With two consecutive victories, Bulbasaur's momentum was unstoppable.
It seemed the scales of the battle were tipping in Ash's favor.
But judging by the confident expressions still on the faces of Kaoruko's supporters, it was clear she had one last ace up her sleeve!
Sure enough, despite the two losses, Kaoruko showed no signs of panic. After recalling her Scyther, she calmly took out her third Poké Ball.
Everyone in the stadium, including the announcer, the audience, and even Brock and Misty, assumed that the final Pokémon Kaoruko would send out would be a cool-looking, powerful ace.
But no one expected that when the Poké Ball opened, what appeared before them was a Bellsprout!
Whoa!!
The crowd in the stands erupted, their disbelieving gasps echoing throughout the entire stadium!
In everyone's mind, Bellsprout was generally considered a weak Pokémon due to its thin, fragile-looking body. They could never associate it with the word "powerful."
They were utterly shocked that, after three rounds of intense competition, someone would still be using a Bellsprout in battle!
Ash, in particular, felt a surge of contempt upon seeing the Bellsprout, believing his victory and advancement were now guaranteed.
However, once the match began, the seemingly weak Bellsprout taught everyone a lesson with its outstanding performance!
Facing Bulbasaur's Tackle, it skillfully used its opponent's momentum to execute a perfect shoulder throw, sending Bulbasaur flying a great distance!
Although the move didn't cause any substantial damage, it was a real eye-opener for everyone.
"Oho?" the announcer said in astonishment. "How amazing! Not only is this Bellsprout surprisingly strong, but it also seems to know some techniques for using softness to overcome hardness!"
On the field, Bulbasaur was left dizzy from the throw. After shaking it off, it got up and, refusing to believe what had just happened, charged forward once more.
This time, Bellsprout grabbed Bulbasaur's front leg, spun it around a dozen times like a pinwheel, and once again hurled it into the distance!
"This is incredible!"
Amidst the announcer's praises, the audience began to look at the Bellsprout with newfound respect.
Kaoruko's supporters, in particular, were ecstatic, as if they had expected this outcome all along.
Even Kaoruko herself couldn't maintain her previously dignified composure and burst into unrestrained laughter.
As for Natsui, he had no memory of Kaoruko or her Bellsprout from his past. He figured that even if it was a tricky opponent that gave Ash a lot of trouble, it would ultimately still be defeated by him.
Meanwhile, the battle raged on. Seizing the moment while Bulbasaur was down, Bellsprout rushed forward and began tossing it around like a ragdoll before finally throwing it out of bounds. With a loud 'thud,' Bulbasaur crashed heavily into the steps at Ash's feet!
When the referee announced the result, Ash, finding it hard to accept, immediately sent out his most trusted partner—Pikachu!
But even Pikachu's appearance failed to bring Ash victory.
When the fourth round began, Pikachu used Thundershock, covering half the field in electricity, but Bellsprout managed to dodge the currents with incredible footwork.
It even rooted its feet into the soil, allowing it to withstand a direct hit from Pikachu's Thunderbolt without taking any damage!
At this point, Ash was out of options. Seeing that his long-range attacks were failing, he had no choice but to send Pikachu in for close-quarters combat.
But under Kaoruko's training, this Bellsprout possessed exceptional martial arts skills. After just a few exchanges, it knocked Pikachu out with a swift heel kick.
Seeing this outcome, Misty was visibly shocked.
"No way! Even Pikachu lost?"
"It's not that surprising," Natsui said, shaking his head. "As a Grass-type, Bellsprout naturally resists Electric-type attacks by half. Besides, Pikachu's performance is very inconsistent. Its potential is high, but its floor is also very low. It's not unusual for it to lose to a weaker opponent."
Fortunately, despite the sudden turn of events, Ash didn't panic. At this critical moment, he forced himself to calm down and sent out his final Pokémon.
When the Poké Ball opened, a Muk appeared in the center of the field.
Seeing yet another unconventional Pokémon, the audience's jaws dropped once again.
What they didn't realize was that this equally unexpected Muk would have a surprisingly effective matchup against Bellsprout!
The strength that Kaoruko was so proud of in her Bellsprout seemed completely useless against Muk. Whether it punched or kicked, its attacks had no effect on Muk's body!
Muk's soft, gooey body absorbed all the impact like a sponge!
After dozens more attacks, Bellsprout was sweating, still unable to make a dent in the terrifying, foul-smelling creature before it!
"What!?"
Kaoruko frowned deeply. It seemed that in all her time training Bellsprout, she had never encountered a situation like this.
Finally, perhaps annoyed by what felt like mere tickling, Muk, under Ash's command, used Body Slam. It loomed over Bellsprout, enveloped it, and squeezed it into submission, ending the battle.
"That was a close one."
Watching this, Natsui couldn't help but feel nervous for Ash.
In the final battle, it wasn't that Muk was stronger than Bellsprout, but that its body was simply too perfect a counter to Bellsprout's fighting style!
If Ash hadn't had a rare flash of insight and traded for Muk beforehand, he might not have won this match.
However…
He stroked his chin.
Kaoruko's training method was certainly something worth learning from. If it were applied to other Fighting-type Pokémon, wouldn't the results be even more powerful!?
It seemed he would definitely need to save the video of this battle as study material for later research!
When Ash returned from the field, he was overjoyed by his victory. Seeing his mother and Professor Oak after so long only made his smile wider.
As a reward, Delia suggested borrowing the restaurant's kitchen to personally cook Ash a grand lunch, so he could have a taste of home.
However, since Natsui wasn't very familiar with Delia or Professor Oak, and since he had a match of his own coming up, he didn't want to intrude on their heartwarming moment. He politely declined their insistent invitation and left with Koharu.
After all, he was about to battle Gary. Staying with Professor Oak right now would inevitably feel a little awkward!
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