"Lileep, use [Acid]!" Roxanne quickly commanded.
Lileep's petals flared open, and a spray of purple liquid arced across the field.
"Torchic, dodge and counter with [Ember]!" Ash waved his arm.
Torchic sprang sideways, the acid sizzling against the floor. Then he raised his beak and a burst of orange flame shot out, hitting Lileep squarely and making her recoil slightly, though she didn't look too bothered, especially because she had an Eviolite.
Roxanne smiled faintly. "You'll need more than that. Lileep, [Constrict]!"
Lileep's vine-like tendrils lashed forward, grabbed Torchic's legs, and slammed him into the ground.
Roxanne swept her arm forward, seeing her chance. "Now [Giga Drain]!"
The tendrils around Torchic's feet glowed as they began sapping some of his health. It wasn't very effective, but it still did something, and it healed Lileep.
But Ash wasn't worried. He had already checked Torchic with his Pokédex earlier, and what he saw made him smirk; it was perfect for this situation.
-
Torchic ♂
Ability: Blaze | Hidden: Speed Boost
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, –SpA)
Mutation: Ifrit – ???
-
As the move landed, one count passed and Speed Boost activated, putting Torchic at +1.
"Alright, buddy," Ash grinned, "[Quick Attack], spin out of it!"
Torchic was still held by the vines, but he jumped and spun quickly, causing Lileep's tendrils to tangle up.
Lileep gave a startled cry as its own vines knotted together, leaving it momentarily tangled and letting Torchic pull his legs free.
"Now, Torchic, [Peck]!" Ash ordered.
Torchic jumped up, now free from the vines. His beak glowed as he jabbed directly at Lileep's face. The hit landed cleanly, forcing the fossil Pokémon to stumble back, she couldn't even try to block with her tentacles tied in a knot.
Roxanne winced but kept her composure. "Don't panic, Lileep! Use [Brine]!"
Lileep steadied herself and managed to pull her tendrils apart, then a torrent of saltwater burst from her mouth.
Ash snapped, "Dodge it with [Flame Charge]!"
Torchic ignited himself and leapt back as the water barely missed him. Then he started running around the field as the stream followed, getting even faster. With the Flame Charge boost and another count from Speed Boost, he was already at +3.
Roxanne was starting to see what Ash was doing. She quickly called out, "Don't let them build up speed! Lileep, [Rock Tomb]."
Lileep slammed her tendrils into the ground. Segments of the battlefield cracked open as jagged stones burst upward and arced toward Torchic.
"Dodge with another [Flame Charge]!" Ash shouted.
Torchic kicked off one of the stones, ignited, and dashed in a zigzag through the incoming rocks, leaving a trailblaze of fire behind him. In a blink he was in front of Lileep, delivering a kick to her face and knocking her back. With that, he was up to +5 Speed.
Lileep was sent flying back, skidding across the floor with a pained grunt as it shook its head, trying to focus.
She clenched her fist. "Lileep, don't give it room! [Ancient Power]!"
Lileep steadied itself, the stones around the arena beginning to glow with a golden hue. The rubble lifted into the air, forming a halo of floating rocks before launching toward Torchic in a crushing volley.
"Dodge it and [Rock Smash]!" Ash commanded.
Torchic ran even faster, dashing through the spinning stones. Even as they tried to strike him, he blurred past them, moving faster than Lileep could track.
"Quick! Use the rocks to protect yourself!" Roxanne called.
Lileep gathered the Ancient Power stones and circled them around herself, forming a kind of rocky armor. But it didn't matter, Torchic flickered in front of her, delivering a blazing kick directly to her side, shattering the stones and sending Lileep flying back again. Speed Boost pushed him all the way to +6.
Roxanne gritted her teeth as Lileep struggled to stay upright, smoke curling from her battered petals. "Come on, Lileep, we're not finished yet! Use [Recover]!"
Lileep's body shimmered faintly, a soft green glow trying to patch over the damage.
Ash smirked. "Well then, let's make this quick. Torchic, [Flame Charge]!"
"Chic!" Torchic cried, bursting into motion again. Flames swirled around him, his entire body turning into a blazing streak of orange and gold.
Roxanne got an idea, if she couldn't keep up with Torchic, she'd stop him. "Quick, [Ingrain]!"
Lileep shot vines from her sides and slammed them into the ground, anchoring herself in place. As Torchic came in, he crashed into her, hard, but Lileep didn't budge.
"Now [Smack Down]!" Roxanne shouted, capitalizing immediately.
Lileep used the rooted vines to grab Torchic's feet so he couldn't escape. Then she raised her head-tentacles and brought them down, smacking Torchic on the head hard.
That hit hurt. A lot of students winced at the sound it made. Ash's friends winced too, looking worried, a blow like that could knock out a regular Torchic even at full HP.
Roxanne almost looked relieved that the attack landed. She was confident in her Lileep's power… but when she looked at Ash, her smile froze. Ash didn't look worried at all, he just smirked.
Then everyone realized Torchic was still on his feet. Slowly, he looked up… and spat something onto the ground with a matching smirk. It was the stem of a Charti Berry.
Ash snapped his fingers. "[Counter]."
Lileep panicked, she knew exactly what that meant, but she couldn't move because of the Ingrain she had used. Torchic leapt forward and delivered a single, brutal kick to Lileep's stomach. The impact was so strong it ripped her free from the ground and sent her flying out of the ring, crashing into one of the empty desks.
It took a second for everyone to process what just happened. May and Max were slack-jawed. Brock only sighed, remembering the first time he ever battled Ash.
Roxanne exhaled, raising her Poké Ball as the teacher called out, "Lileep is unable to battle!"
She returned Lileep and looked up at Ash, "I'll admit, I was prepared for a lot of things. That wasn't one of them."
"What did you really think, that you could beat me that easily?" Ash gave an easy smile. "Besides, you did good. Look at Torchic; he probably can't take another hit, so it's fine."
Everyone looked at the fire chicken, who was literally still bouncing from one foot to the other, ready to keep going.
"...Right," Roxanne said as she pulled out her next Poké Ball, raising it up. "But it won't be as easy now. Anorith!"
From the second ball, Anorith emerged, skittering across the ground. It was also holding an Eviolite.
Anorith's claws scraped against the battlefield as it landed, its segmented body gleaming under the lights. Its eyes locked onto Torchic immediately, calculating its next move.
Ash smirked. "Alright, buddy, looks like round two. [Flame Charge]!"
"Chic!" Torchic cried, igniting in fire as he rocketed forward, flames trailing behind him like a comet streaking across the field.
Roxanne pointed forward. "Anorith, [Rock Blast]!"
The ancient Pokémon's claws glowed, sending a barrage of jagged rocks spiraling toward Torchic.
"Dodge and weave!" Ash called out.
Torchic twisted midair, flipping over the flying rocks and landing nimbly behind Anorith. His feathers flared in a golden blaze as he surged forward again, flames trailing with each step.
Roxanne quickly commanded, "[Bug Bite]!"
Anorith lunged forward with its mandibles glowing green.
Ash swept his arm. "Torchic, dodge with [Quick Attack]!"
As Torchic and Anorith closed in, Torchic flickered out, and Anorith bit down on nothing. As it looked around, Torchic appeared behind it and kicked it, sending it flying.
Roxanne's jaw tightened. Anorith was too slow to keep up, Torchic was practically blistering past it, so she changed her plan.
"You're not the only one that can get faster. Anorith, [Rock Polish]!"
Anorith began glowing as its rough exoskeleton smoothed over. Torchic saw this and dashed toward it, aiming for a [Peck].
"Dodge!" Roxanne commanded, and Anorith jumped back, barely avoiding the attack. She followed up immediately: "Now [Rapid Spin]!"
Still in midair, Anorith spun rapidly and slammed into Torchic's side, raising its Speed even more.
Ash's grin didn't falter. "Alright, buddy… let's make this count. [Flame Charge]!"
"Chic!" Torchic cried, igniting into a blazing streak of orange and gold. He surged forward, dodging chunks of debris and moving at nearly incomprehensible speed.
Anorith reacted instantly, swinging its mandibles in a wide arc to intercept Torchic. Sparks flew as the fire bird dodged just in time, narrowly avoiding the attack. But the momentum of Anorith's spin carried it forward, putting Torchic directly in its trajectory.
"Dodge to the side and hit with [Peck]!" Ash yelled.
Torchic flickered midair, leaving a trail of fire, barely dodging left and getting grazed as he turned and dived with his glowing beak. The hit scraped against Anorith's exoskeleton, painful, but still not enough to knock the Rock/Bug type out.
Roxanne's eyes narrowed. "Keep your momentum, Anorith, [Bug Bite]!"
Anorith lunged, mandibles snapping for Torchic's flank. The little fire chicken twisted sharply, using a last-second flick of his claws to narrowly avoid being bitten.
"Quick, [Peck]!" Ash called.
Torchic flapped hard and darted downward, aiming his beak straight at Anorith's segmented armor.
Anorith barely rotated its body in time, deflecting the attack, but the impact still rattled its exoskeleton.
Ash gritted his teeth. "C'mon, buddy… just a little closer!"
Torchic dodged another [Rock Blast], but it grazed his side. By now, his HP was low enough that Blaze activated, and his fire flared even hotter.
"Anorith, now [Rapid Spin] again! Keep him off balance!" Roxanne shouted, seeing her Pokémon get a second wind.
The Pokémon spun midair, slamming into Torchic. The force sent the fire Pokémon crashing to the ground, kicking up a plume of dust and sparks. Torchic tried to get up immediately, flames flickering weakly along his back.
Ash waved his arm again. "We're not done yet, [Flame Charge]!"
Torchic dashed forward as Anorith, fresh out of spinning, couldn't use another move. Instead, it braced itself, and the two collided. Anorith staggered back, but it was still standing.
Roxanne called, "Anorith, [Bug Bite]!"
The mandibles clamped onto Torchic's flank as he charged past, sending him tumbling across the field. The little fire Pokémon landed hard, skidding to a stop, panting heavily. On the other hand, Anorith was also extremely hurt.
"Alright, let's leave them with one for the road, [Flame Charge] one more time!" Ash called, raising his fist.
Torchic's body ignited once again, the air around him rippling from the heat. His tiny eyes burned with determination as the flames wrapped tighter around his body, turning him into a living comet.
Roxanne's eyes widened. "Anorith, brace yourself, [Protect]!"
A barrier flared up in front of Anorith just as Torchic slammed into it, and Torchic bounced off like a bird hitting a window.
"Now finish it with [Aqua Jet]!" Roxanne commanded.
As the barrier flickered away, Anorith immediately surged forward in a stream of water, tackling straight into Torchic and sending the fire chicken flying back before crashing onto the ground.
Torchic tried to rise, shaking, but then fell over again with spirals in his eyes.
Ash sighed a little and raised his Poké Ball, returning Torchic. "Nice work out there. I'll take care of the rest."
Ash looked forward as his hand moved to his waist, grabbing another Poké Ball. He smiled, despite everything, Anorith was shaking and breathing heavily, barely still upright.
"I'll admit, your Torchic did far more than I expected… but we aren't done yet," Roxanne said, placing a hand on her hip with one finger raised.
"We'll see about that. Let's see how you like this," Ash said as he threw his Poké Ball. It flew into the air and opened with a click, out came Treecko.
He landed on the ground and stretched his shoulder, narrowing his eye as he bit down on the stick in his mouth, getting ready. Around his neck hung a Life Orb worked into a necklace.
Ash smiled. Just like Torchic, he had already checked Treecko's info, and saw exactly what he needed.
-
Treecko ♂
Ability: Overgrow | Hidden: Tinted Lens
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, –SpA)
Mutation: Ronin – ???
-
Roxanne took the first move since Anorith was still boosted. "Anorith, open with [Rock Blast]!"
Anorith steadied itself, mandibles tightening before it fired a series of stone projectiles like bullets.
Ash called out instantly, "[Quick Attack], and keep moving!"
Treecko shot forward, darting between the stones in a blur of motion. As the rocks came flying, he jumped around, using each projectile as a stepping stone, ricocheting from one to the next before springing into the air.
"Now, [Pound]!" Ash swiped his arm.
Treecko's tail glowed white as he spun in midair, slamming it squarely into Anorith's head. The fossil Pokémon screeched and stumbled back a few steps, the damage boosted by the Life Orb.
"Don't give it room! [Bug Bite]!" Roxanne snapped.
Anorith lunged forward, mandibles glowing as it clamped down, only for Treecko to pivot on one heel, barely dodging the bite. It grazed his shoulder, but he just glanced at it with one eye and ignored the hit.
As Anorith rushed in for another attack, Ash snapped his fingers. "Dodge and use [Grass Whistle]!"
Treecko backflipped into the air, grabbed the stick in his mouth, and blew into it. A soft whistling sound drifted across the arena. As Anorith heard it, a few students in the stands even started feeling drowsy.
Anorith struggled to keep its eyes open. Roxanne called out quickly, "Anorith! Please, snap out of it!"
But Ash wasn't going to let it recover, "Finish this, with [Bullet Seed]!"
Treecko landed on the ground, bracing himself with one arm as he lifted his head and fired a barrage of seeds. Anorith couldn't dodge, even as Roxanne shouted for it to move, it was no use.
The seeds struck one after another, pelting Anorith and sending it flipping backward onto its back. Its limbs went limp as spirals replaced its eyes.
Roxanne looked at Anorith and gave a helpless sigh, recalling it. "Well… I suppose I can't be mad about that. You've done quite well, Ash."
And she meant it. Usually in her Gym battles she held back since her opponents were students, but this time, she could finally go all out. And she was having fun, more than she'd had in a long while. She grinned.
"Alright then. I hope you're ready. Come on out, Nosepass!"
Roxanne threw her final Poké Ball, releasing Nosepass, also holding an Eviolite.
"Ah," Ash muttered, realizing the positioning. "That's how you're gonna play this, huh?"
Roxanne smirked. "Of course. Positioning is everything in a battle of terrain and timing. Nosepass, [Thunder Wave]!"
Nosepass's body hummed, its magnetic field building before a pulse of golden electricity surged outward, straight toward Treecko.
"[Quick Attack] to the left!" Ash called immediately.
Treecko dashed to the side, but the bolt bent unnaturally, pulled magnetically toward his direction… or more accurately, toward Treecko's metal necklace.
Ash blinked, "Wait what…?"
Roxanne lifted her hand confidently. "You're directly north of Nosepass. Its magnetic field naturally aligns all electric discharges in that direction."
Treecko yelped as the Thunder Wave clipped his leg, electricity sparking across his body and slowing his movement.
Ash sighed. "Ah, I see. You're doing that, huh? Didn't think you'd use magnetism against little old me."
"Yeah, well, you can handle it, can't you~?" Roxanne teased, one hand still on her hip with a cheeky smile.
Ash just chuckled. Magnetism, of course that was Nosepass's whole gimmick. And honestly? Back when Ash started abusing electromagnetism himself… who did you think he copied to get the numbers right?
But Ash wasn't worried yet. Because if that was the case, he had a plan. He just needed to set the right tempo.
"Alright then, I'll give you props for that. Don't think you can beat me though," Ash said with a smirk.
"Thank you." Roxanne gave a little bow and smiled. "Now, Nosepass, [Rock Slide]!"
The floor cracked open, and several jagged slabs of stone rose up and hurtled toward Treecko.
Ash pointed forward. "Break through them with [Pound]!"
Treecko's tail glowed bright white as he spun, smashing through the first two boulders like they were nothing, but the third one clipped him and sent him rolling back with a grunt, the paralysis slowing him down ever so slightly.
Treecko sprang back to his feet, glaring ahead. Sparks of paralysis still flickered along his body, but his expression didn't waver.
"[Quick Attack] again! Close the distance!" Ash shouted.
Treecko bolted forward, not as fast as before, the paralysis dragging at him, but still fast enough that Nosepass struggled to track him.
Roxanne saw that and immediately called out, "[Block], then [Shock Wave]!"
As Treecko reappeared, Nosepass spun its body 360 degrees before snapping back to face north, creating a magnetic barrier in front of itself and stopping Treecko in place. Then electricity burst outward, shocking Treecko.
Treecko cried out as the electricity coursed through his body, sparks dancing across his limbs. He skidded back, panting, smoke curling off his shoulder.
Roxanne flicked her wrist. "Nosepass, maintain orientation! Do NOT let him circle you!"
The big-nosed Pokémon instantly shuffled in a sharp, precise semicircle, keeping its face, its "north", aimed toward Treecko no matter how he moved.
Ash narrowed his eyes. She's… counter-positioning me.
He had to admit, it was a clever tactic.
"Treecko, move clockwise!" Ash barked.
Treecko sprinted, dragging static with each stride, but Nosepass rotated perfectly with him.
Roxanne smirked and snapped her fingers. "Electricity takes the path of least resistance… and Nosepass always creates that path. [Shock Wave]!"
A crack of blue electricity erupted. Even though Treecko leapt, dodging midair the bolt curved, drawn to the magnetic "north," and arced directly into his side.
Treecko hit the ground hard, skidding on one palm but flipping back to his feet.
May leaned forward in the stands. "She's completely controlling the battlefield…"
Max nodded. "And she's not letting Ash get behind her at all!"
Roxanne crossed her arms, looking remarkably proud. "As long as Nosepass faces north, I control the vector of every electric attack. From this angle, you can't approach without getting shocked."
Ash just smiled under his hat and mumbled under his breath, "Oh, trust me… I'm counting on that."
Roxanne quickly pointed again. "Alright, Nosepass! Don't let him circle you, [Gravity]!"
Nosepass's body pulsed, and suddenly the atmosphere wavered. Treecko felt it instantly, a crushing weight pushed down on him, forcing him into a deep crouch. His legs trembled as invisible force pressed him toward the cracked stone floor. Several students gasped.
Roxanne raised a finger like a professor giving a lecture. "Treecko's fast, yes. But movement patterns rely on momentum. This stops evasive circling entirely."
She snapped her arm forward. "Next, [Magnet Bomb]!"
From Nosepass's body, steel fragments hovered, humming with magnetic charge before firing like homing missiles.
Ash shouted, "Treecko, jump with [Quick Attack]!"
Treecko attempted it… but under Gravity, his leap collapsed into a sluggish hop.
The Magnet Bombs curved midair, bending unnaturally because Treecko was still directly north of Nosepass.
All three orbs slammed into him at once.
"Tree!" he grunted, skidding across the floor, barely catching himself with one arm.
Roxanne exhaled calmly. "As long as I maintain the axis, all electric and magnetic attacks will bend toward Treecko. Running behind Nosepass won't help, it'll simply rotate."
She snapped her fingers. Nosepass's body CLUNKED, rotating again to maintain its northward orientation.
"And no matter where you go, it'll just-"
But Ash just smiled. He got what he needed. He pointed at Roxanne, "Your next words are gonna be, 'Rotate automatically to face Treecko.'"
"Rotate automatically to-wait, what?!" Roxanne stumbled over the words, suddenly taken aback.
"Roxanne," he said, slipping fully into teacher-mode, "this time I'm gonna teach you something."
He swept his arm dramatically.
"Let me teach you about Gauss's Law. It says magnetic monopoles don't exist. Magnetic field lines must be continuous loops, they leave a north pole and return to a south pole. They can't be isolated or stopped."
"So," Ash continued, "you can't just aim magnetic fields like a flashlight. The lines will always try to complete their loop."
He pointed upward.
"And if you introduce a material with high magnetic permeability into the region-"
He flicked his thumb toward Treecko and snapped his fingers, "-the magnetic field prefers that path instead."
Roxanne froze. "Wait. Material with high permeability-?" She realized too late what Ash meant.
Treecko tore off his necklace and threw it into the air, and just as Ash said, Nosepass was forced to target it instead.
"Nosepass! Aim at Treecko again!" Roxanne commanded quickly.
Nosepass tried spinning, but immediately its magnetic field snapped back toward the flying necklace, firing stray electricity at it.
"My turn! Treecko, [Bullet Seed]!" Ash waved his arm.
Treecko huffed, burst forward, and began firing seeds one after another. Nosepass tried to rotate again now that he was close, but Treecko slid underneath it, emerging behind the Pokémon.
"Nosepass!" Roxanne panicked.
"Too late now Treecko, [Energy Ball]," Ash said with a snap of his fingers.
Treecko raised his hand, charging a green orb in his palm. Then he leapt up and slammed it into the back of Nosepass, sending the Pokémon flying into the ground with an explosion.
As the dust that covered the center of the field slowly began to disperse, Nosepass came into view, lying on its back with spirals in its eyes. Treecko stood in front of it with his arms crossed, injured, paralyzed, and barely standing… but still upright, as if nothing had happened. He extended an arm just as his necklace fell back into his hand, and he let out a tired huff.
The teacher serving as the referee sputtered a few times before raising his hand, "Nosepass is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is Ash!"
For a moment, the students stayed completely silent. Then the quiet was broken by clapping from the side, Brock and Phoebe were the first. Brock, because he was used to Ash pulling off things like this, and Phoebe simply because she loved watching cool battles.
Then, as if snapping out of a trance, May and Max clapped next… and finally the entire group of students joined in.
Ash tipped his hat and smiled at Roxanne. "I hope I lived up to your expectations, sensei~"
Roxanne snorted. "You did more than that. Guess even I have some things to learn. You know what they say, sometimes we learn more from our students than they learn from us."