The battle facility was now buzzing with excitement as Ash and Noah stepped onto the battlefield. A small crowd had gathered, eager to watch the match between two trainers who had been dominating the ship's battles.
Noah adjusted his stance, his eyes focused. He had seen Ash battle before—reckless, but determined. He wouldn't underestimate him.
Ash grinned, clutching Treecko's Poké Ball. "Alright, let's do this! I choose you, Treecko!"
The small, green Pokémon landed on the field with a confident smirk, flicking the twig in its mouth.
Noah reached for his own Poké Ball, already knowing his choice. Treecko was fast, but he had a counter.
"Let's go, Sage."
The Dottler appeared, its hard, yellow-and-blue shell reflecting the overhead lights.
Whispers spread through the crowd. A Bug-type against a Grass-type? On paper, Noah had the advantage.
Ash, however, looked unfazed. "Alright, Treecko! Let's start off fast! Use Quick Attack!"
Treecko vanished in a blur, sprinting across the battlefield toward Sage.
Noah's eyes tracked the movement. Quick Attack was fast, but not unexpected.
"Sage, Reflect."
A shimmering barrier formed in front of Dottler, just in time to absorb the impact as Treecko struck. The attack pushed Sage back slightly, but the Reflect dampened most of the damage.
Ash clicked his tongue. "So you're setting up defenses, huh?"
Noah remained quiet. The less he gave away, the harder he'd be to predict.
"Treecko, keep moving! Don't give it time to attack!"
Treecko began dashing around, zigzagging across the battlefield.
Noah's expression remained calm.
"Sage, use Confusion."
The psychic energy pulsed from Dottler's body, spreading in waves. Unlike a direct beam, it was an area-wide attack, aiming to catch Treecko in its range.
Ash's eyes widened. "Jump, Treecko!"
Treecko leaped high into the air, barely avoiding the Confusion wave.
"Now, Pound!"
Coming down fast, Treecko's tail glowed white as it aimed a direct strike.
Noah's eyes focused. He had seen this before.
"Sage, Struggle Bug. Full power."
The moment Treecko landed, Sage released a powerful pulse of Bug-type energy, blasting Treecko back before its attack could connect.
The Grass-type tumbled across the battlefield before flipping back onto its feet, panting slightly.
Ash grinned. "Nice one! But we're not done yet."
Noah remained silent, watching. Sage was holding up well, but he wasn't letting his guard down.
Ash pointed forward. "Treecko, use Bullet Seed!"
Treecko took a deep breath before firing a barrage of glowing seeds toward Sage.
"Sage, use Protect."
A translucent shield formed, blocking the Bullet Seed completely.
But Ash was already moving. "Now, Quick Attack from the side!"
Noah's eyes flickered. That was a feint.
"Confusion. Now."
As Treecko came in from the left, Sage's eyes glowed blue, and a psychic force stopped Treecko mid-attack.
The Grass-type struggled in the air, trapped in Confusion's grip.
Noah saw his opening.
"Throw it."
Sage launched Treecko backward, sending it skidding across the battlefield.
The crowd gasped. Treecko was breathing heavily now, visibly struggling.
Ash clenched his fists. He needed to end this fast.
"Treecko, one more Quick Attack! Full power!"
Treecko pushed forward, sprinting faster than before, a last burst of determination driving it forward.
Noah took a slow breath. Now.
"Sage, Confusion. One last time."
Treecko was only inches away when Sage's psychic energy wrapped around it again, completely stopping its charge.
Then, with a final push, Sage slammed Treecko into the ground.
A cloud of dust rose.
When it cleared, Treecko lay on the battlefield, unmoving.
Silence filled the room.
Then—
"Treecko is unable to battle! The winner is Noah and Dottler!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, and Noah exhaled quietly. The battle had gone exactly as planned.
Ash walked over and knelt beside Treecko. After making sure his partner was okay, he smiled. "You did great."
Then he looked up at Noah, grinning. "Man, you're strong. That was awesome!"
Noah simply nodded. "You weren't bad either."
The battlefield was silent for a moment as both trainers recalled their Pokémon.
Ash adjusted his cap, his usual fiery determination shining through. "Alright, time for round two! Pikachu, let's do this!"
"Pika!" Pikachu leaped forward onto the battlefield, sparks flickering from its red cheeks.
Noah's expression remained unreadable as he reached for his next choice.
"You're up, Aeris."
With a burst of light, Aeris, his Pidgey, appeared, wings spread wide as she hovered just above the ground.
Ash grinned. "This'll be fun!"
The spectators around the battle arena whispered among themselves. A Flying-type against Pikachu? That was a big risk.
Brock, who had been watching intently, crossed his arms. "Noah must have a strategy. He wouldn't just send out a Flying-type blindly against an Electric-type."
May nodded. "Yeah, but even so… Pikachu is really fast. This won't be easy."
Ash was the first to act. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
Pikachu became a yellow blur, zipping across the field toward Aeris.
Noah's response was instant. "Aeris, Quick Attack too."
Aeris shot forward, matching Pikachu's speed. The two collided in the middle of the battlefield, sending out a shockwave of force.
Both Pokémon landed on opposite sides, their gazes locked.
Ash smirked. "Not bad! But let's turn up the pressure. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Electricity crackled around Pikachu, and in an instant, a powerful surge of lightning shot toward Aeris.
Noah's eyes narrowed. This was it.
"Aeris, Sand Attack!"
Instead of dodging, Aeris flapped her wings hard, kicking up a swirling wall of sand.
The Thunderbolt hit the sandstorm head-on—and suddenly, the electricity dispersed.
The crowd gasped in shock.
Ash's eyes widened. "Wait—what?!"
Brock leaned forward. "Woah! Sand isn't just for blinding the opponent. The particles in the air act as natural insulation against electricity!"
Max's mouth dropped open. "So Noah isn't just avoiding Pikachu's attacks—he's neutralizing them?!"
May blinked. "That's… genius."
Ash gritted his teeth. He couldn't let this strategy control the fight.
"Fine! If Thunderbolt won't work—Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
Pikachu's tail glowed white, and it leaped high, flipping midair before swinging its tail down toward Aeris.
Noah reacted instantly. "Aeris, Wing Attack!"
Aeris's wings glowed as she shot upward to intercept.
The two moves collided, sending both Pokémon flying back.
Pikachu landed on the ground, breathing hard but standing strong.
Aeris hovered above, her feathers ruffled from the impact.
Both trainers knew the battle was reaching its climax.
Ash pointed forward. "Alright, Pikachu, one more Iron Tail!"
Noah's eyes flickered. He had to counter this now.
"Aeris, Quick Attack—into Sand Attack!"
Aeris rushed forward with incredible speed, dodging Pikachu's incoming tail strike at the last second before spinning midair and whipping up another sandstorm.
The entire field was covered in dust.
Pikachu coughed, momentarily blinded.
Ash gritted his teeth. "Pikachu, keep moving! Don't stay in one place!"
Noah saw his opening. "Aeris, Wing Attack!"
Out of the swirling sandstorm, Aeris dived in at full speed, her wings glowing.
The hit landed directly, sending Pikachu tumbling.
For a moment, it seemed like Pikachu might not get up.
But then—
"Pika… CHUUUUU!"
A massive Thunderbolt erupted from Pikachu's body, spreading wildly across the battlefield.
Noah's eyes widened. The sand wasn't thick enough anymore—Aeris was exposed.
The electricity slammed into Aeris, causing her to cry out and crash onto the battlefield.
The dust settled.
Everyone held their breath. Both Pokémon struggled to stand.
Aeris flapped her wings weakly, rising just a few inches before collapsing onto the ground.
Pikachu wobbled on its feet—then fell forward as well.
The referee raised both arms. "Both Pokémon are unable to battle! This round is a draw!"
The crowd burst into cheers, and Ash and Noah both exhaled.
Ash chuckled, scratching his head. "Man, that was crazy. You really had me with that Sand Attack trick."
Noah simply smirked. "You fought well too."
Both trainers reached for their last Pokémon.
It was time for the final round.
Ash grinned, grabbing his last Poké Ball. "Alright, I'm not backing down! Taillow, I choose you!"
In a flash of white light, Taillow appeared, wings outstretched as it let out a sharp cry.
Noah remained calm as he tossed his own Poké Ball.
"Grimm, it's your turn."
The Poké Ball popped open, and from the swirling energy emerged Grimm, the shiny Impidimp. His blue skin with pink accents made him stand out instantly, catching the attention of the crowd.
May's eyes sparkled. "Wow, I still can't believe that Impidimp of Noah's is a shiny! It looks so different from a normal one."
Max adjusted his glasses. "Yeah, but even if it looks cool, it's still a Dark- and Fairy-type. And Ash's Taillow is a Flying-type. If it knows any strong moves, Grimm could be in trouble."
Brock smirked. "Maybe. But if I know Noah by now… this isn't just going to be a straight fight. His Grimm doesn't battle like a normal Pokémon. He's a trickster."
Ash took the initiative. "Taillow, Quick Attack!"
Taillow shot forward like an arrow, a blur of white streaking across the battlefield.
Noah smirked. "Let's mess with it."
"Grimm, Play Rough!"
Grimm giggled mischievously, then suddenly charged forward with surprising speed. Instead of dodging, he let Taillow's attack hit—but grabbed onto Taillow's wing in the process!
Taillow squawked in surprise as Grimm clung onto it, kicking and pulling at its feathers in a playful yet brutal manner.
Ash's eyes widened. "Shake it off, Taillow!"
Taillow flapped wildly, trying to throw Grimm off.
Noah grinned. "Grimm, let go."
With a theatrical cry, Grimm pretended to be thrown off, spinning through the air as if he had just suffered a major hit. He tumbled onto the battlefield, landing face-first in the dirt, twitching slightly.
The spectators gasped.
May leaned forward. "W-Wait… was that real?"
Brock narrowed his eyes. "Noah's pulling something…"
Ash hesitated for a second before calling out, "Grimm's down! Taillow, go in with Wing Attack!"
Taillow flew forward, wings glowing as it aimed to finish the battle.
Noah's smirk deepened. "Grimm, Low Kick."
Before Taillow's attack could land, Grimm suddenly flipped upright, his eyes sparkling with pure mischief.
In one swift motion, Grimm's foot slammed against the ground—right in front of Taillow's path.
Since Taillow was speeding in too fast, it couldn't dodge. Its own momentum worked against it, and it tripped over Grimm's attack—slamming into the dirt face-first.
The crowd erupted in shock.
Ash looked stunned. "What the—?!"
Max's jaw dropped. "Did Grimm… just fake being knocked out?!"
Brock let out a chuckle. "That little guy's a real actor. He made it look like he was hurt so Ash would drop his guard. Classic trickster tactics."
May giggled. "That's kinda funny! But also kinda mean…"
Manipulation at Its Finest
Taillow quickly scrambled back to its feet, eyes narrowing at Grimm. It realized now that it had been tricked.
Ash gritted his teeth. "No more games! Taillow, Aerial Ace!"
Taillow's wings glowed sharply, and it vanished in a burst of speed, appearing directly above Grimm.
Noah nodded. "Alright, Grimm—let's get serious"
Instead of dodging, Grimm threw up his hands in surrender, looking absolutely terrified.
"Impiii~!" he whined, shaking his head rapidly as if pleading for mercy.
Taillow hesitated for just a split second seeing such thing happening for the first time.
That was all Noah needed.
"Fake Out."
SMACK.
Grimm's tiny hand struck Taillow's beak before it could land its move.
The sudden surprise attack staggered Taillow, causing it to flap back in confusion.
Ash clenched his fists. "Taillow, don't let it get to you! Wing Attack again!"
"Grimm, Low Kick—again."
Just as Taillow rushed forward, Grimm sidestepped at the last moment, sweeping his foot forward to trip it once more.
For the second time, Taillow crashed into the ground.
By now, Taillow was visibly frustrated, flapping its wings rapidly as it lifted itself back into the air.
Ash refused to back down. "Aerial Ace, full power!"
Taillow rushed forward, pushing itself even faster than before.
Noah exhaled. "Alright, Grimm… let's finish this."
"Flatter."
Grimm smirked, his eyes flashing pink as he blew a kiss at Taillow.
He wasn't using Attract—but something worse.
A strange energy wave pulsed from Grimm, and Taillow suddenly froze mid-attack.
It blinked rapidly, its eyes slightly unfocused, before suddenly spinning in circles.
It had become confused!
Taillow swerved out of control, flapping wildly as it tried to stabilize itself. But instead of hitting Grimm—
—it crashed straight into the ground on its own.
The battlefield went silent for a moment.
Then, as the dust settled, Taillow lay dizzy and unable to battle.
The referee raised a hand. "Taillow is unable to battle! The winner is Impidimp—Noah is the victor!"
The crowd burst into cheers, and Noah gave a small smirk as he walked over to Grimm.
"Nice acting out there," Noah said, patting Grimm's head.
Grimm grinned mischievously, clearly proud of his performance.
Ash walked over, returning Taillow to its Poké Ball. "Man… that battle was crazy. I've never fought someone who battles like that before."
Noah shrugged. "Grimm's a trickster. He plays the opponent more than just attacking."
Brock chuckled. "It's definitely a unique style. You don't see many trainers use mind games in battle like that."
May sighed, shaking her head. "I feel kinda bad for Taillow, though. Getting tripped twice and then confused…"
Max smirked. "Well, at least we learned something—never trust Noah's Grimm."
Noah smirked but said nothing. That was exactly what he wanted.
As the crowd dispersed, the group headed off for lunch, with Ash determined to train even harder for his next battle.
Noah, meanwhile, was already thinking ahead—his next stop was Slateport City.