Gary Oak's opponent in this match was a young man named Muji. Not only was he significantly older than Gary, but he also had experience traveling through two different regions! While his raw talent couldn't compare to Gary's, Gary had only been a trainer for six months.
Muji relied on his long-term experience and seasoned Pokémon to push Gary into a desperate corner.
If it hadn't been for Red's personal guidance and the occasional advice Gary squeezed out of the various Champions and Elite Four members, Gary would have undoubtedly lost this match.
But in this world, there are no "ifs."
Having absorbed the pointers of multiple Champions, Gary's strength had leaped forward in just a few days. The higher the level, the harder it is to improve, but Gary had managed to break through his plateau.
In the climax of the semi-finals, Gary brought out his ultimate ace—Blastoise! After finishing off the opponent's weakened Pidgeot, it pulled off a sweep, defeating Charizard and Golem in succession! Gary secured the victory by a hair's breadth.
As a relieved Gary returned to the waiting area, he crossed paths with Ash, who was about to head out.
"Yo, Show-off Oak. Haven't seen you in a few days, why'd you look so shaky out there?"
"Hmph, Moron Ash. Talk to me after you actually win your match!"
"Of course... see you in the finals."
"Pikachu!"
Ash, with Pikachu on his shoulder, walked toward the arena. Gary didn't turn back, merely muttering to himself: "See you in the finals... I won't be defeated by you that easily!"
Ash's opponent was a man named Yoshimoto. Like Muji, he was a veteran of multiple regions. In the past, even if Ash could command his Charizard, this would have been a grueling fight. But now... the gap in their strength was like heaven and earth!
Truth be told, a Pikachu without its hat could probably solo the opponent's entire team of six. However, Ash decided to use this match to train his newer forces.
Aside from Pikachu acting as the safety net, the rest of his roster wasn't significantly higher in level than the opponent's.
The battle began. Yoshimoto sent out a Golem. Knowing Ash was a favorite to win, he had brought several Ground-type Pokémon specifically to counter Pikachu and Charizard.
But Ash's first choice was... a small blue pup!
The crowd erupted instantly. "Is that... a Riolu? It's a Riolu, right?" "Ash caught a Riolu? Is that the one from the ranking footage?" "Yesterday the ranking ended, and today he has it? Heaven's List rewards are truly omnipotent!"
In the VIP stands, most were calm, as they had already seen the egg hatch. Lance, however, looked worried. "Riolu only hatched last night. Isn't a semi-final match a bit too high-pressure for a newborn?"
Cynthia chuckled. "For a normal Riolu, yes. But a Riolu linked to Ash's Aura is something else entirely."
"Golem, use Rollout!!" Yoshimoto took the initiative.
Golem curled into a massive boulder and thundered across the field, its half-ton weight shaking the stadium as it barreled toward Riolu.
"Riolu, here it comes! Don't take it head-on, use its own momentum!!"
"Rio!" Riolu's face was full of determination. Though it was a newborn, it was a natural-born warrior with Aura reserves that dwarfed its peers.
As Golem was about to impact, Ash shouted: "Now! Use Force Palm!"
Riolu dropped low, finding the weakest point of Golem's rotation. Its small paw glowed with white light as it delivered a precise strike!
BANG!
The shockwave hit Golem's underside, using the Pokémon's own rolling momentum to launch it high into the air!
"Great! Riolu, Vacuum Wave!"
Riolu punched the air, sending out a transparent blade of pressurized air. The mid-air Golem was struck, its rotation faltering.
"Don't stop! Continuous Vacuum Wave!!"
Riolu's fists became a blur, raining transparent air bullets upon Golem like a storm. Within seconds, Golem stopped spinning and was juggled in the air by the impacts. When Riolu stopped, Golem crashed to the ground, fainted.
Yoshimoto was stunned. What kind of power is that? Is this kid an actual human cheat code?!
Riolu panted slightly, but its eyes were bright with the thrill of its first victory.
"I won't give up! Go, Fearow!"
Fearow, a Flying-type, had a massive advantage over the Fighting-type Riolu. Ash smiled and recalled his partner. "Great job, Riolu! Rest for now. We'll handle Flying-types with a Flying-type! Pidgeotto, I choose you!"
"Wait, why not Pikachu? Why Pidgeotto?" Flying-type Master Lance complained. In the natural order, Fearow usually has the edge over a Pidgeotto.
Cynthia looked at Lance. "Weren't you supposed to be training Ash's Flying-types? Why did Pidgeotto end up in my group instead?"
Lance coughed. "I was training Squirtle and Froakie... I have some experience with Water-types because of Gyarados. So, is there something special about this Pidgeotto?"
Cynthia watched the field. "Pidgeotto is about to... evolve."
"Pidgeotto, this is our rival Fearow! We can't lose!"
"Pidgeotto!!"
Yoshimoto was annoyed. Sending out a Pidgeotto against his Fearow felt like a personal insult. "Fearow, use Drill Run!!"
Fearow's beak began to spin like a lethal tornado as it dived at incredible speed.
"Pidgeotto, dodge it!"
Pidgeotto beat its wings to climb, but Fearow's eyes flashed—Keen Eye! It predicted Pidgeotto's movement perfectly and struck it mid-air. Pidgeotto spiraled down, crashing into the dirt.
"Pidgeotto!!"
"That was Keen Eye," Bruno noted. "It tracked Pidgeotto despite the evasive maneuver."
"Ash was careless," Diantha added, "but this setback is nothing to him."
"Pidgeotto, can you keep going?"
"Pidge—OTTO!!" Pidgeotto stood up, a fierce light in its eyes.
"Good! Use Gust!!"
Pidgeotto whipped up two massive tornadoes, picking up debris from the field. The dust obscured Fearow's vision, but thanks to Keen Eye, it could still see Pidgeotto's silhouette.
"A smokescreen? Naive! Fearow, another Drill Run!"
Fearow dived through the wind, closing in on the shadow. It slammed its spinning beak into Pidgeotto—only for the bird to vanish into thin air.
An Afterimage?!
"Now, Air Slash!!"
Pidgeotto appeared directly behind Fearow. With a massive flap of its wings, blades of compressed air rained down, slamming Fearow into the ground.
Suddenly, Pidgeotto was engulfed in a brilliant white light.
"Evolution!" Ash cheered.
The light faded, revealing a bird nearly twice its previous size. Its crest had grown into a magnificent three-colored plume, and its wings were powerful enough to carry a human. Pidgeot had arrived!
"A mid-battle evolution... this is a nightmare," Yoshimoto muttered.
"Fearow, one last Drill Run! Do it now!!"
"Pidgeot, fly up and finish it with Brave Bird!!"
Lance watched intently. "He's calling for a dodge again? Didn't he learn about Keen Eye?"
"Hehe," Cynthia laughed. "You're the one who doesn't understand, Bruno! This Pidgeot's speed is in a completely different league now!"
On the field, Fearow tried to lock onto Pidgeot, but Pidgeot was a blur. For the first time, Fearow's Keen Eye couldn't even find a shadow to track.
"It's over!"
BOOM!
A brilliant blue flame erupted as Pidgeot slammed into Fearow with the force of a meteor. Fearow went down instantly. Ash had secured his place in the finals!
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