Chapter 560 - 560: 560. The fisherman gets the advantage

Gigantamax Cinderace, dragging its badly wounded body, fled into the distance.

Behind it, the battle between Gigantamax Charizard and Gigantamax Centiskorch raged on.

Riding atop Metagross, Jacob quietly trailed behind the fleeing Cinderace. He didn't act rashly — only once they'd put enough distance between themselves and the volcano, well out of sight of the other two Gigantamax Pokémon, did he finally make his move.

"Metagross, cut ahead and block its path!"

At Jacob's command, Metagross's whole body lit up with Psychic energy, its eyes glowing violet as it used Agility, surging forward with sudden speed. Like a streak of blue light, it arced through the air, swept around Cinderace, and planted itself directly in its way.

The badly injured Cinderace let out a warning roar at the far smaller Metagross blocking it. Wounded as it was, it wasn't about to let something so small provoke it without answer.

Jacob's eyes settled on Cinderace, and he drew two more Poké Balls from his bag.

"Go, Lapras! Iron Valiant!"

In a flash of red light, Gigantamax Lapras and Iron Valiant appeared side by side. There was no time to waste — he needed them both in the fight at once.

"Let's finish this quickly. Lapras, Iron Valiant!"

At Jacob's word, Gigantamax Lapras surged with astonishing Water-type energy, gathering into a towering wave that crashed straight into Cinderace.

Max Geyser!

At the same moment, the Quasi-Master level Iron Valiant gripped its twin blades, fixed its gaze on Cinderace, and vanished from where it stood in a single burst of motion. Fighting-type energy roared to life around it, wreathing its violet blades in crimson light.

"Boom!"

A single decisive slash.

......

Back at the volcano, the fight between Gigantamax Centiskorch and Gigantamax Charizard had reached a fever pitch. Charizard wheeled through the air on beating wings and lashed out again with Ancient Power, Rock-type energy raining down from above in a blaze of light aimed straight at Centiskorch.

"Boom!"

Battered and scarred, Centiskorch answered with a furious roar, its whole body erupting with dark energy.

Max Darkness!

The two attacks met head-on, and Max Darkness proved the stronger of the two — its dark energy tore straight through the incoming rock attack and surged on to strike Charizard, landing a solid hit. Centiskorch had won that exchange, but its condition told a different story. Its body was a mess of scars, its strength badly drained, clearly pushed to its limit. Against a Charizard that had barely been touched, there was no realistic way it could win outright.

Even so, gasping for breath, its long body heaving with every ragged inhale, Centiskorch kept its blazing eyes locked on Charizard and let out a defiant hiss. Exhausted as it was, it showed no trace of fear. It was the king of this molten ground, and even facing both Charizard and Cinderace together, it had no intention of yielding.

Just then, a streak of blue light cut across the sky, wind rushing past — Jacob, having already captured Cinderace, came racing back on Metagross to rejoin Edwin.

"That quick?" Edwin looked over, surprised. Even wounded as badly as it was, he hadn't expected Cinderace to go down so fast.

"Mm." Jacob nodded, taking in the state of the battlefield. Centiskorch's stamina was clearly almost spent. "Time to move."

"Have you decided which one you want?" he asked Edwin.

Edwin considered it for a moment before settling on his answer. "Charizard."

Centiskorch's raw power and stubborn will held real appeal for him, no question — but what he needed most right now was Charizard's flight.

"All right." Jacob nodded. "Then you take Charizard. If you want it to fall in line quickly, you'll need to prove your strength and earn its respect first. I'll go deal with Centiskorch."

"Mm." Edwin nodded, turning his gaze toward the distant Charizard, a spark lighting up his eyes.

Could this really be his own Gigantamax Pokémon?

Looking at the creature that resembled a dragon born to end the world, a flicker of anticipation ran through him as he gave the order. "Ursaring — Rock Slide!"

"Baxcalibur — Ice Pillar Drop!"

His two Pokémon struck at once. Ursaring's Rock-type attack carried a brutal four-times advantage against Charizard, jagged stone fragments tearing loose from the ground and hurtling toward it. At the same time, Baxcalibur gathered ice energy into a massive pillar and drove it forward.

Facing both attacks at once, Charizard turned its head, flame building in its throat, and unleashed a blazing torrent shaped like a fire dragon.

Flamethrower!

At the same moment, Jacob made his own move, releasing Gigantamax Lapras. A wave of bitter cold swept outward, a jarring contrast against the blistering heat of the volcano. Lapras, feeling distinctly out of place in the dry, scorching air, still answered the call without hesitation.

Both Charizard and the badly weakened Centiskorch turned toward the newcomer in surprise — neither had expected a fourth Gigantamax Pokémon to show up here.

"Lapras! Sheer Cold!"

At Jacob's command, freezing cold burst forth, mist curling where ice met fire. Even without any terrain in its favor, Lapras's strength showed clearly as the cold spread outward like a swarm overtaking everything in its path. Frost claimed whatever it touched. The surging chill rolled toward Centiskorch like some vast, invisible hand, smothering its flames and swallowing what little strength remained.

Already at its limit, Centiskorch had nothing left to resist with. The cold crept up from its tail, freezing it inch by inch until it stood locked in place like a statue of ice. The chill kept spreading, blanketing the whole volcano in frost as snow began to fall, as if winter itself had descended in the heart of the flames.

......

With Centiskorch frozen solid, Jacob threw out a Gigantamax Poké Ball and claimed it without resistance.

That left just one of the three Fire-type Gigantamax Pokémon still standing — Charizard.

Jacob's gaze settled on it from a distance.

"You don't need to jump in!" Edwin, noticing Jacob had already finished with Centiskorch, called out quickly. "Boss, let me handle this one myself. If things get dangerous, then you can step in."

"Mm." Jacob nodded, understanding exactly what Edwin meant. "Lapras, hold back for now."

"Woo," Lapras answered softly.

"Ursaring, keep it up — Rock Slide!"

"Baxcalibur, Great Sword Thrust!"

......