"Wartortle—!" "Umbreon—!"
After Wartortle was dragged into the storm, Umbreon—despite digging its claws deep into the ground—finally could no longer withstand the tearing force of the combined Gust + Twister. With a sudden pull, its body was yanked off the ground and hurled straight into the tornado.
Unlike Wartortle, which had its sturdy shell for protection, Umbreon had no such defense. Once inside the raging vortex, it was violently tossed around, battered by the spiraling winds and shredded by relentless wind blades. Even as a Pokémon famed for its high Special Defense, it couldn't endure such punishment, and painful cries rang out from within the storm.
"Wartortle! Umbreon!!"
Hearing their anguished cries echoing from inside the tornado, Gary's face filled with tension. Anxiety churned in his chest as his mind raced, desperately searching for a way to break the situation. If he couldn't find a solution, then to prevent his Pokémon from suffering further injuries, the only option left would be to surrender.
But Ash didn't give him that time.
The moment Umbreon was dragged into the tornado just like Wartortle, Ash immediately issued another command.
"End their suffering. Pidgeot—use Hurricane!"
"Skreee—!"
High in the sky, Mega Pidgeot let out a sharp, resounding cry. Then, using its incredible speed, it began circling the tornado, flapping its wings as it flew in rapid loops around the massive column of wind.
"WHOOSH—!!"
Hurricane, a Flying-type move with a base power of 110, now layered on top of Gust + Twister, transformed the already violent tornado into a full-blown catastrophe.
The winds howled like a furious beast, tearing through everything. The towering tornado, now as tall as a multi-story building, twisted like a colossal pillar, while Mega Pidgeot circling it resembled a divine hawk commanding a storm.
With the stacking of three powerful moves, combined with the airflow generated by Mega Pidgeot's high-speed flight, the tornado's destructive force rose to an astonishing level.
Moments ago, Wartortle and Umbreon had been crying out in pain. Now… their voices had disappeared. Whether they were drowned out by the roaring winds or had already lost consciousness—no one could tell.
"Wartortle! Umbreon!!"
Seeing this, Gary's heart clenched. Unable to think of a countermeasure, he gritted his teeth and prepared to surrender to prevent further harm.
But Ash, who had been closely watching the battle, acted first.
"Pidgeot, stop."
"Skreee—"
Mega Pidgeot responded instantly, ceasing its high-speed circling and withdrawing the energy sustaining the storm.
The towering tornado, like a collapsing skyscraper, broke apart and dissipated.
The wild grass stopped thrashing, the bushes fell silent, and the dust and sand lost their momentum, slowly settling back to the ground.
As the storm faded, two figures became visible within it—
Wartortle and Umbreon.
Both had spiral eyes, clearly knocked out and unable to battle.
"Skreee—!"
Just as they began falling from the sky, Mega Pidgeot dove down in a flash, catching both Pokémon midair before they could hit the ground, then gently carried them as it descended.
With a soft hum, the light around Mega Pidgeot flickered. As the battle ended, it reverted back to its original form.
At the same time, Ash rushed forward, immediately using his Viridian Power to treat Wartortle and Umbreon's injuries.
In battle, he went all out. But after the battle, everyone was still friends. That was the unspoken rule among trainers—especially for Ash and Gary, who had grown up together.
Ash had no intention of letting this battle damage Gary's confidence or affect their friendship.
"Wartortle, Umbreon—are you okay?" Gary hurried over, his voice filled with concern.
"Relax," Ash said calmly. "Wartortle has its shell for protection, and Umbreon's Special Defense is excellent. And Pidgeot held back its strength."
"I've already treated their injuries. They're fine. They should wake up in a few minutes."
"…Phew."
Gary finally let out a sigh of relief. "That's good… that's good."
Only then did he turn his attention to Pidgeot. He looked it over carefully, then glanced at Ash, his expression filled with both admiration and complexity.
"Ash… your Pidgeot is really strong. I lost again."
"Haha…" Ash laughed lightly. "Don't look so down. You're the one who insisted on challenging me. And it's not like this is your first loss—shouldn't you be used to it by now?"
"And besides, Pidgeot has Mega Evolution—that's a huge boost. I'm focused on one goal, while you're balancing both training and research."
"If I can't gain an advantage while focusing on just one thing, then I'd be pretty useless, wouldn't I? How could I even qualify to be your rival?"
Ash's words were both teasing and sincere, offering comfort without making it obvious.
Gary smiled faintly. Losing still stung—but only briefly. After all, he had indeed lost to Ash many times before.
"Even without Mega Evolution, my two main Pokémon couldn't beat your Pidgeot. You've trained it really well," Gary admitted sincerely.
Ash didn't deny it. As one of his top-tier ace Pokémon, Pidgeot's strength spoke for itself.
In fact, he had held back during the battle. If Mega Pidgeot had fully utilized its speed and employed a kiting strategy, Gary's Wartortle and Umbreon wouldn't have lasted more than three rounds.
"But there's another thing you overlooked," Ash added.
"…Something I overlooked?" Gary asked curiously.
"Pidgeot is a bird Pokémon—a Flying-type. Its aerial capabilities are far more powerful than most trainers imagine."
"When facing fast opponents, we usually try to slow them down, restrict their movement, or at least limit their dodging space so we can land hits."
"But if you can't do that…"
"Then unless you're faster or more agile…"
"You'll just get worn down—kited to defeat."
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