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With both sides ready, the six-on-six free-for-all battle began.
But to Kai's surprise, Ash and Brock didn't waste any time both of them immediately targeted his Pokémon right out of the gate!
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Noctowl, go with Air Slash!"
"Onix, Tackle! Golbat, Supersonic—now!"
It was supposed to be a chaotic team battle with multiple targets, but clearly, the two had a silent agreement—ignoring Erika and Misty entirely, they focused their firepower straight at Kai's Dragonair and Larvitar.
The four opposing Pokémon surrounded Kai's two in a tight formation, unleashing a barrage of synchronized moves that left no room to dodge.
Although Dragonair and Larvitar fought back, the numbers were against them. Some of the attacks were canceled out in the crossfire, but the remaining ones landed hard.
BOOM!
When the smoke cleared, both of Kai's Pokémon were injured—though still standing.
Clearly, Ash and Brock knew Kai was the strongest among them. If they wanted a shot at winning, they'd have to take him down first.
Kai simply chuckled, shaking his head. "Really, guys?"
Was this some kind of grudge match?
'Fighting dirty, huh?' he mused. Guess that's one strategy.
Still, it was just a friendly battle Kai didn't really care about winning or losing. Even though they were ganging up on him, he gave no commands, letting his Pokémon battle freely.
Despite the onslaught, Dragonair and Larvitar held their ground with fierce determination.
But Ash and Brock's Pokémon weren't easy opponents.
Pikachu, in particular, was agile and relentless, darting around the field with near-perfect precision, dodging attacks and striking with powerful electricity.
And the battlefield itself was too small for so many Pokémon. Dragonair and Larvitar had little space to maneuver.
After just a few exchanges, Larvitar collapsed.
Dragonair, although still on its feet, was clearly struggling.
Ash and Brock seemed on the verge of knocking both out—until a string of explosions turned their heads.
BOOM! BOOM!
To their shock, Marina's Pokémon Aipom and Quagsire had already been knocked out!
With Ash and Brock focused entirely on Kai, Erika, and Misty had been free to double-team Marina without interference. And against two Gym Leaders, her Pokémon didn't stand a chance.
Marina gave a sheepish shrug. "Yeah, sorry guys. Turns out ignoring me wasn't the best plan."
Her tone carried a hint of frustration her teammates had left her wide open. And now, she was out of the battle.
Not that Ash or Brock picked up on the subtext.
With Marina down, Erika and Misty turned their attention to Brock and Ash, surrounding them in a pincer formation Dragonair now backed by Misty and Erika's remaining Pokémon.
The tide had turned.
Still, it wasn't over yet.
Though it was now five Pokémon versus four, Misty's Psyduck was… well, Psyduck. It stood around cluelessly, not listening to commands, doing absolutely nothing.
Realistically, that made it a four-on-four. Not hopeless.
Brock's eyes lit up. "Ash we're going all in!"
Ash nodded. "Right! Let's give it everything we've got!"
At their command, the Pokémon pushed themselves to the limit. Energy clashed in the center of the battlefield electricity, wind, water, stone, vines all colliding in a chaotic whirlwind.
Then—BOOM!!
A massive explosion erupted at the heart of the field, blasting up a mushroom cloud of smoke and fire. The grass shimmered red beneath the blast, the force rippling across the area.
When it finally cleared—
Dragonair, Onix, and Pikachu were all down. Knocked out cold.
Only Noctowl and Golbat were left standing both battered, wings faltering, clearly at their limit.
Ash pumped a fist. "Yes! We're gonna win this!"
"Don't relax yet," Brock warned. "There's still Psyduck."
Ash blinked. "Wait… Psyduck's still up!?"
Sure enough, the dopey duck Pokémon stood off to the side, untouched by the blast. It had somehow avoided all damage, simply by being completely uninvolved.
Ash burst out laughing. "Oh, come on! It's just Psyduck. This'll be easy!"
At their command, Noctowl and Golbat rushed in for the final strike.
"Psy?"
But Psyduck, true to form, panicked clutching its head, stumbling back and forth, confused and disoriented. It made no effort to counterattack.
Misty yelled from the sidelines, "Psyduck! Do something! Use a move—anything!"
But Psyduck didn't respond. Its brain clearly wasn't on the same channel.
Ash and Brock relaxed, thinking it was over.
Until—
Suddenly, Psyduck's eyes glowed blue.
A surge of psychic energy pulsed out from its body, locking both Noctowl and Golbat in mid-air.
"What—!? Psyduck's using Psychic!" Brock shouted.
Ash's eyes widened. "No way!"
Across the field, Misty let out a victorious cheer, bursting into laughter. "Yes!! Go Psyduck!! Finish them!"
Psyduck stretched out its stubby arms, and with a dramatic motion, hurled both flying Pokémon into the ground.
CRASH!
The impact left both Noctowl and Golbat unconscious.
Psyduck stood tall well, waddled around in confusion but somehow, against all odds, had turned the battle in their favor.
It was a stunning reversal.
If Psyduck hadn't wandered into the battle earlier… Misty would've used a stronger Pokémon, and maybe the fight would've ended much sooner.
But in the end, the outcome was the same.
"We lost…" Ash sighed, defeated but still smiling.
Even in loss, both he and Brock were in high spirits.
After all, they had managed to knock out Kai's Pokémon something neither of them had ever pulled off in a real battle.
And that was a win in itself.
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