Johan VS Flint! Going All Out? Who Can't Do That?

Flint was fired up. After recalling his Magmortar, he wasted no time throwing out his second Poké Ball.

"Time for our next round. Go, Typhlosion!"

Emerging on the battlefield was a large, bipedal Pokémon resembling a badger, its neck ringed with roaring flames that surged and flickered violently as it roared.

"Typhlosion, the Volcano Pokémon, a pure Fire-type. When Typhlosion becomes furious, it burns everything it touches to ashes. Loto!"

Typhlosion?

When Johan saw Flint summon Typhlosion as his second Pokémon, he was a little surprised.

He had expected Flint to send out his signature Pokémon, Infernape, considering how fired up he was.

But after a moment's thought, it made sense.

In the early history of Sinnoh—particularly during the Hisui period—Pokémon like Typhlosion were present in the region.

Not to mention, Sinnoh and Johto shared a deep connection. Hundreds of years ago, some of Sinnoh's inhabitants migrated to ancient Johto, with the northernmost area of Johto still bearing the "Sinjoh Ruins" as proof of this shared history.

The bond between the two regions ran deep.

"Let's show Johan just how fierce our flames are!" Flint said, his excitement evident.

"Typhloooosion!!"

Typhlosion roared once more, the flames on its back erupting skyward, filling the area with scorching heat. The Pokémon's fighting spirit was blazing, as was Flint's.

Meanwhile, Johan withdrew Charcadet.

Although Charcadet had survived the powerful final Stomping Tantrum from Magmortar, it had taken too much damage to continue fighting.

Johan exhaled slowly, a calm smile forming on his face as his gaze sharpened.

Even Johan had to admit that battling an emotional trainer like Flint made it easy to be swept up in their energy.

When your opponent radiated such fiery intensity, it inevitably influenced you and your Pokémon as well.

Well then—nothing to hold back now.

Johan reached for the next Poké Ball.

"Why does it feel like Johan is getting fired up too?" muttered Aaron.

Lucian glanced at him, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "How did you feel when battling Flint?"

Aaron froze for a moment before realization dawned.

Of course.

When battling Flint, it was easy to find yourself drawn into his pace and emotions.

Pokémon battles weren't just exchanges between Pokémon; they were a form of communication between trainers as well.

Still, for a tactical trainer like Johan, falling into the rhythm of an emotional opponent could be a major disadvantage.

How would Johan handle this?

"Go, Dragonite!" Johan said.

From within a Luxury Ball, a streak of red light materialized into a Dragonite. Its entrance brought a fierce gust of wind that swept across the field.

Flint stood with his hands in his pockets, the breeze ruffling his spiky afro, but the fiery passion in his eyes remained undimmed.

His gaze locked onto the Dragonite, and he could feel the sheer power radiating from the pseudo-legendary Pokémon.

"So, it's Dragonite from the Kanto region."

Flint grinned.

"Now we're really getting somewhere!"

"Draaa!"

Dragonite looked at Typhlosion and Flint with a cheerful grin. It playfully thumped its fists together, the sound reverberating like a deep drum: Duang! Duang!

It, too, was ready for battle.

"Typhlosion, Flamethrower!" Flint roared.

"Typhloooosion!"

Typhlosion took a deep breath before expelling a stream of searing flames, surging forward like molten lava toward Dragonite.

Opening with Flamethrower—that was classic Typhlosion.

(Flamethrower: The move's power varies based on the user's HP. At full health, it's a scorching 150 power—the most potent non-exclusive Fire-type move.)

The blazing flames roared toward Dragonite, the sheer heat warping the air as they advanced.

"Dragonite, Dragon Dance to evade!" Johan ordered.

"Draaa!"

With two small but powerful flaps of its wings, Dragonite took to the air with surprising speed.

Its nimbleness was astonishing for its plump frame.

"The highest level of light-footedness is making even a large Pokémon move like the wind," Aaron commented, eyes wide.

"Follow it!" Flint shouted.

The Flamethrower twisted and turned, tracking the zigzagging Dragonite, painting glowing arcs in the sky.

"Use Hydro Pump!" Johan countered.

With a quick aerial turn, Dragonite fired a high-pressure jet of water from its mouth.

Hissssss—

The scorching flames collided with the water, producing a massive cloud of steam that quickly enveloped the battlefield.

"Stay sharp, Typhlosion!" Flint warned.

Swoosh—

A sound like slicing wind.

From within the steam, Dragonite emerged at breakneck speed, cloaked in blue-purple energy, diving directly at Typhlosion.

"Dragon Rush!"

"It's like Cynthia's Garchomp," Aaron murmured, stunned.

Flint and Typhlosion, however, didn't back down for a second.

Dodging? That wasn't their style.

"Typhlosion, one more Flamethrower!"

The molten firestorm erupted from Typhlosion's maw, surging forward once again.

BOOM!

The fire and Dragonite's charge collided, but—astonishingly—Dragonite ripped through the flames.

The fiery onslaught split apart like an unraveling thread as Dragonite barreled through it.

CRASH!

Dragonite's full-body tackle struck Typhlosion, shaking the ground and sending a plume of dust and debris into the air.

"D-did it just tear through Flamethrower?" Aaron stammered, his antenna-like strand of hair curling into a question mark.

Lucian, though startled, quickly pieced it together.

"Johan's Dragonite has the Multiscale ability," he explained.

(Multiscale: When the Pokémon is at full HP, the first attack it takes deals half damage.)

This meant Typhlosion's Flamethrower, though devastating, was effectively reduced to half its usual strength—further mitigated by Dragonite's natural resistance to Fire-type moves.

But even so, the sheer ferocity of the clash left both Lucian and Aaron astonished.

"Typhloooosion!!"

As the dust settled, Typhlosion stood in the middle of the impact zone, roaring ferociously as the flames on its back surged to their peak.

It had triggered its Blaze ability.

(Blaze: When the user's HP drops below a certain threshold, Fire-type moves gain a 1.5x damage multiplier.)

"Ohhhhh!!!" Flint roared. "Typhlosion, Overheat!"

Johan's eye twitched.

He could admit he was curious about the raw destructive power Flint's Typhlosion could unleash with Overheat in this state.

(Overheat: A Fire-type move with massive base power but at the cost of drastically reducing the user's Special Attack.)

But he wasn't about to find out—not like this.

"Extreme Speed!" Johan commanded.

"Draaa!"

Dragonite was surrounded by a white aura and shot forward like a streak of light, delivering a decisive strike.

WHAM!

Typhlosion collapsed with a heavy thud, its flames flickering out as it fainted.

Flint: "..."

Lucian: "..."

Aaron: "..."

For a moment, Flint looked like he'd swallowed a lump of charcoal. His lips moved, but no words came out.

Eventually, it was Lucian who broke the silence with an awkward chuckle.

"Well... that was... precise."

Honestly, it wasn't just precision—it was almost unfair. Extreme Speed had a higher priority than Overheat, allowing Dragonite to interrupt the attack entirely.

For Flint, it was the battle equivalent of gearing up to launch a massive fireball, only to get bopped in the face before the words "Fireball Jutsu" could leave his mouth.

It was worse than never getting fired up at all.

"Draaa!"

Dragonite flew back to Johan's side, looking sheepish as it rubbed the back of its head.

Was that too much?

Johan patted Dragonite on the arm, his smile sly.

"Don't worry. He's got something even stronger."

"Draa?"

Dragonite brightened, cracking its knuckles as its eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Whew—"

Flint exhaled deeply as he recalled Typhlosion.

When he looked up again, his eyes were brighter than ever, his fiery spirit fully reignited.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Flint shouted.

"This is the battle I've been waiting for, Johan!"

He gripped his final Poké Ball tightly and tossed it high into the air.

"Let's go, Infernape!"

With an acrobatic flip, a monkey-like Pokémon emerged. Its head was crowned with roaring flames, its body adorned with golden armor-like markings that gleamed in the sunlight.

"Infernape!"

Dragonite instinctively tensed, sensing the overwhelming power radiating from the blazing Pokémon before it.

For most trainers, Flint's team was divided into two categories:

Infernape... and everything else.

Flint's Infernape was a different beast entirely.

Even in official battles, this Infernape had been known to take down two of Cynthia's Pokémon in succession before finally being bested by her Garchomp.

With or without Infernape, Flint was essentially two different trainers.

"Infernape, Power-Up Flame Punch!" Flint roared, wasting no time.

"Infernapppppe!!"

The fire atop its head flared wildly as Infernape dashed forward, its fists igniting in blazing orange flames.

"Extreme Speed!"

Dragonite surged forward, its form blurring as it closed the distance.

CLANG!

Fist met fist with an echoing metallic clash that reverberated through the battlefield. Both Pokémon staggered backward.

"Draa..."

Dragonite shook its hand, exhaling steam. That punch was no joke.

"Infernape!"

Infernape grinned, fire dancing in its eyes as it acknowledged Dragonite as a worthy opponent.

"Feeling the heat, huh?" Flint laughed, throwing his arms wide.

Johan adjusted his glasses, his expression calm but his voice brimming with excitement.

"Let's finish this properly, Dragonite."

The ground cracked under Infernape's feet as it crouched low, its fire blazing higher than ever.

"Flare Blitz!" Flint commanded.

"Not yet. Dragonite, Outrage!" Johan countered.

With a savage roar, Dragonite was enveloped in a crimson aura as it charged, its eyes glowing with a berserk gleam.

The collision was explosive.

BOOM!

When the smoke cleared, both Pokémon stood, battered and breathing heavily—but still standing.

Johan quickly recalled Dragonite before its Outrage-induced confusion could take hold.

"That's enough," he said softly, his tone filled with satisfaction.

Flint's grin stretched even wider, his eyes blazing like his Infernape's flames.

"Now, that's more like it!"

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Powerstones?

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