"The battle begins!!"
"Tauros, Scary Face! Golbat, Astonish!!"
The instant the referee's call fell, Anon seized the initiative and launched the first offensive.
Decisive movements, crisp commands—this was an entirely different tier from the opponents Ash had faced earlier in the No. 9 sub-arena.
But Ash wasn't about to be pushed around. The moment Anon issued his orders, Ash's response flew out just as fast:
"Close your eyes—now!"
"Moo—!!"
"Pi—!!"
No sooner had Ash spoken than Tauros twisted its features into a ferocious snarl, lifting its head to unleash a deep, thunderous bellow toward the sky where Pidgeotto and Spearow circled.
At the same time, Golbat opened its mouth and released a piercing shriek of ultrasonic noise, its expression turning savage as it aimed the shockwave upward.
But Ash's command had come in time. Pidgeotto and Spearow shut their eyes instantly, avoiding the visual impact of Scary Face and Astonish.
Though Tauros's roar and Golbat's shrill waves still rattled them through sound alone—stirring irritation and unease—the two birds did not fall into fear or flinching.
Anon's opening gambit had been sharp—but Ash's rock-solid battlefield instincts defused it cleanly.
Frowning slightly, Anon issued a second volley without hesitation:
"Golbat, Supersonic! Tauros, keep using Tail Whip!"
One wave crashed, another followed—Anon's style was aggressive and relentless. The first strike failed, so he immediately chained into the second.
Ash, however, reacted just as swiftly.
"Pidgeotto, Spearow—use Mirror Move on Golbat!"
"Whoosh—"
"Pii—!!"
On the field, Tauros lashed its three whip-like tails again and again, a debuffing aura washing over Spearow—clearly Anon had judged Spearow to be the weaker link and aimed to break it first.
Meanwhile, Golbat didn't recklessly climb into the airspace dominated by the birds. It hovered low, beating its wings just above the ground, avoiding a potential aerial pincer.
As Tauros continued reducing Spearow's defense, Golbat opened wide and unleashed Supersonic, a spiraling wave of disorienting sound aimed skyward.
Despite their agility and aerial advantage, Pidgeotto and Spearow were nearly caught—had they fallen into confusion, Tauros's Flamethrower would have been devastating. A single blast might not drop Pidgeotto, but at Lv. 20, Spearow's thin special defense wouldn't stand a chance.
Fortunately, Ash had already prepared the counter.
High above, Pidgeotto and Spearow weaved like butterflies through the air as two waves of copied sound surged downward—one stronger, one weaker.
Mirror Move activated.
The twin Supersonic waves not only canceled out Golbat's attack—they overwhelmed it. The bat Pokémon reeled as the reflected ultrasound slammed back into its own senses.
"Golbat!!" Anon shouted in alarm.
As a bat Pokémon, Golbat's sensitivity to sound far exceeded that of most others. Being struck by reflected ultrasound from two airborne sources sent its senses spiraling out of control.
Golbat was confused.
"Our turn." Ash didn't hesitate for even a breath.
"Pidgeotto—use Twister and throw Golbat into the sky!
Spearow—use Focus Energy!"
"Pii—!"
"Kee—!"
Pidgeotto beat its broad wings in powerful arcs, conjuring a spiraling gust that tore upward from beneath Golbat, wrenching the confused bat into the air.
At the same moment, Spearow completed Focus Energy in a single smooth motion—thanks to intense system-assisted training, it was already one of Spearow's two maxed core skills.
Critical-hit potential surged.
Both birds kept a keen eye on Tauros as well—Ash's reminder was clear. With Flamethrower in play, Tauros couldn't be ignored.
Sure enough, seeing Golbat swept skyward, Anon barked:
"Tauros—Flamethrower, full power!"
"Pidgeotto—use Air Slash to pin Tauros!
Spearow—Peck Golbat!"
The exchange was instantaneous.
Pidgeotto sliced the air with razor-edged wind crescents, intercepting Tauros's flames and forcing the bull Pokémon to halt its rescue attempt.
And Spearow—
Spearow became a streak of silver.
Like a shuttle on a loom, it flashed back and forth, Peck striking again and again.
Though its hidden Sniper Ability hadn't awakened yet, Focus Energy alone boosted critical hits and vital strikes to terrifying levels.
Golbat, trapped in confusion, struggled to orient itself. Though it relied on echolocation rather than sight, its sensory field was fractured—multiple phantom echoes overlapping into chaos.
Unable to lock onto Spearow's trajectory, Golbat became nothing more than a target.
Thud—thud—thud—!
Spearow's speed was its lifeblood. Even without Quick Attack, Agility, or Double Team, its raw flight speed was already blistering.
Impact after impact rained down.
The crowd roared as the tide of battle turned decisively.
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T/N:
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