Red and Geeta's battle began under the watchful eyes of the entire world.
With her power unleashed to the fullest, Geeta's strength was undeniable. Even her choice of leading with Glimmora showed just how seriously she was taking this match.
Glimmora's ability, Toxic Debris, made it an ideal lead—any time it took physical damage, it would scatter layers of Toxic Spikes across the field.
It was a Pokémon that could control the battlefield even when hurt, and on top of that, Glimmora itself possessed considerable offensive power.
But that advantage only mattered against close-range attackers.
In reality, Blastoise wasn't exactly limited to physical or special attacks—it was a defensive all-rounder, equally capable on both fronts.
And under Red's careful training, this Blastoise's offensive power was nothing short of fierce.
Plus, with Rapid Spin in its arsenal, it had no reason to fear Glimmora's Toxic Debris.
As the battle raged on under Red's calm commands, Geeta was the first to feel the pressure. She withdrew her heavily damaged Glimmora and sent out Chesnaught, hoping to counter Blastoise.
But Red didn't hesitate for a moment—he switched to Lapras, whose Ice- and Water-type moves directly threatened Chesnaught.
After an intense exchange, Lapras managed to take down Chesnaught, sustaining only moderate damage in the process.
Next, Geeta sent out Iron Treads, a Paradox Pokémon she had once received from Dylan and since raised to full strength.
In the clash that followed, both Iron Treads and Lapras fainted simultaneously.
Then came Espathra, Geeta's Psychic-type, only to face Red's Flutter Mane, which immediately Terastallized into a Dragon type—removing its former Fairy weakness.
The Terastallized Flutter Mane dominated, taking down both Espathra and the returning Glimmora.
Geeta's fifth Pokémon was her pseudo-legendary Dragapult, which she Dynamaxed the moment it hit the field. With the overwhelming power of its Max Moves, Dragapult finally managed to defeat Flutter Mane.
Yet before going down, Flutter Mane had landed two devastating Dragon Rushes, even against the Dynamaxed foe.
Dragapult's defense wasn't its strong suit—so even doubled HP couldn't save it from the heavy damage those strikes dealt.
Red sent Blastoise back out, and with a freezing Ice-type attack, he finished off the wounded Dragapult.
Now Geeta had only one Pokémon left. She was cornered.
"Hss—!"
Seeing this, Wallace couldn't help but gasp.
"Red's that strong?!" he said, wide-eyed. Though Blastoise looked battered and close to fainting, it was still only Red's third Pokémon!
With just three Pokémon, he had taken down five of Geeta's main team and backed her into a desperate situation.
That quiet, stoic boy—he really didn't pull any punches.
"Truly terrifying," even Steven murmured in awe.
Geeta's power was nothing to scoff at. Though she had been crushed by Leon and Lance before—dropping her rank to sixth in the world—those two were simply monsters.
Losing to them wasn't shameful. It didn't mean Geeta wasn't strong. In fact, she was stronger than Iris, easily a mid-to-high-tier Champion by comparison.
And yet Red was pushing her back completely.
Not an overwhelming stomp—but clear proof of a gap in strength.
"It looks like Red's already stronger than Blue," Dylan remarked.
From this match alone, it was clear—Red's battling had evolved even further, and his team's overall power now exceeded Blue's from a few days ago.
Geeta's final Pokémon appeared—Kingambit.
Its Supreme Overlord ability boosted its Attack for every fainted ally—five fainted Pokémon meant a massive 50% boost in power.
That was the terrifying potential of Geeta's true ace.
Without hesitation, she Terastallized Kingambit into a Flying type. Even though it only knew one Flying-type move, Aerial Ace, that was enough—especially combined with the powerful Tera Blast.
The Terastallized Kingambit swiftly defeated Red's Blastoise.
But then—Red sent out his own ace.
His Charizard.
And not just any Charizard—Mega Charizard X.
As the black-and-blue dragon descended onto the field, gasps and cheers erupted across the arena.
"Beep—Mega Charizard X. Fire/Dragon type. Flame Pokémon.
Ability: Tough Claws.
Signature moves: Flare Blitz, Dragon Rush, Inferno Abyss, Flamethrower, Dragon Claw…
Description: Its body radiates an extraordinary power. That power blackens its scales and ignites its fierce blue flames."
"Mega Charizard X really is amazing," Dylan nodded approvingly, though he still thought his own shiny Mega Charizard Y was the cooler of the two.
"Charizard sure is special," Leaf mused, glancing at the battlefield. "It's one of the few Pokémon with two different Mega forms."
"Not just two!" Lillie chimed in. "Charizard can also Gigantamax!"
Leaf blinked. "Oh right—Leon's ace was a Gigantamax Charizard."
Yeah, Charizard really did get all the best treatment—every form of power-up under the sun.
Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Terastallization, Gigantamax… Charizard had done it all.
Dylan chuckled. "The noble Blazeizard is just teasing you all."
"Blazeizard?"
Leaf and Lillie both looked puzzled at the strange nickname, but didn't question it further.
On the field, the battle raged fiercely—but the outcome was inevitable.
Even with its boosted Attack, Kingambit couldn't stand up to Red's Mega Charizard X. Charizard was his true ace, its raw strength even greater than Flutter Mane's—and now, empowered by Mega Evolution and the Tough Claws ability, it was unstoppable.
With a final, thunderous Dragon Rush, Mega Charizard X struck down Kingambit. The Tera glow faded, and Geeta's last Pokémon collapsed.
Geeta stared at her fallen Kingambit, momentarily dazed—then smiled faintly and shook her head. She had lost.
"Kingambit is unable to battle! Mega Charizard X wins! Since Chairwoman Geeta's entire team has been defeated, the defender loses! Challenger Red advances in rank!"
The referee's voice echoed as the crowd exploded into cheers.
"Woo!!"
"I knew Red would win! Has a Kanto Elite ever lost a challenge?"
"Chairwoman Geeta…"
"Unbelievable. Why are Kanto's Elite Four so strong?!"
"Can't anyone stop these guys? They're invading every region!"
"It's fine! Paldea still has Champions Nemona and Juliana—they'll prove themselves too!"
The livestream chat erupted in chaos. With Red's victory, four Kanto Trainers had now entered the Masters League.
It was absolutely astonishing.
"That was an excellent battle," Geeta said sincerely, extending her hand to Red. "Your strength is remarkable."
"…Thanks."
Red hesitated a moment, but returned the handshake.
He had enjoyed this fight. Geeta's strength was genuine—and he could feel her kindness, too.
She truly was a senior who took pride in seeing the next generation rise.
Fitting for Paldea's Chairwoman and Top Champion.
"There are only five Trainers ranked above you now," Geeta said with a soft smile. "Do you have any plans for your next challenge?"
"…" Red tugged down the brim of his cap.
"Then allow me to give you a little advice," she continued, her tone more serious. "You're strong, Red—but I don't recommend challenging the next two above you yet."
The next two…
Red fell silent. No.5: Lance. No.4: Leon.
"The two of them…" Geeta said quietly. "No disrespect to Steven or Cynthia, but Lance and Leon are even stronger."
She spoke from experience—she had felt the crushing weight of their power firsthand.
"I understand," Red replied simply.
Of course he did.
His red eyes gleamed. He didn't know Leon well—but Lance? He knew that strength all too well.
On Suofang Island, that proud Dragon Master had nearly fought the entire Kanto Elite Four—and Mei—to a standstill. That battle still burned vividly in Red's memory.
Even now, he wasn't sure he could defeat Lance.
It wasn't fear—it was awareness.
"Wait for them to challenge Cynthia and Steven for their positions," Geeta advised. "Then you can go after whoever rises to fourth or fifth. That would be wise."
Red said nothing—neither agreeing nor denying.
"The future belongs to you young Trainers," Geeta said, smiling again. "I'm sure it won't be long before you're ready."
Truly an incredible boy, she thought.
After battling him herself, she could tell—Red might even be more frighteningly talented than Nemona or Juliana.
"…"
Red stayed silent, his thoughts aligning perfectly with hers.
He would overcome every obstacle—until he stood atop the summit, facing that person.
His goal had never been Leon or Lance.
Red turned slightly, his sharp gaze finding a familiar figure in the stands.
"So that's it… your goal is Dylan, huh?"
Geeta noticed, her expression softening. She looked like she wanted to say something—but in the end, she just smiled and let it go.
Every young man needed a dream.
And this one was a good dream to have.
(End of Chapter)