"Cuckoo loses his fighting ability. Ibrahimovic wins. Please have the Gym Trainer replace the Pokémon."
After Cuckoo was declared unable to continue, the apprentice referee standing in the gym announced the result.
This was the first time he had seen his Gym Leader defeated so decisively. Still, he wasn't completely discouraged—he knew Asu's trump card hadn't been revealed yet. There was still hope.
Ibrahimovic had already used Swift several times in succession. His stamina had dropped sharply, falling to less than thirty percent. Seeing this, Ash recalled him without hesitation.
"Good work. Take a rest… I'll leave the next round to you."
After gently comforting Ibrahimovic through the Poké Ball, Ash tossed out another ball. At the same time, Asu released his second Pokémon as well.
White light flashed.
Ralts' petite body floated lightly in front of Ash, calm and focused. On Asu's side stood a Dodrio, its three heads displaying entirely different expressions—joy, anger, and impatience—creating a strangely vivid contrast.
"Dodrio?" Ash said, slightly surprised. "Aren't you a trainer who specializes in Flying-type Pokémon? Dodrio may have Flying-type attributes, but it can't actually fly."
Ash hadn't expected Asu to send out Dodrio. Still, it was a powerful Pokémon—often compared to a pseudo-ace. If it were weak, it wouldn't have earned that reputation.
"For me," Asu said quietly, looking at his Dodrio, "Dodrio represents the origin of Bird Pokémon. My dream of one day soaring into the sky… isn't so different from theirs."
A human dreaming of flight like a bird—it sounded almost absurd. Yet when Asu spoke those words, the nervousness he'd been showing earlier completely vanished.
His resolve had settled.
"Is that so… a dream?" Ash narrowed his eyes. Countless people spoke of dreams—but very few truly walked the path to reach them.
"Dodrio," Asu commanded firmly, "show him our determination. Agility!"
White light flared beneath Dodrio's feet. In an instant, it shot forward in a straight line, closing the distance to Ralts almost immediately.
"Drill Peck!"
Dodrio's three heads lunged simultaneously, sharp beaks striking like spears.
"Disarming Voice."
A soft but piercing wave of sound rippled out from Ralts. The moment Dodrio heard it, its momentum shattered. Confusion overtook it, and the three heads collided with one another in disarray.
"Dodrio, snap out of it! Don't be led astray by its voice!" Asu shouted.
Ash, meanwhile, remained calm, arms folded as his gaze swept across the battlefield, observing every detail.
At that moment, blue psychic energy gathered around Ralts.
The energy rose into the air and scattered like rain, falling across the battlefield. Where it landed, translucent blue pools formed on the ground—manifestations of Ralts' psychic power. Anyone who stepped into them would find their movements restricted.
"What kind of move is that…?" Asu muttered, startled.
Then he remembered.
One of Ash's most well-known traits wasn't just his battle instincts—it was his ability to develop original techniques.
"Do—!"
Dodrio finally shook off the confusion, but the moment it moved, its feet stepped into the blue psychic field. Instantly, its legs were bound, restrained by the condensed mental energy.
"What?!" Asu's expression changed drastically.
Dodrio had just regained clarity—and now it couldn't move.
"Looks like this round will be simpler," Ash said with a faint smile. "Ralts—Hypnosis."
Blue ripples spread outward from Ralts' eyes, striking Dodrio directly.
"Do… do…!"
One by one, Dodrio's three heads drooped. Within seconds, it collapsed into deep sleep.
"Dodrio, wake up!" Asu shouted anxiously.
But it was too late.
Dodrio was completely defenseless now. If Ash followed up with a decisive attack, the damage would be unavoidable.
"Dream Eater."
Ash's calm command echoed across the battlefield.
Asu's expression tightened instantly. There was nothing he could do—Dodrio showed no sign of waking up on its own. Dream Eater was a move that could only be used on a sleeping target, devouring the opponent's dreams while they slept, converting the stolen energy directly into the user's own strength.
Blue psychic energy surged forward from Ralts and enveloped Dodrio.
"Do—!!!"
Dodrio suddenly jolted awake, all three heads lifting at once, terror clear in its eyes. Its stamina dropped sharply, nearly halved in an instant. At the same time, the drained energy flowed back into Ralts, restoring what it had consumed earlier while setting up the psychic field.
The mental strain from the earlier technique was completely replenished.
"This is bad…" Asu muttered, frowning. "Dodrio's stamina has dropped to about fifty percent, while Ralts still has room to maneuver."
Dodrio may have regained consciousness, but its body trembled slightly—it hadn't fully recovered from the psychic assault.
"Dodrio," Asu warned quickly, "watch the blue water beneath your feet. Those things restrict movement. Avoid them at all costs."
"Do!"
Dodrio responded immediately, its gaze locking onto the translucent blue psychic pools spread across the ground. It carefully stepped backward, clearly wary of Ralts launching another sudden attack.
Ash observed this quietly.
As expected… the power gap is still there.
"If Ralts were stronger," Ash thought calmly, "that Dream Eater alone would've ended the battle."
Judging from Dodrio's remaining stamina and Ralts' current mental output, Ash could tell that Ralts' psychic strength still had room to grow. This battle made one thing clear—future training would need to focus heavily on mental endurance and output.
Psychic control alone isn't enough yet.
But for now—
The momentum of the battle was firmly in Ash's hands.
(End of Chapter)
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