The global audience now completely understands how Charizard lost this battle. Could this loss have been avoided? In terms of raw competitive rank, the Dusclops does not look significantly weaker than Charizard.
Furthermore, its move pool is absolutely packed with control options, and it is explicitly carrying an Eviolite.
Charizard, on the other hand, is entering this match completely stripped of held items—mostly because Ash simply does not look like a trainer who proactively equips his Pokémon with equipment unless it is a Mega Stone.
What stands out on Brandon's side is a veteran trainer utilizing close to full force with a highly tactical, brutal stall grid.
If this were a direct, head-to-head physical confrontation, Charizard's theoretical odds of winning would be at least 70%. But against this type of tactical lock? Its operational odds drop below 30%!
Now that Charizard has entered a state of severe confusion and transformed into a passive target, it isn't a matter of our side lacking power—it's simply that the enemy's setup is too punishing!
In the footage—
Charizard is caught in a state of absolute confusion! It begins frantically thrashing, smashing its own body against the arena floor and the surrounding stone walls!
As an exceptionally experienced veteran, Brandon naturally refuses to let a golden opportunity slide. He immediately orders Dusclops to maintain a non-stop barrage of Shadow Punch!
Ink-black fists hammer into Charizard's heavy torso frame after frame! Even if Dusclops' base physical attack power is relatively low, absorbing a continuous, uninterrupted sequence of blows like this is something Charizard's health pool cannot endure indefinitely!
"Charizard! Wake up! Come to your senses!!"
"Roar!!" The fire dragon thrashes erratically.
"Have you forgotten?! Think about everything we've broken through together! We have stood against the most terrifying opponents side by side!"
"Roar!!" Its coordination remains completely broken.
"Every single time I've found myself in an absolute crisis, you have always returned from the valley to stand by my side! Entei, the Mahogany Gym, the Silver Conference, Articuno... we have survived one thrilling war of attrition after another! Right now, in a place like this... how can you possibly allow yourself to be brought down by a setup like this!!"
"Snap out of it, Charizard!!"
Through the hazy, unfocused glaze of its pupils, Ash's desperate figure is suddenly reflected in Charizard's vision! At the exact millisecond the next Shadow Punch streaks forward to connect, a torrent of blinding, superheated fire erupts violently from Charizard's entire frame! The absolute thermal pressure instantly incinerates the shadow projectile into nothingness!
It has completely reclaimed its mental focus!
Not only has it snapped out of its confusion, but the sheer physical deficit has actively triggered its primary ability—Blaze!!
The flame burning at the tip of its tail explodes with an intensely brilliant, roaring light! Bolstered by both the passive multiplier of Blaze and the active environmental strength of Sunny Day, its next fire-type deployment is mathematically guaranteed to deliver a fatal yield! One clean hit will end it!
"Charizard, take to the sky immediately!"
To ensure that Dusclops lacks the operational window to project another Confuse Ray, Ash immediately commands Charizard to maximize the distance between them!
Charizard beats its massive wings, ascending rapidly into the upper airspace of the Battle Pyramid. Backed by the blazing heat of the miniature sun it created earlier, the flame on its tail burns with terrifying intensity!
"Everything rests on this single sequence... Charizard, burn through his defense with everything you have left!! Overheat!!"
Overheat—the ultimate, maximum-tier Fire-type move, possessing a destructive yield vastly superior to a standard Fire Blast, second only to Blast Burn!
However, the severe mechanical side effect of this move is that it immediately halves the user's special attack stat upon resolution. Under the current restrictions of Mean Look, Ash has no way to recall Charizard to reset its baseline stats, making this a highly volatile, high-risk command.
But with Charizard's residual physical stamina running critically low, he must force a conclusion immediately!
"Roar!!"
Charizard's entire frame is completely enveloped in a brilliant crimson aura! Every single remaining ounce of internal energy within its body is violently condensed before erupting outward, unleashing a torrential wave of hellfire that thoroughly saturates the entire arena floor!
"Protect."
Confronted by Ash's high-commitment, desperate offensive, Brandon calmly deploys his absolute defense. An emerald green barrier unfurls smoothly around Dusclops.
The cascading wave of fire blanketing the venue immediately slams into the barrier, leaving only the small pocket directly behind Dusclops untouched!
While Protect is globally recognized as an absolute shield, no defensive technique is truly infinite. Under the sheer, overwhelming thermal pressure of Charizard's maximum-power Overheat, the glowing green barrier begins to crack inch by inch!
It looks as though the defense will fracture at any second! However, as the continuous torrent of fire slowly begins to lose its velocity and fade away, the barrier remains standing—dense with deep fractures, but entirely unshattered!
Sitting in the stadium seats, Max and May cannot help but break into a cold sweat on Ash's behalf. What about Brock? Brock is currently completely incapacitated, his attention entirely consumed by Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny sitting directly in front of him, entirely lost in his own world.
"Young man, it appears the raw intensity of your flames is still a fraction short of the mark!"
"Not necessarily! Charizard, Dragon Claw!!"
"What?"
Through the fading embers of the dissipating firestorm, the veil of smoke is violently torn asunder! The individual who projected the firestorm, Charizard, has already closed the distance! Emerged from the smoke, it swings a massive fist sheathed in deep emerald draconic energy!
Green collides with green! The fractured emerald barrier is instantly shattered into dust under the impact of the physical claw!
Without slowing down for a fraction of a frame, the Dragon Claw drives heavily into Dusclops' torso, delivering massive physical damage! Charizard's special attack stat was halved by Overheat, but its physical muscle mass remains completely uncompromised!
"Clamp onto that claw! Do not let it disengage!"
Although Brandon's vanguard has absorbed a severe physical blow, the short distance presents a flawless tactical opening! As long as Dusclops can deploy Confuse Ray at this range, Charizard will lose its final opportunity to turn the set around!
"Don't give him the chance! Charizard, finish this with Seismic Toss!!"
Brock: ???
The sudden vocal command for a Seismic Toss instantly shocks Brock out of his dazed state!
"Ash, wait! The opponent is a pure Ghost-type! Fighting-type kinetic moves are completely ineffective against its spiritual matrix!!"
"Ah! Oh no, I completely forgot!!"
Tragically, Brock's urgent warning comes far too late. Charizard has already wrapped its heavy arms tightly around Dusclops' frame, launching into the initial ascent of the Seismic Toss!
However, the Dusclops locked in its grip suddenly turns entirely intangible, dissolving into nothingness! In the next frame, Dusclops rematerializes safely on the arena floor below. A sharp, knowing smile outlines the corners of Brandon's mouth.
"Young man, you still have a massive amount of studying left to do! Dusclops, Shadow Punch!"
Swoosh—
Two dense, phantom fists materialize out of thin air, hammering ruthlessly into Charizard's unguarded back! Stripped of its remaining stamina, Charizard plummets heavily from the air, completely out of commission... At that exact moment, the operational duration of both Sunny Day and Trick Room hits its limit, and the spatial distortions dissolve from the arena field.
[Flint: Wow! Ordering a Seismic Toss against a Ghost-type? Ash, your Charizard's execution of that move is legendary, but you cannot physically throw a phantom, right?!]
[Professor Kukui: It is a massive mechanical blunder, yes... but honestly, it is exactly the type of mistake Ash would make!]
[Professor Kukui: After all, when he contested our exhibition match in the prior archive, he ordered his Naganadel to attack my Lucario using Sludge Bomb.]
A light smile surfaces on Kukui's face as he watches the sequence play out. He isn't mocking the kid's failure; he simply finds himself fondly remembering the future archive where Ash commanded a Poison-type move against a pure Steel-type entity.
At that time, Ash had offered the exact same sheepish excuse: he completely forgot. Whether it is the past era where he has yet to touch an Elite Four tier or the future where he claims the World Championship, the kid remains an absolute scatterbrain!
Yet, this human error does not obscure his brilliance. Making mistakes is a fundamental aspect of human development; identifying, confronting, and overcoming one's own failures is the precise path that leads to mastery!
Even if Charizard drops the set due to a severe mental error here, the future timeline proves that Ash will invariably find a way to reclaim his victory!
Watching the feed, Green's expression looks exceptionally strained. Fighting a Ghost-type with a Normal/Fighting throw, using Poison against Steel... is this individual truly supposed to be my alternate-universe counterpart?
This kid operates with a level of raw recklessness that makes Crimson look like a clinical strategist!
[Lance: You cannot lay the entirety of the blame on Ash's shoulders for being reckless. Throughout the entire duration of the match, he made exactly one minor operational mistake. The core reality is simply that Brandon's stall grid is entirely too toxic!]
[Caitlin: Ash's competitive experience during this era is severely lacking. Furthermore, he was clearly terrified that Brandon would find a window to project another Confuse Ray onto Charizard, completely locking him out of the match. It was that specific panic that drove him to rush out a desperate command.]
[Brandon: Let me reiterate this once more—that is called strategy! Strategy!! Can an elite trainer's calculated movepool combination seriously be slandered as 'dirty'?]
The Pyramid King was practically at a loss for words. He had simply utilized a standard, thoroughly optimized tactical sequence.
Isn't that precisely how a Dusclops is supposed to be handled in a competitive setting? If he wanted a straightforward, physical slugfest, he would have simply led the match with his Registeel!
[Diantha: Ah, yes, of course. Just like the time you ordered your Regice to utilize Rest to systematically stall out a Pikachu—that was also a masterpiece of 'strategy'~ If it weren't for that Pikachu manifesting an utterly unhinged, high-tier explosive output at the absolute end, you would have completely suffocated that kid with your toxic tactics.]
Brandon's face darkened instantly. Please, stop bringing up that absolute nightmare of a match archive!!
Utilizing a defensive stall tactic is not a source of shame; the true source of shame is deploying a literal Legendary titan against a base-stage electric mouse and still managing to drop the deciding match! Regice dropping a set to a Pikachu... even now, the forums across the global network are filled with trainers endlessly laughing at his expense!
Regardless, by utilizing his Dusclops to cleanly dismantle Ash's primary powerhouse, Charizard, he had successfully secured a massive structural advantage for his side.
Wait a minute...
If Charizard exits the field right here, and the final frame of this entire set is explicitly confirmed to be a 1v1 between Pikachu and Regice...
Does that mean... Bulbasaur and Squirtle are about to consecutively sweep through three of my roster assets?!
No! Please, anything but that narrative!!!
Under Brandon's deeply anxious gaze, the archival footage pressed onward.
In the footage—
Ash recalls his fallen partner, quietly offering a sincere apology to the Poké Ball.
"I'm so sorry, Charizard. My command was completely flawed this time... it looks like I still lack the proper qualifications of a seasoned trainer."
"But don't worry... our partners are going to take the field and win this back for you!"
Ash secures Charizard's ball and immediately unclips his next choice from his belt, tossing it forward.
"The opponent has already expended a massive portion of its stamina pool. Bulbasaur, I choose you!!"
"Saur!!"
The undisputed King of the Institute takes the field!
"Oh... so it is Bulbasaur's turn to rotate in? Dusclops, lock the escape vector—Mean Look!"
"Again? Bulbasaur, counter it immediately with Leech Seed!"
There is zero need to overthink the interaction. Brandon clearly intends to replicate his exact lockdown strategy from the previous round.
Since the tracking velocity of Mean Look makes it practically impossible to evade, Bulbasaur simply absorbs the spectral curse head-on! In exchange, it simultaneously fires off a high-accuracy Leech Seed to force a continuous health-drain trade!
Thwip—
A brown, dense seed erupts violently from the bulb on Bulbasaur's back, traveling across the linear path like a bullet! Because Dusclops was fully committed to channeling Mean Look, it completely lacks the mobility required to evade the incoming projectile.
The moves cross paths mid-field: Dusclops is cleanly infected by the Leech Seed, while Bulbasaur is instantly bound by the dark shadow of Mean Look.
"The window is closing... Dusclops, Shadow Punch!"
"Absorb the impact! Meet it with Razor Leaf!"
Because Shadow Punch functions as a homing kinetic projectile that bypasses standard evasion parameters, attempting to dodge is a zero-value choice.
The only optimal play is to trade raw damage! With the active Leech Seed constantly siphoning health back into Bulbasaur's pool, any symmetrical damage trade is a net victory for Ash's side!
Swish, swish!
A torrential storm of razor-sharp leaf blades erupts from the sides of Bulbasaur's bulb! The physical blades and the spectral fists cross paths mid-air, both entities absorbing direct hits!
Bulbasaur is launched backward several meters by the kinetic force of the fist, while Dusclops lets out a low groan as the sharp leaves slice through its defenses.
Simultaneously, its entire frame flashes with a vibrant crimson light—the Leech Seed has successfully initiated its drain cycle, extracting vital energy from Dusclops and transferring it directly to Bulbasaur!
However... even after enduring consecutive damage trades and a steady drain on its remaining health pool, the Eviolite-reinforced Dusclops refuses to collapse!
Is this ghostly wall truly this unyielding?
"Bulbasaur, close the distance with Vine Whip!"
"Confuse Ray!"
"What!!"
The moment the command for Confuse Ray leaves Brandon's mouth, Ash's expression twists into pure frustration. Is he seriously deploying that short-range restriction sequence again?
Dusclops' singular eye flashes with that same eerie, hypnotic luminescence. Having just closed the distance to execute its strike, Bulbasaur looks directly into the light, and its pupils instantly dissolve into a vacant glaze! Confuse Ray has successfully resolved!
"Fascinating... Mr. Brandon's repeated deployment of Confuse Ray at point-blank range across consecutive rounds was a calculated psychological setup.
He intentionally conditioned Ash into believing the move can only be executed at short range, forcing Ash to drop his guard the exact second his Pokémon close the distance to initiate a physical strike."
Having finally snapped out of his dazed distraction, Brock offers a clinical, precise analysis of the tactical layout.
Standing right beside him, May looks at him with a deeply strained expression. The Frontier Brain of the Battle Pyramid... why does his entire strategic code look infinitely more toxic and underhanded than the leaders of any other region?
With the Confuse Ray successfully locked onto Bulbasaur, Brandon spots the optimal window to push his advantage, ordering Dusclops to deploy Will-O-Wisp! Ominous ghostly embers instantly blanket Bulbasaur's frame, inflicting a permanent Burn status!
The passive damage tick generated by the burn perfectly cancels out the health restoration provided by the active Leech Seed. In other words, Bulbasaur's automated recovery loop has been completely neutralized!
"Damn it... Bulbasaur, fight through it! Vine Whip!"
Even within a state of deep confusion, there remains a random statistical chance for a Pokémon to successfully articulate its moves! However... there is an equal probability that it will execute a self-harming action!
Two thick vines snap out from the sides of Bulbasaur's bulb, but instead of striking across the field, they begin violently hammering into its own torso!
Compounded by the active Burn status, its physical offensive strength is halved, meaning the self-inflicted blows don't completely devastate its health pool, but watching its partner actively harm itself leaves Ash completely helpless.
He can do nothing but loudly yell across the arena, desperately trying to reach his partner's consciousness.
"Young man, miracles do not manifest twice consecutively. Dusclops, finish this with Shadow Punch!"
During the previous round, Charizard had managed to fight through the confusion purely through the strength of its emotional bond with Ash, but Brandon is fully convinced that such a statistical anomaly cannot replicate itself back-to-back. To mitigate any risks, it is best to remove Bulbasaur from the field immediately!
Two massive, phantom fists materialize out of the dimensional fabric, launching forward to smash into Bulbasaur's frame! The sheer force of the impact hurls its body entirely off the raised competitive arena!
Without a single fraction of hesitation, Ash vaults straight over the structural guardrails, launching his own body through the air to catch Bulbasaur before it can crash into the hard stone floor below!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Even as it rests tightly within Ash's arms, the confused Bulbasaur continues to blindly lash out, its vines whipping violently against Ash's chest and shoulders! Ash simply tightens his grip, absorbing the full force of the physical strikes without an ounce of resistance!
"No matter how terrifying or powerful the opponent standing before us is, you have always stood up to protect your friends!"
"No matter how grim the layout looks, you are an entity that absolutely refuses to submit to anyone!"
"Do not allow yourself to drop a set to a tactic like this!! Bring out that unbroken pride that has defined you since the very beginning, Bulbasaur!!"
Under the absolute weight of Ash's roaring voice, the vacant glaze within Bulbasaur's eyes instantly shatters, replaced by a fierce, crimson focus!
Its consciousness has completely recovered!
Brandon: ...
It took less than thirty seconds this time... is this kid seriously running a literal, real-time cheat code against my status moves?
[Caitlin: Hahaha! This is absolute perfection. Brandon's clinical stall strategy was completely rendered speechless by a raw emotional shout! Hahaha!]
[Agatha: The psychological fragmentation induced by a high-tier Confuse Ray is typically impossible to purge through vocal commands alone. Ash and this Bulbasaur possess a spiritual foundation that is entirely equal to the bond he commands with Charizard!]
[Erika: Of course! After all, Bulbasaur stands as one of the elite pillars comprising Ash's original Kanto roster. It shares an incredibly long, storied history not just with Ash, but alongside Charizard as well!]
[Cynthia: Even as those heavy vines were violently hammering into his own body, Ash didn't loosen his grip for a single millisecond; instead, he held Bulbasaur even closer. It is precisely this fierce, absolute devotion toward his partners' well-being that allows his voice to pierce straight through a psychological status condition so rapidly!]
[Flint: Man, Brandon is playing a highly optimized chess game with status moves, and Ash is simply flipping the table using raw shonen bonds. Turns out, the power of friendship is simply the superior competitive strategy!]
[Brandon: ...]
Although the live rendering had yet to display the sequential turns of the match, the elite trainers worldwide had already deciphered the final trajectory of the scoreboard. The Pyramid King was destined to drop this fated set.
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