Luo Yuan felt confident—almost certain of victory—but none of it showed on his face.

"Charizard."

With a flick of his hand, Luo Yuan's Mega Charizard X instantly halted its [Dragon Pulse]. At the same time, the blue flames enveloping its body surged violently.

Across the field, Lance's Charizard tensed, its eyes narrowing with wariness. Then, without warning, Mega Charizard X beat its wings and shot forward.

Boosted by the air current, its black-and-blue form turned into a blur, streaking toward Lance's Charizard.

"Luo Yuan isn't looking to drag this out—Charizard X has gone in for close combat!" the commentator exclaimed, voice full of excitement. Original content can be found at novel✶fire.net

The audience erupted as well. Compared to the distant exchanges of [Dragon Pulse], they far preferred the visceral thrill of a close-quarters brawl.

Mega Charizard X moved like lightning. Before the commentator even finished speaking, it was already face-to-face with Lance's Charizard.

ROAR!

Letting out an intimidating cry, it raised a claw gleaming with icy light—and slashed down hard.

[Dragon Claw]

The sharp strike cleaved through the air with a shrill screech.

Lance and his Charizard didn't dare take it lightly.

Even without a [Mega Stone], Lance was no stranger to what Mega Charizard X could do.

Post-[Mega Evolution], it boasted a fearsome combination: a Dragon typing that boosted the power of its Dragon-type moves and the [Tough Claws] ability that enhanced contact-based attacks. Add to that the significant stat increase from evolving into Mega Charizard X...

This [Dragon Claw] could deal a devastating blow—maybe even end the battle in one hit.

Faced with such a ferocious attack, Lance's Charizard reacted instantly.

ROAR!

Letting out a roar of its own, it suddenly pivoted—and ran.

Its wings beat furiously, and it narrowly slipped past Charizard X's deadly strike with a burst of air-propelled speed. Without hesitating, it climbed into the sky in a sharp ascent.

You had to admit: Lance and his Charizard were seasoned veterans.

The moment Charizard took off, Mega Charizard X—having missed its mark—flapped its wings and twisted midair with incredible agility, lunging for the spot where its opponent had just been.

BOOM!

With a deafening crash, the [Dragon Claw] landed where Lance's Charizard had been just moments before, carving a massive crater into the already-ruined battlefield.

Cracks spiderwebbed outward, making the battered arena look even more war-torn.

"What incredible power!"

Spectators and commentators alike cried out in shock.

Up above, Lance's Charizard looked down at the crater, visibly shaken.

"So close," Luo Yuan muttered, regret flashing across his face.

If that hit had landed, the match might have been over right then and there.

Still, he wasn't discouraged.

If he could create one opportunity, he could create more.

A flicker of blue lit his eyes as Luo Yuan activated his psychic powers, locking onto the path of Charizard in the sky.

[Future Sight].

Dozens of possible flight paths unfolded in Luo Yuan's mind, predictions of Charizard's next moves. He relayed them to Mega Charizard X without a word.

"Go."

He whispered a single command.

No chance for Lance or his Charizard to regroup—Mega Charizard X once again turned into a blur, lunging skyward like a predator zeroing in on its prey.

Lance's Charizard was still rattled from its narrow escape.

Now, with another attack incoming, it had no time to prepare—only to react on instinct.

For a time, the sky echoed with bursts of wind as the two Pokémon clashed midair.

Orange and black—two streaks constantly weaving, colliding, flashing through the sky.

The audience and commentators had to rely on high-speed camera playback just to make sense of the flurry of movements.

And when they finally slowed down the footage to study it… they discovered something shocking.

Lance's Charizard wasn't just being pressured.

It was being completely overwhelmed.

Not just falling behind—but failing to counter at all.

Mega Charizard X moved as if it could see the future, predicting every flight adjustment, every evasive maneuver with uncanny precision—then intercepting flawlessly.

Lance's Charizard could only rely on its battle experience to scramble defensively, looking more and more desperate by the second.

"If I remember right, didn't Luo Yuan mention in an interview that this Charizard was his starter Pokémon—just over a year ago?" one spectator said, breaking the stunned silence.

People around him exchanged glances, then slowly nodded.

Luo Yuan's basic trainer data was publicly available. And that was what made this all the more terrifying.

A Charmander he received barely a year and a half ago—now pushing the reigning Champion Lance into a corner.

It wasn't that Lance had grown weak. It was simply that Luo Yuan's growth as a Trainer was… monstrous.

If anyone had worried before that Johto might seem unstable, changing Champions again so soon after Lance had only just claimed the title—those concerns had vanished.

Compared to Lance—who had suffered multiple defeats against Team Rocket—Luo Yuan inspired far more confidence.

With Luo Yuan as Johto's Champion, people truly believed the region's future would be brighter than ever.

---

T/N: UGHHHHHHHHHH NOT AGAIN

That's the end of the chapters. Translator worked hard on this one… and also asked me to deliver a little message on her behalf. She said it herself: she's shameless enough to ask.

So—if you'd like to support her, you can do so at patreon.com/wisetl. It's completely optional, meant only for support, though it comes with the bonus of reading a little ahead.

And then there's the Powerstone system: every 100 Stones = 1 bonus chapter. 100ps = 1, 200ps = 2, 300ps = 3… you get the picture.

She's the shameless one for asking, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it. After all… if no one speaks up, no one gets heard.

—Hanekawa Tsubasa