"The battle between challenger Ash and Gym Leader Olympia will now begin! Both trainers will use two Pokémon each, with no substitutions allowed. The match ends when both of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Begin!"
Charlene stepped forward, acting as referee.
Olympia's two Meowstic calmly padded onto the battlefield, their psychic energy already crackling faintly in the air.
"Come then, Ash. Show me your strength," Olympia said. She was eager to see just how powerful a boy whose future she could not see truly was.
"Frogadier! Hawlucha! You're up!"
"Froga!"
"Lu-Cha!"
This wasn't the first time Frogadier and Hawlucha had battled side by side. Ash had specifically trained the two to cooperate in double battles.
"Meowstic, use Helping Hand and Future Sight!"
"Meowww!"
In perfect sync, one Meowstic's eyes glowed as it unleashed Future Sight, while the other boosted its power with Helping Hand.
Helping Hand increased the strength of Future Sight by fifty percent—a devastating combination if executed successfully.
"Frogadier, Quick Attack!"
Lightning-fast, Frogadier's body blurred, a fusion of Quick Attack and Agility.
"Hawlucha, use Frogadier as your stepping stone—soar up into the skies!"
"Cawhhh!"
Hawlucha pushed off Frogadier's shoulders, launching into the air with tremendous force.
Meanwhile, Frogadier's movements left afterimages streaking across the arena. By the time the Meowstic completed their setup, Frogadier was already streaking toward them at a speed no eye could fully track.
"That speed again!" Carrie muttered from the stands. "That's the same speed that crushed my Sigilyph and Banette… how will Madame Olympia respond?"
Even she had to admit—Ash's Frogadier was frighteningly fast.
Nearly all of Ash's Pokémon had been trained with speed as a priority. Even naturally slow Pokémon had to undergo rigorous speed training.
The principle was simple: in Pokémon battles, nothing can defeat sheer speed.
Frogadier's Quick Attack blurred the arena, each afterimage turning into a ghostly remnant.
"Don't underestimate me! Meowstic, use Dark Pulse—and Helping Hand again!"
Olympia's voice remained calm and unwavering. Her strategy revolved around bolstering her Pokémon's strength with support moves, then unleashing crushing attacks at the opportune moment.
Her goal was simple: stall until Future Sight struck, and let the tide of battle turn in her favor.
This was her signature battle style.
But Ash had studied both Olympia's habits and the original storyline. He had already devised a counterstrategy: end the battle in one swift strike.
"That's exactly why I sent both Frogadier and Hawlucha together. Frogadier, turn those afterimages into Double Team!"
"Hawlucha, descend in a spinning dive!"
In a dazzling shift, Frogadier's flickering afterimages solidified into fully-formed copies—dozens of them rushing forward. The crowd gasped in disbelief.
"You can use it like that?!"
"Meowstic!"
Olympia's Meowstic unleashed Dark Pulse, sweeping the field and shattering every clone.
But Frogadier had already darted in close, landing direct blows with Quick Attack that sent both Meowstic reeling backward.
And from above— Hawlucha was descending, spiraling downward at terrifying speed.
The Meowstic were launched directly into its path.
"Now, Hawlucha! Spinning X-Scissor!"
The same move Hawlucha had perfected during the Laverre Gym battle—an aerial, spinning X-Scissor!
Bug-type moves—super effective against Psychic-types.
"Cawhhh!"
"Tch—Meowstic, use Psychic on each other's bodies and get out of there!"
Olympia's eyes narrowed. She hadn't expected Ash's offense to be this ferocious, flowing seamlessly from one strike into the next.
If that X-Scissor landed, even Future Sight might not be enough to turn the tide.
But she didn't know—Future Sight was already factored into Ash's plan.
Hawlucha's strike connected before the Meowstic could react. Its talons slashed across both Pokémon, tearing through their Dark Pulse as though shredding paper, and landing directly against their necks.
The twin Meowstic's attacks collapsed, scattering into fragments of energy.
Then, above them, the air distorted violently—Future Sight was about to land.
"It's all you, Hawlucha!" Ash shouted.
"Cawhhh!"
With one talon gripping each Meowstic, Hawlucha held them aloft above its head—right as Future Sight's destructive blast came crashing down.
"BOOM!"
The explosion rocked the battlefield.
"Yes! Incredible! I never imagined Future Sight could be countered in such a way. Ash, you're outstanding!"
From the sidelines, Professor Sycamore could barely believe his eyes.
Though he was a professor, he had once traveled and battled Gyms himself, and he knew just how impossible it was to pull off such flawless timing.
Ash and Hawlucha had even calculated the exact moment Future Sight would activate.
Future Sight—originally intended to defeat Hawlucha—had instead backfired, destroying Olympia's own strategy.
"Meow… Meowstic…"
The two Meowstic collapsed to the ground, fainted.
"The Meowstic are unable to battle! The winners are Hawlucha and Frogadier! Victory goes to the challenger—Ash!"
Charlene's voice echoed across the battlefield.
Ash nodded firmly. With his memories of the original timeline, combined with the training he had given Frogadier and Hawlucha in Tag battles—and their unmatched speed—the outcome was far cleaner than before.
The Psychic Badge. His seventh Gym Badge—was now his.
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