Pokémon: Ash's New Journey

May's Blaziken and Munchlax were both in peak condition, but Blaziken, in particular, had grown significantly stronger. Thanks to intense training with Ash, her Combusken had evolved early into a powerful Blaziken, making her more formidable than ever.

Watching Blaziken take the stage, Drew narrowed his eyes, immediately recognizing its origins.

"So, your Combusken has fully evolved? Interesting… I suppose I should take this seriously."

May smirked confidently. "That's right! And you'd better be ready, Drew! Blaziken, use Bulk Up! Munchlax, use Stockpile!"

She knew that against Drew, she had only a small window at the beginning of the battle to boost her Pokémon's abilities. If she missed this chance, he wouldn't give her another.

"Oh? May has her Pokémon powering up right away!" The energetic announcer, Lillian, hyped up the crowd. "Could it be that she's trying to use the same strategy from her last match? Blaziken's body is glowing red—it looks stronger already!"

Drew, however, was unfazed. "You think the same trick will work on me? Absol, use Air Cutter! Flygon, whip up a Sandstorm!"

Absol's scythe-like horn glowed before launching crescent-shaped blades of wind. At the same time, Flygon flapped its wings furiously, summoning a swirling Sandstorm.

The strategy was brilliant—Absol's Air Cutter became part of the storm, turning it into a deadly vortex of razor-sharp wind.

"Counter it! Munchlax, use Solar Beam! Blaziken, Fire Spin!"

Blaziken launched a spiraling inferno of flames, and thanks to the bright sun overhead, Munchlax's Solar Beam charged instantly, following the fire attack in quick succession.

The two attacks collided with Drew's combined offensive, creating a massive explosion. Smoke blanketed the battlefield, shrouding everything from view.

Yet when the dust settled, neither Blaziken nor Munchlax was in their original positions.

Drew's eyes widened. "They… disappeared?"

It was exactly what May had planned.

Blaziken and Munchlax had discussed this tactic beforehand. If an opportunity arose, they would instinctively charge through the smoke, taking the enemy by surprise.

And now, as the dust cleared, the two Pokémon were already right in front of Drew's Flygon and Absol!

"Impossible! Flygon, take off! Use Dragon Breath! Absol, hit them with Air Cutter!"

Too late!

Blaziken and Munchlax had already unleashed their attacks!

Blaziken's High Jump Kick slammed into Absol, sending it flying. The boosted attack, combined with type advantage, knocked it out instantly.

However, Absol had still managed to launch Air Cutter at the last second—striking Munchlax and sending it hurtling backward, straight into Flygon's Dragon Breath!

The moment Munchlax crashed into the ground, it was clear—it could no longer continue.

Both trainers had lost one Pokémon.

The scoreboard displayed an even split, with both May and Drew losing half their points. However, since Drew's Pokémon had taken more direct hits, he was slightly behind.

The audience erupted into cheers at the intense back-and-forth battle.

"Unbelievable! Did you all catch that?!" Lillian's voice rang through the stadium. "In just an instant, both May and Drew lost one Pokémon each! Now it's down to a one-on-one showdown!"

May took a deep breath. "That was close. Drew's Pokémon are incredibly strong—even caught off guard, they managed to take out Munchlax."

Drew, however, felt even more pressure.

"May… she's improved so much. If I don't go all out, I'll lose this battle!"

Determined not to falter, Drew called out, "Flygon, use Dragon Dance!"

Even in Contest Battles, a Trainer's composure was crucial. Letting emotions take over could lead to disaster. Drew knew he had lost control for a moment—but now he refocused.

Flygon began spiraling higher, glowing as its power increased.

However, he had overlooked one thing.

Blaziken had exceptional jumping ability.

"Blaziken, jump! Use Overheat from above!"

"Blaze!!"

In a single bound, Blaziken shot into the air, easily surpassing Flygon's altitude.

Lillian gasped, "What a jump! Blaziken has leaped higher than Flygon! And it's charging an Overheat attack!"

The entire crowd held its breath as Blaziken unleashed a devastating blast of fire.

Direct hit!

The scorching flames engulfed Flygon midair, sending it spiraling toward the ground.

But just before it crashed, Flygon's tail wrapped around Blaziken's leg—dragging it down with it!

Two heavy thuds echoed across the battlefield.

Both Pokémon had fallen.

The stadium was silent.

Everyone watched, waiting to see which Pokémon would rise first.

Blaziken, gritting its teeth, pushed itself up.

Flygon struggled… and collapsed.

The scoreboard flashed—Drew was out of points!

May had won!

The audience exploded with cheers as Lillian announced, "Flygon is unable to battle! May advances to the next round!"

Drew exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment before smirking. "You've really come a long way, May. Looks like I still have room to improve."

May beamed. "Thanks, Drew. That was an amazing battle!"

As the crowd roared, May basked in the moment.

She had finally defeated her greatest rival.

And the journey was far from over.

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