The two Pidgeot faced each other from afar in the sky as powerful air currents swept from beneath their wings, forming invisible pressure vortexes above the entire battlefield.
The audience stands fell completely silent. Everyone held their breath in anticipation of this ultimate clash between rulers of the skies.
"The battle continues!" the referee's voice broke the silence.
"Pidgeot, strike first! Use Quick Attack!" Falkner launched the attack immediately.
His Pidgeot let out a sharp cry as its figure blurred instantly into a streak of white light, charging toward the shiny Pidgeot at a speed nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye!
"We'll counter with Quick Attack too!" Ash refused to back down.
The shiny Pidgeot likewise transformed into a dazzling streak of rainbow-colored light as it charged head-on toward its opponent!
Bang!
The two figures collided violently in midair with a heavy impact before quickly separating again, circling through the skies while searching for another opening.
In this first exchange, their speeds appeared evenly matched!
"Excellent burst speed!" Falkner praised, his eyes growing even sharper. "Pidgeot, use Wing Attack!"
Falkner's Pidgeot instantly coated its wings in white light.
The glowing wings resembled two enormous blades as they slashed toward the shiny Pidgeot with overwhelming force.
"Pidgeot, dodge with Agility, then use Steel Wing!"
The shiny Pidgeot's speed exploded once more. With an agile side glide, it narrowly avoided the edge of Wing Attack. At the same time, metallic light flashed across the edges of its wings as though they had been coated in steel, allowing it to counterattack in one fluid motion!
Clang!
A sound like colliding metal rang out!
The aftershocks of Steel Wing and Wing Attack crashed together, scattering sparks through the air!
The two Pidgeot separated once again. A faint white mark appeared on Falkner's Pidgeot's wings, while the shiny Pidgeot had gained a slight advantage thanks to Steel Wing's type superiority.
"It even learned Steel Wing?!" Falkner inwardly tensed. This shiny Pidgeot was proving far more troublesome than he had expected. "Pidgeot, don't fight head-on! Pull back and use Hurricane!"
Falkner's Pidgeot rapidly climbed higher into the sky. Its wings flapped fiercely, generating a massive tornado that swept up rocks from the battlefield as it roared toward the shiny Pidgeot!
The enormous Hurricane nearly covered the entire sky, making it almost impossible to avoid completely.
"Pidgeot, ride the airflow and use Double Team!"
Instead of resisting the Hurricane directly, the shiny Pidgeot skillfully adjusted its flight posture along the wind currents. Its figure blurred suddenly as seven or eight afterimages instantly split apart, making it impossible to distinguish the real body from the fakes as they weaved through the raging storm.
"Now! All clones, use Air Slash!"
Ash seized the moment when the opponent's attack had fully committed.
Every clone, along with the real body, flapped its wings simultaneously. Countless transparent wind blades, sharp as knives, rained down like a storm toward Falkner's Pidgeot! The sheer coverage completely sealed off every possible escape route.
"Pidgeot, quickly use Protect!"
Falkner's Pidgeot reacted instantly. A green barrier expanded in front of it, blocking the majority of the incoming Air Slashes.
However, Protect consumed immense energy and could not be maintained for long.
The moment the barrier vanished, Ash's command immediately followed.
"Now! Pidgeot, use Brave Bird!"
"Pidgeoooooot!!!"
The shiny Pidgeot released a cry that shook the entire stadium. Every afterimage vanished instantly as its real body became completely enveloped in dazzling white light.
It transformed into a sacred giant bird engulfed in blazing holy flames, carrying an unstoppable aura capable of destroying everything in its path. Its speed, power, and momentum all surged to their absolute limits as it charged directly toward the opponent that had just finished using Protect!
Falkner's pupils shrank.
Brave Bird was an immensely powerful Flying type move that normally required preparation. He had not expected Ash to secretly complete the buildup using Double Team and Air Slash as cover!
Falkner's Pidgeot also let out an unyielding cry. Intense white light erupted around its body as it transformed into another divine bird, fearlessly charging forward to meet the attack head-on!
The two Pidgeot, transformed into sacred birds, resembled two meteors flying toward each other in opposite directions.
Under the stunned gazes of everyone in the arena, they collided violently at the exact center of the stadium!!!
BOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!
The unprecedented explosion was so loud it made everyone's ears ache painfully! The blinding white light temporarily robbed every spectator of their vision!
The violent shockwaves mixed with raging Flying type energy spread wildly in every direction. Even the airflow devices around the battlefield emitted overloaded buzzing noises, while the transparent dome overhead trembled violently!
The fierce winds caused both Ash's and Falkner's clothes to whip loudly in the air, yet neither of them looked away from the center of the explosion.
As the light and smoke slowly dispersed, the two Pidgeot could be seen hovering in midair, breathing heavily. Their bodies were covered in injuries, and their feathers were completely disheveled.
That earth-shattering clash had clearly exhausted both sides and inflicted severe damage.
The two stared at each other stubbornly, their eyes filled with mutual acknowledgment and an absolute refusal to lose.
"What an... unbelievable battle..." Falkner muttered softly, completely shaken by what Ash and the shiny Pidgeot had displayed.
Ash clenched his fists tightly. He could feel the exhaustion radiating from his shiny Pidgeot, but even more than that, he could feel its unyielding fighting spirit.
"It's not over yet, Mr. Falkner!" Ash shouted firmly, his voice filled with unwavering determination. "Pidgeot! Remember all the skies we flew through together? Every cloud from Viridian Forest all the way to here! Our wings will never break in a place like this! Use the last of our strength... Brave Bird!"
Brave Bird was a move the shiny Pidgeot had only recently mastered during its special training!
"Pidgeoooooot!!!"
The shiny Pidgeot's eyes instantly became resolute!
It released a roar that surpassed its limits as blue-violet flames erupted around its body. This was no longer the sacred aura of before, but a desperate, all-or-nothing fighting spirit that carried the resolve to risk everything!
It poured all of its power and will into this single attack.
Like a moth diving into fire.
Like a warrior challenging fate itself.
Trailing a dazzling rainbow-colored tail flame, it charged toward its opponent once again!
Watching the figure engulfed in blue-violet flames, carrying an even more overwhelming and tragic momentum than the previous Brave Bird clash, Falkner was utterly shaken.
He could tell that Ash's Pidgeot had already surpassed its own limits!
"Pidgeot! We can't lose either!!" Falkner was completely ignited by that spirit as he shouted with all his strength. "Meet them head-on! One more Brave Bird!!!"
His Pidgeot charged fearlessly toward the incoming blue-violet inferno!
It wagered the dignity of a Gym Leader and the dream of soaring through the skies together with its Trainer on this final attack!
The second collision did not produce the same apocalyptic explosion as the first.
Yet somehow, it was even more breathtaking!
The blue-violet Brave Bird and the white sacred bird collided in the sky, consuming and erasing one another!
The energies madly canceled and crushed against each other!
Finally, under the incredibly tense gaze of everyone present, the white phantom bird shattered first!
Falkner's Pidgeot let out a weak cry as the white light around its body faded away. Like a kite with its string cut, it fell from the sky and crashed heavily onto the rocky battlefield, kicking up clouds of dust.
Meanwhile, the blue-violet flames surrounding Ash's shiny Pidgeot slowly faded as well.
It panted violently, its body covered with recoil injuries from Brave Bird. Yet despite that, it still stubbornly flapped its wings and slowly, firmly landed in front of Ash.
It turned its head to look at its Trainer.
Its eyes were filled with exhaustion, but even more than that, they shone with the pride of victory.
"Falkner's Pidgeot is unable to battle! Ash's Pidgeot wins! Therefore, the victor is the challenger from Pallet Town, Ash!"
"We won! We really won! Pidgeot! Pikachu! Charizard! You guys were amazing!" Ash excitedly rushed forward and hugged the exhausted yet proud shiny Pidgeot tightly.
Pikachu also jumped onto his shoulder, happily crying out, "Pika pika!"
"That was truly... a perfect aerial battle," Brock praised sincerely.
Falkner silently recalled his Pidgeot before walking toward Ash. The fighting spirit on his face had disappeared, replaced only by heartfelt admiration and relief.
"Incredible, Ash." He handed over a feather-shaped badge shining with silver brilliance. "The bond between you and your Pidgeot, your understanding and love for the skies, and the courage you showed in surpassing your limits... all of it makes you worthy of this badge. This is the Zephyr Badge, proof that you have conquered the Violet Gym!"
Ash solemnly accepted the heavy badge, feeling its cool metallic touch as his heart filled with excitement and accomplishment.
Carefully, he placed the badge into his Johto Badge case.
"Thank you, Mr. Falkner! That was an incredible battle!"
The first badge of the Johto League was finally his!
But this was only the beginning.
Many more challenges still awaited him and his partners ahead.
...
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