Dwayne's Infernape

**Dwayne's Infernape** (Japanese: **ドゥエインのゴウカザル** *Douein's Goukazaru*) is the sixth Pokémon that Dwayne caught during his travels in the Sinnoh region, and his thirty-sixth overall.

## **New Era**

### **Sinnoh**

#### **With Lazuli**

Infernape was once a Chimchar owned by Lazuli. Prior to Dwayne's arrival on Sinnoh, Lazuli saw Chimchar being chased by a group of wild Zangoose. The situation looked bad for Chimchar, but in its stress, it activated its Blaze Ability, and pulled off an extremely powerful Flame Wheel. This impressed Lazuli enough to add Chimchar to her regular team. However, this first impression did not match up to Chimchar's normal abilities, resulting in Lazuli criticizing him for being weak. Since then, Lazuli has been pushing Chimchar to the limit to duplicate the amazing power she saw before. Traumatized, Chimchar gained a morbid fear of all Zangoose.

During Lazuli and Dwayne's first-ever battle, Chimchar was chosen as Lazuli's second Pokémon to battle against Dwayne's Eevee. Eevee launches a Swift attack, but Chimchar counters with Ember and the two attacks explode on contact. Chimchar then uses Ember again, and Eevee returns the attack via Copycat. Eevee prepares to use Tackle, but Chimchar uses Flame Wheel, stopping the attack. Eevee then uses Sand-Attack, but an Ember blocks the incoming sand, and Chimchar subsequently scores a direct hit with Scratch. Dwayne orders another Tackle, as Lazuli orders Chimchar to use Fury Swipes, but Eevee jumps into the air at the last second, dodging the Fury Swipes. Eevee smashes down into Chimchar with Tackle, knocking the Chimp Pokémon out. Lazuli recalls Chimchar, scolding him for his loss and promises to deal with him later, which makes Dwayne even angrier.

Chimchar later battled alongside Lazuli, facing off against Dwayne and his recently-caught Turtwig. As they stand in position, Lazuli wonders if Dwayne will back out now, but Dwayne isn't about to back down and starts the battle off by ordering a Tackle. Turtwig runs towards Chimchar, who jumps up on Lazuli's command and stops right in front of Turtwig before using a Scratch attack. Ryder is shocked at the fire monkey's speed, but dismisses it and tells Turtwig to use Razor Leaf. Turtwig does so, but Chimchar somersaults backwards to avoid the attack. Lazuli then orders Chimchar to use Ember, which Dwayne tells his Pokémon to avoid. However, Turtwig just stands there and takes the attack, and is sent flying back. Dwayne asks what's wrong with Turtwig, wondering why his Pokémon didn't dodge any of the attacks it told it to. Turtwig only shakes his head however, and Dwayne continues to look confused. Noticing the sun, Dwayne has an idea and tells Turtwig to use Synthesis.

Lazuli isn't impressed, and tells Chimchar to use Flame Wheel. His Pokémon does so, leaping up before using the flames in its mouth to surround his whole body in fire and making a blazing wheel. Turtwig again makes no effort to try to avoid the attack, and is engulfed by fire. Chimchar jumps back after smashing into the injured Grass Pokémon, and Dwayne asks Turtwig if it can continue. Dwayne tells his Pokémon to attack again, but is stopped when a horde of Beedrill suddenly burst out of the woods and attack both Trainers. Dwayne orders Turtwig to use Razor Leaf, but the Beedrill simply use X-Scissor to cut the leaves in tiny peaces. Lazuli orders Chimchar to use Flame Wheel while Dwayne orders Turtwig to use Headbutt, and both attacks land onto the horde, causing an explosion that scare off the horde of Beedrill. This results in Lazuli, Chimchar, Dwayne, and Turtwig being sent flying off the cliff, although everyone manages to come out safe and unharmed.

When the battle gets restarted later on, Chimchar and Turtwig again face off against each other. Dwayne tells Turtwig to use Tackle, and Lazuli, using Chimchar, tells it to use Scratch. This time, however, when Dwayne tells Turtwig to dodge, Turtwig does so, making Chimchar's attack miss. Dwayne then tells Turtwig to use Razor Leaf. Turtwig does so, and Chimchar counters with Ember. Both attacks produce a stalemate however, which leads Dwayne to taking a much more direct approach by telling Turtwig to use Headbutt. Lazuli remains cool and tells Chimchar to use Dig to dodge the attack. Chimchar digs underground, dodging the Headbutt and remaining safe. As Dwayne tries to work out where Chimchar will appear, Chimchar emerges from underground and lets loose a sneak attack at Turtwig. Dwayne tells Turtwig to keep calm and use Razor Leaf, but Lazuli just responds with another Dig attack. The monkey then pops out of one after another, mocking the Grass Pokémon and confusing it. Chimchar sees this, and jumps out behind Turtwig again and attacks it with its claws. Dwayne grits his teeth, but remains confident as he tells Turtwig to use Razor Leaf on Chimchar's holes. The attack enters the holes, flushing Chimchar out as it clutches himself painfully.

Lazuli isn't impressed, and tells her Pokémon to use Ember. The attack is avoided, however, as Dwayne tells Turtwig to jump into one of the holes to dodge. Dwayne asks Lazuli how that move was, but Lazuli just arrogantly chuckles and says that she's already thought of a way to deal with it. Lazuli tells Chimchar to use Ember on the holes to flush Turtwig out, just as Dwayne just did to her Pokémon. Turtwig is flung out of the hole, engulfed in flames. Dwayne tells Turtwig to use Synthesis to heal himself, which annoys Lazuli, who decides to finish off the battle quickly by ordering a Flame Wheel attack. Chimchar rolls quickly towards Turtwig, but Dwayne tells Turtwig to stand there. Turtwig is shocked, and wonders why his Trainer didn't tell him to dodge. Dwayne tells Turtwig to trust him, and at the last moment, Dwayne tells Turtwig to jump down the hole in front of it, which it does, avoiding the attack and catching Chimchar by surprise.

As the monkey tries to find Turtwig, Dwayne tells his Pokémon to use Tackle, and then to Bite Chimchar. Turtwig does so, and Chimchar flails around madly trying to shake the Grass Pokémon off. Lazuli decides to take the battle underground, and tells Chimchar to take it and Turtwig into one of the holes with it. Dwayne is shocked, and Lazuli smiles at his reaction and tells Chimchar to use Flame Wheel. Flames burst out of the ground's holes, and both Pokémon are thrust above ground, engulfed in fire. Dwayne asks if Turtwig is okay, and his gutsy Pokémon manages to get back up. Dwayne tells Turtwig to use Tackle, and Lazuli tells Chimchar to use Flame Wheel. The two Pokémon collide, but when the smoke clears, Chimchar is the one left standing and Turtwig is knocked out, leaving Lazuli as the winner.

When Lazuli challenged the Oreburgh Gym, Chimchar was chosen as her third Pokémon to battle against Roark's Onix, and Chimchar immediately feels the effects of Onix's Stealth Rock. Chimchar is hurt but manages to survive the attack. Lazuli tells Chimchar to use Dig, and Roark tells Onix to watch out for Chimchar who could appear at any moment. Chimchar appears right below Onix and damaging it, much to Roark's surprise. The two continue to battle, but due to Onix's restricted actions due to being paralyzed, Chimchar is able to attack again and again with Dig. Eventually, Onix is knocked out and declared unable to battle.

Roark thanks Lazuli, saying it's been a good battle so far, before sending out his final Pokémon, Cranidos. Lazuli tells Chimchar to go underground again with Dig, and Roark tells Cranidos to focus and then use Headbutt. Cranidos does so, waiting for Chimchar to emerge and then smashes into it using Headbutt. Lazuli again tells Chimchar to Dig, but by now, Roark has caught onto Lazuli's plan and tells Cranidos to use Zen Headbutt. It smashes into Chimchar, sending it sliding across the ground. Roark tells his Pokémon to attack again, and Lazuli tries to get Chimchar to dodge with Dig. But Zen Headbutt has the side-effect of making a Pokémon flinch and unable to attack or dodge. Cranidos repeats its attack over and over, battering Chimchar to almost being knocked out. However, at this moment, Chimchar begins to glow a fiery red, signaling the unlocking of its special Ability, Blaze.

Dwayne knows that Blaze powers up a Fire-type Pokémon's attacks when they are low on energy. Roark realizes he has to finish this fast, and calls for another Zen Headbutt. Lazuli then tells Chimchar to use Flame Wheel, and Chimchar runs towards the oncoming Cranidos, turning into a blazing ball of fire. Chimchar smashes straight into and past Cranidos, causing it to reel back in pain at the force of the attack. Chimchar repeats the attack, before going underground for another Dig. Roark tells Cranidos to use Headbutt when Chimchar appears. It does so, smashing Chimchar down into the ground and knocking it out. Lazuli recalls Chimchar into the Poké Ball, angry with it for his defeat and promising to deal with him later.

When Lazuli battled against Pokémon Champion Cynthia at Amity Square, Chimchar was chosen as Lazuli's first Pokémon to battle against Cynthia's Garchomp. Lazuli commands Chimchar to use Fire Spin and then Dig. Once hit with Fire Spin, Garchomp also used Dig under Cynthia's command. The dig collided with Chimchar, knocking it out. As Lazuli recalls it, she scolds him for his loss, which isn't sitting too well with either Cynthia or Dwayne. Later, Chimchar and Lazuli's other Pokémon rest at the Pokémon Center, but Chimchar gets stolen by a group of thieves, although Lazuli manages to stop them, but Chimchar gets harmed in the process, but Lazuli feels indifferent, simply scolding Chimchar for allowing himself to be captured. Following this, Lazuli realized that Chimchar was not fulfilling her expectations.

This culminated during the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition. In their first round match-up, Lazuli and Chimchar team up with Dwayne and Happiny to battle against their opponents's Rhydon and Magmar. Happiny starts things off with a Pound attack towards Magmar. However, Rhydon intercepts and smashes Happiny with a Megahorn attack. Magmar attacks with a Lava Plume, an extremely powerful Fire-type move that affects everyone on the field. Rhydon is left barely affected thanks to its type-advantage, but the blaze of fire quickly heads toward Happiny and Chimchar. Dwayne tells Happiny to dodge, but Lazuli sends Chimchar straight into the fire. The flame on Chimchar's tail becomes bigger and Chimchar gives a powerful blast of Flamethrower, which has very little effect on Rhydon. Rhydon counters with a direct hit from a Hammer Arm. Happiny dodges with Minimize before following up with another Pound attack. Now the two opponents are aware that even with type disadvantages, Happiny shouldn't be taken lightly and have Rhydon strike back with a surprise Surf attack while Magmar uses Protect. Lazuli decides to take it head on with a Flame Wheel. Dwayne tries to convince her that Chimchar could really get hurt, but she does not care. As Happiny panics, Dwayne suddenly gets an idea and has Happiny break through the Surf with Secret Power, which slams into Rhydon. Happiny then scores a direct-hit with Pound, knocking Rhydon out and leaving Magmar alone. Happiny then goes straight for Magmar with a Pound, but Magmar deflects it with a Fire Punch. While Happiny and Magmar are fighting, Chimchar comes from beneath with a Dig that knocks out Magmar.

During the night, Dwayne trains with his Pokémon, having Golbat use Air Cutter. Buizel, Turtwig, and Eevee dodge the attack with the spinning maneuver he'd used before. Golbat notices a blast of energy nearby. The explosive energy Golbat spotted earlier was Lazuli's Chimchar taking several attacks from Lazuli's Pokémon. Elekid uses Thunder, Murkrow uses Shadow Ball, Torterra uses Hyper Beam, and Ursaring uses Focus Blast. The tidal wave of attacks converges as Chimchar uses Flame Wheel to defend. Dwayne notices the brutal training as Chimchar unleashes Flamethrower, but it hits Dwayne and knocks him backward. Dwayne gets up, complimenting Chimchar's power. Lazuli calls Chimchar back for more training as Dwayne questions Lazuli's aggressive tactics. She brushes him off as she reveals her intention to get her Pokémon exposed to powerful battles. Dwayne scolds her for her selfish goals as Lazuli ignores him, mentioning that Chimchar needed to be struck by the Surf attack from the previous battle to get stronger. Dwayne tries to get her to raise Chimchar's strong points, but Lazuli mentions that it is a waste. Despite the rigor, Chimchar still wants to train. Dwayne tries to convince Chimchar that there are different ways to train and it doesn't have to do it the hard away, but Lazuli and her team walk away, as Chimchar follows sadly.

Lazuli continues training Chimchar as it dodges Ursaring's Hammer Arm. Torterra fires Leaf Storm and Chimchar gets caught in it. Murkrow executes a Sky Attack as Chimchar tries Flamethrower, but it gets hit and collapses. Lazuli orders Chimchar to stand. It tries but is too weak, collapsing. Lazuli orders Elekid to use Thunder on it, but Eevee rushes forward with Double-Edge to block. Elekid charges for another attack, but Dwayne rushes in to take Chimchar to the Pokémon Center. At the Center, Nurse Joy treats Chimchar. Joy steps out and mentions that Chimchar needs rest. Dwayne confronts Lazuli about her training methods. Although reluctant at first, Dwayne manages to get her to talk for Chimchar's safety.

After Lazuli finishes telling her story, Dwayne understands the she has been trying to get Chimchar to duplicate that power from that situation by putting it through difficult training battles, but has not had any luck. Lazuli wants to keep going even though Dwayne urges her to let Chimchar rest. Only Nurse Joy's insistence makes her comply. The next day, the tournament continues, and Dwayne and Lazuli fight in the last battle of the day as Dwayne sends Turtwig. Lazuli calls out Chimchar, shocking everyone, as they notice Chimchar still wounded. Dwayne informs Turtwig to cover Chimchar as their opponents send out Metagross and Zangoose. The sight of a Zangoose scares Chimchar while Lazuli grins at the situation. The battle starts as Metagross charges with Bullet Punch. Chimchar fires Flamethrower, but Zangoose jumps forward with X-Scissor. Turtwig uses Razor Leaf, but Zangoose swats them away. Metagross lands a hit on Chimchar as Zangoose hits Turtwig. Chimchar uses Dig as Metagross uses Magnet Rise to dodge. Zangoose jumps in with Crush Claw and sends Chimchar back. Turtwig attempts to Headbutt Zangoose, but it dodges and Metagross uses Psychic to send Turtwig back, crashing into Chimchar. Zangoose jumps forward with Crush Claw as Chimchar is paralyzed by fear. Turtwig uses Bite on Zangoose's arm to stop the attack.

Metagross charges with Bullet Punch as Lazuli orders Chimchar to use Flame Wheel on Turtwig. Chimchar refuses to attack its teammate at first, but is forced to comply. Chimchar speeds forwards and hits Turtwig and Zangoose, separating them. Chimchar is able to keep the momentum going and hits Metagross. Turtwig suffers major damage as a result, and Dwayne is furious with Lazuli for intentionally harming his Pokémon. Zangoose attempts another Crush Claw and Chimchar attempts another Flame Wheel, but Zangoose pins it and stops the attack. Lazuli orders Chimchar to use Flamethrower, but looking Zangoose in the eye paralyzes it in fear. This turns out to be the last straw for Lazuli as far as Chimchar is concerned. Turtwig uses Razor Leaf to get Zangoose off Chimchar as Turtwig steps forward, but collapses from damage. Zangoose unleashes Fire Blast as Chimchar intercepts, taking the attack and powering up. Dwayne and Chimchar wait for Lazuli's command, but Lazuli closes her eyes and turns away, having completely given up on Chimchar. Metagross heads with Bullet Punch and Dwayne, realizing Lazuli isn't going to be giving any more commands to Chimchar and is willing to let them get knocked out of the tournament, orders Chimchar to use Flamethrower, stunning everyone. Chimchar does so and hits Metagross, knocking it out. Turtwig charges forward as Zangoose uses Crush Claw. Turtwig spin dodges and uses Razor Leaf and Headbutt to knock out Zangoose. Dwayne and Lazuli win the duel, advancing to the semifinals. As Dwayne praises the two Pokémon, Lazuli still has her back turned and Chimchar is upset knowing what is in store for it.

At sunset, Lazuli releases Chimchar from her ownership, tells it to get lost, and turns to leave. Dwayne and Sadie arrive and scold Lazuli for her decision, but as far as Lazuli is concerned, the special training is over and she is going to need a new Fire-type Pokémon. Chimchar sadly turns to leave, and Dwayne is upset to see such a loyal and hard-working Pokémon treated like this. Suddenly inspiration strikes him and he decides to take action. Calling to Chimchar, Dwayne offers the Chimp Pokémon a spot on his team, stopping Lazuli in her tracks and stunning everyone. Sadie asks Dwayne if he's sure, and Dwayne is positive, promising Chimchar the chance to have fun and train. Dwayne steps up to Chimchar and kneels down, leaving Chimchar with an important decision to make. However, a disgusted Lazuli tells them that as far as she's concerned they are a perfect match; a pathetic Pokémon for a pathetic Trainer. Dwayne tells Chimchar to ignore his former Trainer, and offers the chance to prove him wrong. Chimchar happily agrees, so Dwayne throws a Poké Ball into the air. Chimchar happily jumps up and smacks the button, and without any struggle, Dwayne catches Chimchar.

#### **With Dwayne**

Two days later, the finals of the Tag Battle Competition kick off, pitting Dwayne and Lazuli vs. Sadie and Derek. Dwayne sends out Chimchar, Lazuli uses Elekid, and Derek and Sadie call out Heracross and Shellos, respectively. Dwayne's first attack is Flamethrower, followed by Elekid using Thunder. However, Shellos is able to counterattack Flamethrower with Water Pulse, which in turn is countered by Elekid's Thunder. Derek backs Shellos up by telling Heracross to use Revenge. Heracross gets in to take the Thunder attack, and uses the power of Revenge to attack Elekid. Next, Chimchar uses Dig as Sadie calls for Shellos to use Water Pulse again. Elekid uses Protect, but at the last minute, Shellos cancels Water Pulse, and Derek tells Heracross to use Feint to break the Protect, taking Lazuli off-guard. Shellos then uses Mud Bomb, hitting Elekid, but Chimchar finally hits Shellos with Dig.

Shellos counters with Hidden Power, again hitting Chimchar. Chimchar quickly recovers and uses Flamethrower on Heracross, but Shellos jumps in front of Heracross and uses Water Pulse. The attacks collide, causing an explosion. Elekid jumps through the smoke and uses Thunder Punch, while Heracross counters with Megahorn. Another explosion is created, sending Elekid flying backwards. Suddenly, Elekid begins to evolve into Electabuzz, shocking everyone, except for Lazuli. The newly evolved Electabuzz then begins to charge up its Thunder. In response, Derek tells Heracross to use Megahorn and Shellos uses Blizzard. Dwayne tells Chimchar to dodge Blizzard and to use Flamethrower on Shellos, while Electabuzz uses Thunder on Heracross. All the attacks collide, causing an explosion. Just when it seems like the battle is over, Shellos and Heracross are seen still standing once the smoke clears. However, Shellos gives its opponents a final smirk before they both fall to the ground, knocked out. Taking the win, Dwayne congratulates Chimchar, although Lazuli remarks that if Chimchar was any good, Heracross would never have got back up. However, Dwayne does not care what Lazuli thinks; as far as he is concerned, Chimchar did a fantastic job.

Soon thereafter, Dwayne settles down for lunch while still on the road to Veilstone City. He decides to let his Pokémon out for the day, and soon, everyone is starting to set up for lunch. However, Chimchar is confused on what to do since everyone is in a happy mood. Chimchar remembers meal times with Lazuli, which involved her feeding Chimchar directly from a tin while angrily telling him to hurry up. As everyone else begins eating, Chimchar has to be prompted by Dwayne, making it clear the Pokémon is having trouble adjusting to its new circumstances.

With most of his Pokémon lounging about, Dwayne decides to train. Dwayne selects Chimchar to battle against Buizel. Buizel uses Water Gun, but misses, as Chimchar digs. Chimchar attacks and follows with Fury Swipes. Buizel retaliates with Aqua Jet, which sends Chimchar flying. Chimchar digs and hits Buizel. Then, Chimchar and Buizel collide with Flamethrower and Water Gun, respectively, but Chimchar manages to be defeated, causing Chimchar to be reminded of losing in the Tag Battle Tournament and being released by Lazuli. Dwayne picks up Chimchar, who expects to be criticized, but Dwayne instead congratulates him on a good battle. This is followed up by cheering from all the other Pokémon. Chimchar is left very nervous and confused, and starts crying since it cannot handle its drastic change in environment. Dwayne muses that Chimchar must not have got many chances to show any emotion while under Lazuli's ownership. He understands, and holds Chimchar while it sobs its heart out.

That night, Chimchar has a nightmare about having to fight under Lazuli's command battling a Graveler. Graveler jumps out against Chimchar and uses Rock Throw, sending boulders flying. Lazuli orders Chimchar not to move, as her way of trying to force Chimchar to access Blaze. Chimchar's nightmare then switches to the Zangoose fight before it was caught, still with Lazuli's voice in its head. Chimchar jolts awake and, unable to get back to sleep, goes for a walk. The next morning, all of the Pokémon start helping out preparing for a meal, and Chimchar is once again left unsure of what to do. Dwayne calls over to it, asking for help carrying some water, to which Chimchar happily agrees to.

While Dwayne and Chimchar are out, Dwayne's Pokémon continue to prepare breakfast, until a large group of Zangoose emerge from the bushes and begin attacking the Pokémon, and Dwayne's Pokémon are cornered against a cliff. Dwayne and Chimchar arrive back and see what is happening, and Dwayne tells Chimchar to help. However, Chimchar is too frightened to fight the wild Zangoose. Dwayne gives a little pep talk to Chimchar, telling him that while he understands Chimchar is scared, the other Pokémon really need help. Chimchar is reminded of the kindness shown by Dwayne and the others. He tells Chimchar not to worry about the power of Blaze, as it just has to believe it can win. As a result, Chimchar becomes motivated to battle against his fear, the Zangoose. Chimchar uses Dig a few times to confuse the Zangoose and then uses Flamethrower to finish them off. Chimchar joins the other Pokémon in their cheering, and with its past completely fading away, Chimchar finally feels comfortable around his new Trainer and teammates.

When Dwayne challenged the Veilstone Gym, Chimchar was chosen as Dwayne's second Pokémon to battle against Maylene's Meditite. Chimchar unleashes Fury Swipes, which hits Meditite. Maylene commands Meditite to use Drain Punch so it can absorb Chimchar's energy and heal itself. Dwayne tells Chimchar to dodge and to keep using Fury Swipes. Maylene commands Meditite to use Detect, preventing Chimchar's Fury Swipes from hitting. It works for a bit, but then Meditite's Detect fails and it is hit with Fury Swipes several times. Maylene is impressed by Chimchar's skill. Dwayne tells Chimchar to use Flamethrower, which hits Meditite, and then to follow up with Flame Wheel. Before the Flame Wheel can hit, Maylene orders Meditite to use Confusion, which leaves Chimchar rolling off in the wrong direction and attacking the nearest wall with Fury Swipes, and Dwayne decides to recall Chimchar for the time being.

Later on during the battle, Chimchar gets called back out to face off against Maylene's Lucario. Chimchar immediately uses Flamethrower, but it is easily dodged by Lucario. Dwayne orders Chimchar to keep using Flamethrower and Maylene commands Lucario to keep dodging, easily done with its excellent speed. Dwayne, wanting to get closer, commands Chimchar to use Fury Swipes, which is dodged by Lucario. Maylene commands her Lucario to use Force Palm, hitting Chimchar. Dwayne commands Chimchar to use Flame Wheel, a perfect hit with his maximum power. Dwayne commands Chimchar to use his Flame Wheel again, but it misses, paralyzed by Lucario's Force Palm. Lucario attacks Chimchar with Bone Rush, which hits Chimchar multiple times. Dwayne orders Chimchar to use Dig so he can get away. Maylene tells her Lucario to sense Chimchar's Aura so it can detect Chimchar underground, then attack the ground where Chimchar was hiding with Aura Sphere. Chimchar is thrown out of the ground, so Maylene commands Lucario to use Metal Claw, which knocks out Chimchar.

Shortly after Dwayne's participation in the Wallace Cup, Dwayne and Chimchar crossed paths with Lazuli once again, who criticized Dwayne's decision of entering the Wallace Cup and began walking away, ignoring Dwayne's challenge for a battle, but Chimchar, having finally overcomed his fear of Lazuli, roars at her, which amuses Lazuli into accepting the battle challenge. After Dwayne's Gligar gets defeated, Chimchar offers himself to battle next, and Lazuli chooses her Ursaring to battle Chimchar.

The battle begins with Chimchar's Flamethrower. Ursaring uses Focus Blast, and both attacks cancel each other out. Chimchar uses Dig, but Ursaring uses Hammer Arm on the ground, unearthing Chimchar and knocking him into the air. Chimchar dives down with a Flame Wheel, but Ursaring catches him. Ursaring uses Secret Power at close range. Due to the mysterious power of Ursaring's Secret Power attack, Chimchar was flinched and can't attack. Despite encouragement from Dwayne and friends, Ursaring uses Hammer Arm on Chimchar, burying him in a pile of rubble. Chimchar emerges in a flaming fury, having accessed Blaze, although it's not like any Blaze anyone's seen before. Remembering how Chimchar activated Blaze during his battle with the Zangoose, Lazuli knows that Chimchar is finally awake, as this is the power she was trying to unlock all along. Dwayne suggests that Chimchar is trying his best to defeat Lazuli, and has accessed Blaze due to the encouragement from him and the other Pokémon. Ursaring is ordered to use another Focus Blast, however Chimchar's Flame Wheel smashes through it and collides with Ursaring, knocking it out.

Even though he won the battle, Chimchar's fury appears to be rising. Dwayne tells Chimchar it's time to stop, however, Chimchar instead powers up another Flame Wheel and charges at his Trainer, who is able to get out of the way. Chimchar then goes for Lazuli, who is able to narrowly avoid being hit. Now Chimchar is bouncing all around, setting fire to the forest. Buizel uses Water Gun to put out the fires. Chimchar is now completely uncontrollable and attempts to get away, however, he is blocked by Dwayne who begs Chimchar to stop. Chimchar's escape is then blocked by Dwayne's Gardevoir, followed by the other Pokémon, causing Chimchar's fury to grow. Dwayne, knowing he needs to stop Chimchar here and now, grabs the Chimp Pokémon and holds him close and screams at him to stop, but Chimchar shows no sign of calming and bites him in the shoulder, causing Dwayne intense pain. The other Pokémon move to help Dwayne, but Gardevoir stops them, knowing Dwayne is able to handle this alone. The intense heat caused by Chimchar begins to burn Dwayne, but he refuses to let go and keeps begging Chimchar to stop. Eventually, under Dwayne's encouraging words, Chimchar finally calms down and regains control.

Chimchar is once again terrified, this time of Dwayne's yelling; seeing it as a possible sign of anger. However, Dwayne's yelling was due more to desperation for Chimchar to get a hold of itself, but Dwayne compliments Chimchar on his power, and says that he believes in Chimchar's power. Lazuli, however, asks what Dwayne will do the next time Chimchar ends up accessing Blaze, and if he will ever be able to control it. Dwayne believes Chimchar has the ability to handle the power it possesses. The rest of Dwayne's and Lazuli's battle is called off, and Lazuli tells Dwayne he's a fool to believe that Chimchar can handle Blaze. However, she goes on to say that after Dwayne and Chimchar have learned to control Blaze, the two trainers will battle again. Dwayne embraces Chimchar and Lazuli walks away, both knowing that the two will battle again someday.

While battling against Team Galactic at Celestic Town, Chimchar pushed Gardevoir out of the way and took Saturn's Toxicroak's Poison Jab in his place, which greatly injured Chimchar. Later, Chimchar was being healed, and gets comforted by Cynthia about his past with Lazuli.

During Dwayne's unofficial Gym battle with Fantina, Chimchar was chosen as his second Pokémon to battle against Fantina's Drifloon. Chimchar opens with a Flamethrower, but Drifloon stops it with Psychic and plays around with it before using Will-O-Wisp and following up with Hypnosis. Chimchar struggles to stay awake, but falls asleep. Dwayne recalls Chimchar.

When Dwayne and Vito battled each other for the first time, Chimchar was chosen as Dwayne's first Pokémon to battle against Vito's Staraptor. Vito immediately recognizes Chimchar as Lazuli's, and thinks that Dwayne traded to get it. Even after Dwayne mentions that Lazuli abandoned it, Vito refuses to believe Lazuli abandoned it and thinks Dwayne wants to become as strong as Lazuli, which Vito is also trying to do. Staraptor uses Tackle as Chimchar dodges and fires Flamethrower. Staraptor dodges and comes around to use Close Combat. Chimchar dodges most of the strikes, but Chimchar takes a few hits and gets thrown back. Staraptor charges with Wing Attack, but Chimchar uses Dig to escape before coming up and using Flamethrower to knock out Staraptor.

Vito sends out Carnivine, which uses Sludge Bomb to knock Chimchar back. Vito orders multiple Sludge Bombs as Chimchar dodges. However, Carnivine uses its Vine Whip attack to lower Chimchar's guard and managing to get in clean strikes, eventually knocking out Chimchar with one powerful strike.

Chimchar was later chosen as Dwayne's second Pokémon during his official Gym battle against Fantina, facing off against Fantina's Mismagius. Chimchar starts with Flame Wheel, which Mismagius dodges with great speed, but Chimchar turns around and jumps towards Mismagius with Flame Wheel still activated, much to Fantina's surprise. Fantina orders Psywave, which stops the Flame Wheel and sends Chimchar plummeting to the ground. Dwayne tells Chimchar to spin and use Flamethrower, which makes a Counter Shield of fire. Mismagius tries deflecting it with Psywave but still gets hit. Fantina then tries Magical Leaf, which is also deflected by the Counter Shield, but not before stopping it. Fantina then exclaimed that she had learned everything about the Counter Shield when he used it before. Dwayne tells Chimchar to use Flame Wheel again and Mismagius uses Dark Pulse, but Chimchar counters with another Counter Shield while still using Flame Wheel. Mismagius destroys the Counter Shield with Psywave, but is then afterwards hit hard by Flame Wheel. Mismagius is announced unable to battle and Chimchar celebrates with Dwayne. Vito then comments on how much happier he seemed to be while with Dwayne than he was with Lazuli. Dwayne then recalls Chimchar for some rest.

Chimchar was later brought back out as Dwayne's final remaining Pokémon to battle against Fantina's Drifblim. Drifblim instantly starts by making Will-O-Wisp, while Chimchar uses Flame Wheel. Drifblim hits Chimchar with the Will-O-Wisp and stops the Flame Wheel. The match of Fire-type moves gives Dwayne an idea, he orders Chimchar to use Flamethrower, which collides with Drifblim's Counter Shield. The Flamethrower absorbs Drifblim's Counter Shield, turns the Flamethrower purple and hits Drifblim with the power of Flamethrower and its own Will-O-Wisp attack. Chimchar then dodges Ominous Wind with Dig, comes up behind Drifblim, grabs it and smacks it to the floor with Flame Wheel. Drifblim then turns around to use Hypnosis, but Chimchar is too quick for it and uses a close-range Flamethrower, which knocks it out.

When Dwayne challenged the Canalave Gym, Chimchar was his first Pokémon of choice, battling against Byron's Bronzor. Chimchar immediately jumps up and fires Flamethrower. Bronzor stays in place and resists the attack thanks to Heatproof, something Byron trained for. Chimchar repeats the attack as Bronzor uses Rain Dance to change the weather and dampen Chimchar's abilities. Chimchar Digs as the Rain Dance wears off. Chimchar comes out and fires Flamethrower, but Bronzor uses Gyro Ball to dodge and hit, knocking Chimchar down. Chimchar gets back up as a second Gyro Ball comes about. Chimchar meets the attack head-on with Flame Wheel. The collision creates a huge explosion, bringing both Pokémon down. Dwayne and Byron urge their Pokémon to get up. Though both struggle to get up, Bronzor collapses, unable to battle. Noticing Chimchar's fatigue, Dwayne recalls Chimchar from battle.

Chimchar gets recalled later on to square off against Byron's Steelix. The Chimp Pokémon fires Flamethrower immediately, striking and causing Steelix to falter. However, Chimchar staggers, still reeling from the first round. Steelix launches Iron Tail as Chimchar back-flips to dodge. After a brief hesitation, it digs into the field, but Steelix uses Iron Tail on the battlefield to force Chimchar. Steelix tries to bind Chimchar, but he dodges before digging again. Steelix repeats its attempt, forcing Chimchar out and attempting another Bind, but Chimchar dodges again. Steelix tries to follow up, but the ground near Steelix caves and throws the Pokémon off balance, due to Chimchar's digging. Chimchar hits with Flame Wheel to Steelix's head, knocking it out. Byron summons his prized Pokémon, Bastiodon. Dwayne notices Chimchar's declining energy. Wanting to finish quickly, Dwayne has Chimchar launch Flamethrower immediately. Bastiodon's Iron Defense easily deflects the attack before it counters with Metal Burst, blasting Chimchar against a rock. Chimchar struggles to rise, but it falls back down, unable to battle.

During Dwayne's Gym battle against Candice, Chimchar was Dwayne's fourth Pokémon, battling against Candice's Snover. Chimchar jumps across the ice boulders, dodging an Ice Beam and firing a Flamethrower, but an Icy Wind stops the attack and creates a steam cover, something Candice planned on when facing Fire-types. Chimchar glances in all directions, trying to spot Snover's eventual sneak attack, but Dwayne tells Chimchar to listen for it instead, let Snover attack first and retaliate with Flamethrower. Chimchar closes its eyes and listens, until Snover's approach disturbs Chimchar's tail flame, and Chimchar looks up right where Snover comes out of the steam. Snover takes a swing at Chimchar, but Chimchar dodges and blasts Snover's back with Flamethrower until it crashes front-first into an ice boulder, knocking it out.

Dwayne now has a healthy lead, still with three Pokémon while Candice is down to her final one. Candice now summons her prized Abomasnow as her final. Chimchar fires Flamethrower, but Abomasnow simply stays put and fires a powerful Blizzard, not only stopping the attack, but overcoming Flamethrower and knocking Chimchar into an ice boulder. Seeing Chimchar is going to struggle against Abomasnow, Dwayne recalls him. However, Chimchar gets recalled later as Dwayne's final remaining Pokémon and battles against Abomasnow once again. Chimchar launches a Flamethrower, but Blizzard once again stops that offense. Chimchar dodges the oncoming Blizzard and then hops backward to put an ice boulder at its back. An Ice Shard destroys the ice boulder as Chimchar leaps forward to dodge. Chimchar continues to dodge Abomasnow's onslaught, throwing up chunks of ice everywhere. Dwayne knows he needs to use speed as the chuckling Abomasnow advances on Chimchar. When he notices Abomasnow crushing a chunk of ice underfoot, he remembers how Candice's Sneasel was able to move about the ice quickly by skating. Dwayne tells Chimchar to jump on top of the ice boulders, and although Chimchar is surprised, it trusts Ryder and obeys.

Chimchar leaps from boulder to boulder until Abomasnow destroys one with a punch, sending chunks skittering across the ice field. Dwayne has Chimchar jump onto a big chunk, turning it into an improvised snowboard. Though wobbly at first, Chimchar gains control and uses intact ice boulders as half-pipe walls to maintain speed. It skates around Abomasnow, dodging attacks and launching Flamethrower attacks into Abomasnow's flank. Abomasnow eventually gets frustrated as Chimchar jumps off the ice board and over Abomasnow's head, letting Abomasnow get close. Dwayne tells Chimchar to finish it with Flame Wheel. Chimchar charges forward quickly and hits Abomasnow's chest dead center. He continues to spin forward as Abomasnow goes flying backwards, its feet sliding across the field. Abomasnow regains its footing and grabs the Flame Wheel, creating a huge steam cloud. Through the steam, Chimchar sees Abomasnow and prepares for another attack, but there's no need as Abomasnow has been knocked out. When the steam clears, Abomasnow tips forward and hits the ground.

During Dwayne's Full Battle against Lazuli at Lake Acuity, Chimchar was chosen as Dwayne's sixth Pokémon to battle against Lazuli's Electabuzz, and upon being summoned, Chimchar glares at his former Trainer. Chimchar uses Flamethrower, but Electabuzz uses Protect to block. Lazuli has Electabuzz put up a Light Screen before immediately returning it to its Poké Ball. Lazuli sends out Torterra, which confuses Dwayne as Torterra, being a partial Grass-type, has a disadvantage to Chimchar, but he carries on. Dwayne orders Chimchar to use Flame Wheel, but Torterra counters with Stone Edge. Dwayne has Chimchar immediately dodge the Stone Edge by changing the direction of the Flame Wheel, but it is revealed that Lazuli has trained Torterra to change the direction of the stones, allowing them to follow Chimchar. Chimchar cannot outrun the stones and therefore suffers a super-effective hit. Dwayne has Chimchar use Flamethrower which hits successfully, but the Light Screen protects Torterra and Flamethrower only does half the damage. Realizing that Chimchar won't be able to defeat Torterra like this, Dwayne recalls him.

Chimchar gets recalled later on as Dwayne's final remaining Pokémon, while Lazuli still has five, and faces off against Lazuli's Ursaring. Chimchar uses Flame Wheel, but Ursaring knocks it back with Slash. Dwayne then tells Chimchar to use Flamethrower, which scores a direct hit, and Dwayne has Chimchar follow up with Dig. Lazuli commands Ursaring to use Hammer Arm on the ground, but Chimchar emerges from the ground before Ursaring can pull off the attack and causes even more damage to it. Chimchar is then commanded to use another Flamethrower, which hits Ursaring dead-on, finally bringing it down. Dwayne congratulates Chimchar on doing a great job which makes the Chimp Pokémon dance with joy.

Dwayne approaches Chimchar and praises his Pokémon before asking if he is okay to continue. Chimchar nods his head in agreement and then starts to glow as Chimchar has started to evolve. Everyone watches in amazement as Chimchar undergoes the transformation and evolves into Monferno. Dwayne is overjoyed over having a new Pokémon. Rollins notes that while Chimchar didn't fit Lazuli's training style, he was a perfect match for Dwayne's , and this has been displayed in Chimchar rising to Dwayne's call and evolving into Monferno, and as a result, now has new abilities and techniques at his disposal. Monferno demonstrates this by swinging his fists quickly and effortlessly which causes them to glow. Monferno then swings at the ground which sends a gust of wind at Lazuli, who stands unflinching. Dwayne realizes that, as well as evolving, Monferno has also learned Mach Punch, which Monferno confirms by somersaulting on the spot. Rollins continues that Dwayne and Monferno are the perfect example of how compatibility between Trainer and Pokémon can mean everything.

Lazuli sends out Electabuzz, who is initially surprised to see Chimchar has evolved, but is still more than ready to battle his former teammate, a sentiment Monferno agrees with. Rollins notes the two are now on equal terms, and Dwayne commands Monferno to use Mach Punch. Monferno speeds towards Electabuzz and chokes it square on the chest, sending an astounded Electabuzz flying back and smashing into a rock. Lazuli orders Electabuzz to use Thunder, which hits Monferno and makes it scream in pain. Dwayne responds to this by having Monferno use Flame Wheel, however Lazuli has Electabuzz use Protect, sending Monferno flying back. Monferno tries Flamethrower, but Electabuzz dodges and executes Thunder Punch. Monferno dodges it in mid-air, and Dwayne tells him to use Dig. Monferno tunnels underground, and when Electabuzz lands, it suffers a direct strike as Monferno emerges. Dwayne commands another Flame Wheel, and Electabuzz responds with Thunder, which heads straight towards Monferno.

Dwayne has Monferno use Counter Shield with Flamethrower, and as a result, the Thunder is deflected allowing Flame Wheel to score a direct hit. Rollins is impressed by how Dwayne is using the momentum to turn the battle around. Dwayne orders another Mach Punch, but this time, Monferno's move was blocked by Electabuzz's Protect, and Monferno gets hit by Thunder, sending him back towards Dwayne and forcing it to its knees from both the damage and paralysis. Dwayne senses something bad and tells Monferno to use Flamethrower, but as he sees Monferno can't launch the attack, he then realizes that Monferno had been paralyzed. Just then, Monferno's tail flame starts to burn more fiercely. Dwayne is delighted that Monferno is not giving up no matter what and tells it to use Mach Punch while Lazuli commands his Electabuzz to use Thunder Punch. The two Pokémon head towards each other full of fury, and both attacks connect at the same time, which causes a massive explosion in the middle of the battlefield. When the smoke clears, Monferno and Electabuzz continue to stare each other down. While Electabuzz is very weak, Monferno has taken far more damage and collapses to the ground, badly injured, to Dwayne's horror. Back at the Pokémon Center, Dwayne heals his Pokémon after the battle, and comforts Monferno, who's quite saddened at being unable to defeat Lazuli yet again. Dwayne tells Monferno not to worry, as Lazuli went as far as to admit that their battle was incredible, hinting that she was starting to respect both Dwayne and Moferno, and promises the Playful Pokémon that they would defeat her on their next encounter.

When Dwayne and Vito met again and agreed to a battle, Monferno was chosen to battle against Vito's Empoleon. Vito starts off by having Empoleon use Hydro Cannon, and Dwayne responds by having Monferno dodge it and use Mach Punch. Monferno quickly evades the Hydro Cannon and lands a direct hit on Empoleon, leaving Vito astonished at Monferno's high speed. Meanwhile, Lazuli is walking past the battle area and, unnoticed, decides to stop and watch when she sees Dwayne is using Monferno. Dwayne boasts that with the high speed of Mach Punch, Monferno can easily overcome the type-disadvantage it has over Empoleon. Vito decides to try Drill Peck, but Dwayne tells Monferno to use Dig, and the Playful Pokémon is able to dodge the Flying-type move. This leaves Vito even more frustrated, especially when Monferno emerges from the ground and lands another hard hit on Empoleon. Dwayne comments on how this kind of fluid battling is just what is expected of Monferno as it goes in for another Mach Punch. Vito has Empoleon use Hydro Cannon, and while this time it hits, it lands at such close range that Monferno is sent flying into some nearby trees. Dwayne gets worried, while Vito curses himself, knowing he used far too much power against Monferno. Dwayne starts calling for Monferno, but there is no response.

Just then, a plastic capsule flies out of the air, heading towards Dwayne, and Vito calls for him to look out. However it is no use, and upon catching up to him, it seals itself around him, trapping him inside. Vito is about to go and help when suddenly another capsule appears, and Dwayne screams for him to run for it. Vito tries to escape, but the capsule is too fast and he gets trapped. Empoleon tries using Drill Peck to free Dwayne and Vito, but it is no use. Just then, Dwayne recognizes the figures behind the attack, being the Pokémon Pinchers, and Dwayne curses them for not giving up on their ridiculous plans, and the Pokémon Pinchers claim that because Dwayne ruined their chances with Team Galactic, guaranteeing their chances of moving up in the criminal underworld, they would take him out to prove their worth. Empoleon uses Hydro Cannon. However, the Pinchers's machine blocks the attack with a barrier and manage to grab ahold of Empoleon and places it inside a cage underneath their machine. Dwayne sends out Happiny and has her use Pound to try to break the capsule, but even Happiny's strength cannot break it and the capsule is sent spinning instead. The Pinchers boast that the capsules are unbreakable from the inside and prepare to make their getaway.

Suddenly, a pillar of fire emerges from the nearby trees, transforms itself into an extra-powerful Flame Wheel, and heads towards their mecha. It circles around, leaving Vito confused and Dwayne worried about what this might indicate. The Flame Wheel then goes towards Dwayne, and is able to smash open the capsule trapping him. The Flame Wheel then lands and Monferno emerges, but his eyes are colored pink, confirming that Monferno has accessed Blaze. Monferno then screams with fury as powerful flames emerge from its tail. Vito asks what is happening and Dwayne explains that Blaze is Monferno's Ability, which kicks in when Monferno's endurance is low and it is under stress. As a result, Monferno's Fire-type moves get a power-up, and Vito realizes that this happened because of the Hydro Cannon.

The pinchers are unable to believe their luck and decide to get Monferno too. As Monferno starts pounding its chest and screaming in pure fury, Dwayne runs to his Pokémon and tries holding it like he did before when it went into the same rage before. However, Monferno is a lot stronger than it was before and furiously sends Dwayne flying back. The pinchers take the chance to grab it, and one of the arms manages to catch Monferno, but this isn't enough and Monferno's sheer power easily destroys the hand that is holding it. It then powers up a Flame Wheel and heads towards the villains. Dwayne tries to block it and reminds the out-of-control Monferno that Empoleon is still trapped and could get hurt. However, Monferno is unable to listen and hits Dwayne before continuing on and hitting the machine, causing an explosion. Monferno then comes around and uses Mach Punch, completely destroying the machine's upper-level and sending the pinchers crashing through numerous trees, knocking them out and leaving them seriously injured. By now, Monferno is completely out of control, and while the controls of the mecha were destroyed, the main body survived and Empoleon is still trapped. Without anyone controlling it, the legs start to buckle, threatening to crush the Pokémon still in the cage. Dwayne prepares to send out a Pokémon to help, when Lazuli suddenly arrives and sends out her Electabuzz. She has it use Protect to support the cage, amazing Dwayne.

Unfortunately, Monferno decides to destroy the mecha completely, powers up a Flame Wheel, and damages one of the legs, putting the Pokémon in far more danger. Monferno circles around and prepares for another hit, but Dwayne is determined to save Monferno and Empoleon. He intercepts the Flame Wheel, grabbing Monferno when it emerges, and holds on tight. Dwayne begs Monferno to remember the promise he made back when it was a Chimchar and he took it under his wing after Lazuli released it: that they would become stronger together. As the flames emerging from Monferno surround both it and Dwayne, he begs it not to allow itself to be swallowed up by Blaze's power, but instead to try and control it, because if it can, then it can become even more powerful. Lazuli looks on in amazement at what Dwayne is willing to endure to calm his Pokémon down. Suddenly, Electabuzz's Protect fails, and the mecha starts to collapse, endangering Electabuzz as well as the other Pokémon. Monferno, now back in control, powers up a Flame Wheel, and races towards the cage getting underneath and supporting it. As it supports the cage, Monferno suddenly evolves into Infernape. Dwayne has Infernape throw the cage into the air, and then has it destroyed with Mach Punch. This proves to be no problem for the powerful Pokémon as it frees Empoleon. When Empoleon starts to fall, Infernape absorbs him into a Flame Wheel to allow him to land safely. Dwayne congratulates Infernape, and Empoleon thanks Infernape for saving him.

Lazuli then approaches them and explains that Monferno was not only able to control Blaze, but was able to transform it into a new kind of energy that allowed it to evolve. Infernape then releases Vito from his capsule; and Empoleon reunites with its relieved Trainer. Lazuli starts to leave, but Dwayne thanks her for helping them and tells his rival that both he and Infernape would like to have another battle against her one day. Lazuli smiles, and tells Dwayne that Rollins would also like to see another Full Battle between the two at the Sinnoh League, which Dwayne and Infernape agree to. As Lazuli walks away, Dwayne and Infernape vow not to lose to her again, and are determined to win the Sinnoh League.

When Dwayne had a battle against Elite Four member Flint to try and re-inspire Volkner to resume battling, Infernape was chosen as his second Pokémon to battle Flint's own Infernape. Dwayne's Infernape uses Flamethrower, Flame Wheel, and Mach Punch. However, Flint's Infernape blocks all attacks, uses Mach Punch on Dwayne's Infernape and knocks him out easily.

When Dwayne challenged the Sunyshore Gym, Infernape was chosen as Dwayne's third Pokémon to battle against Volkner's Jolteon. Dwayne has Infernape start with a Mach Punch, which hits and sends Jolteon flying however it uses Thunderbolt mid-air which hits Infernape and leaves it shocked. Then, Volkner has Jolteon use Shadow Ball and Infernape recovers in time to dodge. Volkner commands more Shadow Balls, and Jolteon starts to fire them rapidly. Dwayne tells Infernape to hit back with Mach Punch, and Infernape manages to counter all the Shadow Balls which clouds the entire battlefield with smoke. Volkner tells Jolteon to jump and use Shadow Ball, and Dwayne tells Infernape to use Mach Punch. Infernape jumps after Jolteon and makes a direct hit, slamming Jolteon into the ceiling. Infernape then lands back onto the ground while Jolteon falls and crashes to the ground and it then reveals that Infernape's Mach Punch had managed to knock it out, allowing Dwayne to claim his second victory, and Infernape gets recalled for some rest.

Infernape gets brought back out as Dwayne's final remaining Pokémon, battling against Volkner's Luxray. Infernape uses Flamethrower, while Luxray uses Shock Wave and the two attacks collide. Infernape uses Mach Punch but Luxray uses Double Team and creates a series of clones. Infernape hits a few of the clones and Luxray comes out and bites Infernape with Thunder Fang, which hurts it badly. Infernape responds with a Mach Punch but Luxray dodges Infernape and uses another Thunder Fang, causing even more damage. Luxray uses Shock Wave as a finisher, but Infernape jumps to dodge. Luxray also jumps and uses Thunder Fang, managing to get another hit and sending Infernape into a fall. Luxray prepares for another Thunder Fang, but Dwayne tells Infernape to use Dig. Infernape escapes underground, however Volkner is prepared for this and tells Luxray to use Iron Tail, which breaks the ground and Infernape is thrown into to the air, crashing on the ceiling before falling to the ground. Volkner notes that it's time for him to stop having fun and tells Luxray to finish Infernape off with Thunder Fang. Dwayne screams for Infernape to get up, however Infernape isn't moving and appears to have nearly reached his limit as Luxray quickly approaches.

As Luxray speeds towards Infernape with Thunder Fang powered, the lights of the Gym to suddenly go out due to Infernape's crash at the ceiling earlier, stopping Luxray in its tracks. Volkner and Dwayne agree to continue the battle regardless and Volkner orders Luxray to prepare to use Thunder Fang, but just when it prepares to do so, Luxray is shocked at what is going on with Infernape. Infernape begins to start glowing and its eyes become completely red, indicating that Blaze has been activated. Infernape screams in rage causing his flaming crown to erupt. Infernape fires a massive Flamethrower without Dwayne's command, which glances past Luxray and causes damage to the wall. Infernape then starts to use Flamethrower on the ceiling, causing rubble to nearly fall on the crowd. Dwayne tells Infernape to snap out of it, and Infernape slowly turns around and starts to walk towards Dwayne dangerously while growling. Luxray prepares to fight Infernape off, but Dwayne tells it to stand down. As everyone nervously watches, Infernape is soon right in front of Dwayne, who tells the Flame Pokémon that he believes in him. Infernape responds to this by smiling, indicating he is fully in control of Blaze at last. The battle resumes and Dwayne tells Infernape to use Flamethrower. Thanks to the power-up from Blaze, Flamethrower is far more powerful and sends Luxray back, and Volkner commands Luxray to use Thunder Fang. Infernape withstands the attack and uses Mach Punch which scores a hard hit on Luxray who is told to use Iron Tail. Infernape, however, uses another Mach Punch which hits Luxray before Iron Tail could land a hit, causing even more damage. Dwayne tells Infernape to use Flame Wheel, and Infernape powers up and slams Luxray hard into the wall, finally knocking it out. The robotic referee declares Luxray unable to battle and Dwayne is awarded his hard-earned victory. Dwayne and Infernape jump into each other's arms and as Dwayne tells Infernape how amazing his performance was. The two celebrate, with Infernape overjoyed that he controlled his Blaze and helped Dwayne finally defeat Volkner.

Before Dwayne's match against Derek at the Lily of the Valley Conference, Infernape was training alongside Dwayne's Gliscor. Dwayne tells Infernape to use Flame Wheel while Gliscor blocks the attack. Dwayne orders Infernape to use Flame Wheel again but this Flame Wheel is different. By powering up Flame Wheel, Infernape has learned a new move, Flare Blitz. With his new move, Infernape uses Flare Blitz against Gliscor. Gliscor tries to block the attack but is no match for Flare Blitz and is sent crashing back. Despite initially planning to use Infernape in his match against Derek, Dwayne notices Derek eavesdropping and secretly changes his team to catch his opponent off-guard.

During Dwayne and Lazuli's battle at the finals of the Lily of the Valley Conference, Infernape was chosen as Dwayne's second Pokémon to battle against Lazuli's Steelix. Lazuli tells Steelix to use Double-Edge while Dwayne tells Infernape to counter with Flare Blitz. The two powerful and dangerous attacks collide. The two are sent backwards, and Infernape suffers from the recoil. Unfortunately, Steelix has the Rock Head Ability which cancels out the normal recoil from Double-Edge, but luckily for Dwayne, it turns out that Steelix has suffered burns from Flare Blitz. Dwayne then instructs Infernape to use Mach Punch, and Lazuli orders Steelix to use Flash Cannon, but Infernape lands the fast Mach Punch before Steelix can fire, sending Steelix flying into the wall behind Lazuli and crushing the surface on impact. When the smoke clears, Steelix is unable to battle, giving Dwayne the lead, and Infernape gets recalled to save him for later.

Infernape gets brought back out to square off against Lazuli's Ninjask, and upon being called back out, Infernape gets poisoned due to Lazuli's Drapion's Toxic Spikes that it had dropped earlier. Dwayne realizes that he's at a major disadvantage while Toxic Spikes are active and tells Infernape to use Dig and leave Lazuli and Ninjask wondering where it is. Infernape uses Flare Blitz underground, illuminating the entire field in a bright red, alleviating the Toxic Spikes, and also damaging Ninjask. Lazuli tells Ninjask to use Giga Drain and begins to sap energy from Infernape. At this point, everyone notices that Ninjask is not moving as fast as it originally was shown to be. Rollins guesses that the damage from Flare Blitz must have canceled Speed Boost out for the time being. As Ninjask drains away its energy, Infernape scrutinizes Ninjask's movements carefully and lands a successful Mach Punch, knocking out Ninjask. Dwayne and Lazuli are now tied with three Pokémon each that are able to battle and Dwayne, knowing Infernape is starting to get tired, recalls him for some rest.

Infernape gets later recalled as Dwayne's final remaining Pokémon, where Infernape squares off against his longtime rival, Electivire. Electivire starts things out with a Thunder Punch and Infernape counters with Mach Punch, and the two attacks collide and neutralize each other. Infernape uses Flamethrower, which is blocked by Electivire's Protect. Electivire uses Thunder, but Infernape uses Dig to travel underground and avoid the attack. Infernape surfaces below Electivire and hits it dead-on, but then takes damage from the poison it received earlier. Electivire manages to stand up. After yet another blocked Flamethrower, Infernape and Electivire start attacking with Mach Punch and Thunder Punch, respectively continuously. They both each land an attack before another Flamethrower by Infernape is blocked by Electivire's Protect. Dwayne instructs Infernape to use Mach Punch, but Electivire dodges it and wraps its tail around Infernape's arm. It uses Thunder while Infernape is connected to it, causing more damage than a normal Thunder attack. It continues to use Thunder on Infernape for a long time.

Infernape collapses to the ground when Electivire finally lets it go. As it has taken a severe beating throughout the match, it appears that Infernape can't continue battling anymore as it lays down. The referee begins to declare Infernape unable to battle when Electivire interrupts him, knowing that Infernape still has the ability to fight and wants to finish the battle properly. Lazuli tells Infernape that she thought it had become stronger, yet all he's ever done is disappoint her. Infernape suddenly regains his senses and Dwayne tells Lazuli the battle isn't over yet. Much to everyone's (except Dwayne's) surprise, Infernape stands, and Dwayne declares that it's time to show Lazuli just how strong Infernape has become as he activates his Blaze.

Rollins realizes Dwayne must have wanted that Mach Punch thrown earlier to miss on purpose so he can have Infernape unlock his true power. Dwayne orders a Flamethrower, and Infernape fires a super-powerful blast at Electivire, who tries to hold it back with Thunder but can't stand up to the sheer power. Dwayne then has Infernape use Mach Punch which hits and sends Electivire flying but it still lands on its feet. Now both fully absorbed in the intensity of the match, Lazuli screams for a Thunder Punch while Dwayne orders Infernape to use Flare Blitz. The two Pokémon, battling to the limits of their power, land their attacks against the other which creates a maelstrom of fire and electricity streaming into the sky, illuminating the stadium. Eventually, Infernape ends up on the other side of Electivire, feeling the recoil from Flare Blitz, causing its fiery crown to do severe damage to Electivire, who, after a delayed reaction, feels the force of the power attack. The smoke clears, but Electivire is still standing and the two Pokémon stare each other down, as do their Trainers as a deathly silence falls over the battlefield. The two Pokémon remain perfectly still for what feels like an eternity until, finally, Electivire falls and is declared as being unable to continue, making Dwayne the victor of their truly intense battle.

## **Personality and Characteristics**

As a Chimchar, Infernape suffered from extremely low self-esteem due to Lazuli's constant scolding and harsh treatment, making Chimchar fear Lazuli to some extent, always feeling fear and anxiety whenever he believed Lazuli would punish him by not living to his Trainer's expectations. This was also briefly extended towards Dwayne, as when Chimchar heard Dwayne yell out to him, Chimchar froze in fear, believing that Dwayne would punish him, but was greatly surprised to find out that Dwayne's yelling was out of concern rather than anger. Nonetheless, Chimchar was always a sweet and kindhearted Pokémon, although he was forced to suppress and hide these emotions around Lazuli, as whenever Chimchar showed any emotion other than anger and ferocity, he was scolded or reprimanded by Lazuli. Despite this, Chimchar always did his best to please Lazuli, and even after all his mistreatment, Chimchar, after being released by Lazuli, pleaded for her to change his mind, albeit unsuccessfully.

After being taken in by Dwayne, Chimchar had difficulty blending in with his new Trainer's atmosphere, as he realized that unlike Lazuli, his new Trainer and fellow Pokémon were always happy and helped each other, and rarely showed any signs of hostility amongst themselves. When Dwayne urged Chimchar to unleash all of his suppressed feelings, Chimchar cried his heart out while being held in his arms, being overwhelmed with joy at finally being treated with love, care and respect, and not having to suffer from mistreatment again. Since then, Chimchar's strength slowly began to increase, something that Paul always tried, but was never able to do. Rollins speculated that Lazuli's training methods weren't suited for Chimchar, but Dwayne's worked perfectly, and Chimchar quickly became one of Dwayne's most used and powerful Pokémon in Sinnoh.

However, whenever Infernape activated his Blaze Ability, his personality suffered a drastic change; he went completely berserk, attacking anyone and anything that stood in his way, friend or foe. His anger and rage caused Infernape to lose any common sense, such as nearly fatally wounding his own Trainer, and he took Dwayne a large amount of effort and pain to finally calm Infernape down. However, Infernape ultimately overcame this issue during his battle against Volkner's Luxray, where he managed to listen to Dwayne's words and remained able to retain his common sense while Blaze was activated.

After reaching his final evolved stage, Infernape gained an immense amount of fighting spirit, becoming fired up and determined to defeat strong opponents, while also always looking forward to battle an opponent stronger than himself, wanting to surpass his own limits and enhance his skills. Infernape is also incredibly feisty and resilient, being capable of withstand many powerful attacks and still continue battling, even as far as thriving while feeling pain, as Infernape uses the pain and exhaustion to motive himself to continue battling and ultimately achieve victory. As noted by Rollins, Infernape's personality almost completely matches Dwayne's, which is why they are a perfect match for one another. He still retains some of his childlike personality from when he was a Chimchar, and, like when he was a Chimchar, always takes any advice and motivation he receives, even from his enemies.

From the moment they met, Infernape and Electivire had an intense rivalry, even from their Chimchar-Elekid days, and when both were under Lazuli's command, as Elekid, along with Lazuli, always looked down on Chimchar, thinking of Infernape as inferior than itself, and always felt pleasure whenever it belittled him. Over time, however, Electivire grew to respect Infernape's increasing power, and was glad and amused to see that he had evolved into Monferno during their battle at Lake Acuity, with Infernape also returning the respect towards Electivire. Infernape and Electivire's respect and admiration towards one another reached its peak during their final battle at the Lily of the Valley Conference, when the referee was about to declare Infernape unable to continue, Electivire angrily stopped the referee from ending the battle, knowing that Infernape could still continue, despite the fact that he would mean lazuli winning the battle, but he seemed extremely delighted to see Infernape getting back to his feet, wanting to battle him for as long as possible. After Infernape bested Electivire, he was visibly smirking at seeing Infernape on top, and finally viewed Infernape as its equal.

## **Moves used**

### **Moves improvised**

 **Description:** This was used in the battle against Lazuli at the Lily of the Valley Conference. Infernape used Dig, and then while underground, used Flare Blitz, causing the entire field to heat up and fire to burst from the ground. This also canceled the effects of Drapion's Toxic Spikes, and damaged Lazuli's Ninjask.