The situation on the battlefield was dire for Kiyomi Tsugumi.
Sandslash, a Ground-type Pokémon, had a natural advantage over Charmeleon. And now, after taking a brutal Dig attack, Charmeleon was clearly hurting. The pangolin Pokémon had once again vanished underground. If it struck again in this condition, there was no way Charmeleon could withstand it.
"Think! Come on, think!" Kiyomi's thoughts raced. Dig... Dig... how do you counter a burrowing move? Use your head, Kiyomi Tsugumi! Ground... claws... claws...
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration lit up in his eyes.
"Charmeleon, use Alloy Claw again—but keep your hands on the ground and hold that form!"
Charmeleon didn't quite understand the command, but obeyed without question. Its confusion slowly faded as it noticed something—Kiyomi was smiling calmly at it, full of trust.
"This is your only shot to land a clean hit," Kiyomi muttered, eyes fixed on the field, body tense with anticipation.
Suddenly, with a loud crack, Sandslash burst out of the ground, aiming directly for Charmeleon's side. But it had been a trap—Charmeleon twisted its body at the last second to dodge, and a fierce flame ignited on its right hand.
Oddly enough, this flame wasn't the usual orange—it burned a deep, crimson red, intense and violent.
In a flash, Charmeleon's burning fist slammed directly into Sandslash's unarmored abdomen. The sheer force, combined with the explosive flame, sent the pangolin Pokémon flying.
"No way! How did you know where Sandslash would pop up?!" Xiao Ming cried, stunned. He didn't even have the heart to crack his whip this time. The tide of battle had shifted in an instant.
"I'll explain after the battle," Kiyomi said coolly. "Charmeleon—take to the air. Use Flame Fist with full power mid-jump. Then, just as you descend, transform your move into Alloy Claw and cross your arms to brace for impact!"
What Kiyomi envisioned was this: by jumping up and punching mid-air, Charmeleon would gain upward thrust. Then, right before falling, it would use Flame Fist again—but directed in the opposite direction to amplify its fall. Combined with gravity and its own weight, it would come crashing down like a meteor. The crossed Alloy Claws would not only protect it from self-injury but also weaponize its fall into a final blow.
Even though Sandslash had been hit hard earlier, it still instinctively curled into a ball in defense, trying to protect itself with its armor-like scales.
But it wasn't enough.
Charmeleon dropped like a fiery comet and slammed into Sandslash. The entire arena shook. The ground beneath Sandslash cracked and dented several centimeters deep from the impact.
Kiyomi noticed immediately—Charmeleon's arms were limp. They hung uselessly at its sides, swinging slightly as it took slow steps.
"The recoil was too much... Could it be shock damage? Or worse—a fracture?" he thought anxiously. "Either way, Sandslash is down. This should end it."
Sandslash lay helpless on the battlefield. Even curled up, it had been overwhelmed by the sheer force of the blow. Charmeleon, still battered, began walking slowly toward its downed opponent to claim victory.
On the other side of the field, Xiao Ming was panicking.
"Don't give up, Sandslash! Don't forget our dream! Didn't we promise each other? After reaching 100 consecutive wins, we'd start our journey and collect Gym Badges. Are you really going to give up now?!"
Tears streamed down Xiao Ming's face as he screamed, fists clenched.
Kiyomi watched emotionlessly. "Yeah, yeah. I know I probably look like the villain right now... but that's how it is. Charmeleon, finish it with Spark."
The fire-type Pokémon, now only three meters away, opened its mouth. Embers shot out, growing into fist-sized bursts of flame as they tore through the air toward Sandslash.
But just as the flames made contact—
A brilliant white light exploded.
The crowd stirred. A huge cloud of dust erupted from the blast zone. When it cleared, a new figure stood in place of Sandslash.
It was bigger. Bulkier. Far more intimidating.
Its body was covered in dense bristles for both defense and offense. Two massive claws extended from its arms, razor-sharp and shining with battle energy. These claws weren't just weapons—they were tools for digging, defense, and full-body rotation. Though they could break off during battle, they would regenerate quickly.
This Pokémon was Sandslash's evolved form: Sandslash-King.
At the brink of defeat, Sandslash had evolved, driven by the desperate, emotional call of its trainer. Years of rigorous training had prepared its body for this transformation. Its strength, agility, and stamina had now risen to new heights. It stood a full half-meter taller than most wild Sandslash-Kings—its presence alone radiated crushing pressure.
"What?! What just happened?! You've got to be kidding me!" Kiyomi Tsugumi nearly screamed.
"An evolution… right now? At the climax of the battle? This is a plot twist straight out of a shonen manga!"
He stood frozen, unable to believe what he was seeing. "Why? Why does the side character get this kind of protagonist treatment and I don't? I'm the one who time-traveled! Where's my overpowered awakening? Where's my cheat system? No girls, no gifted Pokémon—now even random nobodies are getting anime power-ups!"
It was unfair. Cruel. Kiyomi was nearly crushed under the weight of reality.
But the battle wasn't waiting for his emotional crisis to pass.
Sandslash-King burst into motion. Its new, powerful frame moved with incredible speed, like an arrow loosed from a bow. Its claws gleamed with concentrated energy, slicing through the air.
In a blur, it appeared behind Charmeleon—moving faster than Kiyomi's eyes could track.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Six brutal claw marks slashed across Charmeleon's back. Its body jerked once... then collapsed to the ground.
Charmeleon had fought with all it had.
But it wasn't enough.