Aura Fusion, allows his Pokémon to erupt with strength far beyond their limits for a short time.
But such power always comes with risks.
Even the strongest Pokémon can only maintain Aura Fusion for around five to six minutes before reaching their limit. If they try to extend it, their bodies begin to break down. The only way to use it safely for longer is to intentionally reduce the boost, but in real battles, Ash rarely gets the luxury of holding back.
And the recoil of Aura Fusion doesn't affect only the Pokémon.
It affects Ash as well.
Because the enhancement is created by him, anything the Pokémon suffers, echoes back into Ash's body. Even though he's overwhelmingly stronger than his Pokémon physically, Aura Fusion still drags him down when the Pokémon collapses.
That was exactly what happened now.
Charizard's defeat meant Ash was hit with the backlash as well. His energy was still there, but the deep fatigue in his bones made it impossible to stand immediately. Even after ending Aura Fusion, he needed a few minutes to recover.
This is why Ash must time Aura Fusion perfectly. If he had to battle again immediately, he wouldn't be able to use it at all, an extremely dangerous flaw when fighting top-tier Trainers.
Lorelei watched Ash sitting on the ground, her brows slightly knit.
"You're not hurt, are you?"
"I'm fine," Ash said with a tired grin. "Just used too much energy. Give me a minute."
He recalled Charizard, gently brushing the Poké Ball with his thumb.
"You did great… Next time, we're going to win. And we'll beat Lorelei's main Pokémon too."
It wasn't just a loss to him. It was a wake-up call.
Ever since he started his journey, Ash had never been defeated in a real battle. Between Aura Fusion, partner forms, Mega Evolution, and his own freakish talent, he had started unconsciously believing he couldn't lose.
He didn't brag, but he felt it, deep inside.
But this battle crushed that idea.
He wasn't standing at the top.
He was still climbing, still just a challenger with a long road ahead.
That realization didn't break him. It ignited him.
Misty stepped forward and raised her voice toward the audience.
"Everyone! Give your applause to Ash and Elite Four Lorelei for an incredible battle!"
As Misty's shout echoed through the arena, her voice snapped the audience back to reality.
"Thank you, Ash and Lorelei, for giving us such a wonderful battle! Come on, let's hear it!!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
Ash was still sitting on the ground, but there wasn't a hint of discouragement on his face, just excitement and a fire in his eyes. Misty knew him well. His posture wasn't from disappointment; Aura Fusion had simply drained him to the limit.
The cameras were still rolling, so she had stepped in to shift everyone's attention. And it worked perfectly.
To the audience, Ash's defeat was anything but shameful. Pushing an Elite Four member this far at his age? That alone was unbelievable.
He had been traveling for what, barely four months? Yet he had reached a level most Trainers wouldn't touch in years. A prodigy wasn't even enough to describe him.
For the first time in decades, people genuinely believed it:
Kanto might truly be rising again.
Johto Region - Team Rocket Base
Deep inside a large Rocket facility, Lance, dressed in their uniform, stood in a crowded hall with dozens of Rocket members. The red "R" on their clothing was unmistakable.
He had infiltrated the organization to track down information about Giovanni's hidden labs and genetic experiments. But soon after his arrival, a broadcast alert summon ordered every Rocket member to gather in the main hall.
Lance found this bizarre. 'Team Rocket, watching a live broadcast?'
For a moment, he even wondered if his cover had been blown and this was a ploy to corner him.
But Lance feared no one. As long as Giovanni himself didn't appear, even the whole base wouldn't be able to stop him.
When he entered the hall, he finally understood, they really were watching a live match.
And on the massive screen was his old acquaintance: Lorelei.
Her opponent?
The young phenomenon who'd dominated the Kanto news cycle these past weeks, Ash Ketchum.
How did these two end up fighting? Lance frowned at the screen, puzzled, until a few minutes later, everything clicked.
This battle wasn't random at all.
It was meant to help Ash clear the rumors spreading online.
But something still bothered Lance, why was Lorelei in Cerulean City? She was supposed to be in Viridian City, monitoring Giovanni's every move.
Just a few days ago, the League received reliable intel: Team Rocket possessed a terrifying new Pokémon.
Because of that, the League had assigned its strongest agents to closely watch anyone connected to Team Rocket.
As a Kanto Elite and Johto Champion, Lance personally went undercover to hunt down Giovanni's hidden genetic data and uncover the truth behind the mysterious Pokémon.
He had infiltrated successfully… but Lorelei's surveillance seemed lacking, given that she was clearly not at her post.
On the screen, Charizard and Glaceon clashed fiercely.
That level gap should have made the fight one-sided, and yet Ash's Charizard was holding its own.
It didn't make sense.
Then, when the multicolored flames ignited around Charizard, Lance's eyes narrowed sharply.
That power, he recognized it instantly.
This was Ho-Oh's true divine flame.
Charizard's Aura and performance made it clear that it could now wield divine-tier fire.
Unfortunately… Charizard's overall level was still too low.
Still, Charizard had one powerful trump card, Seismic Toss.
If that move had landed fully, it would have ended the match.
But Lance noticed something critical: Charizard's injured arm, the same one struck earlier by Hydro Pump.
Seismic Toss places tremendous strain on the user's body. Forcing it under that condition was dangerous.
Ash had misjudged both Charizard's condition and his own.
The result: Charizard couldn't complete the full Seismic Toss. Glaceon seized the opening.
A final Ice Shard ended the match.
Ash lost.
Yet none of the Team Rocket members mocked him.
They weren't idiots, they all understood exactly what they had just witnessed.
If any one of them stood where Ash had been, they would've been crushed instantly.
These were mid-level Rocket operatives, all veterans who had trained Pokémon for at least five years.
Against Ash?
Most estimated they'd have maybe a 10% chance of winning, if even that.
"That kid's strength is unreal."
"Lorelei's an Elite even without her main team. And that rookie still fought her head-on…"
"Kanto's rising genius is no joke."
"If only Team Rocket could find a monster like that to lead us…"
While the hall buzzed with discussion, the broadcast abruptly switched.
A cold, hoarse voice filled the room:
"Attention, all Rocket personnel.
Internal order: Target, Ash of Pallet Town, Kanto Region.
Condition: Capture alive.
Reward: Three future Champion-potential Pokémon, and three controllable Elite-level Pokémon."
The hall fell silent.
Lance immediately recognized the voice, Apollo, Giovanni's top executive and the highest authority under him.
Lance purpose for going undercover this time was to find out the location of Team Rockets' base in the Johto region.
Apollo was inherently cautious.
Except for his most trusted subordinates and a handful of top-tier members, no one knew the exact location of Team Rocket's Johto base.
Lance had already been undercover for several days and still hadn't seen Apollo even once.
But this broadcast finally gave him a crucial piece of information:Team Rocket was targeting Ash.
And Lance could more or less guess the reason.
Ash possessed a mysterious power that could force a Pokémon to break through an entire major tier, and Charizard had displayed a god-level flame.
That was enough for Giovanni to take an interest.
A cold glint flashed in Lance's eyes.
"Giovanni, if you dare touch one of ours, don't blame me for tearing Team Rocket apart."
Cerulean Gym - After the Battle
Once the match ended, Lorelei spent time interacting with some of the audience members.
For those lucky enough to speak with her, their ticket price instantly became worth it.
Even for those who didn't get the chance, the battle itself was more than enough, it was an Elite-tier fight viewed at close range.
Anywhere else, even a much cheaper ticket wouldn't get you in the door for something like that.
Many who had only paid a few hundred pokedollars felt like they had won the lottery.
After the audience interaction ended, people slowly exited the arena under the guidance of the Cerulean sisters.
Meanwhile, Lorelei, Ash, Misty, and Brock returned to the Gym's backstage area.
Ash still had many questions on his mind.
Why hadn't the final Seismic Toss defeated Glaceon?
By all logic, Charizard should've had just enough strength left to finish the match.
And most importantly…
Why was Lorelei here at Cerulean Gym in the first place?