He also remarked on Ash's gains this time.
Getting the Rainbow Badge aside, having two Pokemon evolve to their final forms was the biggest achievement of this trip for Ash.
Before evolving, Charmeleon could already initially contend with a professional-level Venusaur. Now, having evolved, once fully recovered and combined with Ash's strength, it might easily overpower a typical professional-level opponent.
Kirlia, on the other hand, needs no further mention. After evolving into Gardevoir, it could defeat an elite advanced-level Bellossom even without Ash's support.
With a bit more training, facing a professional level might be no problem at all.
And then there's the ever-hidden Pikachu... To call this the line-up of a trainer who's only been at it for two months, well, people outside would likely scoff at you.
Who achieves this level of progress in just two months? Even Leon couldn't manage that!
"Getting the Rainbow Badge is good, but Ash, when facing beautiful ladies, don't do what you did today. Just look how even a graceful lady like Miss Erika was driven mad by you. That battle style of yours might be okay against Team Rocket or guys, but not towards the ladies."
Brock suddenly appeared next to Erika, earnestly speaking up for her.
During the battle, he naturally supported Ash, but after the match... beauty is justice!
Brock does have some brotherly loyalty, but just a bit.
Hearing this, Ash rolled his eyes; that statement seemed quite belittling towards males, right? When can men finally stand up? Frustrated and cold!
"Sorry, Erika, the battle was... unavoidable, but I'm actually a pretty upstanding guy."
Erika was amused by Ash's words. Upstanding? You relate to those words?
Look at the tactics you use, each one dirtier than the last. While others get more enjoyment out of battles, yours... only brings a smile to your own face!
"Alright, alright, anyway, I probably won't battle you a second time. Besides, in battle, any means are acceptable as long as they're within the rules. I was just a bit physically uncomfortable earlier."
Erika waved her hand, indicating she was fine. Battle is battle, life is life; she could differentiate between the two, otherwise, she wouldn't be a Gym Leader.
All things considered, since becoming a Gym Leader, this was the most frustrating battle she'd ever fought. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone against her initial promise and sent out a professional-level Pokemon to battle Ash.
"Moreover, sending out Venusaur was my fault. I did say that even if I lost, I would give you the badge, which was meant as a type of compensation. But I didn't expect you to refuse so decisively, and you even defeated me. In that case… let's give you a different reward."
Erika turned to a nearby woman and said, "Go and fetch me the Move Machine for Grassy Glide."
The woman hesitated briefly, then nodded and turned to jog out the door.
Upon hearing the words "Grassy Glide," Ash and his friends were visibly surprised, and Ash showed a look of delight: "Erika, that's the move Bellossom used just now, right?"
"That's right, Grassy Glide. When there's a grassy terrain, it lets the move's execution speed become faster. You saw the speed boost earlier; it's not inferior to Quick Attack. Plus, the grassy terrain itself gives a thirty percent boost to Grass Type moves, and if it hits the opponent, it can deal quite significant damage."
After the battle ended, Erika saw no need to hide the Grassy Glide move effect from Ash anymore, and she intended to let Ash learn this move.
"Speed enhancement from the grassy terrain... I see." A realization dawned on Ash's face. He wondered why Venusaur's move set included Grassy Glide but it wasn't used.
If Venusaur used Grassy Glide with the speed enhancement from Chlorophyll, the speed would be even faster than Bellossom!
Being large doesn't mean being slow; it just means agility might be a bit lacking.
If Venusaur were to use Grassy Glide with its body size, the damage would definitely be stronger than Bellossom's, considering the kinetic impact from such speed is real damage.
But when Charmeleon took the field, there was no grassy terrain anymore, so Venusaur couldn't use Grassy Glide.
"This Grassy Glide move is sold over in Galar, and it's quite rare. Even if you have money, it's not easy to buy. Offering it as a compensation means you're not losing out, right?" Erika said with a smile.
This made Ash feel a bit embarrassed. More than not losing out, he's gained a lot!
A Move Machine that can't be bought with money — how rare must it be? Even if it could be purchased, the price would likely be astronomical, beyond what Ash could afford now.
More importantly, Erika was actually the one disadvantaged in this battle, as he left a huge psychological impact on her. Yet here Erika was, offering him a compensation. How could Ash accept that...
"Thank you very much, Erika. When I become a Pokemon Master, you'll have a third of the credit!" Ash said earnestly.
"Pfft, a third of the credit, you say! Where on earth did you learn to talk like that, and how does someone as young as you know so many irritating tactics?"
Ash's words made Erika laugh. It was her first time hearing such a way of speaking, and she became curious about where Ash learned those irksome tactics.
Even though Psychic type Pokemon are tricky, Kirlia knew a wide range of moves, and it was Ash's ability to perfectly apply those moves that was truly surprising.
Having more moves doesn't necessarily make a Pokemon stronger. Sometimes specializing and mastering a few moves is more potent than knowing many.
But that Kirlia was different, mastering a variety of moves skillfully. As its Trainer, Ash also knew all of its move proficiencies perfectly.
If she hadn't seen it firsthand, Erika wouldn't believe a Trainer with such command could be a newcomer in less than two months.
"Uh, that was all taught by Professor Oak! You know, Professor Oak was once the Kanto Champion and had many strategies. I was diligent and learned quite a bit from him!"
Ash thought for a moment, then positioned Professor Oak as his scapegoat.
Brock and Misty exchanged odd looks.
You, diligent and studious? You're just banking on Erika not knowing your past, huh!
Leaving aside everything they had seen on their journey, where they knew how Ash had been initially, even at Acapulco Resort, Professor Oak had exposed Ash's past.
When Ash was little, he just wanted to play with and interact with real Pokemon, so he never really attended classes. His exam scores were either single digits or low double-digits starting with a '1'. Is that what you call diligent and studious?
If that's the case, then there wouldn't be any lazy person in the world.
But the two of them didn't expose Ash's past here; using Professor Oak as a scapegoat was fine, as Professor Oak's broad shoulders could surely bear this blame.
Unaware, Erika nodded in realization. So, Professor Oak's guidance made sense, though she'd heard he'd been an upright trainer, not known for annoying strategies at all?
After a bit more chatting, the woman returned to the gym grounds, holding a green disc in her hand — the Move Machine for Grassy Glide.
"Here you go." Erika took the disc from the woman and handed it to Ash.
Ash accepted it with thanks, his eyes filled with curiosity.
This is a Move Machine? Speaking of which, it's his first time seeing one.