Chapter 244: Paul VS Ash (Final Part) – Blaze and Thunder!

In the face of overwhelming strength...

Ash's eyes swept across his team, each one battle-worn but steadfast. Finally, his gaze landed on one Pokémon.

"Infernape."

"Waaah~!"

Infernape looked back at Ash in that very moment. A spark ignited in both of their eyes, each understanding the other's intent without words. Fire blazed behind their stares.

Ash didn't hesitate.

"Infernape, I choose you!"

"Waaah~!"

The Flame Pokémon responded with a battle cry, walking forward with steady steps. Beneath its calm composure burned a searing intensity, a battle flame that refused to be extinguished.

At that moment, both the fire in its heart—and the one hidden within its body—ignited and surged outward.

"Infernape…"

Paul's mind flickered back to another world, to his own Infernape—the one that bore a history with "himself."

This Infernape may not share that same bond with him, but… that extraordinary blaze—Blaze, the ability—might still live within it.

To deal with Infernape, the most optimal choice would have been Ninetales.

With Flash Fire to nullify Blaze's eruption and Psychic-type moves to counter its Fighting-type, Ninetales would have been the perfect counter.

However…

This time, Paul had not chosen to bring Ninetales back into the match. The Pokémon he had switched in was someone else entirely.

"Get ready to battle—Electivire!"

"Vireee~!"

Electivire landed in front of Paul, its toothy grin aimed squarely at Infernape—eyes filled with unrestrained disdain.

Sure, Ash's Infernape was strong. But compared to Lucas' Infernape, its overall power still came up short.

Even Electivire didn't quite understand why Paul had kept it around to deal with this particular opponent.

Not that it cared. A fight's a fight.

If the opponent's weak—crush them.

If they're strong—go all out.

As long as there's a brawl, it's all good.

"Infernape, show them your true strength."

"Waaah!"

At Ash's call, Infernape already long prepared—suddenly erupted in blazing energy. Its entire body glowed with a fierce red light, as though it had transformed into a miniature sun.

An overwhelming, terrifying pressure radiated outward. A column of fire shot hundreds of feet into the sky, and the air temperature around them rose sharply without anyone realizing.

Blaze—Unleashed!

"Eh!?"

Electivire's eyes widened in shock at the sight, disbelief plain on its face.

What the heck just happened!?

In an instant, it was like that monkey's power had doubled.

You cheating too, bro?!

That was the only thought running through Electivire's head as he rubbed his stomach—secretly feeling the intact Zap Plate he had quietly swallowed days earlier while hiding out at the Day Care.

At the same time, Motivation Boost activated!

"Infernape, Flamethrower!"

"WAAAH!"

At Ash's command, Infernape unleashed a blazing inferno from its mouth like a beam of light. As the fire streaked forward, it scorched deep cracks into the ground beneath it, a testament to its terrifying power.

"Thunder!"

But Electivire showed no fear. Raising his arms and pointing his twin tails forward, he discharged a surge of lightning. Electricity exploded from his entire body, forming a radiant barrier that blocked the Flamethrower like a protective shield.

"Flare Blitz!"

Not bothering to check the results of his previous attack, Infernape launched straight into its next move.

With a powerful leap, it dove toward Electivire, its body cloaked in fierce blue flames. The sheer intensity of the fire seemed to warp the air around it as it plummeted like a meteor.

"Protect!"

Having just deflected the Flamethrower with Thunder, Electivire immediately raised both arms again—summoning a shimmering green barrier just in time to intercept the meteor-like assault.

There was no need to explain the sheer power of Flare Blitz, especially when fueled by Blaze. But despite its strength, a clear gap in raw power remained between the two Pokémon. And with the added boost from Motivation Boost, there was no way Infernape could break through Protect so easily.

And so—

BOOM!

A shockwave rippled out in all directions as Infernape slammed into the barrier—but made no progress. It was completely held back.

"Grab it!"

The instant Protect faded, Electivire's twin tails shot out like whips, wrapping tightly around Infernape's wrists. Thunder surged along the tails immediately after.

"GYAAAH!"

A pained scream echoed out as golden lightning engulfed Infernape's body. The sharp scent of scorched fur filled the air. Just watching it was enough to make one wince.

Unlike in the anime, where Electivire would usually release Infernape after a single shock, this time it held on tight—its tails gripping firmly as it lifted Infernape above its head and kept pouring voltage through it, relentless.

At the same time, Electivire's fists shimmered in alternating bursts of white, yellow, blue, and red—the effects of Brick Break combined with a rapid flurry of Power-Up Punches. One blow after another hammered into Infernape's body like a living punching bag.

Dozens of punches landed every second. Even if each individual hit wasn't overly powerful, the sheer volume of strikes made the damage overwhelming.

The non-stop assault left Infernape utterly dazed—his mind went blank with nothing but pain.

"Infernape, snap out of it—Flare Blitz!"

In that moment of desperation, Ash's voice cut through the haze—the only sound Infernape could still register.

"Waaah!!"

Infernape's crimson eyes snapped open. With a fierce roar, flames erupted violently across his body once again—even hotter and even more terrifying than before.

Even Electivire, whose tail had been coiled tightly around Infernape while channeling powerful electricity, could no longer withstand the inferno. With a grunt, it was forced to release its hold.

Immediately, Infernape drew in a deep breath, preparing to unleash the full might of his blazing Flare Blitz to scorch Electivire to ash—

"Thunder Punch!"

Electivire didn't hesitate. In a split second, it focused all its power into its right fist, lightning crackling across its arm. With one explosive motion, it drove the Thunder Punch straight into Infernape's open mouth.

"Boom!"

At the moment of impact, Infernape's eyes flew wide open—his overwhelming momentum halted instantly.

The eruption he had built up was blocked at the source, trapped inside him—causing an unbearable backlash.

"Brick Break!"

Electivire seized the opening. With its left hand, it struck downward in a swift clean arc, slamming its palm into the top of Infernape's skull.

"Thud!"

With a dull hit, Infernape's body collapsed limply to the ground.

But Electivire wasn't finished.

Clenching both fists together, it pounded Infernape's head repeatedly showing no mercy. Only when the fire monkey lay motionless did Electivire finally stop.

"Vireee~"

Shaking out its scorched, aching fists with a grunt, Electivire stretched lazily and walked back toward Paul with a bored expression.

That monkey's flames were interesting… but his strength? Not so much.

This great one didn't even go all out—how'd he go down that fast?

It was common knowledge among those familiar with Paul's training methods: Electivire's greatest strength was its speed.

But in this match, speed hadn't even come into play—its opponent crumpled too quickly, leaving Electivire completely unsatisfied.

"I'll try to find you a stronger opponent next time." Paul said, glancing toward Electivire's abdomen.

Truthfully, the reason he chose Electivire for this fight wasn't just to let it clash with Infernape—a battle partially driven by lingering memories.

The other reason was…

Reggie had told him that the troublesome Electivire had swallowed the Zap Plate again.

That's right, it was the intact slate that Akari gave him!

The Plate was stable enough; at worst, they'd have to perform a procedure to retrieve it later.

But—perhaps because of the remnants of that previously damaged Plate it had digested—this time, the Zap Plate had started resonating strangely with Electivire.

To put it simply: it had fused with Electivire. There was no separating them anymore.

Speechless, Paul decided to have Professor Oak take a look at Electivire afterward to figure out what to do about it.

"Infernape is unable to battle. Electivire wins!"

"As Ash's Pokémon can no longer continue, the winner of this match is Paul!"

At that moment, Gary Oak made the final call.

"…Take a good rest, Infernape. You've done more than enough."

Ash stared at Infernape in silence for a few seconds as Gary's voice echoed. Then, with a quiet shake of his head, he forced a smile and returned Infernape to its Poké Ball.

"Sigh… Lost again. We'll have to work even harder next time, everyone."

Ash gave a weary but hopeful smile to his remaining team, rallying them with his usual optimism.

"Rooaaar!"

His Pokémon cried out in unison, responding to their trainer's call.

"Heh. Do you really think hard work is all it takes?"

That's when Paul's voice cut through, sharp and cold.

(End of Chapter)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want to access advance chapters, please visit: patreon.com / PMadz_23