All the way through, Ash had shocked Misty so many times that she almost forgot he was just a rookie Trainer.
Most beginners in Gym battles didn't even understand type matchups, let alone switching Pokémon or using status conditions. They usually just yelled "Attack!" over and over, if they dealt enough damage, they won; if not, they lost.
But Ash? Ash fought like someone far more experienced. At times, Misty even thought she saw the shadow of a future top Trainer in him.
And yet, right now… his mistakes reminded her that he was still a rookie. It left Misty unsure, was Ash really battle-smart, or just lucky?
On the field.
Ash let out a breath of relief as Butterfree barely swerved away from Onix's Rock Slide.
Brock, however, raised his brows. "Dodging Rock Slide in this storm? Your Butterfree has sharp reflexes. But even so, the situation hasn't changed. With Sleep Powder sealed by the Sandstorm, what can Butterfree do?"
He was right. Without Sleep Powder, Butterfree's Bug- and Flying-type moves would hardly scratch Onix's rocky hide.
Ash had only two paths forward: switch to Pikachu and somehow land another Aura Sphere, or stall until the Sandstorm died down, then Butterfree's accuracy boost from Compound Eyes could make Sleep Powder lethal again.
But Brock wasn't about to give him that chance. One solid hit from Onix, and Butterfree would be finished.
Brock glanced at Ash, ready to give the command, and froze.
Ash's eyes were burning with determination. Not an ounce of doubt, not a flicker of fear.
'He's still fighting with spirit, even pinned like this?' Brock thought. 'Could he be hiding a trump card?'
"Butterfree, use Supersonic!" Ash shouted.
Butterfree's wings vibrated, unleashing a pulse of invisible sound.
For a heartbeat Brock just stared, then his face tightened.
"Supersonic?!"
That move was inaccurate, sure, but if it hit, the result was brutal:
Confusion.
A confused Pokémon couldn't follow its Trainer's orders properly, and worse, it might lash out at itself instead!
Brock had already realized what he was up against, Ash's Butterfree had the Ability Compound Eyes!
That meant Supersonic's accuracy was boosted. It wasn't a gamble anymore; it was a real threat. The safest counter was to Dig underground before the soundwaves could land.
"Onix, Dig, now!"
Onix slammed its head into the battlefield with a rumble, tearing open a hole and beginning to tunnel.
But almost immediately, Brock's brow furrowed. Onix's Dig was slower than it should've been.
'Why's the burrow speed so sluggish?'
Then he spotted it, thin white strands clinging stubbornly between the cracks of Onix's rocky body.
String Shot…!
Onix had broken free earlier, but the sticky residue remained. With a body full of crevices, those threads snagged and dragged against the ground. For a Pokémon that was never quick to begin with, this was enough to slow it down even more.
Brock's heart sank. At this pace, and with half its body still above the surface, Onix was a sitting target.
Sure enough, Butterfree's Supersonic waves struck cleanly.
"ROOOOAR!!"
Onix froze mid-burrow, then thrashed wildly, bursting back out of the hole and slamming against the rocky walls of the arena. Its serpentine body writhed, eyes clouded in dizziness, as if its head were splitting in pain.
"Nice work, Butterfree! That's enough, return!" Ash recalled his Bug Pokémon at once, not wasting the precious window of Confusion. He turned sharply to the little yellow partner at his side. "Pikachu, you're up again!"
"Pika..Pi!" Pikachu bounded forward, landing on the stone floor with sparks dancing across his cheeks. His eyes flashed blue, entering the state of Aura fusion once more.
Each time he slipped into this state, the control came more naturally. The power no longer felt overwhelming, but like something he could grasp with steady paws.
"Let's go, Pikachu, Aura Sphere!"
Ash mirrored Pikachu's stance, closing his eyes and holding his hands to his core in perfect synchronization.
Brock, his face tight with urgency, shouted desperately, "Onix, snap out of it!"
But a confused Pokémon doesn't obey so easily. Onix only let out another pained roar, flailing against the stone pillars in blind frenzy.
Luck wasn't on Brock's side today.
Meanwhile, between Pikachu's paws, a sphere of gleaming blue energy swelled larger and larger, humming with focused power.
"Pikaaaa...CHU!"
Pikachu thrust his arms forward.
The Aura Sphere shot out like a comet, cutting through the Sandstorm in a streak of light.
Whoosh!
BOOOOM!
"ROOOOAAAR!"
A violent bellow shook the entire Gym. The impact rippled out in shockwaves, sending sand and loose stones clattering across the battlefield like scattered marbles.
Brock's jaw tightened, fists clenched. His expression grew dark.
'Hit again…!'
First Sleep Powder, then Supersonic, and now a Fighting-type move from a Pokémon that had no business knowing one. What kind of Rookie Trainer had a lineup of Pokémon with this many infuriating tricks?!
But all was not lost. Even with the type disadvantage, Onix still had the Sandstorm's special defense boost. One Aura Sphere alone wouldn't finish it. If Brock could just land a counterattack, there was still a path to victory.
"ONIX! ROCK SLIDE, NOW!!" Brock bellowed, voice echoing through the Gym.
This was the moment. If this Rock Slide connected, Butterfree's tricks and Pikachu's Aura wouldn't matter. Onix could still turn the tide.
Amidst the smoke and falling debris, Onix seemed to snap to attention at its Trainer's desperate cry. Boulders tore themselves free from the ground and hovered around its body.
The haze cleared, Ash's eyes widened.
"Wait!"
The stones launched.
Straight into Onix's own face.
BOOOOM!
The massive Rock Snake reeled back, crashing against the arena walls, dazed and groaning in pain.
Ash blinked. Pikachu tilted his head. Misty's jaw dropped.
Brock's face froze, his shout stuck halfway in his throat.
"You've gotta be kidding me."
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