Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

A relentless barrage of Fire Blasts.

This was the same move that had taken Blastoise down before.

Watching it unfold again, Gary felt a chill run through him even under the blazing sun, his hands going cold as a shiver gripped him.

Did having massive stamina make Charizard unstoppable?

And yet… the reality was that having so much stamina really did allow for near-limitless attacks.

Professor Oak, observing the scene, couldn't help but take another long look at Charizard.

If Charizard's earlier Fire Blast barrage had been impressive, perhaps due to some exceptional talent, then seeing it happen again after such an extended fight with Rhydon raised more questions. How could Charizard have the energy to unleash Fire Blast in rapid succession yet again?

Was Charizard's stamina actually infinite?

When it came to Charizard's endurance, no one knew better than Luo Yuan.

Of course, Charizard's stamina wasn't infinite.

In fact, the Fire Blast barrage that had finished off Blastoise had already consumed a considerable portion of its energy, leaving Charizard dangerously close to exhaustion.

Just two days ago, if this same Charizard had faced off against Rhydon, it likely would have collapsed from fatigue mid-battle.

But everything had changed yesterday, when Luo Yuan acquired Ground Affinity.

With this new affinity, Luo Yuan not only enhanced his abilities with Ground-type Pokémon, but Charizard also gained the unique trait of replenishing its stamina as long as it remained grounded.

After defeating Blastoise, Charizard had recovered a steady trickle of energy from standing on the ground.

While this recovery wasn't fast, it was steady and continuous.

Thanks to this gradual recharge, Charizard had built up enough stamina to deliver yet another Fire Blast quintuple barrage, this time aimed at Rhydon.

Gary's face tightened as the blazing fireballs surged forward.

Blastoise had already shown firsthand just how devastating this move was.

But Gary was far from ready to admit defeat.

As Rhydon's move set flashed through his mind, an idea suddenly sparked.

Gary recalled a seldom-used but powerful skill in Rhydon's arsenal.

Lifting his head, Gary shouted, "Rhydon, use Endure!"

Endure—a skill that allowed a Pokémon to withstand any one-hit KO with a sliver of health remaining, provided the attack didn't far exceed its limits.

Gary didn't know if Charizard's Fire Blast counted as an attack beyond Rhydon's ability to withstand, but at this point, Endure was his only option.

Boom boom boom boom boom!

A series of explosions erupted, and Fire Blast's flames consumed Rhydon.

The shockwave swept across the entire field, sending waves of sand and debris through the air.

Professor Oak and Gary instinctively raised their arms to shield their faces from the gritty impact.

Luo Yuan, on the other hand, simply focused his mind, creating a telekinetic barrier to block out the flying debris.

Watching the fire that had engulfed Rhydon, Luo Yuan felt less than satisfied.

Everyone else saw the power of Fire Blast, but Luo Yuan saw its limitations.

"The efficiency is too low."

The overlapping explosions from five consecutive Fire Blasts interfered with each other, reducing the overall impact to only about sixty percent of the total power.

Five Fire Blasts had, in effect, delivered the damage of just three.

Luo Yuan resolved to find some materials on explosive optimization for Charizard, aiming to create a 1+1=2 or greater effect by maximizing Fire Blast's impact instead of wasting its full potential!

Gary, of course, had no idea Luo Yuan wasn't yet satisfied with Fire Blast's quintuple power and was already considering improvements.

He focused on the flames surrounding Rhydon, his face tense with worry.

"Can Rhydon endure it…?"

Gary watched the heart of the explosion intently, his eyes unblinking.

A gentle breeze swept through as the flames finally cleared, revealing what lay beneath.

Rhydon stood in place, its body charred black and covered in scorch marks, struggling but still standing.

"It actually endured!"

Gary's face lit up with excitement!

The success of Endure was indeed a relief. Gary had relied on it as a last hope, not fully believing it would hold up—but it had!

Suppressing his excitement, Gary knew he couldn't waste any more time.

"Rhydon, hit it with Stone Edge—give it everything you've got!"

Charizard was visibly worn out. That last quintuple Fire Blast had drained nearly all its remaining stamina, leaving it panting as it drew strength from the ground.

At this point, a well-placed Stone Edge from Rhydon might be enough to finish Charizard.

But as he took in Rhydon's weakened state and observed Luo Yuan's reaction, Gary noticed something strange: Luo Yuan didn't call for Charizard to dodge. Instead, he simply watched Rhydon muster the last of its strength for an attack.

Gary felt a flicker of doubt at Luo Yuan's calm demeanor.

But he had no time to dwell on it. All his focus turned back to Rhydon.

This final Stone Edge was his last shot.

However…

Just as Rhydon took its first step forward, its entire body froze, and with Gary mirroring its shock, Rhydon toppled to the ground.

Thud!

The ground trembled beneath its massive weight.

"What's going on?"

Gary's face was a picture of confusion and disbelief.

Rhydon had looked fine just a moment ago—how could it collapse so suddenly?

Turning to Luo Yuan, Gary silently pleaded for an explanation.

Before Luo Yuan could speak, Professor Oak stepped in.

"Burn status—Rhydon has been burned," Professor Oak pointed to the scorch marks across Rhydon's body.

"Burned?" Gary gave his grandfather a skeptical look.

He had studied the Pokédex.

According to the entries, Rhydon's rocky skin could withstand magma temperatures exceeding two thousand degrees, making a burn status seem impossible.

It wasn't like he hadn't faced Fire-types before.

Even in battles against Blaine, Rhydon hadn't been burned.

Professor Oak, seeing Gary's confusion, patiently explained. "While it's true Rhydon's skin can withstand extreme temperatures, what happened here was unique. Charizard's consecutive Fire Blasts didn't just create heat."

"The core temperature of those Fire Blasts likely spiked above two thousand degrees, and the shockwaves left openings in Rhydon's defenses, allowing the flames to seep through and cause burns."

This was the effect of Fire Affinity.

Fire Affinity had increased the power of Charizard's Fire Blast, with the most noticeable boost being in its temperature.

Only Fire-types were immune to burns; even Rhydon, with its high fire resistance, couldn't avoid the status once its armor was breached.

As Gary issued his last command to Rhydon, the burn sapped the final bit of its remaining energy.

"Rhydon is unable to battle! Luo Yuan wins!"

---

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