The fourth Pokémon, Paul sent out Aggron, which had appeared before. So far, Paul had used five Pokémon, with only the last one remaining unknown, while Ash had roughly gauged the fighting abilities of the rest.
Aggron has Steel and Rock attributes, where Rock Type has a fourfold restraining effect on Charizard; and due to the Rock attribute, flamethrowers from Charizard do not have a restraining effect on Aggron. Overall, in terms of attributes, it can be said to be a complete loss.
But Ash didn't really care about such things. After all, how many times had he battled against unfavorable attributes?
"Charizard, continue fighting!"
"Roar!!"
"Good, use Flamethrower!" Ash waved his hand, allowing Charizard to use Flamethrower as a feint.
Charizard flapped its wings and flew into the air, taking a deep breath before spewing out a hot fire column across the sky, charging directly at Aggron. The scorching flames, coupled with Sunny Day high in the sky, made the audience feel the intense heat.
This was the heat transmitted through the barrier, showing just how exaggerated the temperature on the field was.
"Rock Blast." Paul responded with a Rock Type move. Fire moves naturally have a disadvantage against Rock Type moves, but Charizard's flames...
"Boom!!" One after another, rocks collided with the descending fire column, but in the blink of an eye, they melted completely. Subsequently, several more rocks also melted under the Flamethrower. Ultimately, all five rocks of Aggron were launched, only slightly diminishing the impact of the flames.
For the enormous Aggron that had just used its move, dodging the Flamethrower was impossible. The crimson flames completely engulfed Aggron, and painful wails arose from within the fire.
As the flames gradually subsided, Aggron's figure emerged, its steel armor turned entirely black, appearing as if it would melt any moment.
Although Aggron hadn't lost its ability to battle, its panting and weakened appearance indicated it had suffered significant damage.
"Fire Blast!" Seeing Aggron still capable of fighting, Ash didn't hesitate to have Charizard use the ultimate Fire move—Fire Blast!
The launch speed and timing of Fire Blast were slower than Flamethrower, but in Aggron's current condition, avoiding it was nearly impossible.
It's not just now; even for Aggron at full health, the chances of dodging Fire Blast were nearly nil. With its slow speed, what attack could it possibly dodge?
A Pokémon trying to balance speed and a large physique is extremely difficult; at least Paul's Aggron couldn't do it.
"Double-Edge Attack." Paul's expression remained calm, showing no sign of panic or distress despite Aggron taking heavy damage, as if he had foreseen it.
The skill he chose indicated he was ready for Aggron to make a final, all-out attack. Double-Edge Attack is among the most powerful Rock Type moves, with power akin to big ultimate moves like Explosion and Frenzy Plant.
However, unlike those moves, this one wouldn't cause the user to become immobilized, only taking half the damage of the attack, potentially exceeding the recoil damage from moves like Flare Blitz.
Yet Aggron's Ability is Rock Head, so it wouldn't suffer recoil damage, but Double-Edge Attack is a move using its body as a weapon. Whether it hits the target or not, it will invariably face the Fire Blast attack.
That's why Paul's attack this time was all or nothing—a do-or-die situation.
A massive Rock Type energy covered Aggron, turning its body into a grayish-brown color. The ground around it cracked due to the energy oozing from Aggron's body, spreading web-like fissures across the floor, as if the whole field would shatter.
"Roar!!"
"Boom!!"
Both sides unleashed their moves simultaneously, the crimson flames forming the character '大' in the sky, and the horrifying temperature distorted the space around.
Aggron pounced off the ground, charging head-on into the Fire Blast!
"Boom!!!"
Amidst the deafening explosion, the crimson Fire Blast and the grayish-brown rock energy collided in mid-air. The searing flames instantly swallowed Aggron's figure, burning the air with a sizzling sound, while the distorted heat waves swept in all directions. The barrier tightly contained these waves on the field, or the entire Quartz Arena would have been ignited!
Aggron's Double-Edge Attack exhibited incredible penetrating power, tearing a gap in the flames with its rock energy, its massive body surrounded by debris, enduring the scorching pain to press on.
But the power of the Fire Blast was beyond imagination. The flames clung to its rock shell like a parasitic bone, and the once-sturdy armor started developing fine cracks under the high temperature. The already blackened armor began to melt, wisps of black smoke emanating from the crevices. If not for its Rock Type attribute, Aggron might have already melted away.