Pokémon: When the World Changed

Chapter 607 602: Fire Dragon's Sword Horn

"Charizard, Sunny Day Fire!"

Seeing that Empoleon continued using the move Swords Dance to increase its attack, Ethan decided that Charizard should no longer hold back.

Accompanied by a deep roar, Charizard's body began to burn with the Sunny Day Fire, and its silhouette immediately transformed into a huge ball of fire.

This technique, Sunny Day Fire, was developed by Ethan based on Charizard's technique: Sunny Day Dragon, and can be considered a weakened version of the latter.

The Sunny Day Dragon technique consists of combining the move Sunny Day with Charizard's ability to control temperature, instantly raising the Solar Power ability to its maximum limit, thus becoming a full explosion attack.

The effect of the Solar Power ability is that, under sunny weather, Special Attack increases, but HP decreases every turn.

Sunny Day Dragon is a technique developed on the basis of the Solar Power ability, allowing Charizard to partially obtain the power of Mega Charizard Y.

However, this move consumes an enormous amount of physical energy, practically exhausting all of Charizard's stamina in an instant to maximize the power of the Solar Power ability.

In contrast, Sunny Day Fire mainly uses the move Sunny Day as a carrier, absorbing the energy of sunny weather to the maximum to develop itself.

The reason why this move could be developed is also due to the use of Gigalith's orange core, which allowed Charizard to use the energy of sunny weather more efficiently.

Additionally, although the power of Sunny Day Fire is far inferior to Sunny Day Dragon, its advantage lies in being more durable and not having severe side effects, becoming a stable form that can be used even in normal battles.

"It's the Sunny Day Dragon of Champion Leo."

Seeing Charizard's form, the audience burst into exclamations.

As the Fire-type Champion and one of the strongest figures in the Daleron League, Champion Leo had always been the center of great attention.

The moment they saw Charizard's technique, many immediately associated Ethan with Champion Leo.

"It isn't Sunny Day Dragon."

Outside the field, Naira also observed the form Charizard had taken.

She immediately recognized that it was not Sunny Day Dragon and slightly frowned.

Then she recalled Vibrava's Ryū: Odoshi and could not help but sigh softly.

Indeed, when it came to the development of techniques, Ethan was also at the very peak. This Sunny Day Dragon had clearly been redeveloped by him.

Taking a champion's secret technique and redeveloping it... no one would believe it if it were told, but when it came to Ethan, she had no choice but to accept that unbelievable conclusion.

"Charrzz!"

Charizard used the move Flamethrower again.

A stream of fire far more powerful than before suddenly shot out, devouring the incoming water slashes and rushing toward Empoleon, who was below using the move Swords Dance.

"How terrifying, this fire is far too dominant!"

Amid the astonished cries of the audience, the flames completely engulfed Empoleon.

"Did it end just like that?"

Some spectators were already reaching their conclusions.

"Wait, it blocked it!"

"What is that? What a powerful water defense!"

Suddenly an exclamation was heard, and it could be seen that within the flames, a whirlpool of water suddenly expanded, blocking the Flamethrower move.

"Is it the combination of Whirlpool and Swords Dance?"

The flames in the air and the water on the ground gradually dissipated, while Ethan's gaze gleamed.

It seemed that the core of Empoleon's combat style was the move Swords Dance, combined with its water typing to develop a combat technique based on water swords.

"Now is the moment, Water Cut!"

Lucas spoke again.

As his voice fell, the flow of the Swords Dance energy around Empoleon suddenly condensed.

Then water gathered over its wings, forming a huge water sword that pointed directly toward the sky.

With a push of its feet, Empoleon wrapped itself in water and used the move Aqua Jet, shooting toward the Charizard in the air.

The speed of the Aqua Jet move was extremely fast, making Empoleon look like a rocket rising into the sky. The water sword in its hand, together with the move Steel Wing, rushed swiftly toward Charizard.

In midair, Charizard also moved. Accompanied by the violent eruption of flames on its body, it used the move Flare Blitz, diving down from the sky.

Boom!

The attacks of both Pokémon collided in the air.

When Empoleon's water sword struck Charizard, it immediately shattered, like a fountain exploding toward the sky.

Boom!

With a loud explosion, fire and water collided and neutralized each other.

An enormous amount of white steam suddenly spread across the entire field.

Boom!

Another loud sound echoed, and Empoleon's figure fell heavily to the ground.

At the same time, Charizard shot out from the white mist.

When the steam dissipated, both Pokémon were facing each other in the air.

After that fierce exchange, they had ended up almost evenly matched!

"I see... Swords Dance, Whirlpool, Aqua Jet..."

"And the final move should be Liquidation, right?"

Ethan smiled as he looked at Lucas, recalling the previous battle.

The effect of the move Liquidation is to ram the opponent with the power of water, with a chance of lowering their defense.

He remembered that when Golisopod used that move, it condensed water into the shape of a sword to attack the opponent.

Empoleon had clearly adopted a similar method, but after multiple boosts from the move Swords Dance, the water sword formed from sword energy had become even more terrifying.

"Huh? You even figured that out?"

Hearing Ethan's words, Lucas's pupils contracted.

He had never imagined that Ethan, after seeing Empoleon fight only once, could completely unravel that move.

"What kind of eyesight is that!"

Lucas shook his head helplessly. Now he finally understood why Ethan was so strong.

"Even so, I will win. Empoleon, once more, use Water Cut!"

Hearing his trainer, Empoleon once again raised the flow of the Swords Dance move, and the water sword condensed once more.

"Then we will too, Dragon Dance!"

Ethan smiled slightly, while Charizard in the air began to dance.

Previously, in the Sunny Day Dragon form, Charizard had not yet mastered using the move Dragon Dance in that state.

Now, in the Sunny Day Fire form, it could finally combine both boosting moves.

"Charrzz!"

Accompanied by a draconic chant, streams of energy shaped like dragons appeared around Charizard's body.

Then the Sunny Day Fire surrounding it also began to move, merging with those currents and transforming into a furious fire dragon.

"Come on, Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"

With another roar, Charizard, surrounded by the silhouette of a fire dragon, roared downward toward Empoleon from above.

At the same time, Empoleon also attacked. With the move Steel Wing, the water sword rose from below toward the sky.

Boom!

With a deafening explosion, the silhouettes of both Pokémon violently collided.

Immediately afterward, overflowing flames exploded throughout the entire field, completely covering the battle arena.

"What a terrifying clash..."

"Swords Dance against Dragon Dance, fire against water... what an intense battle!"

Seeing the scene, the entire stadium burst into cheers, their eyes fixed on the field.

"Who won in the end?"

Under the audience's attentive gaze, the flames slowly went out.

"Charizard! Charizard won!"

Amid a wave of cheers, Charizard's figure slowly rose into the air.

On the ground, Empoleon's body lay fallen, slightly scorched.

"In the end, I lost..."

Lucas sighed softly and took out the Poké Ball to return Empoleon.

Then he looked up at Charizard, noticing that the Sunny Day Fire on its body had already gone out and that it looked quite exhausted.

It was obvious that the previous clash had also caused considerable damage to Charizard, but only to that extent.

In terms of brute strength, there was still a clear difference between Empoleon and Charizard.

"The next one is him."

Lucas's gaze turned serious. With the opening of a Poké Ball, a Pokémon shaped like a sword and shield appeared on the field, with a huge and heavy blade, well-defined hilt, guard, and spine, and a golden back.

"It's Aegislash!"

"It seems that during this time you have raised a new group of Pokémon again."

Seeing this, Ethan was also a bit surprised. Neither Empoleon nor Aegislash had been part of Lucas's original main team.

However, as the young master of the Silver family, Lucas had undoubtedly trained all kinds of steel-type Pokémon.

And now, after careful selection, he had already determined his new and most powerful main team.

In fact, this is something very common. Each Pokémon has different potential and talent, and sooner or later they reach their own limit.

Just as happened with Kingdra and Gyarados in Ethan's old team: their potential could no longer keep up with the other Pokémon and they eventually had to quietly retire.

There was no other option. As a trainer, one can only do everything possible to help them grow.

"But, as for Aegislash... From Empoleon's previous combat style, quite a lot can already be deduced. A style centered on Swords Dance must also be what this Aegislash excels at the most."

Observing Aegislash on the field, Ethan thought for a moment and, under Lucas's serious gaze, returned Charizard to its Poké Ball.

Then he took out another Poké Ball. With a flash of white light, the figure of Litwick appeared, quietly floating in the air.

(End of Chapter)