On the field, Gengar had lost its ability to battle, and Ash put Monferno away. Although Gengar was down, Monferno didn't have enough strength left to support another match.
Today's two battles were already an overexertion for Monferno. If it continued, not only would it not benefit Monferno, but it might also cause the previous injuries to resurface.
Though Ash had Aura Power to help with recovery, the process was not pleasant for Monferno. Therefore, Ash chose to withdraw Monferno.
After all, the two battles allowed Monferno to have an enjoyable fight. Not only did Monferno evolve, but its strength also rose more than one level, triggering Super Blaze, and barely controlling that power with Ash's help.
The gains for Monferno were substantial.
"I didn't realize the gap between us was so wide, even a progressing Monferno could be pushed to such a level by you. If you had used that Ralts, you might have dealt with Gengar even more easily, right?" Giselle recalled her Pokémon without immediately sending out a new one and spoke to Ash.
Ash shrugged, saying nothing.
Giselle didn't know how strong Gardevoir was now. If Gardevoir were to enter the field, it wouldn't just easily defeat Gengar; it would utterly destroy it without giving Gengar a chance to fight back.
The gap between them was as vast as the heavens and the earth, incomparable, and Ash had no plans to use Gardevoir as his third Pokémon. He had registered three Pokémon in advance, initially intending only for Chimchar to battle in one.
In Ash's plan, after Chimchar battled, its physical strength would be nearly drained, allowing for the second Pokémon to come in. However, who would have thought Chimchar evolved into Monferno, and its power surged.
Thus, Ash decided to let Monferno continue with the second round; both battles meant he couldn't bring out all three Pokémon.
"This is my last Pokémon, my ace Pokémon... at least, at least defeat one of your Pokémon! I'm counting on you, Arcanine!!" With the throw of Giselle's final Pokeball, a dazzling light appeared on the field, and the spirited Arcanine appeared.
As expected of the noble lady, from the rare Pokémon Gengar to the hard-to-find-in-the-wild Arcanine, not mentioning their power, her rare Pokémon team lineup was indeed impressive.
This Arcanine's level was as high as Professional Middle Level, likely Giselle's ace Pokémon.
The world indeed has no shortage of geniuses. Back when Ash first encountered Giselle, she was just a girl boasting unbeatable theoretical knowledge, able to defeat others regardless of level.
Now, she has transformed into a mature Trainer.
But when it comes to growth... who can surpass Ash?
"It's decided, Pidgeot!!"
"Pidgeot!!" The majestic Pidgeot appeared in the sky, soaring with wings spread wide!
Ash's second Pokémon, and also originally his third Pokémon, was his second team's ace, Pidgeot!
Initially, he planned to use Tauros as the second Pokémon and Pidgeot as the third. However, against a Professional Middle Level Arcanine, Ash couldn't possibly let his Elite Level Tauros face a Professional Level opponent. That would be sending Tauros to its doom!
Unless Ash used Aura Power, but before the match, Ash had decided not to use such power unless absolutely necessary. Chimchar's situation was precisely one of those rare cases; it needed a victory to regain its confidence.
While Ash could help with physical condition adjustment, training rhythm, strength enhancement, Chimchar needed to build its confidence on its own.
And so, the battle allowed Chimchar to unleash all its accumulated experience and potential and regain its confidence.
Yet, for this subsequent match, there was no need for fancy tricks. It was sure that without using Aura Power on Tauros, it couldn't beat the opposing Pokémon. But even with Aura Power, could it guarantee a win?
Tauros and Arcanine were both running-type Pokémon, but Tauros's speed paled in comparison to Arcanine's, specifically in explosive speed. In terms of endurance, at the same level, Tauros might still have the edge over Arcanine.
However, battle measures instantaneous explosive speed. This is where Tauros has a disadvantage. Even if boosted to the same level as Arcanine using Aura Power, it might not defeat Arcanine.
But Pidgeot was different. In terms of speed, it ranked just below Charizard and Pikachu in the team. Even Gardevoir's movement speed couldn't match Pidgeot's, concerning pure physical speed. Including Teleport, no one can keep up with Gardevoir other than Pikachu.
So speed for speed, let Pidgeot face off against Arcanine!
"Pidgeot, an unseen Pokémon... but it seems quite formidable in terms of presence. Be cautious, Arcanine!" Giselle tensed at the sight of the large bird in the sky. Compared to the lower-level Monferno, Pidgeot carried a more intimidating presence.