"Luo Yuan didn't continue with his streak-winning Dragonite—instead, he sent out Charizard!"

His choice took many by surprise.

Based on Luo Yuan's past battle records, Dragonite was undeniably his ace, his strongest and most reliable Pokémon. In comparison, Charizard had made far fewer appearances.

Even Lance was caught off guard. But that didn't mean he relaxed for even a moment.

The sting of those two consecutive losses was still fresh. Charizard might look weaker than Dragonite on paper, but who knew what tricks Luo Yuan still had up his sleeve?

So Lance decided to test the waters first. "Charizard, [Dragon Pulse]!"

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Lance's Charizard beat its wings hard, unleashing a shockwave that surged forward in a straight line, sweeping across the already shattered battlefield, bearing down on Luo Yuan's Charizard.

But neither Luo Yuan nor his Charizard showed a hint of panic.

At the exact moment Lance's Charizard launched its [Dragon Pulse], Luo Yuan raised his arm high—and a brilliant light burst from his wrist.

At the same time, Luo Yuan's Charizard began to glow with a radiant rainbow light, its body swiftly enveloped in a luminous aura.

The [Dragon Pulse] struck the shimmering sphere—only to be repelled by a surge of explosive energy!

"What the…?"

The commentators and audience members widened their eyes in astonishment.

ROAAAR!

The light dispersed, revealing Charizard's transformed body, now wreathed in blazing azure flames and skin turned jet-black—Mega Charizard X.

"[Mega Evolution]."

Seeing Luo Yuan's Charizard now radiating overwhelming power, Lance finally understood why he'd dared to challenge his Charizard with one of his own.

But the moment he thought of [Mega Evolution], Lance felt a pang of regret.

He had, in fact, prepared Mega Stones for this very match against Luo Yuan.

More than one, even—the plan had been to adapt on the fly and keep his tactics flexible.

But the problem was… his Aerodactyl—the one holding the [Mega Stone]—had been taken out far too quickly, obliterated by Luo Yuan's massive Dragonite before he even had a chance to evolve.

And his other Pokémon with a [Mega Stone]… wasn't Charizard.

Lance winced, a dull ache pulsing behind his teeth.

He had just started gaining the upper hand, only for Luo Yuan to close the gap in a single move.

It was frustrating—deeply frustrating. But Luo Yuan wasn't about to give him time to strategize.

"Charizard!"

A flash of blue light flickered in Luo Yuan's eyes as he re-established his psychic link. Instantly, his synchronization with Mega Charizard X hit one hundred percent.

Through Luo Yuan's psychic perception, Mega Charizard X took in the full scope of the battlefield in a heartbeat—and let out a thundering roar.

Wreathed in blue fire, it opened its jaws wide—and in the next instant, a [Dragon Pulse] far more ferocious than Lance's tore across the field!

Now in its [Mega Evolved] form, Charizard X's special attack had clearly ramped up. Its typing had also changed—from Fire/Flying to Fire/Dragon—turning [Dragon Pulse] into a same-type move. The result was a blast with a presence and force far exceeding Lance's.

But Lance and his Charizard had been bracing for exactly this. The moment Mega Charizard X let loose, they dodged instinctively.

The [Dragon Pulse] raked across the battlefield. Lance's Charizard kept weaving and rolling through the air, narrowly avoiding the attack with practiced aerial maneuvers.

Luo Yuan's Charizard X stayed hot on its trail. Had Lance not put his Charizard through intensive flight training, it would likely have been struck down already.

"The situation is looking grim for Lance! He's stuck dodging again and again, with no sign of launching a counterattack!" the commentator shouted, watching the scene unfold.

Lance felt like coughing up blood.

You want me to counterattack now?!

After the last two battles, Lance had come to fully respect Luo Yuan's control over the battlefield. Without a guaranteed opening, a forced counterattack would only dig his Charizard into a deeper hole.

But that didn't mean he'd given up.

In Lance's mind, it was impossible for every one of Luo Yuan's Pokémon to have the bottomless stamina of that Dragonite.

He was betting that Luo Yuan's Mega Charizard X wouldn't have enough endurance to maintain this kind of high-intensity assault for long.

If his own Charizard could leverage its battle experience to drag things out—then once Mega Charizard X's stamina ran out, he'd strike with a decisive blow!

Lance was fully immersed in this plan.

What he didn't realize, though, was the subtle shift in his own mindset. As a Champion, he was now relying on stalling tactics to win—a silent admission that Luo Yuan's strength had already eclipsed his own in his heart.

For a trainer at Lance's level, a psychological defeat could be far more dangerous than a loss on the battlefield.

Luo Yuan sensed Lance's intentions with sharp clarity.

Trying to buy time, are you?

But he didn't panic. In fact, he smiled.

Of course he knew Mega Charizard X's weaknesses.

If Lance had chosen to press the attack and fight head-on like before—especially with his experienced Charizard—Luo Yuan might have been more cautious.

But…

Although Lance had chosen the safer path, Luo Yuan believed that by giving up that unstoppable momentum, he'd already lost half the battle.

---

T/N: bites lip