When it came to their Pokémon alone, the difference between the two sides wasn't all that big.
But what truly decided the intensity of a battle had never been just the Pokémon—
It was the trainer!
(Of course, the Pokémon's own strength still mattered a lot!)
To a certain extent, Raihan really was Leon's equal. So far, he had made it into the Masters Eight and was currently ranked seventh in the world!
With the raw power of his Dragon-type Pokémon to back him up, his reputation was well-deserved.
There wasn't any real type advantage between Duraludon and Charizard, so in a battle like this, the trainer's command was everything.
As one of only two Champion-level trainers in all of Galar, Raihan showed overwhelming presence from the very start.
Duraludon opened with Iron Defense, and relying on its Light Metal ability and decent speed, it repeatedly traded blows with Leon's Charizard.
Even Leon's Charizard found itself on the defensive against Raihan's Duraludon.
Throughout the fight, Charizard kept using Dig, Brick Break, and other moves effective against Steel-types at Leon's command—but the results were minimal.
Even when being countered, Raihan still found his opening.
Duraludon's Stone Edge slammed directly into Charizard, landing a solid hit!
If it had been any other trainer's Charizard, that would have been a one-hit knockout.
But Leon's Charizard… still stood firm.
It even clung on with a sliver of health!
As the crowd roared, the flame on Charizard's tail burned higher and brighter.
Raihan: "Leon, looks like your precious Charizard can't keep up anymore. Guess it's time that Champion title found a new owner!"
Leon: "Heh. Is that so? I wouldn't be so sure!"
On the live broadcast, it was clear—Raihan's Duraludon was on top. That much couldn't be denied.
Otherwise, Raihan wouldn't be celebrating like this.
Just as Lance once lived in Lorelei's shadow, Raihan had always lived in Leon's.
That unbeatable Charizard hung over him like a Damocles' sword, never letting him relax for a second.
But now—five years later—he finally felt he had caught up. That he could beat Leon's Charizard.
The dizzying rush of that thought made Raihan almost drunk with excitement.
However—
Flint: "No… Charizard's only just getting serious. Raihan's Duraludon is strong, but compared to Leon's Charizard, the gap is like heaven and earth."
As a Fire-type specialist, Flint could see it clearly.
Charizard wasn't burning out—its flames were building up!
This was Charizard taking things seriously.
Up until now, it had just been warming up.
——
On-screen, Raihan no longer looked quite as relaxed as before. The smirk was still there, but anyone could see the tension behind his eyes.
He knew Leon better than almost anyone else—he could tell this was when Charizard started fighting for real.
Even so, he had the upper hand right now, and that advantage was real.
So he would press it—turn that edge into victory!
A confident grin spread across Raihan's face.
Then—
"Let's Gigantamax!"
Raihan recalled Duraludon into its Poké Ball. With Gigantamax energy surging into it, he hurled the ball high into the air.
In an instant, the entire Wyndon Stadium was shrouded in a swirling vortex of violet clouds.
When Duraludon reappeared, its body had expanded dozens of times over—its shape shifting dramatically.
This wasn't just Dynamax—this was a Gigantamax form!
The dragon's body had transformed into a towering skyscraper, its form reaching up into the clouds.
Unlike the adorable Gigantamax Pikachu, Gigantamax Duraludon radiated pure intimidation!
Just by looks alone, it was easily a Tier 1 powerhouse.
Across the field, Leon wasn't about to back down.
Charizard returned to its ball, then burst forth again as Leon unleashed his own Gigantamax energy.
In the next moment, a dragon wreathed in hellfire descended from the sky—
Gigantamax Charizard, Leon's true ace!
Now it was Gigantamax Duraludon vs. Gigantamax Charizard!
The clash of two titans!
Raihan struck first, seeking to extend his lead.
"Use Max Rockfall!"
A massive slab of stone rose before Duraludon and crashed toward Gigantamax Charizard.
It was a Rock-type move—quadruple effective!
A direct hit could spell doom for Charizard.
But Leon's voice cut through the storm:
"Charizard—Max Knuckle!"
Charizard clenched its right fist and swung upward. The mighty blow cracked the air itself as it met the descending stone.
Fist met rock—
And rock shattered!
The entire slab disintegrated into dust under Charizard's punch.
Even with the stadium's protective barriers, the shockwave rattled the nearest spectators.
And the crowd went wild!
Nothing fired up an audience more than two gigantic monsters trading earth-shaking blows.
Raihan quickly followed up.
"Duraludon, full power—G-Max Depletion!"
The exclusive move of Gigantamax Duraludon—immense energy that drained the opponent's stamina (in-game it reduced PP, but hey, real life doesn't have PP—so let's call it stamina instead).
(And yeah, let's be honest—no one uses G-Max Duraludon in the games. It's trash. Literally no one plays it.)
The attack took time to charge, but thanks to Max Rockfall's sandstorm effect, Raihan could buy those few precious seconds.
The sand whirled violently as Duraludon's metallic body began to glow with an eerie purple light.
"Wen——"
The grinding of metal filled the air as spiraling energy gathered and shot toward Charizard.
But Charizard wouldn't just sit and take it.
Did Raihan really think a little sandstorm could hold it back?
Leon straightened, performing his signature Champion pose.
On the field, Gigantamax Charizard crouched low, wings blazing behind it like a phoenix about to take flight.
Flames roared skyward, bursting with a cry that echoed like a bird of rebirth.
Its exclusive move—G-Max Wildfire!
In an instant, flame and vortex collided.
The stadium was engulfed in burning infernos.
Through the smoke, the phantom of a fiery bird could be seen spiraling in the flames.
As the seconds dragged on, viewers everywhere held their breath.
And then—the difference in power showed.
Gigantamax Duraludon's energy began to wane, its purple vortex shrinking smaller and smaller.
Charizard's flames, meanwhile, only grew stronger—devouring Duraludon's attack entirely and feeding on it!
The inferno took shape, reborn as a blazing phoenix that dove from the heavens—divine and unstoppable.
The flaming god-bird crashed down, engulfing Duraludon completely.
Even with neutral damage, the power was overwhelming.
Under the double impact, Gigantamax Duraludon collapsed, reverting to its normal form and crashing heavily to the ground.
For a heartbeat, silence.
Then the stadium exploded into cheers like a tidal wave.
Once again, Leon had proven himself the unbeatable Champion!
This was Leon's Champion Moment!
Lance: "Well… that's hard to judge."
Steven: "Feels like everything was building up just to set up Leon's final win."
Raihan: "A loss is a loss. I'll win next time."
Leon: "Hahaha, that's the spirit!"
Alder: "I've realized something—Leon's Charizard might be beatable in normal form, but once it Gigantamaxes, it's practically impossible."
Raihan: "What kind of maniac uses 'normal' Charizard for warm-ups and only goes all out in Gigantamax!? What are you, a scientist testing variables!?"
Wallace: "Still, Leon's mastery over Gigantamax battles is unmatched. Even with a type advantage, I doubt I could win."
Steven: "Wow, Wallace, rare moment of humility there."
Ash: "So Leon's Gigantamax form is unbeatable? Then I'll be the one to break that impossibility! I'll defeat you, Leon!"
Leon: "Ash—don't keep me waiting too long."
And everyone watching believed him.
After all, the chat had said it perfectly—
"The road to the summit of legends belongs to Ash. Everyone else is just an obstacle."
But how would he climb that summit? That journey was what drew everyone in.
Ash—let's have a thrilling Pokémon battle. One we'll never forget!
Just like Raihan now—losing to Leon wasn't shameful. Losing to someone destined to reach the peak was no disgrace at all.
And besides, Leon was already near invincible.
But five years from now?
What would Leon be like then?
And Ash, giving his all—what heights could he reach?
No one knew.
(According to official lore, Leon, Ash, and Red are all considered the same tier of top-level trainers—Red's just the one who reached that tier first.)
——
On-screen, as Duraludon fell, the battle came to an end.
The announcer declared the result, and both trainers recalled their Pokémon.
"Still as strong as ever!" Raihan said with a wry smile. He'd chased this man for years, yet still couldn't reach him.
"Well, of course," Leon replied with a grin. "I'm the Champion. During my Champion Time, I never lose!"
"Next time," Raihan said firmly, "I'll defeat you for sure!"
But just then—an unexpected voice rang out across Wyndon Stadium.
"Leon! The one who'll beat you—is me!"
"Pika–chu!"
To draw attention, Pikachu fired off a massive Thunderbolt into the sky, the golden lightning lighting up the entire stadium.
The audience: ???
Beside him, Chloe nearly had a heart attack. She hurriedly yanked Ash back down and clapped a hand over his mouth.
It was one thing to shout stuff like that before—when almost no one was around.
But now? Right after a world-stage battle, with every camera pointed this way?
She did not want tomorrow's headlines to be their photo with the caption:
"Boy's Fantastical Dream: Declares War on Champion Leon!"
That would be mortifying.
But it was too late—the words were already out.
Every eye in the arena turned toward the stands.
Leon looked over—and smiled. He even waved.
That surprised Raihan. "You know that kid?"
"Yeah," Leon replied. "His name's Ash. Someday, he'll be my rival."
"Your rival?" Raihan stared. "You've really been undefeated too long, huh? You're calling kids your rivals now?"
Leon chuckled. "Ash is the Alola League Champion."
"Champion? At what age?"
"He won at fourteen."
"Fourteen!?" Raihan's jaw dropped.
Holy Arceus—what kind of prodigy was this!?
He glanced toward the stands again—just in time to notice the woman beside Ash, adjusting his hair with a gentle smile.
"Wait—is that… Cynthia!?"
Raihan was dumbfounded. In his mind, the Sinnoh Champion was the ultimate ice queen—so why did she suddenly look like a doting wife!?
The big screen focused on Ash's section. The crowd gasped as they recognized Cynthia.
After tidying Ash's hair, Cynthia placed his signature red-and-white cap back on his head. Then, she took his hand, stood up, and raised it high.
Chloe, flustered beyond belief, instinctively clutched Cynthia's hand too.
For some reason… the audience couldn't shake the feeling that they were looking at a family of three—a mom, dad, and their daughter.
Cynthia smiled and declared,
"This is Ash—
the trainer who will defeat Leon."
The stadium—and the entire world—exploded in shock.
Lusamine: "Oh my gosh—this is too sweet!"
Caitlin: "Cynthia… she's so in love!"
Professor Oak: "Wait a second—why does Chloe look like their daughter!?"
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