Rain fell hard, and that weakened Mega Charizard Y, since it relied on special Fire-type attacks.
Even soaked by the pouring rain, Mega Charizard Y was wrapped in raging flames. It gathered Fire-type energy with effort, letting the fire build in its mouth before releasing it.
"Roarrr!"
Mega Charizard Y let out a fierce cry, its flames rising into the night sky. Waves of heat rolled off its body, glowing brightly in the rain as it flew straight at Scizor.
Both sides had used Heat Wave before, but everyone could tell that this Heat Wave was much weaker than the one Charizard had unleashed earlier.
Facing the Heat Wave, Scizor's eyes stayed steady. It immediately used Swords Dance, its battle stance sharpening as its Attack rose.
Unfortunately, the Swords Dance Scizor knew was only the basic version — it hadn't mastered the advanced form yet, so it couldn't use the spinning motion of Swords Dance to dodge attacks.
The crimson flames scorched Scizor. Even weakened by the rain, Heat Wave still dealt heavy damage, since Scizor was quadruple weak to Fire-type moves. That kind of weakness could be fatal.
"Scizor, use Swords Dance again!"
After the first Swords Dance, Edgar's eyes flickered — he was about to make a bold and risky call. Rather than attacking right away, he had Scizor endure Charizard's next hit and use Swords Dance a second time.
Watching this from the other side of the field, Jacob's brow furrowed. He understood exactly what Edgar was planning, and the tension in the air grew heavier with every passing second.
After two Swords Dances, a Heavenly King-Level Scizor with the Technician ability, holding a Life Orb, could land a devastating STAB-boosted Bullet Punch. Even with Charizard's double resistance to Steel-type moves, it might not survive a single hit.
"Charizard, full-power Flamethrower!" Jacob called out.
Charizard answered the command, flames wrapping its whole body once more. It opened its jaws and unleashed a torrent of fire, like a blazing dragon roaring toward Scizor.
Facing the attack, Scizor's eyes were unwavering. It chose to use Swords Dance yet again, Normal-type energy swirling around it as its Attack climbed higher.
The flames swallowed Scizor whole, scorching it as fiercely as an Inferno. The red flames and Scizor's red steel shell seemed to blur into one.
"Bullet Punch, Scizor!"
"BOOM!"
The flames scattered as Scizor's wings buzzed and it shot forward like a crimson bolt of lightning, a streak cutting through the fire, heading straight for Mega Charizard Y. Its claws shone with a silvery gleam, wrapped in Steel-type energy like a pair of iron hammers.
"Charizard, Protect!"
Facing Scizor's charge, Jacob reacted at once, having Mega Charizard Y throw up Protect. A glowing barrier formed, blocking Scizor's punch just in time.
"BOOM!"
The silver claws struck the barrier, making it ripple and let out a loud crack.
The sheer force of the clash was terrifying to witness, and murmurs rippled through the watching crowd.
"Scizor, keep going — another Bullet Punch!" Edgar shouted, giving Charizard no room to recover.
The instant the barrier faded, Scizor's claws lit up silver once more, and it dashed forward, slamming into Charizard.
"Charizard, Inferno!" Jacob commanded loudly as Scizor closed the distance.
Inferno is one of the strongest Fire-type moves — more powerful than Flamethrower or Heat Wave, though not as strong as Blast Burn. It also carries a chance to burn the target, making it a fearsome move. Its one weakness is low accuracy, but at close range, that accuracy improves greatly — and Scizor's charge had brought it right into range.
Charizard drew a deep breath, flames licking across its body as it braced itself, eyes locked on the approaching Scizor. The moment Scizor got close, Charizard would unleash a wave of fire to engulf it.
"BOOM!"
Scizor didn't flinch or try to dodge. It swung its steel-coated claws straight at Charizard.
"BOOM!"
The blow landed like a falling meteor. Charizard felt bones crack under the impact, pain flashing across its face.
But the pain only fueled its fury. Flames erupted from its body like a burning claw, chasing after Scizor and wrapping around it completely.
"BOOM!"
"Scizor, Protect!"
Amid the roaring flames, Scizor raised a barrier just in time to block the Inferno. Then, with a flap of its wings, it tore a path straight through the fire and broke free.
Its red steel body glowed from the heat, faint wisps of smoke rising even in the heavy rain.
"Bullet Punch again, Scizor!" Edgar's voice rang out. Having broken free of the flames, Scizor's claws glowed silver once more as it charged at Charizard.
A spark of resolve lit Edgar's eyes. If Scizor could take down Charizard, he could then have it use Roost to recover its stamina. At full health, Scizor and his Politoed would stand a strong chance against Jacob's last Pokémon, Dragapult.
Watching Scizor bear down on his weakened partner, Jacob knew this was the moment to commit everything he had left. Mega Charizard Y wouldn't survive another Bullet Punch in its current battered state, and there was no time left to hesitate.
"Charizard, full-power Blast Burn!" Jacob shouted.
Flames surged violently. Charizard looked like an erupting volcano, fire spreading outward until it painted the entire sky crimson red.
"Blast Burn — Jacob's Charizard's signature move! Even in the rain, its power is terrifying! Jacob is going all-in to settle this match against Edgar's Scizor!"
Facing the wall of fire, Edgar showed no fear, calling out calmly, "Bullet Punch, Scizor!"
Scizor's claws glowed silver once more as it accelerated, plunging straight into the flames like a moth drawn to a flame, claws raised to strike Charizard.
It tore through the raging fire, its red body glowing like heated iron under the flames. Raindrops sizzled and vanished the instant they touched its scorched shell.
"BOOM!"
Scizor pushed through the inferno and landed its Bullet Punch square on Charizard. The impact sent Charizard crashing down like a falling star, hitting the ground and reverting from its Mega Evolution, unable to continue battling.
At the same moment, Scizor, wrapped in flames, couldn't withstand the heat either. It dropped from the sky and crashed to the ground, smoke rising from its shell.
"Both Charizard and Scizor are unable to battle — this round is a draw! Trainers, please send out your final Pokémon!"
… … … …