Pokemon Adventures: The Red that shouldn't be

The air shimmered with heat and psychic energy, the battlefield choked with smoke and dust. At its center, Red stood unmoving, one hand on the brim of his cap, the other clenched tight. His gaze was locked on the small, floating figure ahead Mew whose innocent form hid an overwhelming power.

Beside him, Charizard's wings beat the air in slow, deliberate motions, each breath deep and steady. Both trainer and Pokémon were near their limits. Sweat traced down Red's temple, his brow faintly furrowed.

"This is tougher than I thought," he muttered. "If we keep trading blows, we'll burn out before we land a decisive hit..."

No room for hesitation - this would decide everything.

"Charizard! We're ending this! Blast Burn - full power!"

Charizard's roar split the sky, its chest glowing with molten fire as the heat distorted the air.

Mew's playful expression vanished. Rising higher, it drew psychic energy from the very world around it, sparks of pink and white swirling tighter and brighter.

Then both struck.

Charizard unleashed a blazing inferno, flames bursting forth like the wrath of the sun. Mew countered with a dense sphere of blinding psychic force.

Their attacks collided in midair.

For a heartbeat, fire and psychic energy locked in a searing stalemate. Then the balance shattered.

The explosion was cataclysmic. A shockwave tore through the battlefield, a blinding flash devouring all sight. The mountain itself groaned and split, its peak obliterated in an instant.

In that moment, victory and even survival was uncertain.

(Note: Red has died in his original world and been reincarnated into the Pokémon Adventures manga universe, replacing its version.)