The night before the Round of 16, Ash was at the Pokémon Center making final preparations for tomorrow's match when he suddenly received a phone call from someone claiming to be Ritchie.
"Ash, can you come to the small woods on the east side of the Athlete Village right now? I want to talk to you before the match." The voice on the other end certainly sounded like Ritchie, but Ash's Aura perception immediately detected something offit was Meowth mimicking Ritchie's voice.
A slight smirk played on Ash's lips. He had long expected Team Rocket to pull a stunt like this.
In the original story, this trick had almost made him late and negatively affected his Pokémon's condition. This time, however, he was going to make Team Rocket taste their own medicine.
"Sure, I'll be right there," Ash replied, pretending to fall for the ruse while signaling Misty and Brock with his eyes.
The three of them quickly devised a plan to turn the tables.
Ash headed toward the meeting spot alone, while Misty and Brock took Officer Jenny and circled around via a different route to flank them.
Sure enough, Team Rocket had set a trap in the woods.
As Ash stepped into the clearing, a large net fell from the sky. Having expected this, Ash performed a nimble roll and easily avoided it.
"Since you have asked us sincerely!" Jessie shouted as she jumped out from behind a tree.
"Then we shall answer you with all our mercy!" James appeared from the other side.
"To prevent the world's destruction! To protect the world's peace!" Meowth stood between them.
Ash calmly brushed the dust off his clothes. "Your acting is as terrible as ever. But thanks for helping me with a pre-match warm-up."
Just as Team Rocket prepared to attack, the sound of Officer Jenny's siren echoed from nearby.
Misty and Brock arrived right on time with Officer Jenny, sending Team Rocket into a panicked frenzy.
"I won't let you get away this time!" Ash barked. "Pikachu, 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt!"
With Officer Jenny's assistance, Team Rocket was caught in one fell swoop and escorted directly to the police station.
Before they left, Ash had one last thing to say to them. "Team Rocket, I didn't care how much you targeted me in the past. But this time, you actually tried to sabotage me during the tournament. I have to treat you properly for that!"
Then, Ash gestured to Officer Jenny. He rolled up his sleeves, took off his jacket, and gave the Team Rocket trio a brutal thrashing.
It was hard to describe exactly how badly they were beaten, but even if Giovanni were to see them now, he probably wouldn't recognize them!
To Ash, this beating was his way of finally venting the frustration he felt from his humiliating defeat in the Top 16 in the original series!
"Officer Jenny, I'll leave the rest to you!" Ash said politely before departing with Misty and Brock. As for the Team Rocket trio, they could enjoy their time behind bars for a while. They would probably find a way to escape eventually anyway.
This little interlude didn't disrupt Ash's rest; if anything, it left him feeling more refreshed and energized.
After all, without any outside interference, he was exceptionally confident about tomorrow's match!
The next day, the stands at the Indigo Stadium were packed to capacity. The Round of 16 match between Ash and Ritchie had become one of the most anticipated events.
"The moment is finally here," Ritchie said to Ash in the player tunnel. "Let's both give it our all and leave no regrets."
Ash nodded. "That's exactly what I have in mind."
The referee announced the start of the match, and Ritchie sent out his Butterfree first. "Go, Happy!"
"I choose you, Pidgeotto!" Ash sent out his Shiny Pidgeotto, its golden feathers gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight.
"Happy, use Confusion!"
"Pidgeotto, dodge it with Agility!"
Happy struck first with Confusion, attempting to seize control of Pidgeotto's movements. However, Ash's Pidgeotto had undergone special training, making its speed far exceed that of a normal Pidgeotto.
The Agility was so fast it nearly made Happy dizzy!
"Now, use Steel Wing!"
Pidgeotto transformed into a streak of golden light. Not only did it easily evade the Confusion, but its wings also took on a metallic luster as they struck Happy with pinpoint precision.
Ritchie's Happy followed up with Sleep Powder and Gust, but everything vanished without a trace before Pidgeotto's own Gust.
After a few rounds, Ash seized the opportunity and commanded, "Pidgeotto, finish it with Sky Attack!"
Under the assault of the Shiny Pidgeotto, Ritchie's Happy was knocked out.
"Butterfree is unable to battle! Pidgeotto wins!"
For the second round, Ritchie sent out Sparky, and Ash kept his Pikachu on the field. A mirrored duel between two Pikachu began.
Both Pikachu moved rapidly across the field, testing each other. They simultaneously used Quick Attack, colliding in mid-air before retreating at the same time.
"Sparky, use Thunderbolt!"
"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"
After his special training, Ash's Pikachu had significantly increased the power of his Electric-type moves. The Electro Ball quickly broke through the Thunderbolt and surged toward Ritchie's Pikachu.
"Sparky, use Double Team!" Ritchie ordered.
Sparky instantly split into over a dozen copies, not only dodging the attack but also surrounding Ash's Pikachu to create a sense of overwhelming pressure.
"Good response. Pikachu, we'll use Double Team too!" Ash had already prepared a countermeasure.
In an instant, Ash's Pikachu also split into over a dozen clones, even outnumbering Ritchie's Sparky. Just like that, Ritchie's Sparky lost the advantage in the clone duel!
"Now, Pikachu! Quick Attack combined with Iron Tail!"
A yellow-white flash zipped across the field as Ash's Pikachu used a devastating Iron Tail to defeat Ritchie's Sparky!
"Ritchie's Pikachu is unable to battle! Ash's Pikachu wins!"
In the end, Ash's Pikachu won the intense confrontation thanks to his superior battle experience and greater power reserves.
Ritchie was now down to his last Pokémon.
He took a deep breath and sent out his Charmeleon. "Zippo, it's all up to you!"
It was indeed Charmeleon. Ash had checked Ritchie's data the night before and was well-aware that this was the strongest Pokémon in Ritchie's lineup.
However, Ash was prepared and sent out Wartortle. "I choose you, Wartortle!"
Ritchie frowned at the type disadvantage.
"Zippo, use Dragon Breath!"
"Wartortle, use Withdraw to defend!"
Wartortle nimbly tucked into its shell to block the Dragon Breath, then immediately countered with a Hydro Pump on Ash's command.
Charmeleon tried its best to dodge, but the water still grazed it, proving to be super effective.
"It's not over yet!" Ritchie shouted. "Zippo, use Slash!"
Charmeleon charged through the spray of the Hydro Pump, its sharp claws slamming hard against Wartortle's shell.
However, Wartortle's defense had been greatly buffed through special training; such an attack was completely ineffective against it.
"Now, Water Pulse!"
A point-blank Water Pulse scored a direct hit. Charmeleon finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground.
The referee waved the flag. "Charmeleon is unable to battle! Wartortle wins! The winner is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!"
Ritchie recalled Charmeleon and walked to the center of the field to shake Ash's hand. "That was a brilliant match; I'm completely outmatched. You have to keep winning! When you become the champion, I can tell everyone I only lost to the best!"
Ash nodded solemnly. "I will." This victory didn't just advance Ash to the Quarter-finals; it also made up for the regrets from the original story.
As he walked off the field, the audience erupted into thunderous applause.
The Top 16 jinx had been broken. Next up were the unknown battles of the Top 8 and beyond!
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