"Is this... a Pokémon from Kanto?"
Dawn looked at the majestic-looking Pidgeot and couldn't help but pull out her Pokédex again.
"Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon, the final evolution of Pidgey. It flies at Mach 2 to find prey, and its large talons are a terrifying weapon."
"So... so strong!"
Though she didn't know what "Mach 2" meant, Dawn instinctively praised it. She watched the battle between the giant bird of prey and the large tortoise-like beast with undivided attention. Before they even clashed, she couldn't tell which was stronger.
"Pidgeot, use Air Slash!"
Ash seized the initiative, having Pidgeot use one of its few long-range attacks. Since Torterra was clearly stronger, using long-range moves to wear it down was essential. The air around Pidgeot's large wings condensed and compressed into a blade so sharp it was visible to the naked eye.
"Pidgeot~"
With a cry, the Air Slash whistled through the air, hurtling towards Torterra at an unbelievable speed.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!!!
One Air Slash after another flew towards the Torterra below, slicing through the air. Due to its size, Torterra couldn't be highly mobile. It had to either counterattack or take the hit.
And that's exactly what Paul did.
"Use Seed Bomb."
"Torterra!"
Hearing the command, Torterra opened its huge mouth, and seeds with a pale green energy shot out, colliding with the Air Slashes. The attacks were evenly matched, canceling each other out and blocking almost all of Pidgeot's Air Slashes. A few stray attacks were no problem for Torterra's large body and high stamina. Its years of training had made it incredibly durable. But since Pidgeot could fly, Torterra could only take the hits for the time being, waiting for the perfect moment to counterattack.
"It looks like Ash has the advantage again!"
Dawn's big blue eyes were glued to the match, afraid to miss a single moment. Piplup, at her feet, was just as captivated. It was the first time either of them had witnessed such an intense battle. Brock was also watching closely, following the match's every turn.
"Good, use Frenzy Plant!"
After Pidgeot used its long-range attack and lowered its altitude slightly, Paul keenly noticed the opportunity. He exchanged a look with his long-time partner, Torterra, which stomped its foot and instantly launched an attack. Thick, thorny plants shot up from the ground, surrounding the low-flying Pidgeot and rapidly closing in.
"Steel Wing."
Ash showed no panic as he saw Pidgeot surrounded. He had already prepared a counter.
"Pidgeotgeot"
With a fierce cry, Pidgeot's meter-long wings glowed with a metallic light, turning as hard as steel. At that same moment, Torterra's Frenzy Plant closed in, but Pidgeot used Steel Wing to slice the plants apart, instantly escaping to the sky. Even so, Pidgeot took a good amount of damage from the Grass-type ultimate move.
"Quick Attack and Steel Wing!"
Since his long-range attacks weren't working, Ash chose to use Pidgeot's most powerful moves to charge at his opponent, aiming to deal damage in close combat.
"Frenzy Plant."
Paul still had his cold expression, but now a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Torterra~"
Torterra let out a deafening roar. Its heavy feet stomped the ground, and a stream of green vines shot up, responding to its call. This time, the attack was not aimed at the approaching Pidgeot, but at Torterra itself, wrapping it in a giant green sphere.
"Pidgeot~"
Pidgeot, now charging in with Quick Attack, used its steel wings to furiously cut through the plants. Its immense power combined with the sharp steel wings tore through the vines in one go.
But what Pidgeot faced next was...
"Now, Giga Drain!"
Paul's smile fully revealed itself. Several special green vines extended from Torterra, wrapping around Pidgeot's steel wings. They began to frantically drain Pidgeot's energy, while a pale green light glowed from Torterra, recovering its stamina.
"Just as I'd expect from Paul. Everything before was just a setup for this!" Ash smiled as he watched the pained Pidgeot and the recovering Torterra. This was classic Paul. The hits he took were all a facade, and everything was for this final counterattack.
But what if this was part of Ash's plan, too?
"Brave Bird!"
Even though Pidgeot was hit by Giga Drain, it wasn't seriously harmed. Thanks to having conserved a lot of energy earlier, Pidgeot still had a chance to fight back.
"Pidgeot~"
Just as Ash had expected, Pidgeot unleashed a burst of energy, and the vines wrapped around it instantly disintegrated. The free Pidgeot then charged straight into Torterra's abdomen. The powerful energy from the attack sent the gigantic Torterra flying. As one of Pidgeot's few Flying-type ultimate moves, this strike was incredibly effective.
Boom boom boom!!!
Amidst the sounds of explosions, the 2.4-meter-tall, 5-meter-long Torterra was flipped over by Pidgeot. Its entire body was sent crashing into the ground, and cracks spread out from where it landed. As expected, Torterra's eyes swirled, and it lost the ability to battle.
"Torterra is unable to battle. Since all of Paul's Pokémon are unable to battle, the winner is Ash."
"..."
Paul, having lost three times in a row, was silent. This was the most crushing defeat he had ever experienced, and he didn't know how to describe how he felt.
"What a waste. You're free to go!"
Taking a deep breath, Paul returned Torterra to its Poké Ball. He then took out Starly's Poké Ball, pressed the release button, and let it go.
"What! How could you do that?" Dawn shouted angrily.
Dawn, who had been celebrating Ash's victory, was suddenly furious at Paul's actions. But Paul acted as if he hadn't heard her. He looked at Ash, then walked away, completely ignoring Dawn.
"What a jerk!" Dawn pouted and waved her fists in frustration.
"It's okay. That's just his personality."
Ash didn't say much about the released Starly or the departing Paul. After all, Paul's actions were just like a normal gamer's; there was nothing unusual about them. Even Brock didn't say anything, as from a trainer's perspective, Paul hadn't broken any rules. The matter could only be left at that.
"What a jerk."
As a new trainer, Dawn naturally couldn't stand Paul's actions, which was why she was so upset.