How long had it been? Why had this Scizor's strength increased so rapidly? It was simply unscientific!
Given Wen Qi's love for his Pokémon, there was no way he would sacrifice their potential by absorbing items to boost their strength. As mentioned before, absorbing items could enhance power, but it came at the cost of potential. It was like going from deep green aptitude to green aptitude after absorption. Even if it boosted strength in the short term, it would become increasingly difficult to improve naturally later on.
Although Zhou Zhiwen didn't think Wen Qi would do such a thing, he couldn't help but ask anyway. "Boss Wen, you didn't use any items on Scizor, did you? You know that would harm its potential."
Wen Qi then realized that Zhou Zhiwen believed Scizor's rapid strength increase was due to item use. So he said, "How could that be? Scizor is my ace Pokémon. I'm hoping to enhance its potential further, not sacrifice it for a temporary power boost."
Hearing Wen Qi's response, Zhou Zhiwen grew even more curious. What method had Wen Qi used to make Scizor's strength skyrocket so quickly without harming its potential, even breaking through the bottleneck from elite to gym level?
Just as Zhou Zhiwen gritted his teeth, ready to press for answers, Wen Qi sensed that if the questioning continued, his little secret would be exposed. That wouldn't do. He needed a reason to cut off this discussion.
Thinking that the two Pokémon were about to fight, he quickly spoke up in advance: "Alright, Captain Zhou, let's go check it out first. They're about to start fighting."
Wen Qi's words interrupted Zhou Zhiwen, who was about to continue questioning. Zhou Zhiwen opened his mouth but ultimately didn't press further. He sensed Wen Qi's reluctance, and what Wen Qi said was true—the two Pokémon were really about to clash, their aura affecting even the villa.
So he hurriedly followed Wen Qi out of the villa, heading toward Scizor.
It was only because Scizor listened to Wen Qi and trained far away that it took several minutes for Wen Qi and Zhou Zhiwen to reach them. By then, Scizor and Charizard were already at odds, on the verge of battle.
Both Pokémon had their eyes wide open, filled with hostility, staring intently at each other. Their bodies radiated a thick, almost tangible battle aura.
Charizard attacked first. It opened its massive jaws and spewed out a scorching stream of flames, like a rampaging fire dragon, charging straight at Scizor.
Scizor showed no fear. Its body flickered like a ghost, dodging the fierce flames with astonishing speed, instantly appearing at Charizard's side.
Then, Scizor swung its large, sharp pincers, using "X-Scissor." The pincers cut through the air with a sharp, piercing sound, aiming straight for Charizard's wings.
Charizard reacted swiftly, flapping its wings and soaring into the air, easily evading the powerful strike. Circling above, it gathered flame energy in its mouth again, this time unleashing an even more intense burst of fire, forming a raging sea of flames that engulfed the area below, bearing down on Scizor.
Facing the blazing inferno, Scizor didn't retreat. It dashed across the ground, weaving left and right with agile movements, as if dancing through the flames, without a single burn.
Seizing the moment, it pushed off the ground with its legs, leaping high into the air toward Charizard, and unleashed "Bullet Punch." Its fists shot out like bullets, landing solid blows on Charizard's abdomen.
Charizard winced in pain, letting out an angry roar. Its claws glowed with a blinding light as it used "Dragon Claw," swiping fiercely at Scizor.
Unable to dodge in midair, Scizor was hit by the sharp claws, its body flying backward like a kite with a broken string. But the moment it landed, it quickly adjusted its stance and charged forward again without hesitation.
By now, Charizard was thoroughly enraged. It took a deep breath and spat out a massive fire tornado, "Fire Spin," which swept wildly toward Scizor.
Scizor's speed advantage shone through. It dodged left and right, avoiding the core of the fire tornado, but the flames still grazed it, leaving burn marks that sizzled and emitted wisps of black smoke.
Yet Scizor didn't back down. As Charizard's move wound down, it closed in with lightning speed, using "Fury Cutter." Its pincers struck Charizard's legs repeatedly like phantoms.
Charizard's movements were hindered, its speed slightly reduced.
Realizing the situation was unfavorable, Charizard's body erupted in intense flames, unleashing "Blast Burn." A massive "大" shaped fire wave surged toward Scizor like a tidal wave.
Knowing it couldn't avoid the attack, Scizor gritted its teeth and charged head-on. Its pincers gleamed with metallic light as it used "Metal Claw," colliding head-on with the Blast Burn.
A violent explosion followed, smoke billowing and blocking out the sky. As the smoke slowly cleared, Scizor was covered in wounds, its once-smooth shell cracked and bleeding, but its eyes remained steadfast, burning with unyielding determination.
Charizard, having used powerful moves consecutively, was breathing heavily, its flames no longer as fierce.
Scizor seized the opportunity to attack again, darting toward Charizard like lightning. "Agility" pushed its speed to the limit.
Charizard couldn't react in time and was struck by Scizor. But it didn't give up. With a powerful flap of its wings, it created a strong gust of wind—"Hurricane"—that sent Scizor staggering in the air.
Scizor struggled to steady itself and continued its assault. Charizard spat out another stream of flames, "Flamethrower," aimed directly at Scizor.
Relying on its incredible speed, Scizor sidestepped nimbly, then closed in on Charizard. With a forceful swing of its pincer, it used "Slash," landing a heavy blow on Charizard's body.
Charizard fell to the ground, injured, struggling to get up. Scizor didn't give it a chance. It charged again, unleashing its final move, "Aerial Ace."
It turned into a black shadow, striking Charizard instantly. This time, Charizard could no longer resist, crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Though Scizor was also severely wounded, it relied on its tenacious will and superior speed to ultimately claim victory.
By the time Wen Qi and Zhou Zhiwen arrived, the battle was already over. They looked at Scizor, battered but still imposing, and Charizard, lying motionless on the ground. Both were filled with anxiety and worry.
They quickly approached their respective Pokémon. Wen Qi's Scizor was in better shape. Despite some fire damage, the special metal coating had absorbed most of the impact. With proper treatment, it would recover soon.
Zhou Zhiwen's Charizard was in more trouble. It had several wounds gushing blood and had already fallen unconscious. Without immediate treatment, its life would be in danger.
The two Pokémon were originally close in strength. Although Charizard had a higher level and a type advantage over Scizor, Scizor's superior aptitude and battle experience balanced things out. This made their power nearly equal.
As a result, neither could hold back in the later stages of the fight, giving it their all, which led to this outcome.