Chapter 238: Those Who Use a Double Protect Are All Unfortunate Souls
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Without giving Pidgeotto much time to think, dozens of ice shards assailed it once more.
Ash quickly commanded, "Pidgeotto, use Rock Smash!"
Since a conventional regional bird's moves were ineffective, then in this moment, it would become a bloodthirsty and merciless utility bird!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A red glow, characteristic of the Fighting type, coated Pidgeotto's wings. It punched and kicked at the incoming projectiles. Since ice shards were a form of rock, they were easily smashed into fragments.
Articuno: "?"
Though somewhat bewildered, this didn't stop it from attacking again. This time, Articuno lowered its wings to its sides, lifted its neck, and spat an ice-blue beam of energy from its beak. The beam formed a column, suffused with a dense, icy aura as it shot toward its target.
As it traveled, it froze the very water vapor in the air into ice crystals.
Frost Breath!
"Heh heh."
A sinister smile suddenly tugged at the corner of Ash's mouth.
You used a priority move to break Pidgeotto's rhythm before, but Frost Breath isn't one!
"Swoosh!"
Pidgeotto had already become a white afterimage, vanishing from its spot in an instant. Its speed was incredible as it raced along the beam of Frost Breath, rapidly closing in on its source.
Quick Attack!
He had seen this move, Frost Breath, once before in Saffron City against Sabrina's Jynx. It was a move guaranteed to land a critical hit, so all Pidgeotto had to do was avoid it.
With the dual boost from Agility and Quick Attack, Pidgeotto's speed was now a notch higher than even Articuno's.
In less than half a breath, Pidgeotto had flashed in front of Articuno. The latter froze for a split second, snapping its beak shut to cut off the Frost Breath and take other action.
"Too late!" Ash gave it no chance, roaring, "Pidgeotto, use Steel Wing!"
Pidgeotto instantly exited its Quick Attack state, which had merely been a feint to get close to the target. By now, a metallic sheen had already gathered on its wings.
"Clang!"
"CLANG!"
Unable to dodge in time, Articuno was struck by two heavy Steel Wings in succession. It let out a muffled cry as its body was knocked back several meters, crashing into the nearby rock wall and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Super effective!
Ash pressed his advantage, shouting, "Don't give it a chance! Pidgeotto, use Thunder Wave!"
"Pidgeo-geo!"
Pidgeotto flapped its wings. A Flying-type Pokémon, it surprisingly manifested an electric current on its wings. With a forward flick, it directed the Thunder Wave's current into the cloud of dust.
Once Articuno was afflicted by Thunder Wave, with Pidgeotto's speed, this battle was as good as won.
"Shriiiieeee!"
However, events did not unfold as perfectly as Ash had imagined. A high-pitched cry echoed from within the cloud, and the dusky dust was suddenly enveloped by a white mist that appeared from nowhere.
The white mist carried a mystical power. The moment the Thunder Wave made contact, it was instantly nullified by an unknown force, the electric current dissipating into the air.
*Beep.* Mist, a defensive move. Prevents the user's stats from being lowered. A powerful Pokémon can even use Mist to nullify the effects of status conditions.
The Pokédex prompted in a timely manner.
Articuno's form then burst forth from the cloud of mist, circling in mid-air and looking down on them all, noble and elegant.
There were no wounds on its body; not even a speck of dust remained from its crash into the rock wall.
"So this is a Legendary Pokémon..."
The three of them couldn't help but blurt out in unison, their gazes captivated by the ice-blue figure.
Articuno was not an offensively oriented Legendary Pokémon, but rather a defensive one, with extremely high physical and special defense.
But that didn't mean its attack power was weak. It was just a bit lacking compared to its own defense, but compared to the strength of an ordinary Pokémon, it was already very high.
"Shriiiieeee!"
In mid-air, the Articuno above suddenly spread its ice-blue wings, and an endless chill instantly and crazily erupted from beneath them.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
It was as if a terrifying blizzard had been whipped up out of thin air within the cave. A hurricane and a blizzard simultaneously enveloped the battlefield. The temperature dropped to freezing point once more, and the rolling blast of air forced everyone to lower their heads.
Endless snowflakes howled madly, the icy presence was incredibly dense, filling the air with a murderous aura.
Blizzard!
"Whoosh whoosh..."
Pidgeotto, at the very front, bore the brunt of this terrifying blast of snow and wind. The arena-wide AoE gave it no room to dodge. The blizzard was like a white, all-devouring beast, instantly swallowing it whole.
Ash quickly shouted his command, "Pidgeotto, use Protect!"
Protect was an essential move for a utility bird, so of course Pidgeotto had mastered it.
"Pidgeo-geo!"
The blizzard slammed it in the face. The terrifying chill and type effectiveness nearly made Pidgeotto faint on the spot. It frantically shook its wings to regain its senses and concentrated a cyan shield around its body.
Protect!
In the swirling snow, the cyan shield was like a small boat in a raging tide, looking fragile and as if it could shatter at any moment.
But it held firm.
It held on!
"Shriiiieeee!"
Articuno glanced over, its expression unchanged. Protect only lasted for one turn; it was a desperate struggle. How would it block the next one?
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
It didn't fold its wings. The howling blizzard in front of it grew even more exaggerated and violent!
For a Legendary Pokémon, other abilities might be debatable, but its stamina was definitely the most outstanding. This extended Blizzard stretched directly into a second turn, still howling madly.
"Damn it... Pidgeotto, use Protect again!"
With no other options, Ash had to bite the bullet and go for a consecutive Protect!
If it were the old him, he would have even jumped out and taunted that anyone who used a consecutive Protect must have a screw loose. But only by being in this position could he truly understand that those who use a consecutive Protect are simply desperate, unfortunate souls.
A brilliant light flashed in Pidgeotto's eyes.
"Ting!"
As the first cyan shield dissipated, a second miraculously appeared around Pidgeotto.
Consecutive Protect, successful.
"Great job, utility bird! You're the only one who never lets me down!"
Ash couldn't help but roar in joyous celebration.
Although he was usually incredibly unlucky, his luck in battle had always been good!
"Whoosh whoosh..."
The terrifying blizzard raged for a full three minutes before gradually dissipating. Seeing the little brown bird still standing on the battlefield, Articuno's gaze turned hostile.
Protect couldn't block every move. When a move's power reached a certain level, the Protect shield would shatter.
Did that mean its Blizzard wasn't powerful enough?!
"Shriiiieeee!"
Articuno was instantly enraged. Its ruby-like pupils now radiated an incredibly dangerous light. It gathered its power and activated a new move.
The next second, a strange, single-eyed afterimage appeared on Pidgeotto's body.
(end of chapter)