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The second round of Ash and Gary's battle began.
Heracross opened aggressively, landing several clean hits on Gary's Magmar. Using its raw strength, it even managed to lift Magmar into the air and slam it down, giving Ash the early advantage.
But Magmar retaliated with a spectacular move. In midair, it formed a blazing Fire Blast, then dove straight through its own flames, becoming a living fireball. It crashed down on Heracross with explosive force.
Heracross staggered back, slamming into a massive boulder. Before it could recover, Gary commanded Magmar to unleash Flamethrower at point-blank range.
Fire engulfed Heracross completely, its silhouette barely visible through the blaze.
The crowd gasped this looked like the end.
But suddenly, Heracross spread its wings wide, whipping up a powerful gust. The fierce winds blew away the flames, revealing the battered but unbroken Bug-type.
Watching from the lounge, Kai nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good lesson. No matter how many battles I've fought, I always learn something new from watching others."
Heracross roared and counterattacked. Lowering its horn, it charged forward with Megahorn, one of the most powerful Bug-type moves.
Even as Magmar blasted flames in its path, Heracross pushed through, slamming into its opponent with unstoppable force.
Magmar was knocked out, evening the score 1–1.
Kai let out a low whistle. "That's Ash for you… defying type disadvantages through sheer determination. You have to admire that."
Erika smiled knowingly. "That's not something you can just copy. It's his gift."
The third round began, and Gary sent out his ace Blastoise. His first and strongest partner. The message was clear: he was ready to seize control.
Ash kept Heracross in, but Blastoise's Water Gun and Hydro Pump easily overwhelmed it. Despite its fighting spirit, Heracross fainted. The scoreboard shifted: Gary led 2–1.
Ash's next Pokémon was Muk. Its unusual, amorphous body gave Blastoise trouble. At one point, Muk completely engulfed Blastoise in sludge, drawing cheers from the crowd.
But Gary's Pokémon blasted water from inside, forcing Muk to release it. Ash recalled Muk before it could take more punishment.
The announcer boomed:
"What an incredible battle! Both sides are showing amazing skill. Gary's Blastoise has no glaring weaknesses it's clear this Pokémon has been raised with expert care. Can Ash turn this around?"
After a moment's thought, Ash sent out Bayleef.
Kai blinked in surprise. "Bayleef? I thought he'd use Pikachu for a showdown against Blastoise."
But Pikachu was actually sitting in the stands with Misty, Brock, and Togepi, cheering loudly. Ash clearly had no plans to use him in this battle.
On paper, Bayleef had the type advantage. Grass vs. Water. But as Erika muttered, "With Ash, type advantage doesn't guarantee anything."
Sure enough, after an initial struggle, Blastoise caught Bayleef in its jaws, swung it overhead, and hurled it out of bounds into the stadium wall. Bayleef fainted instantly.
"Blastoise is unstoppable!" cried the announcer. "That's three of Ash's Pokémon down in a row who can possibly break Gary's momentum?!"
In the dorm lobby, Erika turned to Kai, her expression tense. "Gary's Blastoise is incredible. I battled it once myself, and it left a lasting impression. Ash looks like he's in real trouble. Could it be Gary's victory?"
Kai shook his head calmly. "Not yet. This battle isn't over. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's to never count Ash out. He always finds a way."
After a five-minute intermission, the match resumed.
Ash sent out Snorlax, while Gary switched to Arcanine.
Both were heavy hitters. Arcanine struck first, trapping Snorlax in a swirling Fire Spin. But Ash countered with pure power Snorlax charged a Hyper Beam and blasted through, knocking Arcanine out in one blow.
The audience erupted in disbelief. Gary's confident smile slipped for the first time.
Keeping his composure, Gary recalled Arcanine and sent out Nidoqueen, the same Pokémon that had crushed Tauros earlier.
Kai immediately realized Gary's strategy: he was giving Blastoise time to rest for the final showdown.
But Snorlax was full of surprises. Despite its bulky frame, it dodged Nidoqueen's Hyper Beam with unexpected agility, then landed a decisive Ice Punch, knocking Nidoqueen out.
The announcer shouted in amazement:
"Unbelievable! Ash's Snorlax is turning the tide! What an incredible combination of strength and speed!"
Applause thundered through the stadium.
Erika couldn't help but remark, "That Snorlax is remarkable. It's powerful, yet surprisingly agile. How in the world did Ash train it to this level?"
Kai chuckled knowingly. "Well… It's not just Ash. Don't forget, all of Ash's Pokémon stay at Professor Oak's lab when they're not with him. Oak takes care of them and raises them with great attention. Honestly, Oak probably pampers Ash's Pokémon more than even his own grandson Gary's."
Erika blinked. "Wait seriously?"
Kai smirked. "Exactly. That's why I said… Professor Oak's Pokémon are something else."
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