Chapter 156: Sabrina's Expectation

The two attacks clashed again, and this time, Charmeleon unleashed even more power, making its Flamethrower reach an almost overwhelming intensity. The golden hue in the flames became even more striking, illuminating the entire battlefield.

Sabrina furrowed her brows slightly. Charmeleon's strength was beginning to put pressure on her.

After a moment of struggle, the Flamethrower completely consumed Kadabra's Psyshock and continued toward it, resembling a raging fire dragon about to swallow its prey.

However, before the attack could land, Sabrina's Psychic connection with Kadabra triggered an instant response. Kadabra disappeared from its position in a flash, reappearing at a different spot on the battlefield.

The flames struck the ground where Kadabra had stood, leaving behind a deep, scorched mark, but failing to touch the Pokémon. This was the power of Teleport!

Seeing this, Charmeleon's expression turned serious. While it held an advantage in power, Kadabra's ability to teleport made it difficult to land an attack.

Ash quickly realized the issue. If he wanted to defeat Kadabra, he had to find a way to counter Teleport, either by predicting its movement or limiting its ability to escape.

There were two possible strategies:

Use a wide-range attack that covered multiple areas.

Increase the sheer power of Charmeleon's attack to such an extent that Kadabra wouldn't have time to react.

The first option wasn't viable, as Charmeleon lacked a large-scale attack. That left only the second choice.

"Charmeleon, use the most powerful Flamethrower you can!" Ash commanded, his determination clear.

Charmeleon's golden eyes flashed with fierce resolve. It inhaled deeply, gathering immense energy in its throat before launching a massive stream of flames at Kadabra's location.

The intensity of the fire distorted the air, making it appear as though the battlefield itself was warping under the heat.

Sabrina remained calm, issuing a mental command.

Kadabra, reacting instantly, teleported once more—this time reappearing just ten meters away from Charmeleon.

Ash's eyes widened. "What?!"

In his eagerness to attack, he had overlooked this possibility. Kadabra had teleported dangerously close to Charmeleon, setting up the perfect counterattack.

Before Charmeleon could react, Kadabra raised its spoon, gathering a concentrated surge of Psybeam.

A powerful, pinkish-purple beam shot forward at blinding speed, hitting Charmeleon directly!

"Boom!"

The impact sent Charmeleon flying several meters before it crashed onto the ground, rolling to a stop.

"Fire—!" Charmeleon let out a pained cry, struggling to get back up. That one attack had taken a significant toll on its stamina.

Sabrina's usually calm eyes glimmered with faint amusement. This battle was proving to be far more exhilarating than she had expected.

She saw an opportunity and wasted no time.

Kadabra lifted its spoon again, channeling energy for another Psybeam. The charged attack pulsed with psychic energy, distorting the air around it.

Ash clenched his fists. "Charmeleon, fight back with Flamethrower!"

Although weakened, Charmeleon refused to surrender. It let out a determined growl, shaking off the pain. Its tail flame flared up dramatically, burning brighter than ever.

"Roar!"

A fierce, dragon-like roar erupted from Charmeleon as it released its strongest Flamethrower yet.

The flames surged forward, consuming the Psybeam instantly before continuing toward Kadabra.

This time, there was no escape.

Kadabra had used Teleport too frequently, and there wasn't enough time to evade.

"Boom!"

The roaring flames engulfed Kadabra entirely, the heatwave rippling outward in a powerful shockwave.

When the fire finally subsided, Kadabra remained standing for a moment, smoke rising from its body. Then, its knees buckled.

With a soft thud, Kadabra collapsed, unable to continue the fight.

The entire battle hall fell silent.

Even the audience of ten—who had remained quiet in fear of Sabrina—couldn't hold back their shock.

A few moments later, the referee recovered from his daze and stepped forward.

"Kadabra is unable to battle! Charmeleon wins! Since the gym leader has lost three Pokémon, the victor of this match is the challenger, Ash!"

The announcement shattered the silence.

"Yes!" Misty cheered excitedly.

Brock nodded in amazement. "That was incredible! Charmeleon's power has grown tremendously!"

Ash, still stunned, took a moment before breaking into an elated grin.

"Pika-Pi!" Pikachu cheered as Ash rushed onto the battlefield, throwing his arms around Charmeleon.

"You did it, Charmeleon! That was amazing!"

The battle against Sabrina had been the hardest fight Ash had faced so far. If not for Charmeleon's power—enhanced by the legacy it inherited—winning might have been impossible.

Sabrina was just too strong.

On the other side of the battlefield, Sabrina showed no disappointment.

Instead, she observed Ash intently, her eyes filled with newfound curiosity.

She recalled her past battles—very few had ever pushed her this far. In fact, the last time she had felt such excitement in a match was when she fought Agatha of the Elite Four.

Her lips curled into a faint smile.

"This trainer..." she thought, watching Ash celebrate, "he's different."

Sabrina wasn't just thinking about Ash's current strength.

She was thinking about his potential.

Even though he was younger than her, there was no doubt in her mind. His future wouldn't be limited to just becoming an Elite Four member or even a Champion.

No… he would surpass even that.

Ash wasn't just a powerful trainer—he was someone who could reach a peak no one had ever seen before.

And Sabrina found herself looking forward to seeing just how far he would go.