Seconds passed, and just as Aya accepted the fact and prepared to declare Toxicroak unable to battle, Toxicroak slowly propped itself up from the ground and stood up once more!
Seeing this, Aya breathed a sigh of relief and silently swallowed the verdict she was about to announce.
As long as Toxicroak hasn't fallen, that unexpected situation from earlier can only occur once at most.
Although she didn't know what method the opponent used, her brother was surely on guard now, so as long as Toxicroak was not out of battle, this battle's victory was still her brother's!
Koga, seeing Toxicroak stand again, finally spoke after being silent all this time: "What was that move just now? I don't recall Charizard being able to use colorful flames, it's almost like..."
Almost like the Sacred Fire that only the legendary Ho-Oh could use!
But Koga didn't say it out loud, because such a guess was utterly outlandish.
A regular Charizard, how could it possibly have Sacred Fire?
Indeed, to Koga, this Charizard was quite ordinary. Don't be fooled by its overwhelming battle strength; it was surely all due to Ash's power.
Without Ash's power, what level could this Charizard even achieve?
Yet earlier, the colorful flames from the Charizard hit his face hard. Is this an ordinary Charizard? Ha.
Upon hearing Koga's question, Ash responded, "Is this really a topic to discuss during battle, Mr. Koga?"
Koga paused for a moment, then slowly nodded: "You're right. I'll ask you after the battle. Toxicroak, Poison Jab!"
Koga commanded Toxicroak to attack again, and this time it was still a frontal assault!
But compared to the last time, this frontal attack seemed more forced.
Because after the mysterious attack earlier, Toxicroak's physical strength was nearly depleted, leaving no extra energy for additional moves like Toxic or Swagger.
Now, Toxicroak could only use its remaining strength to forcefully attack Charizard and secure this battle.
Koga also needed to figure out what Charizard's move was that broke through his attack.
Toxicroak launched forward in an instant, its claws covered in mysterious purple energy, whistling through the air.
Charizard neither dodged nor evaded, simply clenching its fists, flames blazing fiercely upon them!
Fire Punch!
Although this was a standard Fire Punch, the flames were unremarkable, like normal fire.
A flicker of doubt crossed Koga's mind—why not use that flame from earlier?
Could it be that this flame was still beyond Charizard's control?
Regardless, if it's just this level of fire, there's no way Toxicroak would lose in a head-on collision!
In the blink of an eye, Toxicroak appeared before Charizard, hurling its mysterious purple energy-coated fist fiercely at Charizard's massive form.
Charizard crouched slightly, striking sideways with its left hand, hitting Toxicroak's wrist. Though unable to completely deflect Toxicroak's hand, the maneuver numbed Toxicroak's arm slightly, causing the attack to veer a bit, grazing Charizard's arm and shoulder.
And at that moment, the flames on Charizard's fist turned colorful!
Koga's pupils constricted, and his fists clenched involuntarily.
Yes, it was that power. It was this very force with which Charizard had broken through Toxicroak's Sludge Bomb, striking Toxicroak!
Though this power was slightly stronger than Charizard's current abilities after enhancement, perhaps reaching mid to high Gym Level strength, the focus wasn't on the power but the quality of this flame!
In this flame, Koga sensed a terrifying power, an energy that made him tremble. Although not possessing any special powers, as a ninja, his perception was superior to many Special Ability Users.
This perception was honed through countless experiences, allowing him to clearly sense the terrifying divine energy contained within the colorful flames on Charizard's fist!
This wasn't about the flame's power; the quality of this flame was simply terrifying!
The quality disparity compensated entirely for the lack of firepower, enabling Charizard to break through the Sludge Bomb at that time successfully.
While Koga's mind raced, Charizard's fist crashed into Toxicroak's face!
The powerful force distorted Toxicroak's entire face, the scorching flames burning its skin to a charred black.
"Bang!!"
"Whoosh!!"
"Boom!!"
The sound of the fist landing, Toxicroak being sent flying, and Toxicroak crashing against the nearby defensive barrier.
Some cracks appeared on the indestructible barrier but quickly recovered, while Toxicroak slid slowly down from the barrier, finally collapsing on the ground, its body limp.
This time... Toxicroak was truly out of the fight.
For a moment, the entire arena fell silent; no one could believe what had just happened, not even Misty or Brock.
A single upper hand could be attributed to the opponent's carelessness, but what about now?