"While it relied a bit on clever tactics, this Pidgeotto has excellent adaptability."
"It's a very diligent child."
Erika praised sincerely.
"You have already proven your strength."
"Come back and rest, Victreebel, you've worked hard."
Erika's voice remained gentle.
She elegantly recalled Victreebel, and another Poké Ball was already in her hand.
"Your Pidgeotto is indeed outstanding, but the resilience of Grass-types goes beyond that."
"Go, Tangrowth!"
A Pokémon composed of intertwined blue vines, with a bizarre appearance, appeared on the field. Its red eyes stared fixedly at the Pidgeotto in the air.
However, Tangrowth's appearance truly didn't suit Erika's image…
"Pidgeotto, can you still keep going?" Ash asked loudly, his voice filled with concern.
Continuous high-intensity flying and skill usage were a great test of Pidgeotto's stamina. Battling while flying with wings was never easy; on the contrary, it consumed a significant amount of stamina.
After all, this wasn't leisurely flying with the wind, where it could conserve energy. Instead, it was high-intensity flying involving high speed and rapid turns, all while continuously using attack moves.
"Bii!" Pidgeotto cried out steadfastly, indicating it could still fight. The continuous intense battles and high-speed movements had indeed tired it out, but its gaze remained sharp.
But this was its very first official battle! Pidgeotto was a Pokémon of few words. But it wanted to secure victory for Ash!
Its excited will forced its body, squeezing out even more stamina. For you, your Pokémon chose to fight even harder with its will.
Pidgeotto's sharp gaze locked onto the Tangrowth below; its fighting spirit undiminished.
The referee began waving his flag: "Round 2 begins!"
As the referee's words fell, a large number of vines on Tangrowth's body, as if alive, rapidly spread and rooted themselves, deeply piercing into the soil.
"Ingrain again…" Ash's gaze sharpened, discerning the opponent's tactical intention—a war of attrition. Or rather, this was a characteristic tactic of the Celadon Gym.
Different Gyms had different specialized battle styles, and every powerful Trainer had different habits. As for the Celadon Gym… it was probably mainly influenced by the perfume industry?
Whether it was Victreebel's digestive fluid, Tangrowth's vines, or even Gloom's nectar, they could all be used as raw materials for perfume.
"Good! Then continue to disrupt it with Swift, don't let it recover peacefully!"
Pidgeotto regrouped, circling and showering down dense star-shaped light bullets.
However, this time the situation was completely different from when it faced Victreebel. The vines growing from Tangrowth's body formed a massive buffer network.
Swift hit the vines. Although some could be broken, the severed vines drifted down lightly, causing almost no impact to Tangrowth itself. Moreover, new vines were continuously growing from the ground, pressing forward in succession.
At least, before Tangrowth's stamina was exhausted, these growing vines probably couldn't be completely destroyed.
What was more troublesome was that these vines emitted a faint, relaxing fragrance. Although non-toxic, it invisibly exacerbated Pidgeotto's fatigue. As soon as its mental state relaxed, the physical fatigue became apparent.
"Tangrowth, Bullet Seed!" Erika commanded at the opportune moment. She felt that the vines on the field had spread sufficiently. And these vines could form a structural resistance layer, helping Tangrowth resist attacks.
Although Tangrowth couldn't learn Frenzy Plant. However, the vines on Tangrowth's body could grow incredibly fast and didn't feel pain.
In an instant. Countless seeds, imbued with Grass-type energy, shot out like green machine gun bullets from various parts of Tangrowth's body and from the vine network on the ground. These Bullet Seeds wove a dense web of firepower, striking against the trajectory of Swift towards Pidgeotto in the air.
Unlike Victreebel, which mainly specialized in Razor Leaf. Tangrowth clearly mainly specialized in Bullet Seed. While Pokémon can learn a large number of moves, there's also a difference in whether they specialize. Just like how Kakashi in Naruto had many ninjutsu, but specialized in Raikiri.
Facing this crossfire launched from the ground, Pidgeotto demonstrated astonishing flying skills. It rapidly changed direction, rolled, and ascended in the air, nimbly weaving through the gaps between the seed bullets. At the same time, it didn't forget to continuously launch Swift in retaliation.
For a moment, starlight and green bullets intertwined and danced above the battlefield, with an endless series of explosions, seed impacts, and vine-snapping sounds. Swift continuously blasted through vines, while Bullet Seed also closely pursued Pidgeotto's form, with a few occasionally grazing its wings, bringing a sharp sting.
The battle devolved into a grueling war of attrition. Pidgeotto maneuvered, relying on speed and tenacity. Tangrowth, on the other hand, stubbornly resisted with Ingrain's recovery power and its constantly regenerating vine barrier.
The entire Grass terrain was ravaged by the rampant energy, with overturned soil and plant debris splattering everywhere, and stirred-up dust blurring visibility.
Ash clenched his fists, nervously watching the battle unfold. He could see Pidgeotto's flying posture growing heavier, each wingbeat appearing more labored.
Meanwhile, on the field, Tangrowth's vines had been significantly destroyed, but the effect of Ingrain and its tenacious vitality sustained it, its red eyes still glinting in the dust.
Just as flight was Pidgeotto's advantage, tenacious vitality was also Tangrowth's advantage… Stall teams are still so annoying. It's just as well that Pidgeotto can fly.
Otherwise, Tangrowth would have long since started scattering Paralyze Powder, Sleep Powder, and Poison Powder everywhere. The 'three powders'—these special moves—give Grass-type Pokémon a particularly high battle power floor.
After all—no matter how skilled one is, they fear a kitchen knife; no matter how strong one's ability, they can still be poisoned. At least, moves like the 'three powders' are very effective against most biological Pokémon. But similarly, their effect on inorganic Pokémon is quite embarrassing.
And against something like Pidgeotto, how to poison the opponent becomes an issue. Strong poison isn't necessarily useful; the method of poisoning is also key. Being able to silently poison an opponent is the true measure of a master poisoner.
Finally, after narrowly avoiding another round of dense seed volleys, Pidgeotto's movements noticeably slowed. It was panting heavily, and its hovering altitude had dropped considerably.
Trying to defeat two Pokémon in a row was still quite challenging.
"Now, Tangrowth, full power Bullet Seed!" Erika seized the opportunity. This bird absolutely couldn't be allowed to rest. Harass it ceaselessly, until it collapses from exhaustion!
A fiercer torrent of seeds erupted. Pidgeotto gritted its teeth, struggling to ascend.
"Bii—!"
At the same time, it poured out its last strength, unleashing a wave of its densest Swift attacks!
Boom!
The final energy clash triggered a violent explosion, and smoke and dust completely enveloped the center of the field.
When the dust slowly cleared, the sight that met their eyes was:
Most of Tangrowth's vines were broken, and it lay limply on the ground, the red light in its eyes completely extinguished. As for Pidgeotto, it had finally exhausted its last shred of energy, slowly descending from low altitude.
After its talons touched the ground, it could no longer support itself, collapsing onto the ground, its chest heaving violently, seemingly lacking even the strength to lift its head.
The referee quickly stepped forward to check, then waved his flag and announced: "Tangrowth and Pidgeotto are both unable to battle!"
A draw!
Ash immediately ran forward and gently picked up the exhausted Pidgeotto: "You worked hard."
"You did amazingly!"
"Rest well."
Pidgeotto successfully wore down and defeated Erika's Victreebel, and severely damaged Tangrowth, achieving the impressive feat of taking out two opponents. This performance far exceeded his expectations.
Ash recalled Pidgeotto to its Poké Ball, his gaze falling upon Erika, who remained composed. Erika also recalled Tangrowth, nodding slightly: "A splendid war of attrition."
"Your Pidgeotto's willpower is astonishing."
"With a Pokémon like this, you must cherish it."
"So, what will you do next?"
The anticipation in Erika's eyes grew stronger.
"Mii~ Mii~" At this moment, Misdreavus rubbed against Ash's cheek. She also wanted to fight.
The Pokémon Ash currently carried were—Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Gyarados, and Misdreavus. Considering that Gyarados might not be very suitable, and Pikachu was meant to be the last resort. Then it was indeed time to send out Misdreavus.
"If you want to go, then go!"
"Mengmeng!"
____
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