"Not bad. Graveler has two main weaknesses—Water-type and Grass-type. Ash's choice is the right one."
Seeing Ash send out Bulbasaur, Misty nodded inwardly. This time, however, she didn't speak up.
Because Yozora's Graveler was no ordinary Graveler. Its defenses had already surpassed its natural limits. To view Yozora's Graveler with the same eyes as a wild one was a grave mistake.
Whether Bulbasaur could be effective here was truly hard to say.
"Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted, brimming with fighting spirit.
Bulbasaur gave a sharp cry. From the bulb on its back burst a storm of glowing green leaves, sharp as knives, slicing through the air toward Graveler.
"Harden!" Yozora commanded quickly.
Harden—Graveler's latest defensive technique. Like Defense Curl, it strengthened its durability, but the two methods differed.
Defense Curl compressed the body, forcing out excess air and adjusting its form to increase mass and resilience.
Harden, in contrast, consumed energy to reinforce the body's structure itself, making its surface denser and tougher.
Each skill had its merits.
Defense Curl raised defense temporarily but stacked steadily over repeated use. Harden, besides boosting defense on the spot, also left a faint, permanent increase in toughness behind.
Generations of Graveler clans had relied on these two moves, polishing their bodies with each use, until even ordinary Graveler could evolve into iron walls.
That's why Graveler… or perhaps "goalkeepers" of the battlefield, one might joke… only grew more monstrous with age.
A sudden flash of radiance swept across Graveler's rocky hide. Its entire body gleamed as though freshly polished with wax, dazzling and golden.
"Bam! Bam! Bam!"
The storm of Razor Leaves struck head-on—only to shatter uselessly against Graveler's gleaming armor, not leaving even a scratch.
"What? Even Bulbasaur…!" Ash gasped. Misty and Brock both widened their eyes in shock.
"Bulba!?" Even Bulbasaur itself couldn't believe it.
Back when it stayed in the Pokémon Center's care, it could defeat wild Graveler with ease.
Now, after growing stronger through travel, how could it suddenly lose so miserably?
"Finish it, Graveler—use Take Down!" Yozora ordered.
"Grar!"
With a mad cackle, Graveler tucked itself, rolling forward with terrifying speed. In a flash, the golden boulder crossed the field like a runaway tire. With overwhelming momentum and hardened armor, it smashed into Bulbasaur with brutal force.
This wasn't just a Take Down. It was Defense Curl + Harden + Rollout + Take Down—four skills layered into one devastating strike!
The power was overwhelming—almost unstoppable.
"Bulba…!"
Bulbasaur cried out in pain, flung like a cannonball, before crashing heavily to the ground. Its eyes spiraled in dizziness, and it fainted on the spot.
"Bulbasaur is unable to battle! Graveler wins!" Brock's announcement echoed across the field.
Ash clenched his fists, his chest tight with frustration.
Unbelievable.
He had thought Yozora was just a trainer with four badges… but his strength was far beyond that!
Both Squirtle and Bulbasaur were among Ash's main partners—reliable and strong. Against Graveler, their types should have been advantageous. Yet they were defeated without resistance.
Ash gritted his teeth. "So… type advantage means nothing against Yozora. He's not just any trainer."
He threw his next Poké Ball. "Go, Butterfree!"
Butterfree emerged, fluttering its wings gracefully. Though only mid-Senior level, and not quite as strong as Squirtle or Bulbasaur, it was still dependable.
"Fly, Butterfree—use Sleep Powder!" Ash called, his eyes flashing with cunning.
Butterfree soared high, wings scattering glittering spores. At the same time, it cut off Graveler's line of attack.
Misty and Brock's eyes lit up. Sometimes Ash's pure, unconventional style surprised them. Unlike trainers obsessed with type matchups, Ash could act outside the box. That unpredictability was its own strength.
The glittering powder fell like a silver galaxy.
At that crucial moment, Yozora recalled Graveler, consuming one switch to avoid the hazard. Ash groaned in disappointment.
Sleep Powder's area was too wide; Graveler had no way to counter it. After all, Graveler hadn't yet learned the godlike move—Dig.
"Looks like I should start teaching Graveler Dig," Yozora thought. "That move's a lifesaver—both offensive and defensive, with endless tactical surprises."
"Then…"
He pulled another Ultra Ball and hurled it. "Your turn—Pidgeot!"
A flash of light, and a massive Pidgeot spread its enormous wings, looming tall over the field. Opposite it, Butterfree seemed tiny by comparison.
"Wow—it evolved!" Misty gasped. "That Pidgeotto Yozora caught… it evolved into this huge Pidgeot?!"
Back then, even his Pidgeotto had been unusually large. Now, as a Pidgeot, its size dwarfed even wild specimens.
"Pidgeot?" Ash blinked, scanning it with his Pokédex. "So it's Pidgeotto's evolution… but how can it be that huge?!"
Of course, even if his Pidgeotto evolved, it would never grow as colossal as Yozora's.
"Hmph! So what if it's big? My Butterfree's more agile!" Ash snapped. "Butterfree, Silver Wind!"
Butterfree whipped its wings, conjuring a shimmering, silver gale that surged toward Pidgeot.
"Heh. That breeze of yours is nothing… Pidgeot, Hurricane!" Yozora's voice cut sharp.
Pidgeot's wings beat, summoning a massive storm that instantly swallowed Butterfree's Silver Wind. The gale roared across the field, battering Butterfree like a broken kite.
With a final crash, Butterfree hit the ground outside the arena, completely defeated.
Three straight losses for Ash.
Yozora, by contrast, had sent out only two Pokémon—and achieved a flawless three-for-none victory.
"Pika!"
Ash's fourth partner stepped forward on its own—Pikachu. It had spent countless journeys at Ash's side, outside its Poké Ball. It had seen much, endured more.
And it knew its electricity was devastating against Flying-types. That's why it chose to fight.
"Alright, Pikachu—I'm counting on you!" Ash said firmly.
With a blur of motion, Pikachu darted onto the battlefield, eyes locked on the towering Pidgeot. Not a flicker of fear crossed its face.
…
…
(End of Chapter)