"Gigantamax? What's that supposed to be?"
Misty had never even heard of it.
Brock shrugged.
"I'm not sure either. I only saw something about it in the news, but I never looked into it."
"In any case, Charizard has absolutely no chance of beating Mr. Leon's Charizard right now!"
"In fact, Leon might be able to one-shot him instantly!"
"And if that happens… for a Charizard who evolved undefeated and carries such extreme pride, it could deal a huge blow to him."
Brock looked at Charizard—who was about to walk out the door—
and then at Ash, who was visibly worried.
Then he added:
"Of course, this might also become a turning point—
maybe even the chance for Ash and Charizard's relationship to change for the better.
It all depends on what Mr. Leon chooses to do."
He smiled reassuringly.
After all, Leon was a Champion.
Indeed, Brock—when not in his flirt mode—was surprisingly reliable.
Just as Charizard stepped toward the door,
a giant screen suddenly appeared in the room!
Not only here—screens all around the world shifted into position.
[The third Heavenly Tally will now begin!
Tally of Pokémon Who Fought Gods With Mortal Bodies (Part 3)]
The ethereal voice echoed again, and of course, all the Champions in the room heard it.
Leon gave Charizard a sheepish smile.
"Seems our battle will have to wait. Let's finish watching this first."
"Roa?"
What? Battle? What was he talking about?
Charizard had slept inside his Poké Ball the whole previous day,
So he had no idea what had happened.
"If you watch how your Trainer fought yesterday,
you might not be so unwilling to follow his commands."
Cynthia said gently.
"Roa?"
Charizard snorted, releasing a spark from his nostrils—a clear sign he wasn't convinced.
But he did look toward the screen with interest.
He wanted to see just what kind of battle this "pathetic-looking Trainer of his" could actually perform.
(And honestly? Not slandering Charizard here—early-season Charizard was like this.
Writing or not, it was ridiculous.
Ash practically saved his life, and the guy still lost motivation at crucial moments later.
Completely absurd.)
"Do you think Ash will show up in this Tally again?"
"No idea. But judging by Pikachu's level… probably?"
Lance plopped onto a sofa.
He had stood the entire day yesterday—finally, seated!
And Steven truly was filthy rich—he had directly bought a whole building for today's gathering!
This living room alone could fit a dozen people comfortably…
plus a full-sized Charizard.
The Champions all picked spots to sit. Steven snapped his fingers—
And someone appeared from somewhere with snacks from… somewhere.
Seeing everyone's odd looks, Steven raised a brow.
"I already planned to host tonight's Tally here.
Isn't it natural to prepare snacks?"
"What, you don't want any?"
"Do you have ice cream?"
"I want a pancake wrap."
"Got candied hawthorn?"
Steven: ##
"Eat it or don't!"
Ash, Misty, and Brock watched the Champions' antics—
Realizing they weren't nearly as cold or distant as they seemed from afar.
Just a few casual exchanges made them feel strangely closer.
Champions… were also just people.
Everyone settled in and opened the comment window.
The screen lit up—
And the familiar figure appeared:
Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!
Only this time, his outfit was different.
The iconic red-and-white cap,
black T-shirt,
and a blue overshirt—
Exactly what the current Ash was wearing.
Meaning—this was something he did recently.
…
"Yes! My guy Ash is the star again!"
"Bet it's Pikachu fighting! I'm putting all my points on Pikachu!"
"Same! No matter how Pikachu trolls, he always clutches the key moments!"
Besides Ash, the video also showed a boy and a girl beside him.
Most people outside Kanto didn't recognize the boy,
but the girl—
Many remembered her as the one who once hung Ash up on a rope.
"Misty, Brock—you two are on screen too!"
Ash said excitedly.
"This place… looks familiar."
Brock rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Until—
A small orange lizard appeared.
"Hey—this is when we first met Charmander!!"
"ROOAR!"
Charizard stared wide-eyed.
That was… him.
When was this filmed?
…
"Look! A Charmander! I want to catch it!"
Ash tossed a Poké Ball immediately.
Many people facepalmed at once.
Ash really was immature back then—
trying to catch a Pokémon without even battling it first.
The Poké Ball hit Charmander and wasn't even triggered—
It bounced right off.
"Looks like this Charmander already has a Trainer."
The Brock in the video reminded him.
"Ah—too bad. Guess we can't catch it if it has an owner…"
Video-Ash sighed regretfully and moved on.
The three walked toward the next town as rain began pouring heavily…
(PS: Regarding the screens—they're always present but invisible until activated.
They float in the air without obstructing anything.
The comment panel behaves like a chat window you can open or close with a thought.)
If you want to read more, join my Patreon/kazama677
60+ advanced chapters available.
I will drop 1 bonus chapter for every 30 Power Stones.
Bonus chapter for every 20 reviews/comments