"Charizard, Blast Burn!"
Right from the start, Gu Yuan had Charizard seize the initiative to attack. Seeing that Gu Yuan was actually using a Fire-type Pokémon to battle it, Moltres felt that this victory was assured. As a Legendary Pokémon, it naturally exerted a certain level of suppression over Pokémon that shared its type.
Flames condensed as Moltres spat out a Fire Blast. According to its judgment, its Fire Blast would be enough to crush Charizard's Blast Burn. However, the reality defied its expectations; the Fire Blast was directly overwhelmed.
Flapping its wings, Moltres nimbly dodged the residual power of the Blast Burn while considering the cause. It likely stemmed from the friendship Gu Yuan established with that other Moltres; that Moltres must have used its origin power to enhance Charizard. Consequently, not only did it invisibly boost the power of Charizard's Fire-type moves, but it also prevented Charizard from being suppressed when facing its own kind.
Realizing this, Moltres completely cast aside its contempt. Flames surged as Moltres and Charizard once again became locked in a fierce struggle.
Gu Yuan took advantage of the moment Moltres dodged to successfully have Charizard use Flame Charge, gaining a slight edge in speed. During their clashes, Gu Yuan's voice rang out in Charizard's mind from time to time, making tactical choices at critical moments.
Moltres had not yet noticed that Charizard was integrating Dragon Dance into its movements; it simply felt that Charizard was becoming increasingly agile during their skirmish. Although Charizard was using Dragon Dance to boost its attack and speed, Gu Yuan did not dare to let it recklessly use moves like Dragon Rush.
He knew this Moltres possessed the Flame Body Ability rather than the more common Pressure. Therefore, a reckless move like Dragon Rush could easily trigger Flame Body, leaving Charizard in a burned state. Fortunately, in the clash of flames, Charizard did not fall behind at all. Gu Yuan's strategy was to exploit the speed advantage and wait for the right moment to deliver a fatal blow.
Flames danced wildly. Having fully entered its combat state, Moltres was enveloped in raging fire, its eyes remaining sharp and piercing.
Charizard attacked again with Blast Burn. Moltres was not to be outdone and immediately retaliated with its own Blast Burn. For a Legendary Moltres, learning the Fire-type Blast Burn was incredibly simple. Their flames collided and then violently exploded.
Amidst the scattering embers, Charizard and Moltres resembled two fighter jets, strafing each other while constantly dodging incoming attacks. Their fluid movements looked almost like a graceful dance.
By now, Gu Yuan could gauge Moltres's general strength. Despite its strong desire for power, its combat experience was lacking. For these Legendary Pokémon, as long as they aren't completely idle, their strength improves quite rapidly. Combined with their natural suppression of ordinary Pokémon, most of this Moltres's battles were likely overwhelming victories, which prevented it from accumulating solid combat experience.
In the current situation, thanks to the seamless cooperation between Gu Yuan and Charizard, broken fragments of fire occasionally struck Moltres. While it seemed insignificant in the short term, over time, it undoubtedly drained a significant portion of Moltres's stamina. Once Moltres was sufficiently exhausted, it would be time for Charizard to deliver the final strike.
"Charizard, release Fire Blast consecutively! Use a fire net to trap Moltres!"
Suddenly, Gu Yuan's voice echoed in Charizard's mind.
Roaring "Dai" characters of fire emerged, quickly transforming into webs of flame that draped toward Moltres. However, Moltres's control over fire was also extremely high, bolstered by its special innate talent. Flames condensed into spears that shot out, forcefully tearing the fire nets apart.
With a flap of its wings, a Heat Wave swept through, re-condensing the scattered flames into a fiery storm that surged toward Moltres. Moltres's response was simple: it condensed its own fire and spat it out, piercing right through the fire storm.
However, as the storm dissipated, Moltres failed to see Charizard behind the wall of fire. Realizing something was wrong, Moltres immediately tried to move, but it was a step too late. A fire dragon surged out, slamming hard into Moltres's back.
"Keep going, Charizard! Fire Snake Dance!"
Charizard released Blast Burn. Guided by its Expert Mastery, Charizard controlled the energy of the explosion to form multiple serpents of fire, attacking Moltres from all directions. Enduring the sharp pain, Moltres immediately began to fight back. Unfortunately, the offensive was too dense, and Moltres failed to block every strike, suffering further damage.
Charizard's sudden change in tempo had clearly caught Moltres off guard. The speed advantage gained from Dragon Dance was finally becoming apparent. Taking advantage of the momentum, Gu Yuan had Charizard repeat the tactic, using Blast Burn to sustain the Fire Snake Dance.
With each successive hit, the injuries on Moltres's body mounted, and its stamina drained even faster. Even so, as a Legendary Pokémon with a solid foundation, it managed to grind Charizard's stamina down to below one-third. The Blaze Ability triggered, and Charizard's strongest form was revealed.
Panting heavily, the sharp pain from its mounting injuries continuously stimulated Moltres's nerves. Seeing Charizard seemingly growing stronger as the fight progressed, Moltres decided to stake everything on one final move. Flames gathered as it prepared Brave Bird.
Flying-type energy swirled around its body, and the moment it transformed into a giant avian shape, flames adhered to it. Flapping its wings and kicking up waves of air, Moltres charged at Charizard.
"Release Blast Burn with everything you've got!"
Gu Yuan didn't choose a direct head-on collision. Instead, he had Charizard use its current strongest Blast Burn to counter Moltres's ultimate assault. A searing sun-like sphere fell, exploding the moment it collided with Moltres. The scattering flames managed to halt the charge.
Before Moltres could recover its stance, Charizard had already reached it with Dragon Rush. Unable to dodge, Moltres could only condense fire into a shield to try and block. The result was inevitable; the shield was instantly crushed. Charizard slammed Moltres out of the sky and followed up with one last Blast Burn to ensure victory!
"Roar!"
Looking at the fallen Moltres, Charizard's triumphant roar echoed through the forest. Gu Yuan could see clearly that if it weren't for this Moltres's lack of experience, Charizard wouldn't have won so easily. But regardless, he was the victor!