Ash's knowledge of Pokémon was still very limited. Although he had mentors guiding him, he had been traveling for less than a month. Expecting him to have a fully developed understanding of Pokémon was far too much to ask.
He was still struggling to recognize every Pokémon in Kanto, let alone those from faraway regions.
The reason he was able to assemble this strange team was because Tactician Ash from the group chat had once explained it to him in detail, appearance, names, abilities, held items, and even the exact moves.
For Tactician Ash, this "gimmick squad" was just for laughs. Against opponents who had never seen it before, or against rigid AIs, it was deceptively effective.
This setup wasn't designed for long tournaments or endurance matches. It was meant to confuse, frustrate, and snag flashy wins. As long as the opposing team didn't just happen to counter it by chance, the battle could often be summed up in four words: utterly one-sided dominance.
That was why Ash had memorized the build, which explained why he had selected it so quickly the very first time he tried the "Pokémon Simulation Battle" game.
He hadn't even finished learning about all the Pokémon native to Kanto, yet here he was, picking Pokémon from Sinnoh and Hoenn! Luckily, this simulator contained data for nearly every known Pokémon except Legendaries, plus most held items. If it had been Kanto-only, his choices would have been limited to something like Gyarados at best.
After Ash clicked Start, Joe swallowed his urge to intervene. Even if the Pokémon Ash had chosen were unfamiliar, or outright unknown to him, four of them were still only Level 1. He couldn't imagine how anyone could defeat an Elite Trainer whose entire team was Level 70.
The gap was overwhelming: a full team of six versus six, but with triple disadvantages in level, numbers, and Trainer experience. Not even a Champion could be expected to beat an Elite Four member with such handicaps!
Misty and Brock leaned in beside Ash, curiosity written across their faces. If it had been any other Trainer, they would have assumed it was a mistake. But Ash had already proven himself to be reckless, unorthodox, and endlessly imaginative. Surely, he had some wild trick in mind.
What puzzled them most was how Ash, who still blanked on some Kanto Pokémon names, had somehow chosen these oddballs from regions far away.
On Ash's shoulders, Pikachu and Ralts also perched forward, eyes glued to the screen.
The simulator finished its random selection of Elite Four opponents. A moment later, a beautiful, alluring woman with light blue hair and a revealing outfit appeared on the screen.
Brock's eyes widened instantly. "W-Whoa… what a gorgeous woman! That's Karen, the Dark-type Elite from Johto!"
He spoke as if it were a question, but his tone carried the certainty of a lifelong admirer.
Johto's Elite Four member Karen, famed for her Dark-type Pokémon, sultry charm, and overwhelming strength.
In Brock's heart, she immediately ranked in the top ten of the "older sisters" he most wanted to meet in person!
"Johto Elite Karen, huh? I wonder what kind of Pokémon she'll send out," Ash mused, not slowing his hand as the simulation began.
The screen showed Karen's first Pokémon: Umbreon.
Ash's lead: Hippopotas.
The moment Hippopotas appeared, Sand Stream activated, blanketing the battlefield in a raging sandstorm. Ash tapped a command casually, Tackle.
Umbreon didn't even blink. A single Dark Pulse fired, and Hippopotas was erased in one blow.
Ash's face remained calm. Without hesitation, he sent out a Level 1 Aron.
Joe nearly choked. "W-What are you doing? A Level 1 Aron against a Level 70 Umbreon? Isn't this just suicide?"
He had assumed Ash had some clever plan. But watching him send in baby Pokémon to be instantly flattened, was this really strategy, or was Ash just stress-testing the simulator?
Umbreon loosed another Dark Pulse.
But this time, Aron didn't faint.
It hung on, clinging to life with exactly 1 HP.
"What the—?!" Joe's jaw dropped.
"Now, Aron, use Endeavor!"
Aron's tiny body lunged forward. Its attack connected, and in the blink of an eye Umbreon's HP plummeted… straight down to match Aron's own. One single point.
Then the sandstorm raged.
Umbreon's last sliver of health was erased by the storm.
Umbreon fainted.
For a moment, silence.
Misty, Brock, and Joe all stared at the screen, their minds blank.
"This… what the heck kind of tactic is that?!" Joe's voice cracked. "That's not normal damage, that's cheating!"
Brock, however, narrowed his eyes, his Gym Leader instincts kicking in. He replayed the sequence in his head: Aron's Ability, the move choice, the weather condition. Piece by piece, it clicked.
"Sturdy," Brock explained slowly, "means that if a Pokémon is at full HP, no matter how strong the hit, it survives with 1 HP. That's why Aron didn't faint."
"Then Endeavor forces the opponent's HP to match the user's current HP. Aron had 1 HP, so Umbreon was dragged down to 1 HP."
"And finally, the sandstorm finishes the job. Since Aron's Steel typing protects it from sand damage, the effect is one-sided. That's the entire combo."
Misty's eyes widened. "So… with just Ability, move choice, and the weather, Ash erased a the-level gap?!"
Brock nodded grimly. "Exactly. A Level 1 Aron just dropped an Elite Four Pokémon. It's insane… but it makes sense."
He paused, then frowned. "But there's a problem. Sturdy only works when you're at full HP. After taking one hit, Aron's already down to 1. How are you going to reset it for the next opponent?"
He hadn't even finished asking when something shocking happened.
On screen, Aron's HP suddenly shot back up to full.
"What?!" Brock's voice cracked.
Ash grinned knowingly, clicking his command for the next move.
...
10 Bonus Chapter if we can hit @500 PS this week
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