Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

The audience, both in the stands and watching from their televisions, remained oblivious to the intricacies of what had just occurred.

All they saw was Luo Yuan's Ditto transforming into a Charizard mid-battle, which sparked a collective desire to capture their own Ditto.

Even Lance and the other trainers noticed the implications.

While type matchups were less decisive in battles between Elite-level trainers, they still played a significant role. With a Ditto capable of adapting to its opponent's strengths and weaknesses, Luo Yuan held an undeniable advantage in any battle.

Among the observers, only Giovanni and Professor Oak maintained calm expressions.

Giovanni was unsurprised, having a deep understanding of Luo Yuan's abilities. Professor Oak, on the other hand, had grown accustomed to Luo Yuan's knack for surprising everyone, making this yet another instance of the unusual becoming routine.

As the crowd continued to process what they were witnessing, Luo Yuan's Ditto pressed its offensive.

Earlier, Ditto-Charizard had launched a sudden Fire Blast, but Beartic had managed to block it with Protect at the last moment.

However, Ditto showed no sign of discouragement. Its wings flared wide, and it unleashed a stream of roaring flames.

This time, instead of the hastily fired Fire Blast, the Flamethrower had been carefully charged, enhancing its power considerably.

The scorching flames surged toward Beartic.

Having barely recovered from blocking the previous attack, Beartic now faced another blazing assault.

Fortunately, Jun reacted quickly this time.

"Icy Wind!"

Beartic exhaled a freezing gust of air, the icy chill colliding with the fiery blaze in midair.

The two opposing elements clashed, creating a stalemate. Water vapor from the icy air condensed and rose, cooling rapidly and forming droplets in the atmosphere.

Dark clouds gathered above the battlefield.

Gradually, light rain began to fall, and Jun allowed himself a small smile at the sight.

"The rain is falling! This doesn't bode well for Ditto-Charizard," the commentator remarked with concern.

As a Fire-type Pokémon, Charizard was significantly weakened in rainy weather. This shift tipped the scales in Jun's favor, giving him hope that victory might be within reach.

But before Jun could fully revel in his advantage, Luo Yuan made his move.

With a simple hand gesture, Luo Yuan directed Ditto-Charizard upward.

The 'Charizard' soared into the stormy clouds, carrying a massive fireball in its mouth.

Under the wary gaze of Jun and Beartic, the fireball was released into the sky.

Sunny Day!

The blazing heat radiating from the fireball evaporated the rain clouds almost instantly. Sunlight broke through, flooding the battlefield with its warm, golden light.

Witnessing this, Jun knew he had to act fast.

Two choices lay before him.

One, launch an immediate attack on Ditto-Charizard while it was using Sunny Day, hoping to inflict significant damage.

Two, have Beartic use Hail to wrest control of the battlefield's weather.

The first option was safer, but in Beartic's current condition, even a surprise attack wouldn't cause much damage to Ditto. At best, it might slow Ditto down.

If Jun truly wanted to win, he had to take the riskier second option: regaining control of the weather with Hail.

"Hrrraahh!"

Beartic roared to the skies, exhaling a frigid breath.

The freezing air spread rapidly, erasing the effects of Sunny Day. Cold winds howled, and chunks of ice began falling from the sky. Small pellets of hail turned into larger shards, each the size of a fingertip.

The weather shifted seamlessly. Ditto-Charizard, unable to maintain its advantage, descended back to the ground.

Beartic, now thriving in the hailstorm, gained a significant boost from its Slush Rush ability. Its agility doubled, and its confidence soared as it lunged at the grounded 'Charizard.'

With the hailstorm bolstering its strength, Beartic intended to finish off Ditto-Charizard in one decisive move.

However, as it charged, the 'Charizard' smirked.

Before Beartic could comprehend what was happening, its target shimmered and began to shrink.

In an instant, the 'Charizard' reverted to Ditto's original form.

Beartic's claws swiped through thin air, its momentum leaving it momentarily unbalanced.

"Again!? Beartic, don't let it escape!"

Jun's frustration was palpable. Luo Yuan had used this trick twice now, seemingly mocking him.

This time, however, Beartic was too close for Ditto to dodge.

Or so Jun thought.

Calm and collected, Luo Yuan issued another command.

As Beartic's claws came crashing down, Ditto shifted forms again—this time into a Pikachu.

Using its diminutive size and superior agility, the newly transformed 'Pikachu' darted around Beartic with a Quick Attack, weaving around the attack skillfully.

Beartic froze in place, confused by the sudden disappearance of its target.

Meanwhile, Ditto-Pikachu didn't waste a moment. It reverted to its base form and immediately transformed back into Charizard.

The imposing black Charizard towered over Beartic, its fiery eyes locking onto its opponent.

With a confident smirk, it raised an arm and lightly tapped Beartic on the shoulder.

Startled, Beartic turned its head, only to see a flaming fist hurtling toward it.

Boom!

Beartic let out a pained roar as the Fire Punch connected squarely with its jaw. The impact snapped its icy whiskers and sent shards of frost scattering.

With a thunderous crash, the hulking Ice-type Pokémon toppled backward, leaving the crowd in stunned silence.

---

"Gar~de! Voir voir."

- Gardevoir

(End of Bonus Chapter—If you like my work, consider supporting me at [patreon.com/WiseTL]!)