Heat Wave

After the collision of the dark energy and dragon energy in the sky, there was an explosion, and the scattered black and blue energy resembled dazzling fireworks.

Charizard flapped vigorously, creating a strong wind mixed with these energy fragments, heading towards Houndoom.

Seeing the sharp and cutting wind approaching, Houndoom opened its mouth, full of sharp teeth, and let out a mighty roar, sending forth rolling black soundwaves.

Air Slash vs. Snarl

Strong wind against loud roar, flying-type energy against dark-type energy.

Under the intense energy impact, Charizard involuntarily flapped its wings and flew to a higher altitude, while Houndoom also quickly retreated a considerable distance.

Even Yuga and Malva couldn't help but step back two paces, fearing the terrifying energy shock.

Watching Houndoom, who never fell behind, Yuga couldn't help but admire the Elite Four member's Pokémon.

His Charizard could use moves recklessly without fearing exhaustion because it had the support of special flames nurtured by the Red Gem.

But Malva's Houndoom, after enduring such frequent move bombardments, still remained unfazed.

"The Gym Leader Shimizu indeed lives up to his reputation!"

Watching Charizard, which was evenly matched with her Houndoom, Malva sincerely exclaimed.

It's truly the younger generation surpassing the older one!

Suddenly, Malva, who was not that old herself, felt like she was aging.

Her formidable strength was the result of accumulated time, but Yuga was so young. According to the information, he's only eighteen years old. (If you count the two years in Arus, he's almost twenty-one.)

Lysandre's mood at this moment was similar to Malva's.

Although he had seen Yuga's Lapras before, today Yuga's displayed strength still surprised Lysandre.

He felt that inviting Yuga to join his Team Flare was a very correct decision, even though Yuga was unaware of Team Flare's existence (or so he thought).

In the new world, only outstanding individuals could survive, and all the rest should disappear.

Yuga: "You flatter me! Ms. Malva, as the Elite Four member you're the true powerhouse."

Malva: "A powerhouse? I like your choice of words, but you should be careful; I might have to get serious."

After saying this, Malva shouted toward her Houndoom in front of her: "Houndoom!"

Houndoom understood and nodded at its trainer.

It couldn't afford to drag on with Charizard any longer; with its ability activated, it needed a quick resolution.

"Houndoom!"

Houndoom tilted its head and let out a loud howl. With this piercing howl, its momentum began to skyrocket rapidly.

The black fur of Houndoom gradually turned bright red, and with every breath it took, hot sparks spewed from its mouth and nose.

"Houndoom..."

Houndoom howled again, but this time, it was accompanied by countless flames erupting from its mouth. Soon, the ground beneath it turned into a sea of fire.

This process seemed lengthy but occurred in an instant.

While Houndoom's primary type was dark, dark-type moves were more effective against Charizard's fire type than fire-type moves. However, Malva was a genuine Fire-type Elite Four member.

Fire was her specialty.

The entire ground was ablaze with roaring flames, and Mega Houndoom's menacing face resembled a demon emerging from a fiery hell.

Charizard, watching the fiery field below, was extremely puzzled.

What was Houndoom planning to do? Those flames couldn't reach Charizard in the high sky.

Houndoom gazed at the airborne Charizard, then suddenly opened its mouth, and its eyes emitted ominous red light.

The puzzled Charizard suddenly saw a pillar of fire shooting out from the burning ground, heading straight towards it.

Reacting swiftly, Charizard flapped its wings, tilted its body, and narrowly avoided the pillar of fire's impact. But before it could catch its breath, another pillar of fire came toward it.

Followed by the third, fourth, fifth...

By the time Charizard regained its senses, it was surrounded by countless pillars of fire. Flying in the sky, it now resembled a bright target suspended in the air.

Watching the scene on the battlefield, Yuga was left dumbfounded.

Was this a special application of inferno moves?

Yuga could tell that Houndoom was definitely using Inferno, but this grandiose attack method couldn't be achieved with a single move.

However, the principles behind it weren't something that could be understood just by looking; otherwise, she wouldn't have become the Fire-type Elite Four member in Kalos.

Never underestimate the heroes of the world! If it were any other Pokémon on the field, they probably would have already been defeated; only Charizard could endure for this long.

The frequent attacks of the pillars of fire forced Charizard to constantly evade, leaving it with no opportunity to counterattack.

The faster a Pokémon's movement, the greater the energy consumption. Without the special flames supported by the Red Gem, Charizard would have been defeated already.

Charizard belonged to the category of strong attackers, which meant it wasn't particularly adept at prolonged battles. Malva's Houndoom was a prime example of this.

Yuga's Charizard was an exception.

Seeing Charizard in the sky movefully dodging Houndoom's attacks, Malva widened her eyes in amazement.

The move Houndoom was using was her specialty, and very few Pokémon could withstand it. Many Elite Four members and Champions in Kalos had suffered losses against this move.

"Charizard! Heat Wave!"

Seeing Charizard in a difficult situation, Yuga called out.

Hearing Yuga's voice, Charizard abruptly braked, stabilizing its position in the air, though it was hit by one of the pillars of fire in the process.

However, Charizard was ultimately a Fire-type Pokémon, and with the protection of the Red Gem, it couldn't completely negate fire damage like Dragonite did with most Electric-type attacks. But it significantly boosted its resistance to fire.

Seeing Charizard only slightly injured by one of Houndoom's pillars of fire, Malva was astonished. This Charizard's fire resistance was much stronger than she had imagined.

As Charizard stabilized its position in the air, its massive wings spread wide, and with the sun behind it, it created the sensation of covering the entire sky.

Of course, as Charizard stopped evading, it was struck by several pillars of fire, but it seemed completely indifferent.

With Charizard rapidly flapping its wings, a crimson hurricane began to form around it, spreading outwards like a storm. When the pillars of fire approached it again, they were torn apart by the crimson hurricane.

Similar to Houndoom's all-field pillars of fire, Charizard's Heat Wave was also a combination move.

While a typical Heat Wave was a straightforward Fire-type move, Charizard's Heat Wave was a combination of Fire-type and Flying-type moves. It not only had a burning effect but also a strong force that could blow away and cut through.

As the hurricane formed by the Heat Wave spread, the area where Charizard was located became a vacuum devoid of flames.

With each expansion of the hurricane, the flames on the field disappeared bit by bit. The fire-controlled by Houndoom on the ground was eroded by the hurricane.

Seeing the shrinking fire field controlled by Houndoom and the gradual disappearance of the pillars of fire on the field, Malva was stunned.

Houndoom was entirely focused on controlling the pillars of fire to attack Charizard, but its control over the flames on the field was diminishing.

Fire-type and Flying-type energies in the air began to gather around Charizard.

A tug of war was unfolding between the fiery field and the crimson hurricane.

As time passed, Houndoom felt its condition deteriorating, and its Solar Power ability was becoming a hindrance rather than a help.

When it was in a dominant position, this ability was its powerful ally. But when it was in a disadvantaged state, it became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Unnoticed by others, a faint light flashed on Charizard's belly, and a large amount of fiery energy converged on it. The crimson hurricane suddenly expanded, tearing apart all the flames and pillars of fire on the field.

Impacted by the hurricane, Houndoom, weakened to the extreme, was sent flying, and the fiery field disappeared in an instant.

Houndoom attempted to get back up but failed.

Maintaining the fiery field, controlling the pillars of fire, and activating the Solar Power ability were all extremely draining tasks.

Charizard, with blue energy gathering in its mouth, was preparing to deliver the final blow to Houndoom when Malva shouted, "I concede! I concede!"

"Charizard!"

Upon hearing this, Yuga hastily stopped Charizard from launching the next attack.

Phew...

Charizard dispelled the Dragon Pulse it had gathered in its mouth and landed beside Yuga. Yuga noticed that its chest was breathing heavily, knowing that the recent Heat Wave had taken a toll on it.

Buzz...

With the battle over, Charizard reverted from its Mega Evolution form.

Yuga patted its head gently and said, "Rest well."

Afterwards, he recalled Charizard into its Poké Ball.