"Wartortle—!"
"Umbreon—!"
On the battlefield, the two Pokémon sprang into action the moment Gary's commands rang out.
Rather than recklessly charging in, Gary chose a calculated opening.
Rain Dance—to limit Pidgeot's speed.
Confuse Ray—to disrupt its movement.
A control-based strategy.
A smart one.
"Good thinking…"
Ash nodded inwardly—before shaking his head.
"…but unfortunately, the gap between us is just too big."
"Pidgeot—close your eyes. Fly above the rain cloud and use Whirlwind!"
The instant Gary launched his attack, Ash responded with a command of his own.
"Skreee—!"
Mega Pidgeot let out a piercing cry, then immediately shut its eyes and beat its wings.
In the next moment—
It shot upward like an arrow, piercing straight into the sky.
The moment Pidgeot closed its eyes—
Umbreon's Confuse Ray lost its target completely.
At the same time, Wartortle had only just finished gathering moisture to form a rain cloud—
When suddenly—
Mega Pidgeot burst through it like a fighter jet, ascending above the cloud layer.
Before the rain could even begin to fall—
Pidgeot spread its wings wide.
A wingspan nearing five meters unleashed a powerful repelling airflow downward.
In an instant—
The rain cloud was blown apart.
Rain Dance—dispelled.
Confuse Ray—neutralized.
Both of Gary's opening moves…
Completely dismantled.
Seeing this, Gary's expression turned serious.
On the battlefield, both Wartortle and Umbreon felt the pressure intensify.
"Wartortle—use Water Gun to snipe!"
"Umbreon—use Snarl!"
Without hesitation, Gary launched his second wave of attacks.
Since control strategies had failed—
He switched to direct offense.
"Wartortle—!"
"Umbreon—!"
Umbreon tilted its head upward and unleashed a wide-range soundwave attack.
Dark-type energy rippled outward in expanding rings, like layers of shadowy waves.
The visual alone carried an intimidating presence.
But—
"Skreee—!"
Mega Pidgeot tilted its body slightly midair—
And effortlessly evaded the attack.
Its aerial advantage was absolute.
However—
The moment it dodged Umbreon's move—
Wartortle, which had been holding its attack, suddenly fired.
A concentrated stream of water shot upward like a bullet—
A perfect follow-up.
Gary's plan was clear:
Force movement → Predict evasion → Strike from another angle.
A textbook pincer attack.
There was no denying it—
As the grandson of Professor Oak and a future champion-level trainer, Gary's talent was undeniable.
Whether it was:
The earlier Rain Dance + Confuse Ray control combo
Or this coordinated offensive strategy
His battle sense, command ability, and synchronization with his Pokémon—
All were on full display.
But—
"Still… the same problem."
Ash's expression remained calm.
"The gap is too big."
"And my Pidgeot… is just as well-trained."
"Even at equal levels, it wouldn't be easy for you to win."
"Let alone now—when there's a difference of over twenty levels."
Facing Wartortle's Water Gun—
Ash didn't even issue a command.
—
In the sky—
Pidgeot beat its wings once.
And instantly accelerated—
Breaking free from the pincer attack with ease.
"Gary—you wanted to see the power of Mega Evolution, right?"
"Then I'll show you."
"Pidgeot—use Gust!"
"Skreee—!"
Mega Pidgeot let out a resounding cry.
Its massive wings slammed downward—
And in the next instant—
The entire grassland was engulfed in violent winds.
Grass bent and flattened.
Bushes rattled and shrieked under the force.
Dust and sand were swept into the air.
At the edge of the field, Green raised her arm to shield her eyes, retreating hastily.
At the center—
Wartortle and Umbreon took the full force of the attack.
Wartortle was slammed flat against the ground—
While Umbreon staggered, its vision spinning, barely able to stay upright.
"Woooo—!!"
High above, Mega Pidgeot continued flapping its wings.
The winds grew even stronger—
Then—
Under its control—
The chaotic airflow began to converge.
Condense.
Spiral.
A tornado—
Was forming.
Wartortle and Umbreon, claws digging desperately into the ground, were slowly dragged toward the swirling vortex.
As if at any moment—
They would be pulled inside.
"Pidgeot—use Twister!"
Ash gave the final push.
"Wartortle—use Rapid Spin counterclockwise!"
"Umbreon—use Swift on Mega Pidgeot!!"
Gary reacted immediately, refusing to sit idle.
"Wartortle—!"
"Umbreon—!"
Both Pokémon responded instantly.
—
Wartortle retracted its limbs into its shell.
As it was pulled into the tornado, it began spinning rapidly—
Trying to counteract and weaken the vortex.
—
Meanwhile—
Umbreon clung tightly to a protruding rock, refusing to be lifted.
Squinting through the storm, it opened its mouth—
And fired a stream of golden star-shaped projectiles toward Mega Pidgeot.
At this moment, Mega Pidgeot was maintaining Gust, holding its position in the air.
Its mobility had decreased compared to before—
Which made Gary's counterstrategy perfectly logical:
Disrupt the tornado from within
Attack Pidgeot from below
His decisions—
Were flawless.
But—
"Boom—!!!"
Gust + Twister
This wasn't a simple addition.
It was amplification.
The tornado expanded violently—
Doubling in size.
A towering pillar of wind rose into the sky like a raging inferno.
Inside—
Wartortle's Rapid Spin was completely overwhelmed.
Instead of weakening the tornado—
It was dragged along, spinning uncontrollably in the opposite direction.
Below—
Umbreon clung desperately to the rock.
But its Swift attack—
Never even reached Pidgeot.
The powerful winds shredded its force midair—
The golden stars were swallowed by the storm and vanished instantly.
The battlefield—
Was completely under Mega Pidgeot's control.
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T/N:
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