The moment the previous segment ended, the screen lit up again.
This time, the scene shifted—
to a massive industrial complex.
The camera zoomed in.
Inside was a colossal battlefield arena.
The world instantly understood:
A new divine battle was about to begin.
Since the last segment focused entirely on Charizard's backstory—
The one taking the field this time was almost certainly…
Ash's Charizard.
Sure enough—
Ash once again appeared on screen.
He wore the same outfit he had during the first Tally's battle against Brandon—
The outfit of a challenger facing a god.
Across from him stood a man in a red cap, a white lab coat, and a faint stubble on his chin.
[Darach: Oh—so this time it's me fighting Ash?]
[Brandon: When did you capture a legendary Pokémon?]
[Anabel: Darach, how dare you catch a legendary without telling us?!]
[…]
The other Frontier Brains immediately began accusing him.
After all, Ash's side almost certainly wasn't the one bringing a legendary.
Which meant the legendary had to be Darach's.
The seven Frontier Brains knew each other's Pokémon well.
Everyone already knew Brandon owned two of the Regis.
So, when had Darach caught a legendary?
[Darach: No—seriously, I don't have any legendary Pokémon! If I did, I'd brag immediately!]
[Darach: Wait… unless it's him?]
Before anyone could ask who "him" was—
Ash threw out a Poké Ball.
"ROOAAR!!"
Charizard burst forth, wings spread wide.
His physique—much sturdier than before—
made it obvious he had undergone rigorous training in Charicific Valley.
"Charizard's back so fast?"
"Fast? Only for us. Who knows how many months Ash spent training in reality?"
"Fair point… but what on earth is Darach about to send out?"
"The Kanto Battle Frontier is insane. Two trainers with legendaries?!"
"..."
As the world buzzed—
Darach tilted his head back and shouted:
"Come forth—Articuno!!"
"SKREEEEE!"
A majestic ice-blue bird descended from the sky.
Ice crystals danced behind it like drifting feathers.
A long, banner-like tail of blue flowed behind its flight.
A crest of pure white adorned its head—
The legendary bird of ice: Articuno.
The image froze.
Text appeared across the display:
[Tally of Mortals Who Stand Against Gods (Part Three)]
[Battlefield: Battle Frontier — Battle Factory]
[Matchup: Ash & Charizard VS Darach & Articuno]
[Betting opens now. Five minutes.]
…
[Professor Oak: Articuno… now that is unexpected!]
[Cynthia: Time for Professor Oak's lecture again. Articuno is a Kanto legendary, right? How strong is it exactly?]
[Professor Oak: Although both Articuno and Regice are ice legendaries, their mobility is on completely different levels!]
[Professor Oak: Articuno commands the skies. Its ice manipulation is refined enough that a single flap of its wings can call down blizzards!]
[Professor Oak: And it doesn't just control ice. Its affinity with water lets it turn the moisture in the air into razor-sharp shards of frozen blades!]
With Oak's explanation, the world gained a clearer understanding.
In simple terms—
Articuno was far more dangerous than Regice.
Brandon, you may exit the chat.
[Brandon: Hey! Regice has its own strengths! In certain situations, it's stronger than Articuno!]
As a Regi enthusiast, Brandon refused to let Regice be slandered.
[Bruno: Great, but can someone tell me…
Does Ash's Charizard even stand a chance?]
[Lance: Hard.]
[Lorelei: Hard.]
[Blaine: Very hard.]
[Gardenia: Harder than hard.]
Ice experts, flying experts, fire experts—
all unanimously replied with one word: "Hard."
Who's the flying-type expert?
Of course, a certain "Dragon Master" who mostly uses flying-types.
[Leon: …As much as I hate admitting it, Charizard defeating a legendary like Articuno is extremely unlikely.
But… I still believe in Ash's possibilities.]
[Alder: Same here!]
Leon and Alder had been faithful supporters of Ash since the first Tally.
No matter the odds, no matter the impossible matchup—
They believed Ash could overturn fate.
But belief is belief.
Reality is reality.
And in reality—
Charizard vs. Articuno was an 8:2 disadvantage at best,
9:1 at worst.
And so—
[Betting Results: 90%: 10%]
A ninety-to-ten split.
Ash's victory payout was fifteen times the return.
Yet almost no one bet on him.
Because cold upsets don't happen often.
If they did, they wouldn't be called upsets.
"Sorry, Ash.
If you used Pikachu, I'd definitely bet on you…
But Charizard…"
"Ash bro, I'll support you emotionally, but logically… Charizard's flaw is too big.
Even the Tally itself confirmed it."
"Damn it! I just want to make some money!
Forgive me, Ash!!"
…
More than 90% of the world didn't bet on Ash.
Some were rational.
Some were gamblers.
Some hedged—
"If Ash loses, I win points; if Ash wins, I'm happy."
But among the remaining ten percent—
were the hot-blooded fools
and the true gamblers.
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