Lance the Elite Four's Challenge

The quarterfinals finally began, and the battles were clearly far more intense. Ash's opponent sent out Dragonite as their very first Pokémon.

Faced with the pressure of a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, Ash felt the strain on a mental level even before the other side attacked.

"All right, you're up next, Charizard!"

The moment he appeared, Charizard threw back his head and roared. Looking at the imposing Dragonite across from him, he disdainfully snorted two streams of air from his nostrils.

It was no wonder he was so proud. After more than twenty days of hellish training under Big Charizard, all he had done was get beaten into the ground or head to the Pokémon Center to recover.

It was no exaggeration to say that Charizard's combat power had more than doubled. Even the lunches he ate every day tasted especially delicious, as if they had been seasoned with the finest spice in the world.

After finishing lunch every time, Charizard would immediately be full of energy, feeling as though his strength had improved a little.

At their Trainers' commands, the two winged Pokémon took off at the same time. Dragonite's tiny wings flapped continuously, displaying astonishing speed.

But he soon realized that Charizard was hot on his tail. He was no slouch either.

Electricity crackled from the antennae atop his head as Dragonite fired a Thunderbolt backward.

Charizard had no intention of dodging. Instead, he unleashed a Fire Blast, intending to trade injury for injury.

Lightning and explosions blossomed in the sky. After taking the attacks, both Pokémon crashed to the ground.

Bang!

Every spectator widened their eyes and stared at the dust on the battlefield.

Dragonite's fingers twitched. Just as he let out a few cries, he saw Charizard, who had been lying not far away, already rise to his