IT's Wednesday again. You know what that means.
Slithix's body had begun to glow as the evolution process was in full effect.
Ash's mind had been taken into shock as he witnessed a true phenomenon occur right before his very eyes.
Slithix's body morphed into a larger, but relatively similar shape as the evolutionary process concluded. When the serpent revealed its new form, the most striking outcome of the evolution was its newly developed bone-like exoskeleton that covered its body from head to tail. The serpent retained its jet black pigment, but had grown to be about fifteen feet in length and added a few inches in thickness as well. The serpent's new appearance was capped off by a crest of fire that covered its head.
"Ash, fellow Masters, I would like to introduce you to Basvixen." Dante proudly announced.
Everyone in the stadium with the gift of sight looked over at Dante and Basvixen in awe. Never had such a display ever been done or at least never in public. A long moment of silence developed as all minds continued to process the event.
Ash couldn't take his eyes of the scene either. To him, the situation had clearly gone from bad to worse. Anxiety quickly filled his mind as he began to imagine the inevitable beating his Charizard would take at the hands of such an unpredictable opponent.
"Well Ash? Would you do the honors of attacking first?" Dante asked.
"Charizard get up, but don't attack."
Charizard slowly picked itself up from the previous attack, but seemed hardly phased. While Ash had concern occupying his mind, all Charizard felt was excitement.
"What's wrong? Are you, dare I say, afraid?" Dante asked.
Charizard's heart was definitely pumping after those words. The flying lizard began reading its wings for an immediate attacked.
"Don't let him get to you Charizard. The last thing we want is him messing with our heads." Ash yelled.
Ash wasn't falling for Dante's mind games. As much as Basvixen's powers pierced fear into Ash's eyes, he knew how important it was for him to maintain his complexity.
"Very well then, we'll attack first. Basvixen use Double Edge!" Dante commanded.
Basvixen rushed towards Charizard and launched its body in the direction of Charizard.
"Charizard use your Steel Wing to protect yourself!" Ash commanded.
Charizard readied its wings and quickly covered the majority of its body with them. Basvixen's momentum would not be stopped however as it easily broke through Charizard's defense and sent the lizard hurdling across the battlefield.
"Charizard are you okay?" Ash asked in a concerned tone.
After just one attack Charizard seemed to be down for the count. It laid on the battlefield wincing in pain and attempting to get back up. Ash knew the battle might've already been over, but he knew his Charizard had a certain fighting spirit that had shown up in difficult situations before. Still, he didn't want to force.
"Charizard stay down if you've had enough. There's no shame in losing. However, if you still want to keep going, show me that fighting spirit. Give me a sign." Ash stated.
It wasn't long until Charizard's adrenaline kicked in, and the mighty Pokémon had gotten back up, ready for another round.
Dante wasn't the least bit surprised. A Pokémon Master's warrior would never be defeated by such a basic move. Especially one that was trained by Ash.
"Knock that lizard out with Extreme Speed." Dante ordered.
"Defend yourself with Steel Wing once more." Ash commanded.
Confusion quickly brewed up within all those in attendance. Even Basvixen was a bit surprised when it saw Charizard take that very same stance, causing the serpent to slightly hesitate.
Charizard covered itself as quickly as it could. Once again bracing itself for impact. The Extreme Speed attacked fast, but Basvixen's hesitation gave Ash the window he needed.
"Charizard open your wings and hold on to Basvixen when it hits you."
In the nick of time Charizard opened its wings and was able to grab hold of Basvixen's moving body. While Basvixen continued to push Charizard further and further back, Charizard continued to hold on for dear life.
"Basvixen don't let up and drive that lizard through the walls!" Dante instructed.
Basvixen kept pushing Charizard closer and closer towards the boundary walls, but slowly began losing speed as the serpent tired out. Both Charizard and Ash knew they had Basvixen and Dante right where they wanted them.
"Now Charizard crush that serpent with Seismic Toss!" Ash commanded.
Charizard suddenly lifted Basvixen off the ground and flew up high in the sky.
Most of the Pokémon Masters were in disbelief with how quickly Ash had turned the tables. Ash was in exhilaration mode as he knew his plan had worked out perfectly. Dante looked up with the sternest face of all, he was not the least bit concerned.
Charizard quickly ascended past the stadium's open roof and in a matter of moments was several hundred feet above the ground. Charizard knew it was time to deliver its one and final blow.
"Basvixen use your tail to pull Charizard's head towards your eyes," Dante stated. "Then give the lizard your signature Death Glare!"
At the peak of their ascent, Basvixen was able to curl its tail around Charizard's head and immediately pull the lizard's head down. Charizard's head was brought down to meet with Basvixen's eyes. These eyes concentrated on Charizard and before long began illuminating an extraordinary shiny that seemed to momentarily engulf Charizard into the endless void within Basvixen's glare. Charizard let go of serpent and the two Pokémon began to fall back down to the stadium.
"Charizard!" Ash cried.
Terror raced through his body as he saw his Pokémon come hurdling back down.
"Basvixen use Double Edge to end this."
Basvixen quickly straightened its body and launched its body once more towards Charizard. This time there nothing Charizard could do to protect itself. The impact sent Charizard crashing into the battlefield and left Basvixen in the air, falling at an adjusted rate. Basvixen would also end up hitting the ground with force, but the serpent was cable of getting back up. Charizard on the other hand, was not.
Ash hurried over towards his fallen Pokémon and saw that damage the battle had left one of his loyalist companions. A tear dropped from Ash's eye as he realized Charizard was out cold. All because of him.
The rest of the Pokémon Masters watched in worry as Ash tended to Charizard. Never had any of these people seen a fall so bural.
Dante interestedly watched the scene unfold as well. He felt a feeling of deja vu as he remembered their previous battle. While in no way did Dante feel any kind of remorse, he knew his actions might've just changed the way Ash viewed him. A problem that needed fixing immediately.
"Your Pokémon is in need of immediate treatment. Take him to our medical facilities and I assure you he'll be back stronger than ever sooner than later. I promise." Dante proclaimed as he approached Ash.
Ash quickly wiped a few tears and gathered himself.
"I hope you're right about that. I better get going now." Ash announced as he recalled Charizard back into its Poké Ball and left the stadium.
Dante turned to the rest of the Masters and looked at them with a devilish smile. A smile that struck fear within every soul present.
"So, who's my next challenger?"
Ouch. Looks like Ash and Charizard may have bitten off a little more than they could chew.