"Bulbasaur, what happened?!" Ash stared in shock at his fallen Pokémon, unable to believe this seemingly fragile Bellsprout possessed such incredible strength, effortlessly throwing Bulbasaur to the ground.
"Incredible! Contestant Kaoruko's Bellsprout is truly remarkable! It redirected Bulbasaur's own momentum against it!" the announcer shouted enthusiastically.
"Redirecting an opponent's force. This Bellsprout's combat talent is quite impressive, though unfortunately, it only specializes in offensive power. Still too one-dimensional," Red observed from the audience.
If it evolves, all of Bellsprout's specialized training will be wasted, Red thought.
"Bulbasaur, use Magical Leaf!" Ash commanded.
Following Ash's order, Bulbasaur activated Magical Leaf, releasing countless emerald-glowing leaves. The luminous projectiles streaked toward Bellsprout but were neutralized by its Razor Leaf counter.
Seeing Bulbasaur preparing another assault, Bellsprout immediately closed the distance, grasping it and repeatedly slamming it against the ground.
Under Bellsprout's relentless barrage, Bulbasaur proved completely powerless to resist. Just as it attempted to find a counterattack opening, Bellsprout hurled it forward with tremendous force.
The helpless Bulbasaur crashed violently into the command platform wall at Ash's feet. After the thunderous impact, Bulbasaur collapsed with its eyes rolled back.
"Bulbasaur is unable to battle," the referee announced.
Witnessing Bellsprout's victory, Kaoruko's fan club's enthusiasm surged dramatically. They cheered passionately, their momentum overwhelming Ash's supporters again.
"In that case, I'm counting on you, Pikachu!" To prevent further complications, Ash deployed his reliable ace to defeat Kaoruko's martial arts-trained Bellsprout.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt directly!"
Pikachu immediately activated Thunderbolt, releasing high-voltage electricity that transformed into a lightning serpent streaking toward Bellsprout.
But something unexpected occurred. The diminutive Bellsprout, leveraging its body's exceptional flexibility, gracefully dodged the electrical current completely.
"Bellsprout, use Razor Leaf," Kaoruko commanded.
Bellsprout swiftly swung both appendages, releasing two razor-sharp leaves. After sensing the powerful airflow surrounding them, Pikachu immediately chose evasion.
Pikachu glanced back in shock to discover the two rocks behind had been obliterated by the Razor Leaf assault, cleanly bisected without even hairline fractures. The attack's devastating force was undeniable.
Seeing Bellsprout momentarily stationary after executing its technique, Pikachu received Ash's command and immediately unleashed Thunderbolt, channeling all its electrical power into Bellsprout's body. To their amazement, Bellsprout absorbed no electrical damage whatsoever, completely immune to Thunderbolt's effects.
"Bellsprout's roots function as a grounding mechanism. The current conducts harmlessly into the earth," Kaoruko kindly explained before smugly covering her face while laughing softly.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" After realizing electricity proved ineffective, Ash immediately commanded Pikachu to engage in close combat.
Pikachu rapidly closed the distance. Just as it prepared to ram Bellsprout with its body, Bellsprout's appendages caught it mid-charge, slamming it forcefully to the ground.
As Bellsprout prepared to stomp on Pikachu's head, the Electric-type reacted just in time, deploying Agility to evade before following up with Iron Tail that connected solidly with Bellsprout's body, launching it several meters backward.
After absorbing Iron Tail's devastating force, Bellsprout collapsed with eyes rolled back, unable to continue battling.
"Bellsprout is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner of this match is Ash from Pallet Town!" the referee declared.
"Although Bellsprout demonstrated exceptional close-combat capabilities, it clearly couldn't withstand Pikachu's Iron Tail power, being defeated in one decisive blow. Congratulations to contestant Ash for claiming the fourth-round victory and successfully advancing to the fifth round!"
After the announcer's proclamation concluded, Ash stood on the command platform, waving enthusiastically and receiving praise from the audience.
"I didn't expect even Ash to perform so impressively," a familiar voice called from behind.
Red's group turned to see Professor Oak and Delia approaching.
"Truly worthy of being my son, as talented as his brother," Delia said joyfully, not expecting Ash to successfully advance to the fifth round.
"Looks like Muk's deployment wasn't necessary after all," Professor Oak reflected. Previously, Ash had specifically contacted him, requesting Muk's Poké Ball transfer.
Fortunately, Pikachu's strength proved sufficient, defeating the defense-lacking Bellsprout decisively.
Indigo League - Water Venue - Fourth Round
After brief rest and reorganization, everyone relocated to the Water venue to watch Leaf's fourth-round match.
"I'm counting on you, Ditto."
"Go, Seaking."
Twin bursts of white light materialized as Leaf and her opponent simultaneously deployed their Pokémon.
The instant it appeared, Ditto's entire form shifted, transforming into Seaking's appearance before quickly diving from the platform into the water.
"Use Horn Attack!" Both trainers commanded simultaneously.
Ditto and Seaking rapidly charged at each other, ramming their sharp horns into opposing bodies.
"Ditto, use Supersonic," Leaf commanded first.
Ditto released disorienting sound waves, causing Seaking to fall into confused disarray.
"No! Seaking, snap out of it!" the opponent called anxiously, not expecting Leaf's tactical precision.
"Ditto, charge forward and use Horn Drill!" Leaf stated calmly.
Following Leaf's directive, Ditto immediately rushed Seaking, driving its sharp horn into a critical point and defeating it instantly.
"Seaking is unable to battle!" the referee announced.
"Damn it! I'm counting on you, Tentacruel!" The opponent reluctantly recalled the fainted Seaking before deploying Tentacruel.
"Ditto, use Water Pulse!" Ditto rapidly condensed an aqueous sphere, launching Water Pulse toward Tentacruel.
"Tentacruel, use Confusion!" Tentacruel waved the orb on its right tentacle, deploying Confusion to seize control of the incoming Water Pulse and reverse its trajectory toward Ditto.
But Ditto wouldn't be caught so easily. It decisively executed Horn Attack to shatter the redirected Water Pulse before charging toward Tentacruel's position, planning to strike with Megahorn.
"No!" Seaking's emerald-glowing horn struck Tentacruel's body directly, dealing super-effective damage that left the Jellyfish Pokémon reeling.