Pokemon: Gym Leader

"Snorlax, Stockpile!"

Red had given up on attacking—Entei's Extreme Speed was simply too fast, and its mastery of the move was extremely high.

With such a swift and agile Entei, Snorlax had no chance of catching it. Since that was the case, he had to change his approach.

Suppressing the frustration in its heart, Snorlax began to glow with a white aura, focusing all its attention.

The Normal-type move Stockpile allowed it to accumulate power, raising both its Defense and Special Defense.

"Oh?"

Dylan raised an eyebrow. Stockpile? He wasn't particularly worried about that. While it was true that Entei struggled to land a powerful move against Snorlax due to its Thick Fat ability, dealing with Stockpile was no issue at all.

A simple Roar or Swagger could easily break the Stockpile-and-Swallow strategy.

If he used either of those moves, Red would definitely have Snorlax evade—getting hit would be too costly.

"In that case, let's take a bit of a risk." Dylan muttered to himself.

Boom!

Entei struck Snorlax with Extreme Speed once again—this was already the third consecutive hit.

Snorlax cried out in pain, but its first Stockpile was completed, boosting its Defense and Special Defense.

"Keep Stockpiling."

"Entei, Giga Impact!"

Dylan issued the command decisively.

Entei steadied itself as a powerful white spiral of energy swirled around its body—this was the strongest Normal-type attack, Giga Impact!

Entei charged forward with unstoppable force, launching a devastating impact toward Snorlax.

Giga Impact, also known as Hyper Impact or Ultimate Impact, was one of the strongest Normal-type moves, equivalent in power to Hyper Beam in the Special category.

However, very few trainers used Giga Impact because, like Hyper Beam and Frenzy Plant, it left the user in a state of immobility afterward.

This post-attack immobility was an inherent drawback—no amount of training could completely remove it. Only certain special techniques could help mitigate the downtime.

But even with such techniques, using Giga Impact was rarely worth it. It was typically reserved as a finishing move, a last resort, or when there were no other options available.

"??"

As Entei charged forward with immense force, the audience was momentarily stunned.

Even Red, the opponent, tilted his head in confusion.

Giga Impact?

"Protect." Red didn't fully understand what Dylan was planning, but he instinctively issued the command.

Snorlax abandoned its second Stockpile and erected a glowing green protective barrier.

Boom!

Giga Impact collided heavily with the Protect barrier, causing ripples of energy to spread across its surface, sending shockwaves howling through the stadium.

The powerful wind generated by the attack stung the faces of those nearby, a testament to Giga Impact's raw strength.

But… it was useless!

Protect had perfectly blocked the attack. And once the impact had dissipated, Entei leaped backward to land gracefully. However, the recoil of Giga Impact kicked in, leaving its body momentarily frozen in place.

Even though the move hadn't hit Snorlax directly, the fact that it had clashed with Protect meant that Entei still suffered from the move's cooldown effect.

"Earthquake!"

Red's eyes still held a trace of doubt—he couldn't figure out why Dylan had made such a move.

But Entei was undeniably immobilized due to Giga Impact, and that was all that mattered.

Snorlax grinned, a goofy yet somewhat sinister smile spreading across its face. Raising its thick arms, it slammed them hard into the ground.

Earthquake!

Rumble!

The ground trembled violently as shockwaves surged forward, mercilessly shaking Entei.

Entei let out a pained roar—being a Fire-type, it was weak to Ground-type moves, making this hit particularly effective.

Combined with the damage it had already taken from Roaring Moon's Dragon Rush and Dragon Claw, Entei's condition was starting to deteriorate.

"Rock Slide!" Red commanded, pressing the attack.

"Entei, Reversal."

Dylan smirked.

Entei lifted its head, its regal eyes locking onto Snorlax. Then, with unwavering determination, it charged forward.

Reversal—a Fighting-type move!

The lower the user's HP, the stronger the attack became.

A brilliant white energy surrounded Entei's body, its unwavering fighting spirit surging to its peak.

"Snorlax, High Horsepower!"

Red instantly realized what was happening—Giga Impact had been intentional!

"Dylan sure has guts…"

At the same time, many experienced trainers in the audience also suddenly understood the strategy, leaving them speechless.

Giga Impact left Entei vulnerable, and Red naturally wouldn't let that opportunity slip by. Even if something felt off, he still attacked.

After all, immobilization meant no ability to fight back—who wouldn't take that chance?

Moreover, hitting Entei was already difficult for Snorlax, considering Entei's speed.

Giga Impact's cooldown was brief, and if Red didn't attack immediately, the opportunity would be lost. So he took the shot.

But that super-effective Earthquake had pushed Entei's HP into the perfect range for Reversal to deal massive damage!

Normally, Entei didn't have any move that could heavily damage Snorlax due to its Thick Fat ability.

But Reversal's power increased as Entei's HP decreased.

So Dylan deliberately let Entei take a heavy hit to push its HP down, maximizing Reversal's potential.

Judging by Entei's current condition, it hadn't quite reached critical levels, but it was still more than enough.

And Snorlax was weak to Fighting-type moves!

This kind of self-sacrificial strategy just to power up a single attack was rarely seen.

For moves like Belly Drum, trainers were usually willing to take the risk, but for a situational move like Reversal? That took real nerve.

Snorlax roared, stepping forward with powerful force, brownish-yellow energy surging around it—High Horsepower!

Boom!

Entei and Snorlax collided with immense force. White and brown energy clashed violently, sending shockwaves across the battlefield.

Reversal and High Horsepower battled fiercely, causing the very ground beneath them to crack apart.

But soon, Entei's roar grew louder, and Snorlax started to falter.

"I'm losing this clash!"

Red's eyes sharpened—this was bad!

Snorlax bellowed, desperately pushing back with all its strength, but it simply couldn't overpower Entei.

Boom!

High Horsepower's energy was shattered, and Entei's Reversal struck Snorlax head-on.

Snorlax let out a pained cry as its massive body was sent flying, rolling several times before finally coming to a stop. Its breathing had become extremely weak.

A devastating Fighting-type Reversal!

"Again, Reversal." Dylan smiled.

"Snorlax, Rest!"

Red didn't hesitate—he knew Snorlax wouldn't survive another hit.

Snorlax flopped onto the ground and immediately began snoring peacefully.

Entei rushed forward to finish it off, but it was just a second too late—Snorlax was already asleep.

Rest fully restored its HP, but it also put Snorlax in a deep sleep.

Entei's Reversal slammed into Snorlax's sleeping form, making it groan even in its sleep.

"Sleep Talk!"

Red acted swiftly.

Even in its sleep, Snorlax suddenly stood up, lightning crackling around its fist—it had randomly used Thunder Punch!

But Entei, keeping its cool, dodged easily.

"Dodge, then Reversal." Dylan smirked.

Just as Entei charged forward—

Boom!

A brilliant white explosion erupted—Snorlax had randomly used Explosion!

Boom!

Blinding white light flashed repeatedly, culminating in a deafening explosion.

Entei sensed something was wrong, but it had just switched to Extreme Speed to escape—too late.

Snorlax used Self-Destruct!

A massive shockwave erupted, sending violent energy rippling across the battlefield, completely engulfing Entei before it could retreat.

"This…"

Dylan was stunned. Sleep Talk can randomly select Self-Destruct? What kind of luck was this?

Red's crimson eyes flickered, but a hint of joy surfaced within them.

Nice work, Snorlax!!

As the dust settled, a large crater was revealed. Snorlax lay sprawled at the center, its eyes swirling in a daze.

On the edge of the crater, Entei was barely holding on, its body covered in wounds. It gasped for breath, muscles trembling as it struggled against the pain and dizziness, forcing itself to stand.

"It's still conscious?!"

The commentator gasped in shock. Given how weakened Entei was from using Reversal, it should have been on its last legs already. And now, it had taken the full force of Self-Destruct!

But just as Entei managed to stand, its legs buckled. Its vision blurred, and with a heavy thud, it collapsed once more, unable to keep going.

The entire arena fell silent.

"Snorlax and Entei are both unable to battle!"

Leaf stepped onto the field, officially announcing the result.

"Holy crap! That was insane!"

"What just happened?! Snorlax barely even touched Entei the whole fight, and somehow it took it down in the end?!"

"Snorlax: I KO'd a Legendary Pokémon while completely unconscious."

"I have no words. The final Sleep Talk actually picked Self-Destruct? What kind of dreams does this Snorlax have?!"

The crowd exploded into chaos, half in excitement, half in disbelief.

They had just witnessed a challenger take down Dylan's Legendary Pokémon, Entei.

But at the same time, Entei's defeat felt so unfair. It hadn't lost due to strategy or skill—it was pure bad luck.

Red recalled Snorlax and praised it with a small smile.

Snorlax: ???

Inside its Poké Ball, Snorlax woke up utterly confused. Huh? I just lay down for a nap… why am I back in my ball? Did I lose to that big fire dog?

"Well played, Red. You actually managed to take down my Entei."

Dylan recalled Entei, staring at its Poké Ball for a moment before chuckling softly.

"That wasn't really a victory based on skill." Red shook his head. He was happy—after all, taking down a Legendary Pokémon was no small feat.

But he also knew the truth: he got absurdly lucky. If Dylan had expected Self-Destruct, he would have definitely played around it.

But who could have predicted that Sleep Talk would select Self-Destruct?

"Luck is a part of skill." Dylan smiled lightly.

"Now then, Red—" His eyes gleamed with excitement. "Let me introduce you to my final trump card."

Dylan reached for another Ultra Ball. He had considered the possibility that Red would defeat Entei.

But he hadn't expected Entei to be traded for Snorlax like this.

Oh well.

It didn't matter.

Because this next Pokémon was the real ace.

Red's eyes immediately lit up.

"This is a Pokémon you should be very familiar with."

Dylan's lips curved into a grin as he flipped the Ultra Ball into the air.

"Charizard! Battle ready!"

Charizard?!

Red froze for a moment.

"ROAR!!!"

A deafening, familiar yet foreign roar echoed through the stadium.

A Charizard soared into the sky, its entire body pitch-black. It circled once before landing in front of Dylan, tilting its head slightly as it locked eyes with Red—arrogant and confident.

A black Charizard?!

Red's crimson pupils flickered with excitement.

An alternate-colored Charizard!

But something felt off…

Why was this Charizard wearing a strange necklace-like accessory around its neck?

Was it just for style?

A black Charizard was already unique enough—why the extra decoration?

Beep!

[Charizard: Fire/Flying-type, Flame Pokémon]

Ability: Solar Power

Moveset: Blast Burn, Dragon Rush, Flare Blitz, Inferno Abyss, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Earthquake, Hurricane…

This Charizard was insanely powerful.

"I didn't expect Charizard to be Dylan's final Pokémon, coming in after Entei. That's unusual."

Some psychic trainers in the audience were puzzled. Sure, a shiny Charizard was rare, but being shiny didn't make a Pokémon stronger. That was a fact confirmed by Pokémon Professors worldwide.

"Just watch," a bird trainer replied nonchalantly.

Meanwhile, Lillie and her group exchanged knowing glances. They weren't surprised at all.

"Red, have you ever seen Charizard's true form?"

Dylan reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful gemstone-like crystal. His gaze met Red's as he smiled.

"?" Red was confused.

"Then let me show you." Dylan raised the crystal, its chain glinting under the stadium lights.

"The Kalos region recently published a research paper on this phenomenon."

Dylan's expression remained calm, but his excitement was clear.

Originally, he hadn't planned on revealing Mega Evolution so soon.

But now that Kalos had officially published its findings, there was no need to hold back.

"Red, pay close attention. You're going to use this one day too."

The gemstone in Dylan's hand—his Key Stone—began to glow.

"This is the power that surpasses evolution—Mega Evolution!"

A brilliant grin spread across Dylan's face.

"Charizard!"

"ROAR!!!"

Black Charizard lifted its head and let out a thundering roar.

At the same time, the Mega Stone on its necklace radiated with dazzling, multicolored light, completely enveloping Charizard's body.

Mega Evolution activated!

Red's crimson eyes widened, locking onto the glowing Charizard.

Was this… an evolution?!

Could Charizard… evolve even further?!

"ROOOAR!!!"

A piercing roar erupted as the transformation completed.

A gray-black dragon-like Pokémon emerged from the light, standing tall and radiating overwhelming power.

Its deep crimson eyes gleamed with clarity and wild intensity.

Its body was sleeker, more streamlined. A third horn had sprouted from the back of its head.

Its limbs, wings, and tail had grown longer.

Small wing-like structures had even formed on its wrists.

The sheer heat and raw energy radiating from its body was even stronger than before.

This was… Mega Charizard Y!

The entire stadium fell into stunned silence.

Charizard… could still evolve?!

And not just that—it looked insanely powerful!

"Red, this is Mega Charizard Y. One of Charizard's Mega Evolution forms."

Dylan smiled at Red's entranced expression.

"So cool…"

Red murmured in awe. He didn't know how Charizard had evolved, but he loved Charizard.

And this black Mega Charizard Y was beyond incredible.

"I think so too," Dylan said with a grin. "But let me tell you something—"

His expression turned confident.

"My Charizard isn't just cool."

"It's the strongest Charizard in the world. Period."

Dylan didn't care about Alain's Charizard, Ash's Charizard, or even Leon's Charizard.

His shiny Mega Charizard Y was unstoppable.

Anyone who doubted it could battle him and find out the hard way.