The second half began.
Nurse Joy sent out her fourth Pokémon: "Show them the healing light of nature, Bellossom!"
The Grass type Bellossom took the field with an elegant posture. However, Ash knew all too well that the more beautiful something appeared, the more dangerous it could be.
"Muk, come back." Ash decisively recalled Muk. "I choose you, Wartortle!"
The Water type Wartortle stepped onto the field. Although it was at a type disadvantage against a Grass type, its Ice type moves would be super effective!
"Bellossom, use Stun Spore!" Nurse Joy intended to take control early with a status move.
"Wartortle, Withdraw, then use Hydro Pump!" Ash chose to tank the hit and counterattack.
Wartortle quickly tucked into its shell, minimizing the impact of the Stun Spore, and immediately unleashed a powerful jet of water!
"Bellossom, dodge it!"
Bellossom leaped gracefully, but the range of the Hydro Pump was vast. It was grazed by the edge of the blast. While the effectiveness wasn't high, the damage was still considerable.
"Bellossom, use Synthesis!" Nurse Joy immediately opted for recovery.
Under the glow of the sun, Bellossom's stamina began to restore.
"Don't give it a chance! Wartortle, use Water Pulse repeatedly!"
"Bellossom, Magical Leaf!"
Leaves infused with magical power tracked Wartortle, dealing damage.
The two sides traded blows back and forth. Wartortle's Water type moves held an elemental advantage in terms of raw power, but Bellossom's recovery and its never-miss moves were proving troublesome.
"Wartortle, find your opening and use Ice Beam!"
Wartortle waited for the exact moment Bellossom finished using Synthesis. An icy blue beam shot out instantly! It was super effective!
Bellossom was heavily wounded by the Ice type energy, and its movements became sluggish.
"Finish it with Hydro Pump!"
A powerful surge of water delivered the final blow, and Bellossom finally collapsed.
"Bellossom is unable to battle. Wartortle wins!"
Nurse Joy was down to her last two Pokémon.
She looked at Ash and finally brought out her strongest trump card. "Respond to my heart, my partnerBlissey!"
The pink, warmly smiling Blissey appeared on the field. Beneath its massive vitality and seemingly harmless appearance lay a terrifying defense that had driven countless offensive trainers to despair.
Ash felt the immense pressure as well. "Wartortle, strike first! Hydro Pump!"
The powerful column of water roared toward Blissey. "Blissey, Light Screen!"
A transparent wall rose instantly, weakening the power of special attacks. When the water hit Blissey, it only wobbled slightly, appearing mostly unfazed.
"Blissey, Soft-Boiled!"
Blissey produced an egg, and the energy within its body quickly returned to equilibrium.
"What?!" Ash's heart sank. His greatest fear was coming true.
"Wartortle, use Water Pulse continuously! Don't let it breathe!"
"Blissey, Reflect!"
Another wall rose, further weakening physical impact. Blissey tanked the successive Water Pulses. Although its stamina was dropping, the pace was slow.
"Now, Blissey, Thunder Wave!"
A fine spark of electricity flashed across the field. Wartortle's body went numb, falling into a paralyzed state. Its speed plummeted.
"Oh no! Wartortle, hurry and use Hydro Pump!"
But the paralysis took effect. Wartortle's body stiffened, and the Hydro Pump failed to launch in time.
"Blissey, Psychic!"
A blue light flashed in Blissey's eyes as it unleashed a Psychic attack. The invisible telekinetic force slammed into Wartortle, dealing significant damage.
"Wartortle, hang in there! One more Hydro Pump!"
This time, the Hydro Pump successfully fired, but Blissey had already used Soft-Boiled again. Its health was nearly full.
Looking at the panting, paralyzed Wartortle and the nearly peak-condition Blissey protected by double screens, Ash knew he couldn't delay any longer.
"Come back, Wartortle." He recalled the exhausted Pokémon and gripped his most important Poké Ball tightly.
The entire audience held their breath, knowing the decisive moment had arrived.
Ash's gaze met Pikachu's on his shoulder, and then he threw the Poké Ball high into the air.
"I choose youCharizard!"
Accompanied by a sky-shaking dragon roar, Charizard descended onto the field, the flame on its tail burning fiercely. Its scorching breath seemed to ignite the very air.
The standoff between Charizard and Blissey made the air in the Indigo Stadium feel as if it had frozen solid.
On one side was the incarnation of fire and power; on the other was the pinnacle of life and protection. This was the ultimate clash between the sharpest spear and the sturdiest shield.
"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Ash took the initiative to break the deadlock, needing to test the damage output under the double screens.
A pillar of searing fire blasted toward Blissey, but under the reduction of Light Screen, Blissey only frowned slightly and endured it.
"Blissey, Soft-Boiled!" Nurse Joy didn't hesitate to use the recovery move again, and Blissey's stamina was instantly topped off.
"We can't let it keep healing! Charizard, rush in and use Dragon Claw!"
Charizard roared, its claws glowing with a green light as it tore through the air toward Blissey. Even with Reflect active, the physical impact of Dragon Claw still dealt respectable damage.
"Blissey, now! Thunder Wave!"
At such close range, the Thunder Wave hit with precision! Charizard's body stiffened as it fell into a paralyzed state, its speed dropping sharply!
"Dammit!" Ash's heart tightened. Speed was vital for Charizard.
"Now's our chance! Blissey, use Psychic repeatedly!"
The invisible telekinetic force acted like a heavy sledgehammer, pounding into Charizard over and over.
Charizard let out a pained roar, but the fire in its eyes burned even brighter. It stood its ground against the onslaught, refusing to retreat a single step!
"Charizard!" Ash watched, his heart burning with anxiety. He could feel Charizard's pain and its unyielding spirit, but he knew that any trickery here would be futile. They had to rely on Charizard's inherent strength and their mutual trust.
"Hang in there! I believe in you! Remember the tempering we went through in the flames of the Cinnabar Gym? Remember every moment we spent learning to control our power with Master Bruno on Mt. Hideaway? This little bit of paralysis can't stop us! Use your rage to tear those shackles apart!"
Ash's voice seemed to carry a strange magica call born of deep soul-level trust forged through their long journey together.
That voice pierced through the booming echoes of the Psychic attacks, reaching the depths of Charizard's heart.
Charizard suddenly let out a roar that shook the entire stadium!
That roar no longer contained only pain; it was filled with an overwhelming fighting spirit and an ultimate thirst for victory! Its muscles tensed, veins bulged, and the flame at the tip of its tail erupted with a boom, turning from orange-red to a searing blue-white!
The Blaze ability had been fully triggered as its stamina reached its limit! Simultaneously, its bodystiff from paralysisactually forced itself through the invisible shackles under the drive of Ash's shout and its own indomitable will!
"Now, Charizard! Use Wing Attack to close the distance!" Ash saw the hope and immediately gave the order.
Charizard's massive wings flapped violently. Carrying an unstoppable momentum, it shot toward Blissey like an arrow leaving a bow! The effects of paralysis seemed to be temporarily suppressed by its sheer willpower!
"That's... the Blaze ability has been triggered!" Brock exclaimed from the stands.
"No, it's more than just Blaze..." Misty looked at the invisible connection between Ash and Charizard. "It's the bond between Ash and Charizard that's overcoming the paralysis!"
Nurse Joy also took on a grave expression. "To think it could temporarily suppress paralysis through sheer will... However, Blissey still has plenty of stamina! Blissey, one last effort! Full-power Psychic!"
"We won't lose either! Charizard, show them our full powerBlast Burn!" Ash issued his ultimate command!
This was the ultimate Fire type move Ash and Charizard had been training tirelessly since leaving the Cinnabar Gym!
Charizard took a deep breath, the surrounding air warping from the intense heat. The blue-white flames from its tail instantly spread across its entire body. Finally, what erupted from its mouth was no ordinary fire, but a searing torrent of destructive energy! It looked as though it would incinerate the entire arena!
Blissey's Psychic collided violently with this destructive flood of flames!
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion echoed through the stadium. The intense light and shockwave forced everyone to shield their eyes. Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring the entire field.
As the dust slowly settled, Blissey could be seen half-kneeling on the ground, its body covered in burn marks and gasping for breath, clearly drained from the previous collision. Charizard, though also battered and bruised, remained standing stubbornly, its sharp eyes fixed on its opponent.
"Did it hold...?" Nurse Joy breathed a sigh of relief but immediately commanded, "Blissey, quick! One last Soft-Boiled!"
Blissey struggled to produce an egg.
"Now is the time!" A sharp glint flashed in Ash's eyes. This was the moment he had been waiting for!
The massive power of the Blast Burn had forced Blissey to take it head-on, breaking its rhythm and creating a perfect opportunity for a close-range strike! "Charizard, get in there! Seismic Toss!"
Charizard used the last of its strength, turning into a red meteor as it reached Blissey in an instant! This time, Blissey's Protect failed to block it!
Charizard's powerful arms locked onto Blissey, and then it soared into the sky! It spun at high speed in the air, forming a perfect arc, pouring all its kinetic energy, potential energy, and the burning power of its bond with Ash into this single strike!
"Go!!!"
Accompanied by the shared roar of Ash and Charizard, Blissey was slammed hard into the ground!
BOOM!!!
Another massive crash rang out as a deep crater was smashed into the arena floor.
Blissey lay at the bottom of the pit, its eyes swirled into spirals, completely knocked out.
The entire venue fell into a deathly silence. Then, it erupted into unprecedented, thunderous applause and cheers!
The referee froze for a moment before raising the flag high, announcing with every ounce of his strength:
"Blissey is unable to battle! Charizard wins! Therefore, the Champion of this Indigo League is Ash from Pallet Town!!!"
We won... we actually won?
Ash stood rooted to the spot, the cheers crashing over him like a tidal wave, yet he felt as if the world had gone quiet for a split second. He looked at Charizard, who stood exhausted but proud on the field; he looked at the defeated Blissey in the crater; he looked at the referee's waving flag. His mind was a total blank.
He... he had actually won the Indigo League?
The regrets he had seen on television in his past life, the helplessness of stopping at the Top 16... those images flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, finally settling on this undeniably real scene before him.
This isn't a dream?
"PikaPikachu!!!"
The Pikachu on his shoulder was the first to jump up, excitedly rubbing against his cheek. The warm sensation was real.
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