At this moment, Monferno no longer dared to underestimate Bellsprout in the slightest.
Every bit of force he slammed into her was effortlessly neutralized. He had been using Flame Wheel repeatedly, a super-effective move, yet Bellsprout had still managed to catch the flames themselves and toss him aside.
From the way she released him the instant his Flame Wheel ignited, it was clear she still feared Fire-type attacks. The only reason she could confront them head-on earlier was because of those strange, precise movements.
For the first time, Ash's expression turned solemn.
He had warned Monferno not to be careless, but in truth, he himself had been slightly negligent. Bellsprout's appearance was deeply misleading.
Ash had known from the start that this Pokémon was extraordinary. Otherwise, it would never have been Ayame's ace. Even so, he had subconsciously assumed that once their levels were equalized, Monferno's Fire typing would give him an overwhelming advantage.
Reality proved otherwise.
Monferno had been thoroughly suppressed, and the opponent hadn't relied on any special ability. This was pure technique.
Through Aura perception, Ash confirmed there were no abnormal states, buffs, or hidden powers affecting Bellsprout. Everything she was doing was entirely her own skill.
So this was technique born of mastery.
The veterans often said that beyond raw strength, levels, and moves, some Pokémon developed unique technical styles of their own. Bellsprout clearly possessed such a style.
In close combat, she struck after the opponent yet arrived first, using timing, reach, and leverage to defeat strength with finesse.
However, her weakness was just as obvious.
Long-range attacks.
No matter how refined her techniques were, they could not completely negate energy damage. Ash had already noticed faint scorch marks at the tips of her leaf-like arms. Even though she minimized contact with flames, any direct interaction with Monferno's Fire-type attacks still burned her.
The solution was clear.
Suppress her with ranged attacks and overwhelming firepower.
Yet Ash did not issue such a command.
Instead, he glanced at Monferno.
"You're thinking the same thing as me, aren't you?"
"Hou!"
"Good. Then let's go. Quick Attack!"
Ash punched the air decisively.
"Hou!!"
Monferno kicked off the ground, his body shooting forward like an arrow. In an instant, he closed the distance. His fists glowed white as they fired forward in rapid succession.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Quick Attack transformed into a storm of afterimages. The punches came so fast they appeared to overlap, as though countless fists were striking Bellsprout at once.
Yet Bellsprout's flexibility was monstrous.
No matter where the attacks came from, she dodged cleanly. Even when a blow landed, she redirected it with her leaves, sending the force sliding harmlessly aside.
Ash's eyes never left her.
He watched every step, every shift in posture, every subtle adjustment.
"Bellsprout, Heel Kick!" Ayame suddenly commanded.
Monferno had already thrown countless punches, and his attack rhythm was slowing. This was the perfect moment to counter.
Bellsprout leaned back, narrowly avoiding two incoming strikes. At the same time, she planted herself firmly on one leg and raised the other high.
Before Monferno could react, her root-like heel came crashing down onto the top of his head.
Bang!
A visible shockwave rippled outward. Grass roots tore free from the ground, and Monferno's pupils went unfocused.
The kick landed squarely on his head.
The physical damage alone was severe, but the impact to the brain was devastating. Coupled with Bellsprout's absurd strength, this single blow was enough to leave him disoriented, if not unconscious.
Ash staggered and dropped to one knee, dizziness washing over him through the Aura link. Pikachu hurried to his side and patted him anxiously.
"I'm fine," Ash said, shaking his head as he stood. "That kick was impressive. Monferno, can you still fight?"
On the field, Monferno's fingers twitched. Slowly, he pushed himself up.
The flame on his back, which had dimmed, suddenly flared up once more.
The damage itself was within his tolerance. The real danger had been the shock to his head. If he had failed to recover immediately, he would have lost the match outright.
One more kick like that, however, and the outcome would be uncertain.
"Did you see her movements clearly?" Ash asked.
"Hou!" Monferno nodded firmly.
"Good. Then we do it again. Quick Attack!"
Monferno's fists lit up once more as he surged forward.
The air cracked repeatedly as he launched another barrage. Bellsprout resumed her evasive footwork, dodging what she could and deflecting what she couldn't.
"You're still coming?" Ayame exclaimed, genuinely surprised. "Bellsprout, Heel Kick again!"
She hadn't expected Ash to continue forcing close combat after witnessing Bellsprout's dominance in melee.
To her, this looked like stubbornness.
In that case, she would not hold back.
This battle would be hers.
"Bella!"
Bellsprout repeated her tactic. She slipped past two of Monferno's punches, then suddenly raised her heel and brought it crashing down!
"Now! Fire Punch!" Ash shouted, his eyes flashing.
This was exactly what he had been waiting for.
Heel Kick was Bellsprout's finishing move. This self-created technique was even stronger than her STAB Grass-type moves and the only attack capable of seriously threatening Monferno. Ash was certain she would use it again.
But every move had a flaw.
Heel Kick followed a straight-line trajectory during execution. Otherwise, it could not generate such overwhelming power. The principle was the same as Brave Bird.
The difference was that Pidgeot had trained to retain Brave Bird's power even while changing direction. Bellsprout had not.
Not because she lacked talent, but because at this distance there was no room to maneuver. A feint or angle adjustment was impossible.
Bellsprout's heel appeared directly above Monferno's head.
Monferno instantly canceled Quick Attack. One fist erupted into blazing flames as he drove it straight upward.
Boom!
Fire Punch collided head-on with Heel Kick. A violent explosion of orange-red flames burst outward, heatwaves rippling across the field and scorching the grass black.
A destructive force surged through Bellsprout's stem. Her vines were instantly charred and curled by the flames. The kick, brimming with power only moments earlier, failed to unleash even half its strength before being completely crushed.
Her body was flung backward like a broken kite, tracing a helpless arc before slamming into the grass ten meters away in a cloud of dust.
In a direct clash, Bellsprout was no match for Monferno, especially with the elemental disadvantage. That single punch erased all of Monferno's previous setbacks.
Until now, Bellsprout had relied on her strange footwork and refined techniques to suppress Monferno, even pushing him close to defeat.
But now her weakness was exposed.
Stamina.
She was still an unevolved Pokémon. No matter how refined her techniques were, her endurance could not compare to an evolved form. Skill could compensate for power, but it could not replace overall capacity.
After that Fire Punch, Bellsprout was barely holding on.
One more solid hit would end the battle.
"To see through Heel Kick's flaw so quickly… terrifying," Ayame said through clenched teeth. "But I won't give up, and Bellsprout won't fall here! Bellsprout, Razor Leaf!"
For the first time in the match, Bellsprout used a Grass-type move.
She stood upright and flicked her leaf-hands, sending multiple spinning blades slicing through the air.
"Charge through. Fire Punch!" Ash answered without hesitation.
Razor Leaf wasn't especially powerful, and Monferno resisted Grass-type moves. But Ash wasn't planning to tank the attack.
He wanted to test something new.
Monferno surged forward, fists burning. As the spinning leaves closed in, his body flickered across the field, dodging every blade while maintaining his charge.
Ayame instinctively covered her mouth, eyes wide.
That movement…
It was Bellsprout's footwork.
She was certain of it. Monferno had not known that technique before. Could he have learned it during the battle?
The fight hadn't even lasted five minutes.
Bellsprout had spent nearly a year mastering that movement.
The idea that Monferno had copied it mid-fight was absurd.
Yet reality offered no other explanation.
While Ayame was still frozen in disbelief, Monferno had already closed the distance. His flaming fist tore through the air, the sound sharp and violent.
Bellsprout hurriedly attempted to dodge using her footwork, but Monferno's punch was already waiting along her escape path.
She swung her leaves instinctively, deflecting his fist and redirecting his momentum behind her.
Deflecting a Thousand Pounds with Four Ounces.
As long as the force didn't exceed her tolerance, Bellsprout could shed nearly all of the impact. It functioned like a continuously usable Detect, though with minor damage leakage.
Just as she finished redirecting the force and prepared to counterattack, a scorching presence surged behind her.
Before she could turn...
Boom!!
Flames detonated at her back.
Bellsprout was launched dozens of meters away, her body skidding across the field and carving bare soil from the grass.
The stadium fell silent.
Ayame's cheerleaders froze.
What Bellsprout hadn't seen, Ayame and the audience had.
After being deflected, Monferno didn't hesitate for even a heartbeat. He turned his fist into a palm, slapped the ground, spun his body midair, and struck again from an inverted position.
It was as if he had anticipated the deflection from the start.
He had.
"Bellsprout is unable to battle! Monferno wins!" the referee shouted, finally snapping out of his shock. "Since all three of Ayame's Pokémon are unable to battle, the winner is Ash!"
Ash had advanced into the Top 32 of the Indigo Plateau Conference.
The cheers erupted like a tidal wave.
This time, Ayame's cheer squad had nothing left to say.
Their idol exited the stage.