claw had already slashed into his flesh; the razor-sharp strike once again left deep, gouging wounds across the Charizard King's body.
Yet, this failed to halt his movements in the slightest; the Dragon-type energy gathering within his mouth only intensified.
BOOM!!
A pillar of deep-blue energy erupted, completely engulfing Charizard. It was a Dragon-type move—Dragon Pulse!
This time, it was no mere Fire-type attack—it was a Dragon-type move, striking with a super-effective advantage!
Even though this wasn't a STAB move, it still dealt a colossal amount of damage to Charizard!
"Ugh!" Ash clutched his body, involuntarily taking a step back.
In their state of Aura Fusion, the two partners shared their sensory perceptions; in fact, the physical exertion consumed was arguably even greater on Ash's end.
This attack didn't just have a devastating impact on Charizard; it took a heavy toll on Ash as well. After battling for so long, even Ash was beginning to feel utterly drained; now, having just taken a super-effective hit, it truly felt like adding insult to injury.
In the aftermath of the Dragon Pulse, numerous visible injuries had appeared on Ash's Charizard.
Its expression had grown significantly weaker, and the Dragon Claws that had encased its hands had vanished.
The King of Charizards let out a heavy breath, a mix of triumph and pain flickering across his face.
The triumph, naturally, stemmed from the fact that he had correctly guessed his opponent's typing.
There were only a handful of types capable of resisting Fire-type moves; the inherent Fire typing of the Charizard species was a given, leaving the Dragon type as the most probable candidate for the second type!
This could be deduced from the opponent's frequent use of Dragon-type moves.
Although the name "Charizard" contains the word "Dragon," the species typically lacks the actual Dragon typing and receives no STAB bonus when using Dragon-type moves.
However, the Charizard partnered with this human possessed a physical form distinct from their own.
It was entirely possible that this particular Charizard did possess the Dragon typing. Thus, he decided to take a gamble—to trade blows and exchange damage with his opponent!
Ideally, the Air Slash would land a direct hit on Ash's Charizard. If it missed, his plan was to tank the incoming attack head-on while simultaneously unleashing a Dragon-type move to engage in a mutual war of attrition.
The final outcome unfolded exactly as he had predicted: the Dragon Pulse inflicted massive damage upon Ash's Charizard, though he, in turn, was forced to endure a direct hit from a Dragon Claw.
This guy's offensive power is truly formidable! His body had been tempered day and night by the flames of this Inferno Valley; though still composed of flesh and blood, it was far more resilient than that of an ordinary Charizard—meaning his defensive capabilities were vastly superior to those of the average member of the species.
Yet, in the face of his opponent's assault, that thousand-times-tempered body felt as fragile as paper—shattering at the slightest touch.
If his opponent in this challenge had been at full physical strength, the likelihood of his defeat would have exceeded ninety percent. Alas, in this world, there are no "ifs."
Charizard's stamina had already been largely depleted by the time he arrived to issue the challenge.
Coupled with the energy expended during the recent exchanges—not to mention the devastating impact of the super-effective Dragon Pulse attack—Charizard was now in such a state that he would likely struggle even to lift an arm.
"Roar!!"
The outcome is decided. You are a formidable Charizard—and a young one at that. Give it another two years, and I have no doubt you will pass this trial with ease. But for now... the throne is not yet yours to claim!
The King of the Charizard Valley delivered his final verdict.
The winner of this duel was a foregone conclusion; Charizard had been drained of all strength.
As for the King, though he had sustained severe injuries himself, none were fatal. Now, he was poised to deliver the finishing blow!
"Roar!!"
The King of the Charizard Valley extended razor-sharp claws from his forelimbs—a Dragon-type move: Dragon Claw!
For this final strike, he chose to employ a Dragon-type technique to decisively end the battle—a gesture intended to grant Charizard the respect he deserved.
Crouching low to the ground, Ash suddenly snapped his head up and took a deep, steadying breath.
"We're not giving up just yet! The more desperate the situation becomes, the greater the power my Charizard can unleash! Let's go, Charizard! Show the King of the Valley what true fire looks like! Use Flare Blitz!!!"
"Arooo!!!" Charizard, whose arms had hung limply at his sides just moments before, seemed to be infused with boundless energy by the sound of Ash's impassioned cry.
Mirroring Ash's movement, he, too, snapped his head upward.
The flames flickering faintly at the corners of his mouth and the tip of his tail suddenly erupted into a scorching blaze once more—and their color shifted from blue to black!
The pitch-black flames raged furiously, elevating the already sweltering heat of the Infernal Valley to an entirely new level!
The King of the Charizard Valley's pupils dilated in shock. Black flames—even he was witnessing such a phenomenon for the very first time.
And the temperature... though he had yet to make physical contact, he could sense it clearly: it surpassed the heat of his own flames by an order of magnitude!
Although his flames had not changed color, their actual temperature had already surpassed that of blue flames. 4
While some flames change color once their temperature reaches a certain threshold, his flames belonged to a realm of "returning to true simplicity"—a level so profound that even legendary Fire-type deities might not necessarily be able to surpass him in terms of heat.
Yet, this black flame... its temperature was not merely a notch higher than his own; it was vastly superior.
Did a flame capable of reaching such temperatures truly exist in this world?
Moreover, this was power unleashed by a Charizard on the brink of death—how could such a thing be possible?!
"ROAR!!"
Ash's Charizard let out another furious bellow, his entire body engulfed in pitch-black flames.
The distance between the two combatants was less than half a meter; with a mere flap of his wings, Ash's Charizard slammed violently into the Charizard King!
Instinctively, the Charizard King raised his draconic claws to block the attack.
However, those emerald-green claws held out for less than 0.1 seconds before melting away completely under the searing heat of the black flames, leaving not even a speck of ash behind!
"BOOM!!"
An unprecedented explosion erupted in the very center of the Purgatory Valley.
This time, the violent shockwave caused the entire valley to tremble—a phenomenon that had never occurred before. Even during the epic clash between Lance's Charizard and the Charizard King, the valley had never shaken to such an extent.
Waiting outside, Liza could clearly feel the tremors rumbling from within the valley.
As the leader of the group, her beautiful emerald eyes were filled with utter shock; aside from the Charizard King himself, she was the one who knew best just how incredibly durable the Purgatory Valley was.
For the valley to shake like this, one could only imagine the sheer, cataclysmic force that had just erupted inside!
"Fall back—now!!" Liza's delicate brows furrowed as she shouted the command.
Before Misty and Serena could even react, Charla scooped them both into her arms and flew straight backward.
Liza, too, retreated swiftly; Brock, still bewildered by the situation, hurriedly followed suit.
"What happened, Miss Liza...?" Before Brock could even finish his sentence, he understood exactly why Liza had told them to back away. The ground where they had stood just moments ago had visibly turned red—and then transformed into a pool of molten lava!
Had they remained in that spot, they likely would have burst into flames in an instant!
Charla descended slowly from the sky, gently setting down Misty and Serena.
The situation had been so critical that her immediate priority was to protect the two girls—so much so that even Liza herself had hopped onto Charla's back.
"Th-this... what on earth is going on, Miss Liza?" Serena asked, staring blankly at Liza.
"It's the battle taking place inside the valley; it has caused the temperature of the entire Purgatory Valley to skyrocket. The rocks within the valley simply couldn't contain such intense heat, so it has spilled out to the exterior. This is a phenomenon I've never witnessed before—not even once."
Liza's expression was grave, and the sheer shock in her voice was unmistakable.
The rocks within Purgatory Valley were renowned for their ability to absorb even the scorching heat of molten magma.
Let alone within the Charizard Valley, even if one scoured the entire globe, rocks of such rarity and resilience were truly one of a kind.
Liza had always believed that—unless Ho-Oh itself were to make a personal appearance—no flame could ever possibly exceed the heat-absorbing capacity of these Purgatory Rocks.
Yet today, she had witnessed with her own eyes the Purgatory Rocks being pushed beyond their absolute limit.
Just how ferocious must the battle raging inside be?
Was this devastation caused by the King of the Charizards, or by Ash's Charizard?
Regardless, the outcome of the battle must surely have been decided by now. In just a little while, they would finally know the result...