"Whoa! It's Destiny Bond… Leiming's ace, Tyranitar, just lost a massive chunk of its HP!" The announcer sighed in disbelief.
Leiming's expression was grim.
His last Pokémon, Tyranitar, was his ultimate trump card—the one he had pinned all his hopes on to sweep four opponents in a row and secure an easy victory.
But things hadn't gone as planned.
The match had barely begun, and Tyranitar had already lost more than half its stamina?
"Destiny Bond… I didn't expect there to be a move like that!" Ash blinked in surprise, his eyes lighting up with fascination.
To him, the world of Pokémon was endlessly mysterious and profound—it was exactly this wonder that captivated him so much.
"Yeah, it's a Ghost-type move, kind of like a curse. If used well, it's like trading a weaker piece for the opponent's strongest one!" Brock explained with excitement.
Just yesterday, he had been studying Leiming's battle records with Yozora. He hadn't imagined that Yozora had secretly prepared such an ingenious strategy!
Although Tyranitar wasn't completely taken down, which was a bit of a shame…
Forcing it to lose over half its strength was already an invaluable gain!
"Yozora still has three Pokémon left, while Leiming is down to a heavily weakened Tyranitar… It looks like this battle is already approaching its climax!" The announcer hinted dramatically.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Even children in the stands could tell—Yozora held an overwhelming advantage now!
And yet, on the other side, Leiming's expression gradually settled back into calm.
It was true—Tyranitar had been badly injured.
But so what?
No one knew Tyranitar's true power better than he did. Even in its weakened state, it remained terrifying!
"Yozora's just a rookie in the end. His last three Pokémon—how strong could they possibly be? At best, they're Lord-tier. Against my Tyranitar, Lord-tier Pokémon are nothing more than cannon fodder, easily crushed!"
His confidence returned, and a self-assured smile slowly crept onto his lips.
Meanwhile, Tyranitar struggled back onto its feet.
Its whole body was drenched in sweat, its stamina dangerously low—but even that sliver of strength was enough to wreak havoc!
"Oh? Tyranitar stands tall once again—what an incredible fighting spirit!" The announcer gasped.
Leiming's fans cheered wildly from the stands.
"Hmph, not bad… But this match ends here."
Yozora let out a villainous chuckle and sent his Nidoking back onto the field.
Tyranitar was indeed powerful.
But Nidoking, the Poison King, wielded venom far deadlier than sheer level advantage. As long as its Poison Sting or Poison Point took effect, it could whittle Tyranitar's last bit of stamina away.
Victory was within reach.
At the referee's signal, the battle resumed.
Yozora remained as steady as a mountain, while Leiming's nerves got the better of him. He barked the command in desperation:
"Tyranitar, finish it in one blow—use Hyper Beam!"
BOOM!
The devastating Hyper Beam surged forward, but Yozora had already prepared for this. He smiled calmly.
"Nidoking, leap up to dodge it—and counter with Poison Sting!"
Wham!
Slamming its powerful tail against the ground, Nidoking launched itself skyward, narrowly evading the blast.
From midair, Nidoking flicked its tail, firing a volley of poisonous needles straight at Tyranitar.
Ding-ding-ding-ding!
But—
Tyranitar's armor-like rocky hide was just too tough. The slender needles shattered on impact, failing to pierce its skin.
"Such insane defense." Yozora frowned.
He had expected to end the match here, but hadn't anticipated this.
He had underestimated Tyranitar's resilience.
"Wow! As expected of the Desert Tyrant, Tyranitar! Its defense is monstrous—Nidoking's Poison Sting couldn't even scratch it!"
"That means Nidoking's greatest weapon—its poison—can't be used at all!" The announcer cried out.
Leiming exhaled in relief.
For a moment, Yozora's confidence had shaken him. But now, seeing Tyranitar unharmed, the stiff tension in his face melted away, replaced by a faint smirk.
"In that case—Nidoking, use Take Down!" Yozora ordered once more.
"Rooaaar!!"
Nidoking charged with a violent momentum, its sharp horn gleaming as it barreled toward Tyranitar.
"You're asking for it! Tyranitar, use Stone Edge!"
At Leiming's command, Tyranitar slammed its fists into the ground.
Jagged stone spikes erupted forward, surging like a tidal wave. Nidoking was instantly flung into the air, crashing hard into the dirt.
BOOM!
Nidoking hit the ground with a heavy thud, its eyes spiraling as it lost all fighting ability.
"Nidoking is unable to battle! Tyranitar is the winner!" The referee declared.
Even so, Tyranitar staggered back a step, drenched in sweat, gasping heavily.
"Oh no, the aftereffects of Destiny Bond are hitting hard! Although Tyranitar managed to win, its stamina has been drained even further!" The announcer shouted.
"Hold on, Tyranitar!" Leiming clenched his fists, his voice trembling with emotion.
Three years ago, he had reached the Top 8 of the Silver Conference in the Johto League, instantly making a name for himself.
His reputation spread across Johto and Kanto alike.
But in the two years that followed, his luck soured—at both the Hoenn League and the Sinnoh League, he ran into strong opponents too early, falling short of making a mark.
This year, things were finally looking up. He was on the verge of reaching the Top 8 again—he couldn't let this rare chance slip away!
"Even if things are difficult, the opponent only has two left. Tyranitar, if you endure just a little longer, we can win this together!" Leiming vowed silently.
Their bond resonated, and Tyranitar roared defiantly, its fighting spirit reignited.
"Return, Nidoking."
Yozora recalled his fallen Pokémon, then drew out another Luxury Ball. Holding it high, he declared—
"Take the stage, Charizard!"
"ROAAAR!!"
With a thunderous roar, Charizard burst onto the battlefield, wings spread wide as it landed with a crash.
Its towering frame stood nearly eye-to-eye with Tyranitar.
"And here it is! Yozora's fifth Pokémon—Charizard!!"
The announcer's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Unbelievable! Yozora's Charizard is far larger than any ordinary Charizard!"
The crowd erupted into chaos.
A normal Charizard stood around 1.7 to 1.8 meters tall, about the height of an average adult man.
In the original anime, Ash was only ten years old, standing barely 1.4 meters, so his Charizard seemed massive in comparison at just under 1.7 meters.
But Yozora's Charizard?
It loomed over the field at a full two meters, its body broad and imposing.
Even its round, powerful torso exuded an unfathomable presence!
(End of Chapter)