"Pika!"
With a cry of pain, Pikachu was sent flying backward.
"Stand up, Pikachu! Move out of the way, quick!"
Ash's voice rang out, tinged with anxiety. The moment Pikachu scrambled to its feet, Charizard's Hurricane engulfed it completely.
"Finish this with Flamethrower!"
Scorching flames poured into the cyclone, transforming it into a firestorm that trapped Pikachu inside.
"Pikachu!"
Ash's shout echoed through the clearing, but unfortunately, it couldn't help Pikachu turn the tide.
According to Gu Yuan's judgment, Pikachu currently possessed Leader Rank strength at most. It was simply no match for his Charizard.
Once the firestorm dissipated, Pikachu lay powerless on the ground, having lost the ability to battle.
"So... so strong!"
Watching the battle end in the blink of an eye, Brock and Misty were stunned.
"Hatterene, use Heal Pulse on Pikachu."
Gu Yuan was the first to react, calling out Hatterene to treat Pikachu's injuries.
"How about it? Do you want to continue?"
Once Pikachu had regained its health, Gu Yuan turned to Ash and asked. Gu Yuan's voice brought Ash back to his senses.
"Of course! The battle has only just begun!"
At this moment, Ash fully displayed his characteristic resilience. Even after suffering a crushing defeat, he was still able to quickly adjust his state of mind.
"In that case, I choose you!"
After a brief moment of hesitation, Ash released his second Pokémon. With a flash of white light, he sent out the strongest member of his team: Charizard.
Unfortunately, Ash's Charizard immediately displayed its fatal flaw—it refused to listen to Ash's commands!
"Go, Charizard! Use Flamethrower!"
Ash's order rang out, but Charizard merely let out a yawn and lay down lazily on the ground.
"I knew it. It's still way too early for Ash to try and command Charizard," Misty said, rubbing her forehead with her right hand while the Togepi in her arms chirped in agreement.
"Charizard, please, just listen to me, okay?"
Watching Ash start to plead with his own Pokémon, Gu Yuan felt a bit helpless.
"Fine, let me help you out."
"Charizard, show your opponent what you're made of."
Gu Yuan, who had intended to give Ash a hand anyway, didn't wait any longer and ordered his Charizard to attack.
Ember condensed into a fireball and shot toward Ash's Charizard. By the time Ash's Charizard sensed the danger, it was already too late to dodge the incoming Ember.
The flames spread, and the sharp pain instantly enraged Ash's Charizard.
"What? You feel angry now?"
"Then have you ever thought about how Ash feels? He's the one who raised you to this level, yet you treat him with total indifference!"
Gu Yuan's questioning voice rang out, though he felt a slight pang of guilt internally. Admittedly, Ash treats his Charizard exceptionally well, but as for the 'training' part... let's not talk about that.
Hearing this, Ash's Charizard froze for a moment before recklessly launching an attack at Gu Yuan's Charizard. With a Flamethrower, Ash's Charizard finally began to take the fight seriously.
"What's this? Can't win with words, so you're using your fists?"
"Then let me show you that the strength you're so proud of actually amounts to nothing!"
Following Gu Yuan's voice, his Charizard launched its counterattack. Dragon Claw condensed, and his Charizard easily crushed the incoming Flamethrower.
With a flap of its wings, Gu Yuan's Charizard closed the distance to Ash's Charizard with incredible speed. Just as his claws were about to fall and Ash's Charizard prepared to block, Gu Yuan commanded his Charizard to use Fire Blast!
Fwoosh!
The sound of roaring flames erupted as the intense fire instantly enveloped Ash's Charizard.
"Calm down, Charizard! Find a way to pull back and use flames to limit the opponent's speed!"
For once, Ash's battle IQ was on point as he delivered the most appropriate command. Unfortunately, this time it was Charizard's turn to perform poorly.
Charging out of the flames, Ash's Charizard had been blinded by rage. It roared and launched a second wave of attacks against Gu Yuan's Charizard.
"Charizard, show him the true gap in your power!"
Without dodging, Gu Yuan's Charizard stood its ground, waiting for the opponent to charge right in front of it.
Thud!
A dull striking sound echoed as Ash's Charizard was swatted down, crashing heavily into the ground.
From then on, no matter how Ash's Charizard attacked, Gu Yuan's Charizard remained as immovable as a mountain, easily dismantling every offensive before striking back with even greater force. In a short amount of time, Ash's Charizard was covered in wounds.
"It's time to end this pointless battle."
"Charizard, Blast Burn!"
A massive sphere of fire erupted.
The wisest choice would have been to find a way to escape the range of the Blast Burn, but Ash's Charizard made the worst possible decision: it tried to meet the attack head-on.
The Flamethrower released by Ash's Charizard was melted away like snow before the sun. Finally, the massive fireball swallowed Charizard whole, followed by a succession of explosions.
When the smoke and flames cleared, Ash's Charizard was at its limit, no longer having the strength to fight. After casting one last unwilling glance at Gu Yuan and his Charizard, Ash's Charizard collapsed helplessly.
"Ash, your performance disappointed me. I didn't expect you to be unable to command your own Pokémon."
"I hope that through this battle, you can make Charizard listen to you. Otherwise, when you participate in the Indigo League, you must not let Charizard out."
"I'm sure after traveling for so long, you understand that it's better to command a weaker Pokémon that trusts you than a strong one that ignores your orders."
As the battle concluded, Gu Yuan had Hatterene treat Charizard while offering Ash these words of advice.
"Yes! I understand!"
"Once I become stronger, I will definitely challenge you again, Big Brother Gu Yuan!"
Looking at the confident Ash, Gu Yuan knew that unless Ash had a "miracle moment" like he did when facing Legendary Pokémon, he would likely never have a chance to defeat him given how his power level was constantly being reset.
"Fine, I'll be waiting for you!"
Gu Yuan smiled at Ash, naturally keeping his internal thoughts to himself.
Soon, under the influence of Hatterene's Heal Pulse, Ash's Charizard woke up. Feeling its strength restored, Ash's Charizard didn't attack. Instead, it looked at Gu Yuan and his Charizard with a gaze full of fighting spirit.
Finally, Ash's Charizard shifted its gaze to Ash. In its eyes, there was reflection, guilt, and a deep sense of conflict.
Seeing this, Gu Yuan knew he had successfully broken the ice for Ash. How things developed from here would depend on Ash himself, but he doubted the boy would let him down.