"Venu~!" At Ash's command, Venusaur roared, releasing a flurry of glowing green leaves from the massive bloom on its back.
Magical Leaf wasn't the most powerful Grass-type move, but it had one key advantage—it never missed. Using mental focus, the leaves locked onto their target like homing missiles, continuing to pursue until they struck or were destroyed.
Boom!
Thwack!
The shimmering leaves sliced into Venomoth, striking once again at its already-damaged left wing. Venomoth cried out in pain, its flight becoming unstable. It could no longer soar high, forced instead to hover low to the ground.
Ash had always told his Pokémon that no move should be underestimated. Even seemingly weak or "support" moves could be dangerous in the right circumstances. Smaller attacks often went ignored by opponents, letting their damage quietly stack up until it became decisive.
"Tch… I walked right into it. He's been targeting the same spot twice in a row. Careless," Koga muttered, frowning as he realized the danger to Venomoth.
"Venomoth, keep your distance and attack from range—use Swift!"
"Veno~!" Venomoth's wings beat rapidly, releasing a barrage of glowing star-shaped projectiles that streaked toward Venusaur. Even at B-rank power, the wide spread of the attack could cause serious damage if it connected.
"Wood Barrier!" Ash countered immediately. Against a spread attack like Swift, direct defense was best.
Thick wooden pillars erupted from the ground in front of Venusaur, curving into an arch-shaped shield. The starry projectiles struck the barrier harmlessly, their energy dispersing on impact. The wood might have looked ordinary, but each log was infused with Venusaur's energy, pushing its defensive strength up to A-rank levels.
"What…?!" Koga's eyes widened. "A Grass-type using a move like that…? I knew Ash had developed some of his own techniques, but I didn't expect him to cover such a wide range of abilities."
"Ash is amazing!" Suzie, acting as referee, couldn't help voicing her awe. She'd heard the stories, but seeing it in person was on another level.
"I'm going on the offensive now. This next move is A+ power—it could be a one-hit knockout if it lands. Venusaur, Branch Cutter!" Ash called.
From the arching wooden barrier, countless branches shot outward like a machine gun, raining down toward Venomoth's position.
"That range… Venomoth, use Mirror Coat!" Koga ordered quickly.
Mirror Coat, a mix of defense and counterattack, could halve the power of special moves and reflect them back.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The branches slammed into the shimmering, multicolored barrier in front of Venomoth. For a moment, the counterattack worked—some of the branches rebounded toward Venusaur. But the force of the assault quickly overwhelmed the barrier, shattering it.
Mirror Coat wasn't a perfect reflection—it had a power limit. Venusaur's Branch Cutter had exceeded that threshold, breaking through and continuing its assault.
"Veno~!!!" Venomoth shrieked as one branch pierced its damaged wing. Before it could retreat, barbs suddenly sprouted along the branch, digging in deeper.
Fortunately, the strike had only hit its wing—if it had struck Venomoth's body directly, the injury could have been far worse.
Ash exhaled quietly. He knew the attack's official rating was only A+, but if aimed at a vital point, its true power could reach S-rank levels. It was a move he was both proud of and cautious about.
Most of Venusaur's Wood-Style techniques were a balance of offense and defense. Defensive maneuvers were safe enough, but the attacks were devastating—capable of leaving an opponent severely injured if they weren't careful.
Thankfully, Pokémon Center treatment was excellent in this world. Even an injury like Venomoth's could be healed—it would just take more time.
"Ash, I forfeit this round!" Koga called out, seeing the extent of Venomoth's injury. Continuing the battle would only risk serious harm.
Ash gave a small nod, raising his left hand to signal Venusaur to halt its attack.
Koga quickly returned Venomoth to its Poké Ball, then moved to the side of the arena where the Pokémon Teleporter was located. With a press of a few buttons, he sent the Poké Ball directly to the Pokémon Center through the League's half-dimensional transfer system—a technology installed in nearly every official Gym to let trainers swap or treat Pokémon instantly.
"That was dangerous… I didn't expect your Venusaur to be that strong," Koga admitted as he returned to the field. "Those techniques are lethal if you want them to be. Thank you for holding back."
Ash nodded. It was true—he had been careful. If those branches had struck Venomoth's body instead of just its wings, the damage would have been far worse. That was the double-edged nature of Venusaur's Wood-Style techniques: incredible for both offense and defense, but their attacks were often too extreme for friendly matches. Thankfully, some of Venusaur's Mokuton moves could be controlled to limit damage, or else Ash would rarely dare to let it battle at all.
"You're right," Ash replied. "I didn't expect the fight to play out like that either. Venusaur's definitely one of my best Pokémon for area control and group battles." He couldn't hide the mix of pride and caution in his voice—Mokuton made Venusaur a powerhouse, but one that required careful handling.
"Then it's time for my ace," Koga said with a determined smile. "This partner has been with me for nearly twenty years. Go—Weezing!"
The Poké Ball burst open, revealing the Poison-type Pokémon. Two unevenly sized spheres floated in midair, fused together and venting clouds of noxious purple gas from multiple pores across their bodies. Weezing let out a guttural rumble, the air around it shimmering faintly from the toxicity.
...
TN:
⚡ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin