Ash's Arc

Chapter 14 of 14

The two Charizards circled in the mini stadium. Ash's dragon breathed hard. Leon's dragon matched it, breath for breath, blast for blast. Every flame Ash called, Leon's Charizard answered. The crisp tiers of the arena roared, but Ash heard only his own Pokémon's tired wings. He had thrown his best moves. Leon had blocked them all. His Charizard could not last much longer against a champion who never blinked. "You fight well," Leon called across the arena. He stood straight, calm, a trainer who had never lost. "But matching me isn't enough. You have to beat me." Ash knew the man was right. Raw fire against raw fire was a wall he could not break. He remembered the ghost gym, and the borrowed Meditite he had trained against. He had won those fights with timing and tricks, not strength. He looked at his Charizard's tail flame. It flickered low. One chance left. "Charizard, dive low and drag your claws," Ash shouted. His dragon dropped and raked the polished floor. Sparks and dust flew up in a gray cloud. Leon's Charizard lost sight of its target. "Now up, behind it!" Ash's Charizard burst through the dust and rose behind the enemy. Leon opened his mouth to counter, but his dragon had turned the wrong way. "Seismic Toss!" Ash yelled. His Charizard seized the other by the shoulders, climbed, and hurled it down. The champion's Charizard slammed the arena floor and did not rise. The stadium fell silent. Then it exploded with noise. Ash's Charizard landed beside him, wings shaking, and let out a low, proud cry. Ash pressed his face against its warm neck. He had beaten an unbeaten champion. Leon recalled his fallen dragon and crossed the floor. Ash braced, unsure. But Leon smiled and held out his hand. "A real win," he said. "You used the dust. You found the opening I left. Most trainers never even look for it." He gripped Ash's hand hard. "I keep my word. Your path to the League is clear." As the crowd thinned, an old man in round glasses hurried down from the tiers. A researcher's badge hung from his neck, and his white coat flapped as he moved. Ash knew him from the labs he had passed through. "Professor Elm," Ash said, surprised. "I watched the whole match," the professor said, breathless. He looked at the tired Charizard, then at Ash. "That pig no one wanted. Look at it now." He pulled a worn map from his coat and pointed to a mountain path, a long stone stair climbing toward a summit above a quiet town. "The League registrar keeps his office at the top of those stairs. Leon cleared your path, but you still have to walk it. And a trainer with a clear path draws attention. Someone may be waiting up there." Ash took the map. His Charizard's flame steadied. The championship was open now. So was the climb.