Chapter 172

"**Mega Charizard?**"

The Spindrift Knight, Eula, had only one Pokémon.

Her Pokémon had been trained from a shiny Charmander to level 50, ultimately reaching the final form of Charizard.

But even Takumi didn't expect this.

As soon as Eula started, she shouted, "**Mega Evolution!**"

And it was Mega Charizard X!

In the X form, Charizard's color changed to a dark gray, with blue flames at the tail's tip.

Blue crystal-like protrusions appeared on its shoulders, and there were fin-like spines along the back of its neck. The insides of its wings turned a dark blue.

Since this was a shiny Charizard, its flames remained a bright gold!

Takumi observed, "At first, I thought Eula was Teyvat's answer to Champion Lance, but now I'm not so sure…"

The corner of his mouth twitched.

Lance didn't even have a shiny Charizard.

And Lance's Mega Charizard used the Y Mega Stone, known for its iconic orange form.

Meanwhile, Eula's X-form Mega Charizard was like a dragon reborn in shadow and flame.

Takumi scanned the system:

"**Mega Charizard (X form),** Fire and Dragon-type Pokémon.

Level: 50.

Ability: Tough Claws (increases the power of moves that make direct contact by 30%).

Potential: Champion level.

Moves: Air Slash, Flamethrower, Dragon Claw…"

After Mega Evolution, Charizard's stats increased from a base total of 534 to 634.

Not only did its Flying type change to Dragon, but its stats also became more balanced.

**Guest Area**

Takumi continued to study this Mega Evolution information with great interest.

Jean, Kaeya, Lisa, and other members of the Knights were shocked and puzzled by Eula's Mega Charizard.

Jean asked, "Where did Eula get her Mega Stone?"

Noelle clenched her fists, eyes shining. "The Mega-evolved Charizard is amazing!"

Rosaria mused, "I only know Eula's been spending a lot of time in the ecological zone lately. Maybe she had a lucky encounter there."

Bennett sighed, "I'm so envious! A Mega Evolution stone!"

**In the Inazuma Group**

The Raiden Shogun suddenly reappeared out of thin air in the seat she had vacated half an hour earlier.

"Huh?"

When Ei saw the dark Mega Charizard on the field, she was immediately taken aback.

Even Yae Miko, the ultimate kitsune, was caught off guard by Eula's Mega-evolved Charizard.

**On the Field**

"Roar!"

Mega Charizard's flying speed surpassed that of a jet plane.

When its wings moved, they broke the sound barrier, leaving visible trails in the air.

Flight—plus the speed of sound!

The audience was stunned into silence.

Then the livestream exploded with a flurry of comments:

"Damn, that speed! It's breaking the sound barrier!"

"That's a demon dragon—a real, live demon dragon!"

"Mega Charizard is in its final form, and it's only level 50. I think it could be as strong as Mondstadt's Dragon of the East Wind!"

"Mondstadt's citizens are excited! Dvalin, the Dragon of the East, has the power of a minor god and can summon storms…"

"No doubt, but with a Mega Charizard, Eula could one day raise it to the Champion level, maybe even make it a false god!"

"Though Eula has the blood of sinners, she and her Charizard could be Mondstadt's next guardian!"

**Meanwhile, on the battlefield**

Little Klee and her Pokémon both expressed their suffering.

Her Zweilous, in particular, seemed to be at its wit's end.

"Roar~!!" *o(╥﹏╥)o!*

It was about to cry.

In the last battle, it had just evolved to a pseudo-legendary Zweilous, confidently defeating other opponents. Now, however…

It's their turn to be schooled!

Couldn't they have had a few more rounds to impress the crowd?

In the sky, the flying Mega Charizard was a sight to behold, making Zweilous feel like the odd one out.

For a moment, Zweilous wanted to give up its "600" base stats and trade them for the ability to fly.

**At that moment**

The Staff-Tailed Dragon attempted to strike the high-flying Mega Charizard.

But Charizard looked down on it with a smirk of disdain.

In an instant, Mega Charizard soared to a height of 100 meters.

Zweilous was left stunned:

*OMG!*

Could you not cheat like this?

Since the battlefield was set up to mimic the real outdoors, with only a protective barrier around the spectator area, the ceiling wasn't covered.

Takumi remarked, "If Charizard wanted to, it could fly up to 1,000 meters."

"Once it controls the air, it dominates the match!"

Seeing Klee's two pseudo-legendaries struggle against Mega Charizard's aerial agility, everyone began to wonder if they should also catch a Pokémon with strong flying abilities.

Otherwise…

Forget battle competitions.

In the wild, encountering enemies with flying Pokémon would be a nightmare!

"Roar!"

Mega Charizard unleashed a fiery Dragon Breath, with flames exceeding 1,000 degrees.

"Wooh!"

Klee's Zweilous whimpered and flailed in the air.

With its underdeveloped wings, it could barely stay afloat, much less match Charizard's speed and height.

The gap was enormous, like comparing a waddling duck to a wild eagle.

Then the high-temperature flames surged down, saturating the area.

The place was filled with the strong smell of sulfur, as if a volcano had erupted, with the rocks on the ground even showing signs of melting.

In the medical room, Tartaglia winced at the sight of the superheated flames.

"Looks like I'm the clown this time."

His Demon King transformation, combined with Alolan Ninetales' Blizzard and the seamless coordination between him and his Pokémon, could produce a fantastic elemental reaction.

But…

Mega Charizard didn't need anything from its trainer, Eula.

Just a single breath of Dragon Breath…

And the battle was over.

"Eula wins!"

The medical team rushed in and took Klee and her Pokémon away.

"Roar~"

The X-form Mega Charizard slowly descended to the ground, flapping its powerful wings.

"Well done, Charizard."

Eula jumped off Charizard's back.

The large Charizard lowered its head, rubbing its long neck against Eula affectionately.

This was a rare female Charizard, known for her clinginess.

Eula couldn't help but smile as she hugged Charizard's head, scratching its neck and chin.

Charizard relaxed, enjoying the affection with half-closed eyes.

This scene was captured by the camera.

"I'm in love! I'm officially a fan of Eula from now on!"

"You call this a Charizard? If you said it's a cat asking for pets, I'd believe you!"

"A massive, blazing creature with a soft, affectionate heart… What a wonderful Pokémon!"

This heartwarming scene between trainer and Pokémon became an iconic moment in the quarterfinals, and Eula gained countless fans.

The final four were set:

- **Hu Tao**

- **Ningguang**

- **Eula**

- **Traveler Lumine**

---

**Lunch Break**

The semi-finals would begin in the afternoon, with the Super Series final scheduled for six in the evening.

Across various forums and discussion boards, people were excitedly debating who was most likely to win the championship.

**Wanmin Restaurant**

Today, the Wanmin Restaurant was reserved by the Qixing Cabinet for important guests from three regions.

Everyone gathered together.

Chef Mao and Xiangling worked quickly, dish after dish filling the tables.

Takumi stood up and raised a cup of tea. "To everyone here: thank you. I've seen the hard work and effort each of you has put into making this first tournament possible."

"Your efforts are not in vain."

"Tomorrow!"

"The Hisui region will be fully open to everyone. Then, each of you will see that all your training has paid off with great rewards."

Zhongli, Venti, and Ei also raised their cups.

"Cheers."

"To all."

After the meal, the group chat was abuzz with predictions about the championship.

Eula was confident: "My Mega Charizard can fly!"

Hu Tao smirked, "Do you think my Garchomp can't fly? (illustration.jpg)"

"What is a Sonic Pokémon?"

"When it flies, it can even reach supersonic speeds!"

Ningguang smiled gracefully. "My Metagross can also fly at supersonic speeds by retracting its claws."

Traveler Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances, both feeling a little uncertain.

Paimon held her head with her little hands:

"Then… should we just leave the group?"

Of the top four, three contestants had Pokémon with exceptional flying abilities.

And they were all supersonic flyers.

Lumine looked a little nervous.

"It looks like it's time to reveal our fourth Poké Ball."

Paimon suddenly remembered.

"Lumine, our fourth Pokémon… isn't it a flying dragon?"

Suddenly, everyone in Wanmin Restaurant looked over.

Except for Hu Tao and Xiangling, who were in the know, everyone else was curious.

At that moment, a message popped up on Takumi's Pokédex:

**The Origin Ball has been completed. Come pick it up.**

—Dr. Laventon.

Takumi stood up.

"Everyone, excuse me."

"I'll be back soon."

"Hopefully, in time for the finals!"