The Indigo Plateau Conference had progressed to the fourth round, and the atmosphere in the arena was growing increasingly tense.
Ash stood within the participant tunnel, his gaze fixed on the match currently taking place in the main stadiuma focal point of the day: Gary Oak against Jimu.
"Gary's Blastoise has already defeated two of Jimu's Pokémon in a row," Brock noted, his eyes narrowed as he focused on analyzing the battle. "But its stamina is clearly reaching its limit."
Misty watched Gary on the field with a look of concern. "Even though his roster is massive, he has far too few Pokémon capable of acting as his true core pillars."
Ash remained silent.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he had anticipated. Gary had focused far too much on the quantity of his captures, completely neglecting the dedicated cultivation of a core team.
Sure enough, the tide of battle began to turn the moment Jimu sent out his Golem.
"Golem, use Earthquake!" Jimu's command was concise and forceful.
The heavily injured Blastoise was unable to dodge in time. It collapsed with a thunderous thud amidst the violent tremors of the earth.
Gary was forced to send out his Nidoking, but Jimu had clearly done his homework.
"Golem, use Rollout!"
Nidoking's Poison Sting had little effect on the Rock-type Golem, while Golem's continuous Rollout gathered more power with every rotation. After a few exchanges, Nidoking was also defeated.
Gary's final Pokémon was an Onix. Facing an opponent of the same attribute, it was quickly brought down by Golem's Rock Slide.
"Onix is unable to battle! The winner is Jimu!" the referee's declaration brought the match to a close.
Dejected and lost in thought, Gary walked off the field, failing even to notice Ash standing nearby. Ash let out a soft sigh; this was the price of failing to cultivate a core team.
That afternoon, Ash's fourth match commenced on the Grass Field. His opponent was a young girl dressed in an exquisite kimonoJeanette Fisher.
The battlefield was covered in dense thickets and towering trees, an environment perfectly suited for Grass-type and Bug-type Pokémon.
"I've seen your previous matches; they were wonderful!" Jeanette Fisher gave an elegant bow. "However, my tactics are completely different from those you've faced before."
As the battle began, Jeanette led with her Beedrill. In the Grass Field, such a Pokémon was right at home, easily using the trees as cover.
"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Ash sent out his reliable partner.
"Beedrill, use Pin Missile!" Jeanette commanded.
The Beedrill unleashed a Pin Missile, sending a dense barrage of needles flying toward Bulbasaur from all directions.
Ash remained calm. "Use Vine Whip to grab the branches and hide behind the trees!"
Bulbasaur used its Vine Whip with fluid grace, swinging through the forest and perfectly evading every needle. Immediately following the dodge, it unleashed a precise Razor Leaf that struck the Beedrill's wing.
"Now! Solar Beam!"
With the added boost provided by the Grass Field, Bulbasaur gathered energy almost instantaneously. The scorching beam of light blasted through the air, sending the Beedrill flying.
"Beedrill is unable to battle! Bulbasaur wins!"
Jeanette remained unfazed as she sent out her second Pokémona Scyther. It moved with incredible speed, appearing as nothing more than a green flash among the trees.
"Scyther, use Fury Cutter!"
"Bulbasaur, use Sweet Scent to slow it down!"
Bulbasaur emitted a cloyingly sweet fragrance, and Scyther's movements became visibly sluggish. Ash followed up immediately with a Leech Seed, which latched onto the opponent and began to steadily drain its stamina. Despite the Scyther's stubborn resistance, it eventually succumbed to the constant attrition.
Now, Jeanette Fisher was down to her final Pokémon.
To the surprise of the entire audience, the Pokémon she sent out was a seemingly frail and delicate Bellsprout. The crowd began to murmur, with many assuming Jeanette had given up on the match.
Ash's pupils contracted. He remembered clearly that in the original timeline of this tournament, it was this seemingly weak Bellsprout that had caused him a great deal of trouble.
"Come back, Bulbasaur." Ash decisively recalled his slightly fatigued partner.
Jeanette Fisher smiled faintly. "It seems you've noticed. This Bellsprout has undergone very special training."
Ash returned the smile. "As it happens, I have a special partner I'd like to introduce. Muk, I choose you!"
When the purple, sludge-like Pokémon appeared on the field, many in the audience couldn't help but cover their noses. Even Jeanette's Bellsprout seemed momentarily daunted by the pungent odor radiating from its opponent.
"Bellsprout, don't be afraid! Use Razor Leaf!" Jeanette ordered.
The sharp leaves flew toward Muk, but its body merely wobbled. The leaves sank into its soft, gelatinous form, failing to cause any damage whatsoever.
"Muk, use Sludge!"
The purple sludge hit Bellsprout with pinpoint accuracy. The double effectiveness of the move against a Grass-type drew a pained cry from the Bellsprout.
"Bellsprout, use Vine Whip to grab the trees and dodge!" Jeanette cried out.
But Ash's next move was already upon them. "Use Poison Gas!"
A purple haze of toxic gas spread rapidly, surrounding the Bellsprout before it could escape. Under the continuous assault of Poison-type moves, it finally lost its strength and collapsed to the ground.
"Bellsprout is unable to battle! Muk wins! The victor is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!"
Jeanette recalled her Bellsprout and bowed to Ash. "Congratulations. To be able to see through Bellsprout's specialty so quickly... you truly are an outstanding Trainer."
Ash politely returned the gesture. "Your tactics were brilliant. I almost let my guard down."
With this victory, Ash successfully advanced to the Top 16. He knew that very soon, that crucial turning point in time would arrive!
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