Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

Behold, a gift from the Hydro Archon herself—bonus chapters, born of your devotion and my boundless generosity! Bask in this rare blessing!

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Professor Oak gestured toward Machamp, who was busy filling in the large crater. "We had a recent battle here, and although the field is a bit rough, it shouldn't interfere too much with your match."

After all, the fight was likely to be over quickly; the condition of the ground wouldn't matter much.

It wasn't that Professor Oak had lost his scientific rigor.

It was just that, after witnessing the strength of Luo Yuan's Pokémon, he couldn't imagine any rookie trainer standing a chance.

"A battle…" Brock repeated, eyeing the crater with curiosity.

It was at least ten meters in diameter and a meter or two deep.

Even if Onix went all out, Brock doubted it could create something that size in a single move.

"What kind of Pokémon could have done that?" he thought, feeling a sense of awe—and a hint of worry for Ash's chances.

But there wasn't much time to dwell on it.

The battle began, with Luo Yuan and Ash taking their places on opposite sides of the field. Brock moved into the center to act as the referee.

"This will be a one-on-one match," Brock announced. "Each side will use only one Pokémon. Victory is determined when one side's Pokémon can no longer battle."

At Brock's signal, Luo Yuan tossed out his Poké Ball.

Boom!

"Roooar!"

Luo Yuan's Charizard took the field, letting out a fierce flame into the sky.

Seeing Charizard, Ash felt an urge to call out his own Charizard and have a grand showdown.

But, thankfully, he managed to stay practical.

He thought of Charizard's unpredictable nature, and he knew that sending it out would be a gamble.

So, he stuck to his original plan.

"Pikachu, it's up to you!"

Ash patted Pikachu on his shoulder, and Pikachu leapt confidently onto the field.

"Pikachu, huh…"

Luo Yuan looked at Pikachu, not letting his guard down.

Beyond his naturally cautious nature, there was another reason.

Battling Ash's Pikachu was unpredictable. It was hard to anticipate its true strength.

With Charizard's Flying-type weakness to Electric, there was no room to be careless.

Luo Yuan decided to go all out. "We'll attack first—Charizard, Flamethrower!"

Charizard's flames roared forward.

Pikachu agilely leapt aside, dodging the flames with ease.

"Pikachu, hit it with Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.

Golden electricity shot from Pikachu's cheeks, slicing through the air toward Charizard.

Gary, watching from the side, raised an eyebrow as he observed Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

He'd fought Ash's Pikachu recently after being defeated by Luo Yuan and had noted Pikachu's power then.

Yet, watching Pikachu now, Gary felt its improvement hadn't been as dramatic as he'd expected.

"With that level of power, how could it compete with that insane Beedrill?" Gary thought, a sense of doubt creeping in.

Was it him, or had the world just gone off-balance?

Meanwhile, Charizard gracefully dodged the incoming Thunderbolt, leaping upward with a powerful flap of its wings.

Whoosh!

With a sound of wind gusting, Charizard shot up into the sky like a blazing orange comet, evading the Thunderbolt.

"Charizard, Fire Blast!"

At Luo Yuan's command, Charizard didn't hesitate.

Before the command was even finished, Charizard had already begun gathering a powerful flame in its mouth.

Long hours of training had made Fire Blast second nature to Charizard—a move as natural as breathing.

Charizard twirled mid-air and unleashed a blazing Fire Blast straight down at Pikachu, the movement so smooth and beautiful it could have graced the Hoenn Region's Contests.

Everyone watching, entranced by Charizard's seamless attack, was jolted back to reality by the impending danger.

Ash snapped to attention and called to Pikachu, "Dodge it!"

Ash knew Fire Blast well enough to recognize its power.

Getting hit by it would spell serious trouble.

Pikachu dashed aside with Quick Attack, streaking across the ground just in time to evade the flames.

Boom!

The Fire Blast hit the ground with an explosive impact, sending flames and debris soaring several meters high. The force of the blast made Ash's clothes whip in the air, and he wobbled on his feet.

The shockwave kicked up loose earth, and the crater Machamp had spent half an hour filling was blown open again.

Luo Yuan didn't need to look to imagine Machamp's frustration.

But, after all, that was the nature of battle.

"Charizard, keep the pressure on!"

Luo Yuan wasn't surprised that Pikachu had dodged Fire Blast; he'd never expected one attack to end things.

Charizard, hearing Luo Yuan's command, knew exactly what to do. This was its favorite part of any battle.

"Rooaaar!"

With a triumphant roar, the flame on Charizard's tail blazed even higher as it fired three consecutive Fire Blasts down at Pikachu, who was charging up a countering Thunderbolt.

The three Fire Blasts formed a triangle, trapping Pikachu within their blast radius and cutting off its escape routes.

In a normal situation, Pikachu would have had no way to dodge.

But Pikachu wasn't called the Thunder God for nothing—it was known for defying the odds, especially when paired with Ash.

In a flash of inspiration, Ash called out, "Pikachu, aim Thunderbolt at the Fire Blast!"

"Pika…CHU!"

Pikachu unleashed a thick bolt of electricity, striking one of the incoming Fire Blasts and detonating it mid-air.

The explosion from the first Fire Blast set off a chain reaction with the other two, creating a massive explosion that lit up the sky.

The shockwave rippled downward, bringing a wave of superheated air toward Pikachu.

Just after releasing its Thunderbolt, Pikachu felt an overwhelming force crashing down from above, pinning it to the ground before it could escape.

The heat washed over its body, singeing a tuft of fur on its tail.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out, quickly clutching its tail and blowing on it as the heat dissipated.

Despite the intense battle, the sight of Pikachu nursing its burnt tail looked… almost cute?

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T/N: My two favorites...

Ah-ha! So you mortals truly have outdone yourselves this time, haven't you? To think your offerings could summon forth these bonus chapters—what a feat worthy of my recognition! You've brought glory to Fontaine, and naturally, to me.

But do not think for a moment that your work is complete! This is but a single step on the journey to greatness, and there are still many more chapters, many more stages, and of course, many more opportunities to bask in my brilliance.

So, continue your efforts, loyal followers! Shower this endeavor with your support, and who knows? Perhaps I shall reward your dedication with even grander displays of my magnificence.

For now, savor these bonus chapters. And remember, this is your moment to shine... because I allowed it.

With admiration and just a dash of benevolence,

Furina ✨