News of Ash advancing into the semifinals of the Indigo League caused quite a stir in the contestant village.
During his preparations, he carefully studied his next opponent, a female trainer named Assunta.
Ash had some recollection of her. In the original story, it was this very trainer who defeated Ritchie in the Top 8.
"Assunta is skilled at using Pokémon of various types, and her tactics are flexible and ever-changing," Brock said while analyzing battle footage. "Her Rhydon is incredibly powerful, and Venomoth's powder-based moves are quite troublesome."
Misty added, "Most importantly, her Ivysaur is exceptionally well-trained. In previous matches, it showed astonishing endurance and strength."
Ash nodded, determination shining in his eyes. "I'm just one step away from the finals. There's no way I'm stopping here."
On the day of the semifinal match, the atmosphere in the main stadium reached its peak since the start of the tournament.
The stands were completely packed, with even the aisles filled with spectators.
The referee signaled the start of the match. Assunta sent out Rhydon first. "Go, Rhydon!"
The Ground and Rock-type Pokémon exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure the moment it appeared.
Ash couldn't help but smile. Trainers in this generation really seemed to favor large Pokémon. Just Rhydon alone had already appeared multiple times.
Ash made his move. "Go, Wartortle!"
This choice surprised the commentator. "Facing Rhydon, Ash once again sends out Wartortle, which performed excellently before! It seems he has great confidence in his Pokémon!"
"Rhydon, use Drill Run!" Assunta launched the attack first.
"Wartortle, counter with Hydro Pump!" Ash responded calmly.
The powerful stream of water from Wartortle clashed violently with Rhydon's spinning drill. With the advantage of type effectiveness, Wartortle quickly gained the upper hand.
Rhydon attempted to retaliate with Horn Drill, but Wartortle nimbly dived into the water to avoid it, then launched a surprise attack from the side.
After several exchanges, Ash seized the moment and had Wartortle secure the first victory with a precise Water Pulse.
Assunta remained composed and sent out her second Pokémon, Venomoth.
The Bug and Poison-type Pokémon immediately scattered Sleep Powder upon entering the field.
Ash quickly recalled Wartortle. "Go, Magneton! Use Thunder Wave to stop it from spreading powder!"
Magneton's Thunder Wave struck accurately, leaving Venomoth paralyzed.
"Come on, Venomoth, use Psybeam!"
Although Venomoth struggled to unleash Psybeam, its movements were slowed by paralysis.
"Finish it in one go, Tri Attack!"
Magneton then unleashed Tri Attack, combining ice, fire, and electric energy into a colorful triangular blast, defeating Venomoth and ending the second round.
After losing two matches in a row, Assunta finally sent out her ace, Ivysaur.
This Ivysaur was larger than average, and the bud on its back had already grown significantly, showing clear signs of impending evolution.
"Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!"
"Come back, Magneton!" Ash recalled it. "Go, Primeape, use Night Slash to cut through the leaves!"
The moment Primeape entered the field, it shattered the incoming leaves with precise strikes.
"Ivysaur, use Leech Seed!" Assunta reacted quickly, immediately changing tactics.
"Primeape, dodge and use Cross Chop!" Ash commanded.
However, Ivysaur's endurance was beyond expectations. It forcefully withstood the attack and released Poison Powder at the same time.
"Come back, Primeape! Go, Charizard, use Wing Attack!"
Charizard flapped its wings upon entering the field, dispersing the poison powder. Its wings then glowed white as it struck Ivysaur hard. No matter how tough Ivysaur was, it couldn't withstand Charizard's relentless aerial assaults.
"Ivysaur, use Solar Beam!"
Although Ivysaur tried its best to unleash Solar Beam, it couldn't land a proper hit due to Charizard's speed advantage.
In the end, Charizard finished the intense battle with three consecutive Flamethrowers.
At this point, Assunta had already lost three Pokémon. During the mid-match break, her expression remained calm.
Ash noticed that she was carefully taking notes, clearly analyzing his tactics.
As the second half began, Assunta sent out her fourth Pokémon. "Go, Ninetales!"
Seeing this, Ash made his choice. "Go, Gyarados!"
"Ninetales, use Extrasensory!"
The Fire-type Pokémon immediately used Extrasensory upon entering the field.
Although Extrasensory wasn't very effective against Gyarados, it still managed to momentarily restrain it.
The red Gyarados roared, then opened its mouth and fired a Hydro Pump, dealing heavy damage to Ninetales.
"Ninetales, create distance and use Will-O-Wisp!"
But Ash reacted even faster. "Gyarados, use Aqua Tail, then Hyper Beam!"
The red Gyarados swung its body, striking Ninetales away with Aqua Tail. Before it could even land, Gyarados had already charged up Hyper Beam and fired it, knocking Ninetales out cold.
"Ninetales is unable to battle! Gyarados wins!"
After recalling Ninetales, Assunta sent out her fifth Pokémon, Raichu.
Facing an Electric-type opponent, Ash thought for a moment. "Go, Meowth!"
This choice caused an uproar across the stadium. Meowth had never appeared in battle before. It didn't seem like a simple test run, so could it be some kind of secret weapon?
"Raichu, use Thunderbolt!"
"Meowth, use Agility!"
Raichu immediately unleashed Thunderbolt, but Meowth displayed incredible agility, easily dodging with Agility.
"Raichu, use Body Slam!"
However, instead of crushing Meowth, Raichu was struck in the abdomen by Meowth's Slash and sent flying the next moment!
"Try this new move, use Shadow Claw!"
A dark purple energy gathered around Meowth's right claw before it slashed down fiercely, knocking Raichu out of the battle.
Now Assunta only had one Pokémon left. Taking a deep breath, she sent out Wigglytuff.
"Go, Pikachu!"
Ash sent out his most trusted partner.
During the battle, although Wigglytuff used Sing, Pikachu avoided being put to sleep by combining Quick Attack with Agility.
When Wigglytuff used Double Slap, Pikachu restricted its movement with Electroweb, and finally ended the match with Thunderbolt.
"Wigglytuff is unable to battle! Pikachu wins! The victor is Ash from Pallet Town!" the referee announced loudly.
The entire audience rose to their feet, applauding this spectacular semifinal match.
After the match, Assunta walked up to Ash and said sincerely, "Congratulations. Your strength truly deserves a place in the finals. I hope to see you win the championship."
Ash nodded solemnly. "I will."
...