I have added this story to my Patreon. You can support me and read the 40 latest and advanced chapters there. It also fed and motivate me to write more chapters!
Free Members will get 10 Chapters Ahead of the schedule on Patreon!!!
Link: Patreon.com/AVRKingsTL
—------------------—
The Twister combined with the force of the water caused Starmie quite a bit of trouble. If it were just a simple Twister, Starmie could easily escape from it with Pidgeotto's normal peak level.
But when the field's effect was superimposed on the Twister, forming a Water Twister, that level of resistance was not something Starmie could easily break free from.
"What an imaginative idea. If I hadn't been traveling with you all this time, I'd really doubt if Ash, you're a Trainer who just debuted recently," Misty exclaimed with emotion.
Ash's tactics had already started to show hints from the battle against Brock. Those were not tactics a newly debuted Trainer could normally come up with, and the same was true in today's battle.
Despite such a huge power gap, Ash actually managed to temporarily trap Starmie using a combined tactic.
But this was only temporary. As soon as the Twister's wind power weakened a bit, Starmie would be able to directly rush out of the water and then start its counterattack.
"I'm coming clean, I'm a genius Trainer, the kind that's much more of a genius than you, Misty!"
"Bah!"
"Hehe! My turn isn't over yet. Come back, Pidgeotto… I'll trouble you one more time, Butterfree!" Ash said with a smile, recalling Pidgeotto and switching back to Butterfree.
Seeing this, a look of Confusion appeared on Misty's fair face. Why was Ash switching Butterfree back? If it was for rotation, with Starmie currently trapped, he should have switched out Pikachu and used his most powerful Electric-type move to heavily damage Starmie while he had the chance.
Once Starmie broke free from the vortex, Misty could guarantee that Ash would absolutely not get another chance to trap Starmie.
As long as Starmie's movements were not restricted, at Pikachu's level, his attack speed would not be able to hit Starmie.
In other words, if he wanted to damage Starmie, now was the best opportunity. However, Ash did not use Pikachu but instead brought out Butterfree. Wasn't this a waste of the situation he had painstakingly created?
Soon, Ash explained with his actions why he didn't use Pikachu but instead used Butterfree: "Butterfree, use Confusion!"
"Bilibili~~" Butterfree's Compound Eyes glowed with a sapphire blue light. The light covered the Twister, and a huge force directly lifted the Twister, then flung it to the right side of the spectator stands!
The Cerulean Three Sisters and Brock were all watching the battle on the left, so they were not affected by the Twister, but this grand display still startled them.
What was Ash trying to do? Did he want to throw Starmie, along with the Twister, out of the field?
Misty also stared blankly at the scene before her. The water from the pool was flung away by Butterfree using Confusion along with the Twister, directly reducing it by more than two-thirds. However, Starmie did not get flung away with the Twister.
Instead, it broke free from its restraints due to the Twister's disappearance, regaining its freedom.
"Ash, what exactly are you trying to do?"
"You'll know soon… Butterfree, use Gust!" Ash waved his hand and commanded again.
A storm once again swept across the field, but this storm did not take the form of a tornado; it merely whistled, blowing the remaining pool water.
Starmie was underwater, completely unharmed, while Butterfree was already panting after using two moves.
Using a non-STAB move like Confusion, combined with Butterfree's not very high level, and the massive amount of matter it moved, one move alone could consume almost half of Butterfree's stamina.
Now, it was using Gust to stir up the remaining water, which would undoubtedly accelerate Butterfree's stamina consumption. If this continued, Butterfree would likely collapse from exhaustion even without Starmie's intervention.
Wait a minute… stirring up the water?
Misty suddenly thought of something and quickly looked at the pool below. The once full pool now barely allowed Starmie to hide within it. If the water level decreased any further, then this Water Field would be completely useless.
The opponent's goal from the beginning was not Starmie, but the water in this pool!
"Now! Butterfree, use Confusion to throw away the remaining water!!" The water in the pool was already a chaotic mess. Without enough cohesion, Butterfree, with its current stamina, could directly clear out most of the remaining water!
"Bilibili!!" Butterfree's eyes once again glowed with a sapphire blue light. The water on the field directly flew up, then was flung to an empty section of the spectator stands.
The water that rushed onto the spectator stands slowly drained away through the drainage system, and there was very little water left on the battle field. The remaining water no longer affected Pikachu's ability to stand below.
"So, this was your plan from the very beginning." Misty said, her mouth twitching as she looked at the chaotic spectator stands.
"That's right. Whether I can damage Starmie isn't important. What's important is giving Pikachu a wide enough footing. If I fought you on a Water Field, even with three Pokémon against one, I wouldn't be able to win." Ash said, as he recalled Butterfree.
Although he felt bad for Butterfree and Pidgeotto, honestly, in a direct battle, they were pretty much useless.
The level difference was too great. Even if their attacks hit Starmie, it would only be like tickling Starmie.
The only one who could truly pose a threat to Starmie was Pikachu, his highest-leveled Pokémon, who had an advantage against Water-type Pokémon.
"But to create such a field, you directly exhausted your Butterfree," Misty said calmly, quickly regaining her composure.
Although she had indeed lost her field advantage, Ash had also lost a troublesome Pokémon.
The biggest use of the Water Field was to prevent Butterfree's troublesome powder moves. Now that Butterfree was almost out of combat power, there was no need to guard against Butterfree anymore.
And Pidgeotto, in terms of raw power, couldn't cause any trouble for Starmie either.
So now, even though Ash still had three Pokémon, the only one that could affect the battle was his Pikachu.
As long as Pikachu was defeated, this battle for Ash could be declared over.
"Butterfree and Pidgeotto's efforts were worth it… I'm counting on you, Pikachu, for the last part!"
"Pika Pika!!" Pikachu, full of fighting spirit, jumped onto the field from Ash's feet. Seeing this, Ralts also moved its short little legs, wanting to follow, but Ash quickly caught it with his keen eyes.
"Wait, wait! It's not your turn, it's Pikachu's turn. Didn't I say you just watch from here today? I'll send you out in future battles," Ash said to Ralts, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
If he let this undeveloped little guy go up, the scene would be unimaginable… But if Ralts really went up, Misty might even surrender directly, who knows?