Chapter 176: Fuchsia Gym, vs. the Chunin!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
"Nice job, Utility Bird!"
Taking the opportunity, Ash cheekily called out again.
"Pidgeotto~"
Having perfectly overcome its Poisoned status, Pidgeotto was in a state of unusual excitement and even responded with a loud cry.
This was a psychological suggestion Ash was giving it. By calling it "Utility Bird" at its peak excitement, he was quietly creating an equation.
Utility Bird = Excitement.
Over time, this equation would one day become unconditional, and Pidgeotto would even come to feel proud of this nickname.
This was Brother Red's training method for the perfect Utility Bird—a truly ruthless method!
While the opposing Venomoth was still flustered by the sudden Heal Bell, Ash swept his thumb forward.
"Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack!"
Freed from its Poisoned status, Pidgeotto's speed was like lightning. Cloaked in white light, it shot forward like an arrow, striking Venomoth squarely in the stomach.
"Don't stop! Now use Wing Attack!" Ash roared.
Pidgeotto understood. It retreated slightly, then swung both wings forward, landing two resounding slaps on Venomoth.
Super effective!
Koga hurriedly rallied himself, commanding:
"Venomoth, use Psybeam!"
Venomoth fell back half a meter to stabilize itself, its eyes erupting with a powerful blue light. A wave of multicolored psychic energy rolled forth, blasting toward the nearby Pidgeotto!
But Ash's eyes lit up as he shouted:
"Use Aerial Ace just like that!!"
Amidst the Psybeam, Pidgeotto's figure suddenly vanished. In the next instant, it appeared directly below Venomoth's body, its sharp beak glinting with a cold light that could pierce through anything.
"Pidgeotto!!"
Aerial Ace viciously plunged into Venomoth's stomach. Its body instantly caved in, clearly having taken immense damage.
Super effective!!
"Veno..."
A few seconds later, Venomoth spiraled weakly to the ground, having clearly lost its ability to battle.
"Great job, Utility Bird!!"
"Pidgeotto!!"
Having secured the first victory, the man and bird came together, high-fiving with palm and wing, looking perfectly harmonious.
"..."
Koga silently recalled his Pokémon, thinking to himself that this trainer had already skipped the rookie stage and possessed considerable strength.
After all, 99% of trainers were just messing around during their first year of travel.
Ash had noticed this as well. He felt as if his destiny had been quietly shifting ever since Red had possessed his body.
His strength was also improving at a rapid pace. At the very least, he was no longer a clueless novice.
"In that case, I'll send out my chunin!"
Koga's gaze hardened as he threw out his second Poké Ball, which flew like a shuriken.
*Bang!*
A flash of red light revealed a large, multicolored spider. It was nearly half as tall as a person, with a red-and-black abdomen and head. The legs on the sides of its abdomen were yellow and purple, and each leg ended in an unsettling poisonous spike.
Its purple, jewel-like eyes shimmered with a strange light, and the two mandibles below its mouth constantly opened and closed, creating a truly menacing sight.
*Pokédex Beep.* Ariados, the Spider Pokémon. It is highly poisonous. However, being bitten by one allows you to grasp the true meaning behind the saying, "With great power..."
The Pokédex automatically provided the information.
Ariados was a common Pokémon in the Johto Region. Since Koga would soon be working in the Johto Region, it was only natural for him to catch a few local specialties to show off.
Ash sized it up, swallowing hard as he watched Ariados move its body with each step.
*Hiss...*
Before the battle had even begun, Ariados turned its back to Pidgeotto. The bird Pokémon looked on, impressed but confused, only to see a large, colorful face on Ariados's abdomen. Startled, it retreated several steps.
Attack -1.
Speed -1.
Blue lights indicating a stat decrease flashed consecutively over Pidgeotto.
"What?!"
Ash was shocked. The match hadn't even started, and his ace had already been nerfed twice.
This wasn't the Intimidate ability, but an original technique of Koga's own creation. He had combined the colorful patterns on his Pokémon with the move Scary Face to create a pseudo-ability that weakened the opponent's attack and speed simultaneously.
Although it was a pseudo-ability, its effect could be considered Intimidate 2.0.
Under his training, any Pokémon with colorful patterns could achieve this, such as Ariados, Arbok, Poliwag, and so on…
"Damn it..."
Ash didn't dare to be careless and prepared himself for a tough fight. Even though Pidgeotto still had a type advantage, he didn't feel like he had the lead at all.
The battle began.
Koga once again initiated the attack, commanding, "Ariados, use String Shot!!"
"Hissss!!"
Ariados raised its head and shot a thick, white strand of silk toward Pidgeotto in mid-air.
"Pidgeotto!"
Although its speed had been lowered by one stage, its base speed was nothing to scoff at. With a flap of its wings, Pidgeotto dodged the incoming String Shot.
"Heh heh..."
An eerie expression appeared on Koga's face.
In the next second, Ariados suddenly twisted its head, whipping the silk it had just spat out all around the room. Its four legs moved constantly, changing the origin point of the silk.
"Hissss..."
"Hissss..."
Soon, the once-spacious room was transformed into a Cave of Coiling Webs. Spiderwebs were strung up everywhere, severely restricting the space available for movement.
"Damn it..." Ash frowned.
Pidgeotto's greatest strength was its high-speed movement in open areas. This Cave of Coiling Webs terrain was no different from clipping its wings.
A glint flashed in Ash's eyes as he shouted:
"Pidgeotto, use Cut and slice all the spiderwebs to pieces!!"
"Pidgeotto!!"
Pidgeotto raised its wings, gathering a sharp intent capable of cutting through anything at its wingtips. It unhesitatingly slashed at a section of the web.
*Thwump.*
But to its surprise, Cut failed to slice through. In fact, because its wing made contact with the web, Pidgeotto's wing became stuck to it.
"Pidgeotto..."
Pidgeotto struggled continuously, but the more it struggled, the deeper it became entangled. In no time, its entire body was wrapped in the tough, sticky webs, making it impossible to break free.
"Heh heh, I forgot to tell you. My Ariados has another nickname: the Bird-catching Spider. You could say it's the natural bane of bird Pokémon," Koga sneered.
Type advantage?
Could it compare to a natural counter?
"Hissssss..."
At some point, Ariados had already climbed to a corner of the ceiling. Stepping onto the webs with its legs, it began to approach Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto, normally the predator of bug-type Pokémon in the food chain, was now like prey awaiting slaughter—isolated, helpless, and weak.
"Come back, Pidgeotto!"
Ash acted decisively, taking out Pidgeotto's Poké Ball in an attempt to recall it.
*Whoosh!*
The red light from the Poké Ball enveloped Pidgeotto, but the scene of it being withdrawn never came. It was as if the Poké Ball was broken. He tried several more times, but he couldn't recall it.
"Huh? How can this be!"
Ash had never seen this happen before. He panicked for a moment, relying on muscle memory to keep pressing the Poké Ball's button, but he only met with failure.
Koga continued with a sinister laugh, "Gyehehe... let me teach you a lesson. The silk binding Pidgeotto isn't just any ordinary silk. It's a move called Spider Web..."
"Spider Web?" Ash repeated.
*Pokédex Beep.* Spider Web is a move that appeared in the Johto Region. It shoots out a spider thread, and any target entangled in it will be unable to escape the battlefield. During a battle, they cannot even be returned to their Poké Ball. Similar moves include: Mean Look and Block.
The Pokédex provided a helpful explanation.
"So it's like Mean Look…"
Ash understood immediately, having seen that move before. But knowing was useless. He had no way to break the deadlock now. Pidgeotto's wings and claws were tightly bound by the Spider Web, leaving it completely unable to struggle free.
"This is its fate. It cannot be changed."
Koga formed the Seal of the Hare, as composed as a ninja, and slowly declared:
"Ariados, use Cross Poison and end its fate!"
Ariados arrived in front of Pidgeotto. An unsettling purple energy lit up on the spikes of its legs, forming a cross shape as it mercilessly plunged toward the immobilized Pidgeotto!
(end of chapter )