Chapter 395: Is Z2 Trash?
Alain patted his Charizard’s back. His Charizard understood and landed directly in front of the fleeing Z2, startling it. Alain dismounted and studied the creature again, growing even more puzzled.
"Something like you actually required Team Flare to call me for help?" Alain raised an eyebrow.
"Rrrrr~" Z2 eyed Alain and his Charizard warily, then darted off in another direction.
"Charizard." Alain called out.
"Roooar~" Alain’s Charizard stomped the ground, and the tremor knocked Z2 flat. Alain was speechless. He was even more confused why Team Flare had specifically asked him to help capture this creature. If his Charizard could knock it down with a single stomp, why did they need him? Were they just giving him busywork? At least a Caterpie could use String Shot—what could this thing do? Tackle? He watched Z2 headbutt Charizard’s leg to no effect, and he couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.
"Charizard, grab it. I need to have a word with Team Flare about not giving me pointless assignments." Since he didn’t have any capture equipment, Alain had Charizard simply hold the creature.
"Roooar~" — Little one, stop headbutting me—you can’t even knock off a single hair.
Charizard nodded and grabbed Z2 with its claw. "Rrrrr~" — Kill me! Go ahead, kill me! If you don’t, you’re my son!
Z2 squirmed in Charizard’s grasp, hurling insults. But Charizard held it tight, unfazed by its foul mouth.
"Roooar~" — Idiot—where do you get off talking to me like that? With your strength, I could crush you with one foot, you know!
"Rrrrr~" — I don’t know! Come on, crush me right now! If you don’t, I’m your dad and you’re my son!
Z2 grew excited at Charizard’s threat to crush it, escalating its provocation. If Charizard injured it badly enough, it could absorb nearby cells to evolve into Zygarde’s 10% or 50% Forme—and then beat up this idiot Charizard and its trainer.
Alain’s Charizard’s expression twisted in frustration. It couldn’t understand how this tiny creature—barely bigger than its paw—could be so fearless. Did it really think Charizard wouldn’t hurt it?
"Rrrrr~" — Come on, coward! Do it! What’s wrong? Lost your nerve?
"Rrrrr~" — Is this what a Charizard is supposed to be? Have some guts! You talk big about crushing me, but you don’t follow through!
Seeing Charizard hesitate, Z2’s insults grew worse. Alain, unaware of the exchange, was busy contacting Team Flare. He told them to come collect Z2 and warned them not to give him such trivial tasks in the future.
When he finished, he looked at Z2 with even more confusion—the Team Flare squad he’d contacted had been ecstatic when they heard he’d captured it, insisting he stay put and not move. They were on their way. They didn’t even give him a chance to complain about being given busywork. Their excitement made him wonder: what was so special about Z2?
"Could I be underestimating it? Does it have hidden power or importance I don’t know about?" Alain wondered, watching Z2 squirm in Charizard’s grip.
"Roooar~" His Charizard grunted, clearly disgusted with its captive.
"What’s wrong, Charizard? Do you really want to hit it?" Alain asked.
"Roooar~" — I want to do more than hit it—I want to kill it! This thing is so obnoxious! If I don’t teach it a lesson, I’ll never hear the end of it!
Charizard nodded furiously. Z2, hearing this, grew even more excited.
"Rrrrr~" — Come on, hit me! I’m begging you! I deserve it! If you don’t, you’re my son!
"Roooar~" — Shut up! Charizard roared. But Z2 just got louder.
"Give it a few hits to shut it up." Seeing his Charizard so angry, Alain agreed. He couldn’t understand Z2’s cries, but judging by how it kept squeaking at Charizard, it was clearly provoking it. And Charizard was usually even-tempered—for it to be this riled up, the creature must have really pushed its buttons.
"Roooar~" — You’re done for! You said I’m your son if I don’t hit you—well, now I’m going to show you who’s who!
Charizard grinned wickedly and slammed Z2 into the ground. Smack. Z2 showed a flicker of pain. If its HP were visible, it would have dropped noticeably.
"Rrrrr~" — Come on! Keep hitting me! If you don’t kill me, you’re my son—you’re the weakest Charizard in existence!
Z2 didn’t back down—it only escalated its taunts. Enraged, Charizard struck again, sending Z2 flying from the ground into a boulder.
"Roooar~" — Talk! Keep talking! Am I still your son? Am I still a weakling?
"Rrrrr~" — Yes—you’re still my son, still a weakling!
Sensing it hadn’t reached the threshold for a Forme change, Z2 kept insulting him. Just then, Team Flare arrived.
"Nice work, Alain!" The blue-haired woman was excited. "Where’s Z2? Hand it over!"
"It’s over there!" Alain pointed at Z2, which was still being pummeled by Charizard. Charizard was now using Dragon Claw in its rage, sending Z2 flying from one boulder to another.
The blue-haired woman’s scalp tingled. She was about to tell Charizard to stop when Alain explained: "That thing’s got a mouth on it—it’s been insulting my Charizard. Charizard’s just venting. Don’t worry—it won’t kill it, just rough it up."
"I don’t care about your excuses! Tell Charizard to stop!" The woman yelled. But it was too late.
Z2, which had been flung from the west boulder to the east, stood up. It glared at Charizard and Team Flare with a twisted, furious expression.
"Rrrrr~" — Had fun hitting me, Charizard? Now it’s my turn to hit back!
Z2’s body glowed green. All across the plain, as far as the eye could see, more cells like Z2 appeared, transforming into green streams of light that surged into Z2’s body. Beams from beyond the plain also joined, and Z2 began to grow at a visible rate.
"What’s happening?!" Alain was stunned. He never imagined that this creature—which he’d dismissed as weaker than a Caterpie—had such hidden power. Why hadn’t it used this ability earlier?
His Charizard was equally bewildered. How could this foul-mouthed weakling transform after being beaten?
Only the Team Flare members understood. "Not good—it’s evolving into that form again!" The blue-haired woman cried.
Moments later, after all the beams from the plain and beyond had merged into Z2, it had become a massive serpent—far larger than Charizard, a complete transformation.
"ROAR!!!" — Come on, Charizard! Hit me now! Let’s see who beats who!
It let out a thunderous dragon roar.
Ten kilometers away, just as Rio was about to reach End Cave, Z1 suddenly jumped out of his bag.
"What’s wrong, Z1?" Rio asked.
"Rrrrr~"
"It says to change direction—it senses Z2’s anger, and Z2 is no longer at End Cave." Old Ghost translated.
"Which direction?" Rio asked. Z1 pointed its head in a new direction. Charizard followed the new heading.
Back at Z2’s battlefield, the blue-haired Team Flare leader shouted to Alain: "Get serious! This is its true form now—one mistake and we’re all finished!"
"Perfect—this is exactly the kind of fight I wanted!" Alain’s eyes lit up. "Charizard, Dragon Claw!"
"Roooar~" His Charizard lunged, but Z2 caught its claws with Crunch and flung it aside.
"Mega Evolve!" Alain activated his Key Stone without hesitation. "Mega Evolution, Charizard!"
His Charizard transformed into Mega Charizard X. Z2 prepared to use Extreme Speed, its body glowing green.
"Here it comes, Charizard—block it!" Alain commanded. Charizard X charged forward—but Z2, now a green blur, slammed into it, sending it crashing into a crater. But the blow didn’t knock Charizard out.
"Dragon Claw!" Alain ordered. Charizard X lunged again, this time landing a hit that sent Z2 into the ground.
"Nice work, Charizard!" Alain cheered. "Great job!" The Team Flare members also praised.
But the next moment, everyone’s expressions froze. Z2 had seemingly let itself be hit. The ground split open, and pillars of green light erupted along with sharp spikes—its signature divine move, Land’s Wrath. Charizard X dodged frantically but was struck by one of the spikes and slammed to the ground.
"Damn—so it really is this strong?" Alain gritted his teeth.
"ROAR!!!" — Come on, little Charizard! Stand up and fight me! Don’t be so fragile!
Z2 roared, preparing to finish off the wounded Charizard—but just then, the humans struck with technology. A tech gun fired a red beam at Z2.
"Maximum power!" The blue-haired woman yelled, aiming her own gun at Z2. The beams pinned Z2 in place, unable to move, trembling.
"Perfect—prepare the containment cage!" Seeing this, the woman ordered her subordinates. But then, a calm voice came from above.
"Charizard, Flamethrower."
"Roooar~"
Alain and Team Flare looked up to see a black Charizard hovering midair, flames gathering in its mouth. On its back stood a man in a hat and sunglasses, beside a Pokémon with a massive diamond on its head.
Before anyone could question the newcomer, the Charizard’s Flamethrower forced one of the tech-gun wielders to drop his weapon in fear.