The defeat of Chandelure left Aurora's face pale; this Charizard seemed quite unusual. It executed moves at lightning speed, unleashing three attacks within mere seconds.
Such rapid move usage was not typical for any Pokemon. First, it launched a spiraling Flamethrower, then immediately absorbed Shadow Ball without being defeated and swiftly followed up with Air Slash and Dragon Pulse.
In the time it took Crystal Chandelure to perform one move, Charizard unleashed three—a daunting challenge indeed.
Now, only Bouffalant remained. However, against the flying-type Charizard constantly soaring above, Bouffalant lacked effective moves to counter it.
Moo!
At that moment, Bouffalant charged fiercely into Ninetales, sending it flying off the battlefield and crashing to the ground, rendering it unable to continue fighting.
Despite Bouffalant defeating Ninetales, Aurora felt no joy as Kalia still had two Pokemon left, while she was down to her sole remaining Bouffalant.
Bouffalant could learn Rock Slide, a Rock-type move, but Aurora's Bouffalant hadn't mastered it yet. With numerous moves to learn, it was impractical for a Pokémon to master every single one.
Self-taught moves already required significant time and practice to achieve proficiency; there simply wasn't enough time to grasp additional techniques effectively. Normally, it takes a Pokémon about a month to proficiently learn a new move, which is considered commendable progress.
The teaching philosophy at the Pokemon Academy emphasized quality over quantity when learning moves. To advance, a Pokemon must first master a powerful move within its elemental type before moving on to learn new ones.
Regardless of how many moves a Pokemon knows, if they cannot skillfully utilize them, against formidable opponents, their attacks will easily be evaded.
Without access to Rock Slide, Bouffalant felt helpless against Lian's flying type, leaving it no choice but to target other Pokemon instead.
As Grovyle entered the field, Bouffalant charged towards it. Simultaneously, Lian unleashed a Flame Spiral from mid-air.
Lian's attack hit with precision, as the intense inferno continuously struck the charging Bouffalant, forcing it to retreat repeatedly.
Uh-oh!
Suddenly, Lian felt the debilitating effects of Solar Power becoming overwhelming. He had been enduring the pain silently throughout the battle.
It's over.
Lian felt his energy rapidly depleting, nearing exhaustion. While Solar Power boosted his special attack, it also increased the risk of losing combat effectiveness quickly.
Chandelure's Shadow Ball had significant power, considering its 145 base special attack stat and being at Level 50+, making Lian's ability to withstand it quite impressive.
In the next moment, darkness clouded Lian's vision as he plummeted towards the ground, succumbing to the side effects of Solar Power, rendering him incapable of further battle.
Just before hitting the ground, Lian saw Grovyle unleash Grass-type Giga Drain.
Bouffalant, already weakened by Lian's Flame Spiral, could not endure the additional energy drain from Giga Drain. With a loud thud, it collapsed sideways, unable to continue fighting.
As Lian fell, Bouffalant followed suit, both rendered incapacitated simultaneously.
Under normal circumstances, most Pokemon would struggle to inflict serious harm on Lian, allowing him to sustain until Sunny Day ended without losing combat capability.
However, Aurora lived up to her reputation as a Pokemon Academy trainee with exceptionally powerful Pokemon. Had she focused primarily on defense, Kalia likely would have emerged victorious.
The audience was taken aback; Bouffalant's defeat seemed expected, but why did Charizard suddenly lose its fighting capability? It had clearly endured the Shadow Ball earlier without sustaining further damage afterward.
"Kalia actually won, unbelievable!"
"What happened? I didn't quite understand—why did Charizard just collapse out of nowhere?"
"Haha, Aurora was so arrogant before, look at her now, this is satisfying."
Even Kalia found it peculiar, as she hadn't noticed this before. Now, she realized something might be off with Charizard's Ability.
Considering the strength of the Shadow Ball move, it should have triggered Charizard's Blaze Mode, yet the expected transformation never occurred.
With Charizard unexpectedly falling unconscious, Kalia couldn't help but suspect that its evolution may have altered its Ability somehow.
There could only be one explanation: after evolving, Charizard might have lost its Blaze Ability and gained the hidden Ability, Solar Power instead.
Seeing Charizard lose its fighting capability, Aurora's expression changed, also realizing that Charizard's Ability was likely the hidden Ability, Solar Power.
Aurora displayed a frustrated expression; it was so close. If she had known about Charizard's Ability beforehand, she would never have allowed Bouffalant to directly attack, instead focusing on defense.
Grovyle couldn't withstand even one charge from Bouffalant. Had Charizard lost its fighting capability earlier, Grovyle wouldn't have been able to resist Bouffalant's assault, leading to a different outcome.
However, there is no remedy for regret in this world. The loss was hers, and not understanding Charizard's Ability was her biggest mistake.
"Darn it, I actually lost! Now I'll be mocked back at the academy," Aurora fumed. Several Pokemon Academy trainees were present, ensuring that news of her defeat against Kalia would spread quickly.
Kalia recalled Charizard and murmured, "Is it truly Solar Power?" But if not Solar Power, there seemed to be no other explanation.
Nonetheless, Charizard's defensive capabilities were remarkably strong. Kalia observed how Chandelure's Shadow Ball instantly defeated several Pokemon with decent defenses, yet Charizard could endure it. Even under the adverse effects of Solar Power, it persisted for an extended period.
At times, Kalia wondered if her Charizard was fake, perhaps a Legendary Pokémon disguised as one.
Otherwise, how could a Charizard possess such formidable defensive capabilities? Earlier, it had withstood Psychic and Eruption moves, defeating all of its opponent's Pokémon before finally losing its fighting ability.
She won.
Despite not fully understanding what made her Charizard so exceptional, Kalia was ecstatic. She emerged victorious in the double battle competition, securing her place among the top Trainers, broadening her path forward.
Next, Kalia received the Totem City Double Battle Championship Medal, officially recognized by the League, symbolizing great honor.
As she accepted the medal, it marked her first-ever championship accolade. The medal featured two figures engaged in combat, surrounded by Poké Balls' design.
In addition to the medal, there was another prize for winning the double battle competition, personally presented to Kalia by an esteemed elder from Totem City.
"Little girl, you're truly remarkable. The Trainer community needs talents like you. Here's your reward; go ahead and open it." With a warm smile, the elder handed Kalia a beautifully crafted box.
"Thank you, Senior." Kalia respectfully took the box and carefully opened it.