Professor Oak explained:
"This is Mr. Dara, the head of the Battle Factory in the Battle Frontier of the Kanto Region."
"The Battle Frontier consists of seven facilities: the Battle Factory, Battle Stadium, Battle Dome, Battle Pike, Battle Palace, Battle Tower, and Battle Pyramid, all located in the Kanto Region."
"Trainers can earn gold symbols by defeating various Frontier Brains in Pokémon battles. Once a Trainer collects six symbols, they can unlock the location of the final facility, the Battle Pyramid."
"Notably, these Frontier Brains are on par with, or even surpass, Gym Leaders in skill. Only a select few elite Trainers can defeat them."
Professor Oak's explanation left the audience in awe.
No one had expected...
Such advanced battle facilities existed in the Kanto Region!
The audience erupted in discussion.
Palace Gate Stadium Champion Guest Seat—
"The Frontier Brains of the Battle Frontier are formidable Trainers, some of whom have reached Elite-level strength," Champion Trainer Dodo said.
"I agree," Cynthia added. "For instance, the Sinnoh Region's Battle Tower leader, Grand Lord Palmer, has a Rhyperior that is comparable in strength to Elite Four Bertha's Ground-type Pokémon."
Cynthia shared her own experience, recounting a private battle she had with Palmer.
Her Garchomp barely managed to defeat Palmer's Dragonite after a prolonged, intense battle.
Fighting a Grand Lord-level Frontier Brain required strength comparable to that of an Elite Trainer.
However, the Battle Frontier and its Frontier Brains were not widely known, likely because they were too challenging for most Trainers.
Their battles were not officially televised, and the Frontier Brains' skills far exceeded those of Gym Leaders, making them inaccessible to Rookie and casual Trainers.
Professor Oak continued:
"Mr. Dara is a skilled Frontier Brain, and this battle will be worth watching."
"But I am curious..."
Dodo asked, puzzled:
"Curious about what?"
Professor Oak smiled.
"The last peak battle Ash fought was against Miss Diantha. While Mr. Dara is strong, he isn't on the same level as Miss Diantha."
Dodo nodded in agreement.
Diantha, the fifth-ranked Trainer in the world, had battled Ash with her ace Pokémon, Gardevoir, against his Greninja.
Though Greninja managed to hold its own for a time, Diantha's raw strength far surpassed that of most Trainers.
If Ash's current opponent were someone like Brandon of the Battle Pyramid, it would make more sense.
But Mr. Dara...
"Mr. Dara doesn't seem to be on that level," Steven Stone mused.
Steven considered that if it were Brandon, known for exploring ruins and recently rumored to have captured an incredible Pokémon in the Rock Peak Ruins, it would be understandable.
But Dara didn't appear to have the same reputation.
"It's still unclear… Let's keep watching," Steven concluded.
The video continued—
[The referee announced the battle rules: a 1v1 match. Ash was the first to send out his Pokémon.]
[The crowd erupted as the orange-red figure of Charizard appeared, making a dramatic entrance.]
Palace Gate Stadium Audience—
"Yes! It's Charizard!"
"Is this Charizard's return from training in the Charicific Valley?"
"That makes it even more exciting! Charizard vowed to become the strongest of its kind, and now it's here to fight Dara!"
"Mr. Dara may be a skilled Frontier Brain, but Ash and Charizard's bond is unbreakable. They can definitely win!"
The audience had unwavering faith in Ash and Charizard.
To them, Dara was no match for Charizard, which had once battled the legendary Entei.
But then...
The next scene left everyone speechless.
On the screen—
[After Charizard's entrance, Mr. Dara smiled and gestured toward the sky.]
[Suddenly, snow began to fall, and the entire Battle Factory arena was enveloped in a swirling blizzard.]
[Amid the icy storm, a majestic, ice-blue figure descended from above.]
The Pokémon was unmistakable.
It was none other than...
Articuno, one of the three Legendary Birds!
The audience worldwide was stunned, struggling to process what they were seeing.
Text on screen:
Ash's Peak Battle ②:
Trainer Ash vs. Battle Factory Leader Dara.
Battle Pokémon: Charizard vs. Articuno!
Palace Gate Stadium Audience—
"Wait, what?! Articuno? Am I seeing this correctly?"
"How... How does Dara have Articuno? Did he capture a Legendary Pokémon?"
"This has to be a mistake! But the text confirms it..."
"Is Ash's Charizard really going to face Articuno?"
"And this is Charizard's first battle after returning?! Against such a powerful opponent?"
"How can Charizard possibly win? Articuno defeated an entire group of Fire Pokémon and poachers with a single move!"
Some spectators held onto hope.
"Maybe Charizard can use a special bond evolution like Greninja did?"
But others were quick to dismiss the idea.
"That's impossible. If such a bond evolution existed, Leon's Charizard would have already achieved it."
Indeed, Leon, the Galar Region Champion and World Champion, was known for his Charizard. If a bond evolution were possible for Charizard, Leon would have discovered it.
Without such an advantage, Ash's Charizard seemed hopelessly outmatched.
Facing Articuno, a Legendary Pokémon, seemed like an insurmountable challenge.
The tension in the air was palpable as the video continued...
More episodes are available on patreon
https://www.patreon.com/Atoki_29