"Charizard?"
AJs began to analyze the situation. This Charizard was undoubtedly Ash's trump card, but it was now at a disadvantage against his own Electabuzz. Since Ash's other Pokémon were already injured, this was his chance to pave the way for his own ace.
He needed to wear down Charizard's stamina as much as possible!
"Use Flamethrower!"
"Dodge it, use Thunder Punch!"
Electabuzz leaped aside to evade the incoming flames, then struck Charizard with Thunder Punch.
A fierce Thunderbolt followed, slamming directly into Charizard.
The super-effective moves dealt a heavy amount of damage to Charizard.
"Use Fire Spin!"
Charizard exhaled a swirling vortex of fire that shattered the Thunderbolt.
"Use Seismic Toss!"
"Thunderbolt again!"
Charizard reacted with lightning speed, grabbing Electabuzz and taking flight. Before Electabuzz could unleash its Thunderbolt, it was slammed violently into the ground.
"Electabuzz is unable to battle! Charizard wins!"
The announcer called out, "The Frontier Brain's fifth Pokémon has also fallen! The gates of victory are swinging open for Ash, but..."
Everyone stared intently at AJs's final Pokémon.
"You're up, old friend."
AJs picked up the Poké Ball attached to the necklace around his neck and hurled it forward.
Roar—!
A yellow dragon Pokémon with small wings appeared on the field.
It was none other than Dragonite!
"It's a Dragonite!"
"The guardian deity of the Orange Islands!"
"Dragonite has entered the fray!"
Cheers erupted from the stands, a testament to just how popular this Dragonite was.
*****
"Dragonite? Is it strong?"
Unfamiliar with Dragonite, Ash turned to ask Brock.
"Of_course it is, Ash. Remember the Dratini and Dragonair we encountered in the Safari Zone? Their final evolution is Dragonite. Dragonite is basically a pseudo-legendary Pokémon here in the Kanto region." Brock immediately explained Dragonite's formidable reputation to Ash.
Misty chimed in, "Ash, I think you made a mistake earlier. You had Charizard fight Electabuzz, and Charizard took quite a bit of damage."
"Anyway, as long as we win, that's what matters! Just watch, I'll definitely beat Dragonite!"
(In the anime, this Dragonite is basically a bugged-out dragon. Pokémon usually only get four moves, but just watch how many moves this one uses. A quick reminder: as for why this bugged dragon uses so many moves, we won't discuss it in the novel because I have no idea how to explain it away.)
Unova Region
"His ace is a Dragonite?"
Trip didn't recognize Dragonite and started looking up information online.
"So it's a pseudo-legendary Pokémon from the Kanto region, the same kind of deal as our Unova Hydreigon."
"Our Hydreigon is definitely stronger!"
Sinnoh region
"AJs's trump card is Dragonite."
Paul remarked, "Dragonite? If I get the chance, I'm definitely catching one."
"Ash's Pokémon are all injured, while this Dragonite doesn't have a scratch on it. Even though it's a four-on-one, the opponent is a pseudo-legendary after all." Reggie analyzed the current situation.
It felt like both sides had their advantages and disadvantages.
Somewhere else.
"Oh no! I thought Ash was going to win, and now we're definitely going to get fined!"
"Well, looks like Ash ran into a seriously tough Pokémon."
A yellow-haired boy kept chattering away.
*****
Ash looked at the Pokémon that looked just like the statue he had seen yesterday.
This had to be the strongest opponent of the challenge so far!
"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"
"Water Gun!"
Whoosh! Fizz!
Bam! Roar!
The flames and the pillar of water collided, but the water power proved superior, striking Charizard head-on.
Agh! Water Gun wasn't even a same-type attack, yet it managed to overpower Charizard's Flamethrower!
Everyone could already imagine just how formidable this Dragonite truly was.
"Use Ice Beam!"
"Fly into the sky and dodge!"
Charizard rapidly took to the air to evade the freezing beam. Under AJs's command, Dragonite moved forward at high speed and then shot straight up vertically.
Who would have thought that despite its small wings relative to its massive body, it could fly so fast?!!
Fizz! Bam!
Charizard was struck by Ice Beam.
"Charizard, pull yourself together! Grab it and use Seismic Toss!"
Charizard flew toward Dragonite, getting ready to grab it, but Dragonite seized the initiative, grabbing Charizard by the throat instead.
"Use Slam!"
Oh no! It got choked!
Bam-boom!
Charizard was slammed heavily into the ground. It managed to stand back up with a tough spirit, but it was still panting heavily.
"Even though Charizard hasn't lost the ability to battle, it looks heavily damaged." The announcer noted that Charizard was in bad shape.
"Bet it all on this! Use Dragon Rage!"
"In that case, we'll use Dragon Rage too!"
Double Whoosh!
Boom!
The Dragon Rages from both sides collided in a violent explosion, blanketing the battlefield in smoke. When the smoke cleared, Dragonite was panting just like Charizard.
Roar—!
Charizard collapsed to the ground.
"Charizard is unable to battle! Dragonite wins!"
That's right! Ash's trump card had been defeated.
Elite Four Chat Group
Flint: *Sigh!* Charizard had already lost some stamina from Electabuzz's electric attacks earlier, then got hit by Water Gun, plus Dragonite's fierce onslaught... of course it couldn't hold out.
Malva: Still, I saw the fire in Charizard. It kept fighting right until the very last moment.
Bertha: Looks like it's going to be a war of attrition from here on out.
Lucian: Indeed. All of Ash's Pokémon are injured now, and Dragonite looks like it's taken considerable damage too. It all comes down to who exhausts the other's stamina first.
Bruno: I believe in Ash. Ash's trust and love for Pokémon are unwavering.
Drasna: Even though I'm a Dragon-type specialist, I'm cheering for both sides!
Lance: I'm definitely rooting for our guy! Ash, wear that Dragonite out!
Drake: Oh look, the Flying-type champion is at it again!
Lance: You're picking a fight, aren't you?! Wanna have a Pokémon single battle right now?!
Siebold: Alright, alright, stop arguing. You're all Elite Four members, there's no need for this. Let's just keep watching how Ash handles the battle.
Ash: "Return, Charizard. You did great."
Ash recalled Charizard first and began analyzing the situation.
"Looking at Dragonite, it's taken some damage too. We have no way out now; we just have to try a war of attrition."
"Squirtle, I'm counting on you again!"
Ash sent out Squirtle.
"Use Hydro Pump!"
Squirtle retreated into its shell and spun, shooting a torrent of water forward, but Dragonite hit it first with a Water Gun.
"This is bad! The damage Squirtle took earlier hasn't healed yet!"
"Use Thunderbolt!"
Roar! Fizz-fizz-fizz!
Electricity surged from the top of Dragonite's head, striking Squirtle. Seeing a move that had a type advantage over Squirtle, Ash's expression froze in an instant.
Fortunately, Squirtle gritted its teeth and managed to hang on.
"Now, use Body Slam!"
Dragonite lunged forward. Ash commanded Bubble Beam; Dragonite was hit, but continued to close the distance. With a loud crash across the battlefield, Squirtle was unable to battle!
"Trainer Ash has only two Pokémon left."
"What is that?!"
As the announcer cried out in surprise, a massive net suddenly appeared in the sky, snatching Dragonite. It was a Meowth hot air balloon—the Team Rocket trio yet again.