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Gary must have been lost in this forest for a while too. Ash and his group had trained in Donphan Valley for two days, yet they still caught up to him here. Gary had come to the Johto region before them, but this guy still talked tough, claiming he had caught several Pokémon in this forest and had unconsciously become engrossed in it. Ash curled his lips. You're lying, buddy.
Led by Gary's Hoothoot, and with Ash able to sense the locations of the Ghost-type Pokémon, the group of four quickly exited the confusing forest and arrived at Ecruteak City. Since it was getting late, Ash and Gary decided to rest at the Pokémon Center for the night and battle the next morning.
So, the next morning. "Now beginning, the battle between Ash and Gary! Each person is limited to one Pokémon. Begin!"
"Go, my sweet, Blastoise!"
"Charizard, I choose you!" Blastoise looked very imposing. This was Gary's starter Pokémon, and he had raised it very well. It had to be said that although Gary was arrogant and liked to show off, he did have genuine skill. But the current Charizard's aura wouldn't be weak in the slightest!
"Your Charizard seems to have gotten stronger! But the type disadvantage cannot be overcome!" Gary rarely praised him. "Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" Two massive jets of water erupted from Blastoise's shoulder cannons.
"Charizard, dodge and get close!" Water-type moves were super effective against Charizard. If this hit, it would be bad. However, Ash remained calm in the face of danger. As his bond value continuously increased, his synergy with Charizard deepened. Charizard, free from the forced training device, had a new understanding of its speed. The moment Hydro Pump was unleashed, it ducked and flew low to dodge the attack, closing in on Blastoise.
"Dragon Claw!" Green Dragon Claw slashed upwards at Blastoise, sending Blastoise's massive, heavy body flying.
"How could this be!" Gary watched the scene before him in disbelief, but his reaction was very fast.
"Blastoise, use Rapid Spin!" Blastoise spun rapidly, landing steadily.
"Quite a trick!" x2 Ash and Gary praised each other almost simultaneously.
"Charizard, Flamethrower!" This time, Ash and Charizard attacked first. Fire-type moves might not be very effective against Blastoise, but they still had some effect.
"Use Rapid Spin again!" Gary had indeed raised Blastoise extremely well. The whirlwind generated by Rapid Spin dispersed Charizard's flames. But at that very instant, Ash and Charizard's attack landed again! Seeing this, Gary immediately reacted. "Damn it, Ash, this guy still has quite a few tricks up his sleeve!" The ineffective Flamethrower was clearly meant to distract him and Blastoise!
"Use Dragon Claw!" However, this time, Charizard's Dragon Claw failed to activate! This meant that Ash lost this attack opportunity. "What a pity!" Misty, watching, sighed. Then she stood up and shouted, "Ash, Charizard, go for it!" Seeing Charizard's confused expression as it looked at its claw, Ash chuckled, "Charizard, good luck next time!"
"Roar!" Gary and Blastoise had already regained their composure. "Damn it, Ash, are you using me as a sparring partner?!" Charizard's Dragon Claw skill truly astonished Gary, but he never expected this skill to have just been learned. Gary immediately understood Ash's intentions and couldn't help but be furious.
"Haha, Gary, don't be angry!" Since the opponent guessed it, Ash generously admitted it. His friendship with Gary wouldn't mind this. This was the best sparring partner. Since they met, Ash naturally wouldn't let him go!
"Charizard, go for it! Use Flamethrower again!"
"Hmph, don't think the same trick will work on me again! Blastoise, use Hydro Pump to counter!" The fire pillar and water column met in the center of the field, creating a large amount of steam that filled the entire arena.
"Blastoise, use Skull Bash!"
"Charizard, use Dragon Claw!" In this steam, Ash and Gary both simultaneously had their Pokémon launch close-quarters attacks.
"Roar!" From within the steam, Charizard's pained roar echoed!
"Ash, the flame on Charizard's tail is like a guiding light! Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" Gary laughed wildly, as if victory was within his grasp. But after he gave the command, no Hydro Pump surged out from the steam.
"What's wrong?" Gary didn't see it. Ash's lips curved into a smile. Gary thought he couldn't see the scene in the steam either. But he didn't know that his Aura allowed him to always be in control. Gary's use of Hydro Pump to counter Flamethrower was also within his expectations. This young master was very proud and wouldn't willingly become his sparring partner. Indeed, after the steam dispersed, Charizard clutched its belly, panting heavily. It was clearly injured. But Blastoise had lost its fighting ability and fallen to the ground.
"Blastoise!" Gary exclaimed, but he quickly reacted. "Come back! You did well!" "Blastoise is unable to battle, Charizard wins. Therefore, the winner is Ash!" Brock made the judgment. This rival battle temporarily concluded.
"Ash, you've really gotten stronger!" Gary stood in front of Ash and extended his hand. "Let's save our final battle for the Johto League Silver Conference! I still need to keep getting stronger. I can't let you catch up to me!" Gary, like Ash, could calmly accept battle results.
"I won this time. I'll definitely win next time too!" Ash smiled, shaking hands with Gary.
Charizard: 195/255