"Blastoise, go!" Gary ordered.
The Water-type Pokémon appeared once again on the battlefield with a solid impact on the rocky terrain, quickly adapting to the irregular surface. Its presence was completely different from Scizor's. More stable. More resistant.
Much better prepared for this matchup.
Ash moved first. There was no point in standing still any longer. Besides, even though he was at a disadvantage, he just wanted to try to weaken Gary's Blastoise a little — enough so that his next Pokémon could take it down.
"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" he ordered.
The flames shot out with intensity, illuminating the field as they headed straight toward Blastoise. Gary reacted without hesitation.
"Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" he responded.
The two attacks collided in the center of the field, generating an explosion of steam that covered a large portion of the terrain. Visibility dropped for a few seconds, and the already irregular ground became even more unstable due to the accumulated moisture. Ash observed calmly. It wasn't a good matchup to force. Gary knew it. So did Charizard.
When the steam began to dissipate, Blastoise remained firm, practically unscathed, ready to continue. Charizard kept its distance, not attempting a direct exchange.
Ash sighed. This matchup was pointless. Blastoise was strong and he didn't want to risk losing Charizard.
"Charizard, return," he said calmly.
Charizard descended and returned, obeying without hesitation. Gary narrowed his eyes. It was a logical switch. After storing Charizard back in its Poké Ball, he took out another one.
"Butterfree, go!" he threw it.
Butterfree appeared with a gentle flap of its wings, rising slightly above the rocky terrain. Its presence contrasted with Charizard's. Less imposing, but much more agile. Gary evaluated it instantly, without underestimating it.
"Blastoise, use Ice Beam!" he ordered.
The freezing beam shot out with precision. Ash reacted quickly.
"Butterfree, dodge and use Sleep Powder!" he ordered.
Butterfree spun in the air, dodging the attack by a hair before releasing a cloud of powder that descended onto Blastoise. Part of the attack hit its target. Blastoise closed its eyes for a moment, its body slowing down slightly.
Ash took advantage of this moment.
"Use Quiver Dance!" he ordered.
Butterfree began to spin in the air, increasing its power and speed while taking advantage of that moment of opportunity. The wind generated by the flapping of its wings began to slightly alter the dust and small particles on the terrain.
"PARTICIPANT ASH TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY!" Bob exclaimed.
"IF BLASTOISE DOESN'T REACT, THIS COULD GET COMPLICATED!" Carl added.
Gary remained firm.
"Blastoise, endure it and use Hydro Pump!" he ordered.
Blastoise opened its eyes at the last instant, forcing its body before the powder's effect could fully settle. The Hydro Pump shot out with power, cutting through the air with force.
Ash reacted instantly.
"Butterfree, use Hurricane!" he ordered.
The whirlwind formed in the air, colliding with the jet of water and deflecting part of its trajectory, but not completely. The force of the Hydro Pump ended up prevailing.
The impact was direct.
Butterfree was sent flying backward, losing height abruptly before falling onto the rocky terrain. Its wings fluttered with difficulty, trying to get up, but the damage had been too much.
"Butterfree is unable to continue! Victory for Blastoise!" the referee declared firmly.
Impressive. Many were surprised. Ash's Butterfree had been taken down with a single blow! Ash was also surprised. He had believed that with a Quiver Dance it would be enough to win this matchup. However, Gary's Blastoise turned out to be stronger than he thought and defeated his Butterfree with just one hit.
The battle didn't stop.
Butterfree remained on the ground, out of combat, while the stadium was still reacting to the previous impact. Blastoise remained firm, but this time it no longer looked completely unscathed. Its breathing was heavier, more labored. It had won, yes, but at a cost.
After recovering, Ash quickly recalled his Butterfree to its Poké Ball.
"Good work… rest," he said calmly.
Ash sighed. Butterfree may have fallen, but if he looked at it from another perspective, he still had 5 Pokémon left. Gary was clearly at a disadvantage.
"Well, that Blastoise seems pretty strong," Ash said.
Then he took out his next Poké Ball.
"Onix, go!" he threw it.
The crystal Onix emerged with a solid impact, its translucent body reflecting the light as it unfolded across the Rock Field. Its presence fit perfectly with the environment, as if it were a natural part of the terrain.
Many might wonder: Why did he choose Onix? Clearly there were better options. The answer is simpler than it seems. Ash had realized that this Blastoise was different from all the Pokémon Gary had sent out. This one looked much stronger and more imposing, and he was sure it would cause a lot of trouble. Just seeing how quickly it took down Butterfree was enough to understand. So Ash made a decision: he would use Onix to wear down Blastoise and, with a bit of luck, even win the matchup. It might sound cruel, but what Ash wanted was to wear down Blastoise as much as possible so that his next Pokémon could weaken it easily. In fact, he already knew which Pokémon to use next, but first he needed to wear down this Blastoise.
Seeing Onix come out onto the field, Gary was surprised. From Ash's previous battles, he had deduced that this strange Onix was Water/Ice-type — a pretty good type combination. But aside from its appearance and type change from a normal Onix, there was nothing else notable about this Onix. It was obviously well-trained, but nothing he couldn't defeat. The reason he was surprised was because he didn't understand why Ash sent out a Water-type against his Blastoise. What was the point? Wouldn't it be better to use his Pikachu?
"PARTICIPANT ASH OPTS TO USE HIS ONIX, WHICH HAS ALREADY PROVEN IN PREVIOUS BATTLES TO BE A TOUGH POKÉMON TO CRACK!" Bob said.
"THAT'S TRUE, BUT THIS TIME ASH'S ONIX DOESN'T HAVE THE ADVANTAGE. IN FACT, THERE WERE BETTER OPTIONS! WHAT IS PARTICIPANT ASH THINKING BY USING HIS ONIX AGAINST A WATER-TYPE POKÉMON?" Carl said.
"I HAVE NO IDEA, CARL, BUT PARTICIPANT ASH HAS SHOWN GREAT SKILL THROUGHOUT THE POKÉMON LEAGUE AND I DOUBT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING!" Bob said.
The audience was wondering something similar. Some even thought Ash was crazy, while others were convinced that Ash wouldn't have sent out his Onix if he didn't have something in mind — something surprising.
On the battlefield, Ash decided not to waste any more time and attacked first.
"Onix, use Rock Throw!" he ordered.
Rock fragments shot forward, forcing Blastoise to move across the irregular terrain.
"Blastoise, use Ice Beam!" Gary responded.
The freezing beam hit Onix's body directly… but the effect was minimal. Ice formed partially on its crystalline surface, slowing it down slightly, but without causing significant damage.
Ash didn't even react.
"Use Iron Tail!" he ordered.
Onix's body moved with force, striking Blastoise squarely and forcing it to step back. It wasn't devastating damage, but it did hurt it slightly.
Gary looked closely at Ash's Onix. It was clear that his long-range attacks weren't going to work since they were ineffective against Ash's Onix, so he would have to use another method.
"Blastoise, get closer!" he ordered.
Blastoise advanced firmly, entering close range. Seeing this, Ash assumed Gary was about to put one of his strategies into practice, so he decided it was better not to let that Blastoise get any closer.
"Onix, stop it and use Rock Throw!" he ordered.
The rocks shot out at close range, partially hitting Blastoise as it advanced, but contrary to Ash's expectations, Blastoise didn't stop and kept moving forward.
"Blastoise, use Brick Break!" Gary ordered firmly.
"Dodge it!" Ash said.
But it was useless. Blastoise was too close and with its speed it was impossible for Onix to dodge the hard blow. The impact against Onix's body was completely different from the previous attacks. This time there was real damage. Onix was pushed back several meters, its body sliding across the rocky terrain.
Seeing this, Ash didn't get discouraged. This wasn't over yet and Onix could still put up a fight.
"Onix, endure it and use Iron Tail!" he ordered.
"Again, Brick Break!" Gary ordered.
Onix responded, spinning its huge body and striking Blastoise again, forcing it to step back this time. The exchange became physical, direct, heavy.
"Use all your strength and knock it down! Use Brick Break!" Gary ordered.
In the next exchange, Blastoise used all its strength to hit Onix, causing Onix's attack to stop and be struck by Blastoise's attack. This second impact was even cleaner. Blastoise had adjusted the timing, waiting for Onix's movement to strike at the exact moment. The damage accumulated.
Onix lost stability.
"Don't give up, Onix! Use Iron Tail!" Ash said.
Onix tried to get up completely, but its movement was no longer the same. The wear was starting to show.
Gary saw it. This was the moment he had been waiting for.
"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" he ordered.
The jet shot out, not as the main attack, but as the final push, taking advantage of Onix's state.
Due to the water, a puddle of mud formed beneath Onix, greatly slowing its movement.
"Now, Blastoise, finish it with Brick Break!" Gary said.
Onix hadn't finished getting out of the mud when Gary gave the order.
"Dodge it, Onix!" Ash said.
But it was useless. The mud had slowed its movements too much and it was unable to dodge Blastoise's blow, which sent it flying several meters before it fell to the ground without strength.
"Onix is unable to continue! Victory for Blastoise!" the referee declared firmly.
"PARTICIPANT GARY HAS JUST TAKEN DOWN ASH'S SECOND POKÉMON, REDUCING THE ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE HE HAD OVER HIM!" Bob said.
"THAT'S RIGHT. IT SEEMS PARTICIPANT ASH DIDN'T EXPECT GARY'S BLASTOISE TO BE SO STRONG AND HAS SUFFERED THE CONSEQUENCES!" Carl said.
"BUT DON'T GET AHEAD OF YOURSELF, CARL. PARTICIPANT ASH HAS SHOWN GREAT SKILL THROUGHOUT THE POKÉMON LEAGUE AND I DOUBT HE WON'T SHOW HIS SKILL IN THIS BATTLE!" Bob said.
"YOU'RE RIGHT. SOMETHING TELLS ME SOMETHING BIG IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!" Carl nodded.
Ash sighed in his mind. His Onix had fallen, yes, but in exchange he had achieved what he had set out to do: wear down Blastoise! Gary's Blastoise was tired, especially after the long exchange of attacks with Onix and the ones it had received. Onix had fulfilled its purpose.
"Good work. Return," he said as he recalled Onix.
Ash looked at Onix's Poké Ball for a few seconds. In his mind he knew that using his poor Onix this way wasn't really his style, but he had no choice. That Blastoise was too strong. He had to tire it out, even if just a little.
"I promise I'll make it up to you later. That's a promise," Ash said with conviction.
After thinking about it for a few seconds, he promised his Onix that he would definitely make it up to it for what he had just done.
After making the promise in his mind, Ash didn't hesitate any longer. He took out his next Poké Ball and threw it.
"Floette, I choose you!" Ash said.
The small figure appeared floating gently, holding its flower with elegance. Its presence contrasted completely with the intensity of the previous battle. There was no tension in its posture, no signs of effort. It simply floated, calm, as if everything around it was of no importance.