Harrison was in a tough spot. He didn't have any Water-type Pokémon, and the rest of his team couldn't rival Charizard.
Even Blaziken had a type disadvantage, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue the battle.
"Sneasel, use Quick Attack!" Harrison launched an offensive, and Sneasel darted swiftly toward Charizard.
"Dragon Claw!" Gary commanded.
Charizard's claws glowed with a dark green energy, forming sharp Dragon Claws. It slashed directly at the approaching Sneasel.
Sneasel tried to stop abruptly and dodge, lunging at Charizard's belly instead. But Charizard didn't flinch — Sneasel bounced right off him.
Without hesitation, Charizard swung his other claw.
Wham!!
Sneasel was sent flying and crashed to the ground, eyes spinning.
"Sneasel is unable to battle! Charizard wins!" the referee declared.
He continued, "All three of Harrison's Pokémon are unable to battle. The first half of the match is over. We will now take a five-minute halftime break."
Gary and Harrison both left the battlefield and headed to the rest area.
"This Charizard is insanely strong. Sneasel couldn't even take one hit," Brock exclaimed.
Ash and the others had seen Harrison capture that Sneasel themselves — it was during their journey near the Ho-Oh Shrine close to the mountain summit on the way to Silver Town. Harrison had worked hard to catch it.
No one expected Sneasel to be this helpless in front of Gary's Charizard.
"It looks like Harrison isn't a match for Gary. Gary might just win the Silver Conference," Misty said.
Ash remained silent. He knew Harrison wasn't on Gary's level, but he was still curious to see how strong Harrison's Blaziken really was. So far, Blaziken hadn't appeared once during the Silver Conference.
Five minutes passed quickly, and the match resumed. Gary and Harrison returned to their positions.
"I'll now bring you the second half of the match," the announcer said. "In this half, Harrison will attack first, followed by Gary. Currently, Harrison has three Pokémon left, while Gary still has five."
"Gary has a clear advantage," the host continued. "But there's always a chance for a comeback. Let's turn it over to the referee."
"The second half of the match begins! Harrison, send out your next Pokémon," the referee announced.
Harrison nodded and threw a Poké Ball.
"Go, Hypno!"
[LV45 Hypno – Gym Level]
A yellow-furred Hypno appeared on the battlefield, swinging a pendulum — the tool it used for hypnosis.
"Charizard, the second half is yours," Gary called out, sending Charizard back in.
"Rooaar!!"
Charizard landed powerfully on the field.
"Gary's continuing with Charizard, and Harrison has sent out Hypno. This next battle should be interesting," the host said.
Seeing both sides ready, the referee signaled for the match to begin.
"Flamethrower!" Gary shouted.
"Roar!!"
Charizard unleashed a raging stream of fire. The flame snaked forward like a giant serpent, aimed straight at Hypno.
"Hypno, use Psychic to deflect it!" Harrison commanded.
Hypno's eyes lit up blue, and an invisible force expanded outward, trying to redirect the flames.
The fire was stopped mid-air, but not diverted — it hung suspended, its pressure building. Charizard kept pouring on the flames, and the area of fire grew wider, while Hypno's psychic grip began to waver.
"What…?" Harrison looked confused. He had only meant to bend the trajectory, not stop the flames entirely. But Charizard's attack was so strong that Hypno could only hold it in place, not redirect it.
Boom!!
Psychic control shattered, and the flames exploded, engulfing half the battlefield. Hypno, caught in the fire, was completely consumed.
When the flames died down, Hypno was still standing — but completely scorched, twitching slightly before collapsing.
"Hypno is unable to battle! Charizard wins!" the referee declared.
Gary surveyed the battlefield. Most of it was charred black — the terrain was barely usable now.
"Oh my god, another one-hit KO! Is Gary going to sweep the second half too?!"
"Damn, I didn't place a bet — that's a 100-million-dollar mistake!"
"Thank goodness I did! If Gary defeats the last two of Harrison's Pokémon, I've got my house down payment secured!"
The crowd buzzed wildly. Most spectators weren't even focused on the match itself — many had bet that Gary would win while keeping all five of his remaining Pokémon, and now that outcome seemed increasingly likely.
"Go, Zangoose!" Harrison sent out his fifth Pokémon.
[LV47 Zangoose – Gym Level]
A fierce, two-legged Zangoose appeared, resembling a large white mongoose with razor-sharp claws and an intense gaze.
Gary shook his head slightly. Harrison's no real challenge. He only beat Ash because Ash wasn't going all out.
Still, it was a fair match — both Harrison's and Ash's teams were largely caught in the Johto region. The two were evenly matched.
"Inferno!" Gary commanded.
"Roooaaar!!"
Light-blue flames surrounded Charizard before spiraling outward. A vortex of searing fire surged toward Zangoose.
"Crush Claw! Tear through it!" Harrison ordered.
"Meowr!"
Zangoose swung its glowing claws, slashing a gap in the flames. But the spinning fire didn't stop — it wrapped around him, forming a blazing cage. Soon, the whole cage erupted, swallowing Zangoose completely.
When the flames died out, Zangoose lay burned and motionless. His fur was charred, and even the scorched skin beneath was visible.
"Zangoose is unable to battle! Charizard wins!" the referee declared.
Charizard triumphed again — three knockouts in a row!
"This is brutal. That Charizard is a monster!"
"I've got my down payment!!"
"Daddy Gary, take down Harrison's last one, and I'll call you my father!"
"Gary! Gary! Go all the way!!"
"Gary! Gary! You're amazing!!"
The stadium erupted in chants. At this point, the crowd's enthusiasm even surpassed Gary's own — after all, for them, this wasn't just a battle. Their future rent, cars, or homes were on the line.