As the referee finished announcing the rules, Roark took out a Poké Ball and threw it: "Shinji, I'm really looking forward to battling you. This is my first Pokémon, go, Geodude!"
With a flash of white light, a round Geodude appeared on the field, its thick arms making a dull thud as they touched the ground.
"I also look forward to battling you, Mr. Roark." Shinji's voice remained cool and detached, showing no trace of emotion.
As Shinji spoke, a pale blue system panel rapidly unfolded in his mind, precisely locking onto the Geodude on the field. Various data points clearly appeared:
[Geodude♦]
Level: 24 (Advanced)
Type: Rock + Ground
Ability: Rock Head
potential: Medium
base stats: 30
Moves: Tackle, Defense Curl, Rollout, Wake-Up Slap, Rock Throw, Stealth Rock, Mega Punch
In the instant he scanned the data, Shinji had already made his decision.
With a flick of his wrist, a Poké Ball flew out as he gave a low command: "Chimchar, prepare for battle."
A flash of white light, and Chimchar landed nimbly on the rocky battlefield. The flame on its rear burned especially fiercely due to its fighting spirit, standing out starkly within the rocky Gym.
"Flame Wheel."
Shinji's command was concise and decisive, without a hint of hesitation.
"Chim!"
Chimchar let out a low growl, quickly curling its body into a ball. Instantly, it was enveloped in scorching flames, transforming into a high-speed spinning wheel of fire. With a whistling wind and waves of heat, it charged straight at Geodude.
"Hmph, well met! Geodude, Defense Curl!" Roark was well-prepared, his steady command ringing out promptly.
Upon receiving the order, Geodude's body suddenly tensed. Its already round form curled up even tighter, a faint grayish glow shimmering over its surface. Its defense instantly increased under the boost of Defense Curl.
Almost the moment it completed its defensive posture, the spinning Flame Wheel slammed hard into it.
"Thud—!"
The Flame Wheel crashed fiercely into the curled-up Geodude.
However, the expected knockback did not occur. Geodude merely slid back a short distance before coming to a steady stop.
The flames on the Flame Wheel quickly dissipated after the impact. Chimchar staggered back into view, forced to retreat several steps by the recoil.
On the spectator stands, Brock frowned slightly, analyzing in a low voice: "Rock-type Geodude naturally resists Fire-type moves. Plus, Defense Curl boosted its defense. Chimchar's Flame Wheel barely caused any substantial damage."
"Geodude, Rollout!" Roark gave Shinji no chance to catch his breath, immediately switching from defense to offense.
His tactics were clear and seasoned—leveraging type advantage to overwhelm the opponent with the most basic moves.
Geodude curled into a ball again, its body beginning to spin rapidly. It spun faster and faster, like an out-of-control stone roller, rumbling with a low Roar as it charged fiercely toward Chimchar.
"Flamethrower." Shinji's voice remained as calm and level as ever, as if completely unaware of the disadvantage on the field.
Chimchar immediately adjusted its stance, opened its mouth, and a thick, scorching pillar of flame suddenly erupted. The orange-red fire, crackling with sound, blasted directly at the rolling Geodude.
However, this seemingly fierce Flamethrower only halted Geodude for less than a second. The flames were pierced through by the high-speed spinning stone ball. Geodude's momentum remained undiminished as it continued to charge toward Chimchar.
"Thud!"
Another dull impact sound rang out as Geodude collided solidly with Chimchar.
Chimchar let out a sharp cry of pain. Its body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, landing heavily on the rocky ground and tumbling several times before barely coming to a stop.
"Perfect opportunity! Geodude, Rollout again!" Roark struck while the iron was hot, decisively issuing a pursuit command, giving Chimchar no chance to recover.
"Flame Wheel." Shinji's command remained unchanged, still a Fire-type move.
Chimchar gritted its teeth against the pain, once again curling its body into a Flame Wheel and charging toward the oncoming Geodude.
Another violent collision. This time, Chimchar was knocked back even farther, slamming hard into the Gym wall with a muffled thud. It cried out in pain as it fell to the ground, the light of its flames growing increasingly faint.
"Shinji, recall Chimchar now!" Ash could no longer hold back. He stood up from the spectator stands, shouting at Shinji with a face full of worry and urgency. "If this continues, Chimchar will be seriously injured!"
"Noisy."
Shinji glanced coldly at Ash. The chill in his eyes seemed to freeze the air for a moment.
He showed no intention of recalling Chimchar. His gaze fixed intently on the struggling figure on the field as he issued the command again: "Flame Wheel."
"You...!" Ash trembled with anger. If Brock hadn't held him back, he almost would have rushed onto the field. "You're willing to ignore your Pokémon's safety just to win? That's going too far!"
On the field, hearing the command, Chimchar mustered its last ounce of strength. It ignited its flames once more, transforming into a weak Flame Wheel to meet Geodude.
After a "thud" of collision, it was sent flying like a broken doll, landing on the ground.
This time, it struggled for a long while before slowly pushing itself up. Its limbs trembled slightly, clearly having reached its physical limit. Even standing had become extremely difficult.
"Shinji," Roark said, looking at the weakened Chimchar on the field, his tone carrying a touch of pity as he actively advised, "Chimchar can't hold on any longer. Sometimes, knowing when to give up is also an important lesson a Trainer needs to learn."
There was sincere admonishment in this Gym Leader's eyes.
He had seen too many young Trainers who, obsessed with victory, disregarded their Pokémon's condition, ultimately causing their partners to suffer hidden injuries or even a decline in potential.
On the spectator stands, Ash's face flushed red with anger, his fists clenched so tight they creaked.
Brock, however, frowned deeply, thoughtfully watching Shinji. He didn't believe Shinji was the type of Trainer to mindlessly charge ahead.
Dawn stopped cheering, her hands gripping her pom-poms tightly, her knuckles turning white.
She looked at the barely breathing Chimchar on the field, then at Shinji's stern profile, her heart filled with conflict and worry.
But she knew Shinji would never do anything meaningless.
"Chimchar, don't disappoint me."
Shinji completely ignored the words from Roark and Ash. His dark purple eyes fixed intently on his partner on the field, his voice carrying a trace of barely perceptible expectation.
As if sensing Shinji's expectation, or perhaps having its potential ignited by the continuous pressure, Chimchar suddenly raised its head and let out an ear-splitting Roar.
With this Roar, the dim flame on its rear suddenly erupted, transforming into a raging inferno that instantly engulfed its entire body.
The scorching flames churned like magma, their brilliance so dazzling it was impossible to look directly at them. The temperature in the entire Gym rose instantly. Everyone's face was illuminated by the leaping shadows of the fire.
Seeing this scene, a triumphant smile finally appeared on Shinji's face as he murmured to himself, "It's finally here."
"Is this... Blaze?!" Ash's eyes widened in astonishment, his face a picture of shock. "The power of this Blaze is way too strong."
Brock suddenly understood, stroking his chin as he said, "So that's it. Shinji kept having Chimchar clash head-on with Geodude to draw out Chimchar's Blaze ability in a desperate situation. But the power of this Blaze... it's truly unbelievable."
"What the heck! So it's okay to disregard Chimchar's feelings just to draw out Blaze?" Ash instantly shifted from shock to anger, shouting at Shinji's back. "A Trainer should fight alongside their Pokémon, not treat them like tools!"
A look of shock also appeared on Roark's face.
He had seen many Pokémon with the Blaze ability, but such a violent, such pure fire energy—this was his first time witnessing it.
Just then, a crisp and energetic cheer once again rang out from the spectator stands:
"Go Shinji! Go Shinji!"
"Go Chimchar! Go Chimchar! GOGO!"
Dawn had, at some point, raised her cheerleading pom-poms again, her face full of excitement and anticipation. Piplup and Buneary also hopped around beside her. Their mini cheerleader outfits looked especially cute under the glow of the flames.
That lively, energetic voice was like a clear spring, pouring into this space engulfed in flames.
Roark was initially shocked for a moment by the surging Blaze, but he quickly regained his composure. A corner of his mouth lifted in a battle-eager smile. "So that was your goal. However, do you really think this is enough to win? That's too naive, Shinji!"
"Then we'll see." Shinji responded flatly, a barely perceptible curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.
What he had been waiting for was not just Blaze alone.
As soon as his words fell, a blinding white light suddenly erupted from Chimchar's body on the field, intertwining with the raging flames to form a dazzling pillar of light—the light of evolution!
"That's... evolution?!" Brock's eyes widened in astonishment, his face full of shock. "To evolve at a time like this!"
He thought for a moment and instantly understood the key point: "Shinji must have deliberately suppressed Chimchar's evolution all along, precisely so it could complete its evolution while drawing out Blaze, using the power of evolution to fully master the Blaze ability! This guy's tactical planning is truly unfathomable."
After realizing this, Brock's gaze toward Shinji became complex. This youth's tactical insight and control over his Pokémon's potential were simply terrifying.
Dawn also stopped cheering, standing dumbfounded in place, her hands covering her mouth. Her azure-blue eyes were full of awe as she stared intently at the pillar of light intertwining fire and white light on the field, her breathing even becoming somewhat rapid.
The pillar of light lasted about ten seconds before slowly dispersing.
"Grooooo——!!!!"
The figure of Chimchar had vanished. In its place was a Pokémon with a more slender build and more agile posture—its fur was a deep orange, the muscles on its limbs clearly defined, and its face bore red and blue markings resembling a mask.
Most striking of all was the flame at the end of its tail. Originally burning wildly, after the evolution was complete and it roared at the sky, the flame gradually gathered, forming a neat "big" (big) character shape at the tip.
"Monferno!" Ash instinctively pulled out his Pokédex and aimed it at the new figure on the field. A mechanical synthesized voice immediately sounded: "Monferno, the Playful Pokémon, the evolved form of Chimchar. It attacks repeatedly from the air using ceilings and walls. The flame on its tail is also one of its weapons."
Shinji looked at the imposing Monferno on the field, a glint of light flashing in his dark purple eyes.
He knew clearly that Monferno had not only evolved but had also successfully mastered that extraordinary Blaze power.
He immediately called up the system panel to scan Monferno's latest data:
[Monferno♦]
Level: 21 (Advanced)
Type: Fire + Fighting
Ability: Blaze
potential: Excellent
base stats: 45
Moves: Scratch, Glare, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Dig, Mach Punch
The moment he saw the data, even Shinji was somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected that after completely mastering the Blaze power, Monferno not only directly gained 5 levels but also broke through from its previous 'Good' potential to 'Excellent'. This was undoubtedly an unexpected boon brought by this extreme battle.
"Evolved into Monferno, huh?" The fighting spirit in Roark's eyes grew even stronger, showing no fear at his opponent's evolution. "Then let me see the power after evolution! Geodude, Rollout!"
Geodude curled into a ball once more, spinning rapidly as it charged toward Monferno, its momentum even more ferocious than before.
A glint flashed in Shinji's eyes as he issued a low command: "Flame Wheel."
This time, the Flame Wheel ignited around Monferno was several times more ferocious than Chimchar's before—the flames were more intense, a dazzling crimson red, and its speed was lightning-fast. Starting later but arriving first, it slammed fiercely into Geodude!
"Boom—!"
Another violent collision sound echoed through the Gym. This time, it was no longer the one-sided suppression from before.
Monferno's Flame Wheel and Geodude's Rollout clashed for a moment before Geodude's spinning momentum suddenly stalled. It was then violently knocked flying by the Flame Wheel.
"Mach Punch!" Shinji's command followed immediately.
Monferno's right fist instantly lit up with a dazzling white light. Its figure flashed like a ghost, appearing above Geodude almost before it had even hit the ground.
Immediately after, a fist carrying the sound of tearing air smashed down hard, driving Geodude straight into the ground.
"Crash—!"
A deafening Roar echoed as Geodude slammed heavily onto the rocky ground, instantly kicking up a large cloud of dust that made even the referee at the sidelines cough uncontrollably.
Dust filled the air, obscuring everyone's view.
After a moment, the dust gradually cleared.
The scene on the field clearly presented itself to everyone. Geodude's eyes were swirling, deeply embedded in the shattered rocky ground. It had already lost the ability to battle.
Monferno stood steadily to the side, the "big"-shaped flame at the end of its tail still burning fiercely, clearly still having strength to spare.