The white light produced from the Pokeballs dissipated, revealing two extremely strong Pokemon. On Ash's end was his Gengar, who he hadn't used in a while and seemed to be excited to fight. On Paul's end was his Electivire, a Pokemon that Ash had a lot of history with.
It's Electivire! Ash thought. The last time we fought was at the Lily of the Valley Conference. He replayed the battle that he and Paul had and remembered not only how intense it was, but how it proved to Paul once and for all that his method of training Pokemon was valid and useful compared to Paul's unethical ways.
"Recognize it, Ash?" Paul asked. "It's gotten much stronger since then!" Ash grinned and nodded, then said, "I'm glad to hear that! Hopefully, you've been training alongside it!" Paul didn't say anything in return but decided to continue the conversation.
"I can see you've caught a Gengar," Paul said. "Impressive." Ash pumped his fists and exclaimed, "This Gengar is something special! I'm really glad to be good friends with it!" Gengar turned around and smiled at Ash, happy to be owned by such a caring trainer, unlike his previous one.
There he goes again with his love for Pokemon, Paul thought, closing his eyes. It comes to him so naturally, I wonder how? He opened his eyes and nodded at Ash, who nodded in return; they were both ready for the power the other had to offer.
"Now Electivire, use Thunder Punch!" Paul commanded. Almost instantly after giving this command, his Electivire made a fist, and electricity began flowing through it. Ash hadn't expected it to be so quick so suddenly, so he watched as Electivire rammed its fist into Gengar's floating body, sending him flying into a group of trees; luckily, he landed in the branches, weakening the impact.
"Gengar!" Ash yelled, worried for his Pokemon's health. Paul anticipatingly looked at the trees, secretly hoping that Gengar would rise out. What a waste of time that would be if I already knocked it out, Paul thought. After a while, nothing happened, leading to the Rotom Announcer Drone to check on Gengar's wellbeing.
Pathetic, Paul thought. After all this time, I thought Ash would've been stronger. He tapped his foot waiting for the final consensus, while Ash sat across from the battlefield, smiling with confidence. "What's so funny?" Paul asked. Ash just shook his head and simply said, "Just wait."
Paul clenched his teeth, clearly not wanting to wait. He and Electivire looked at each other, waiting for the next move from Ash. Just then, a shadowy figure emerged from the trees. It was Gengar, who had a few scratches on him but was otherwise in tip-top shape.
"How!?" Paul yelled, surprised that Gengar was nearly untouched after a direct hit from Electivire. "Vire!" Electivire screamed, surprised that a Pokemon had blown off its Thunder Punch. It was proud of it and gained respect for any Pokemon that could walk it off with such ease as Gengar. Gengar floated down to Ash with a big smile on its face.
"Way to go, Gengar!" Ash exclaimed, giving Gengar a fist bump. He turned back to Paul and said, "Gengar is super strong because of our special training!" Gengar floated back to the battlefield and stuck out his tongue at Electivire, who became angry at the sight of Gengar's taunting.
Paul grimaced, as he didn't expect a situation like this. I know Ash isn't a serious person, Paul thought. But this is a completely different level than I thought. He shook his head and refocused, preparing to give Electivire another command. Ash saw the readjustment and decided to continue the battle with Gengar's own punch.
"Gengar, use Ice Punch!" Ash said, mimicking the punching movement as if he was fighting, not his Pokemon. Gengar's fist became surrounded by ice and emitted a frosty aura. Paul watched in anticipation as Gengar charged its fist, and instantly knew what move to use next.
"Electivire, use Protect!" Paul commanded. Electivire nodded and a green shield covered it, protecting itself from the Ice Punch. Gengar approached Electrivie and began relentlessly punching, but noticed that his target was unharmed from the current onslaught of punches. Ash saw Gengar pause and look back at him, saying, "Gen-gen-gar!", as if he was trying to tell him something.
Ash looked at Gengar then back at Electivire and saw what he was trying to tell him. Electivire's Protect only covered him from the front, not the back. Ash's eyes gleamed as he looked at Gengar and nodded, who returned the same gesture.
Ash gave the command. "Gengar, get behind Electivire and use Ice Punch!" Gengar responded to this by disappearing from its current spot and reappearing behind Electivire almost instantly. "It teleported?" Paul asked himself, not realizing Gengar had this ability. "Turn around Electivire and use Protect!" Paul commanded, attempting to stop the Ice Punch from colliding with Electivire.
The attempt was too slow, however, as Gengar's icy fist already made contact with Electivire's face, sending it hurtling across the battlefield. Such power! Paul thought. "Electivire, get up and use Thunder!" Paul said. Electivire stood up and regained its stance, clearly dazed from the potent Ice Punch.
A wave of electricity began forming at Electivire's bulbous antennae, which Ash noticed and decided to counter with Gengar's own ranged attack. "Use Night Shade against the Thunder!" Ash yelled. Gengar's eyes began to glow red, signifying that it was about to release a wave of dark energy directly towards Electivire.
Both trainers yelled, "Now go!" at their Pokemon. Both Gengar and Electivire released their moves, both making their way across the battlefield. It was the clash of two beams, one made of thunder and one made of dark energy. Meeting in the middle of the battlefield, they countered each other, creating a large explosion that sent dust everywhere, rendering each battler's vision useless.
Ash grunted at the hindrance. He couldn't see anything, not even Gengar. On the opposite side of the field, Paul was in the same situation as Ash. "Electivire!" Paul yelled through the dust. "Can you hear me?" He heard a small grunt of confirmation and smiled. "Use Brick Break to clear the dust from the air!" Electivire grunted and Paul heard the sound of Electivire's fist breaking through the dust.
While Electivire was clearing the dust on its side, Ash was simply waiting for it to clear on its own. Surely Paul also can't see, right? Ash thought. Even then, I should still look out for Electivire. "Gengar, if you can hear me, keep your guard up!" Ash yelled. He heard a faint "Gar!" from inside the dust cloud and was relieved that Gengar heard him.
Electivire had removed all the dust from its side using its Brick Break, giving Paul an advantage. "Alright Electivire, keep your eyes peeled for Gengar!" He said. "The dust is gone, so be careful!" Electivire nodded and scanned the battlefield, looking for any hint of purple it could see. Ash heard this exchange of words faintly and became worried.
They got rid of their dust somehow, Ash thought. How are we supposed to fight it now? He again told Gengar to keep its guard up as a precaution and waited for Electivire to strike at any moment. He heard Paul suddenly yell, "There it is! Electivire, use Thunder Punch!" and saw a flash of electricity in the dust cloud. Gengar went flying right past his head and slammed into another tree at full force, the dust trailing its figure close behind.
"Gengar!" Ash yelled, turning around to see the ghostly Pokemon on the ground with his eyes swirling. The Thunder Punch had delivered a strong enough blow to knock Gengar out. The Rotom Announcer Drone flew over to Gengar and announced, "Gengar is unable to battle-bzzt! Please send out your next Pokemon-bzzt!"
Ash was shocked at how powerful Electivire was. It's gotten stronger, he thought. I need to counter it somehow. He brought out Gengar's Pokeball and returned him to his Pokeball. "Thanks, Gengar, you did great," Ash said. "Now get a good rest." The dust had settled, revealing a tired Electivire and a smirking Paul. "Electivire's gotten stronger!" Ash yelled. "How'd you get rid of your dust!"
Paul smirked and shook his head. "That's a secret," he said, a hint of poison in the tone of his voice. A secret? He repeated to himself. What does that even mean? He tried shaking it off, instead deciding to choose the next Pokemon that he thought could counter Electivire.
"Dragonite, I choose you!" The large and lovable Dragonite appeared on the field, roaring with ferocity and flapping its wings with great intensity. Usually, it was friendly and hugged anything in its path, but when it came to battling, it could not only put that personality to the side but create a vicious and relentless one.
"A Dragonite, huh," Paul whispered. "Ash is catching some powerful Pokemon." He looked at Electivire, who was panting and worn out from the previous battle. "Keep your guard up Electivire, Dragonite is probably really powerful." Electivire nodded and stared down Dragonite, who gave an equally terrifying glare in return.
Ash decided to move first, yelling, "Dragonite, use Dragon Dance!" He wanted to charge up Dragonite's attack and speed before hitting Electivire. He knew it was already tired from its battle with Gengar and wanted to secure the win with one attack.
Dragonite began spinning the air, charging up its attack and speed while doing so. Paul said the window to attack it while it was vulnerable and commanded, "Electivire, use Thunder while it's distracted!" Electricity began charging its electricity between its antennae again.
Ash grinned, thinking, I knew Paul would try something like this, he thought. Attacking while the enemy is vulnerable. He had a plan to counter that exact strategy, so he yelled, "Dragonite, use Hyper Beam against the Thunder!" Dragonite began charging up a powerful beam similar to Electivire's Thunder.
Paul hadn't expected Ash to counter the Thunder, so he ordered Electivire to stop using Thunder and instead use Protect. Ash was confused at the decision. Why would he stop attacking just to protect himself? He saw the Electivire create the green shield and decided to still use Hyper Beam. "Go! Do it!" he yelled towards Dragonite, who released the bright beam from its mouth.
The move made its way across the field, making contact with Electivire's Protect. Paul knew that even though the raw power of the move would tire Electivire further, it could be worth it to target to tuckered out Dragonite. "Elec!" Electivire cried, clearly trying to keep its shield up against the beam.
Paul clenched his teeth. Come Electivire, he thought. Just a little more. It'll all be worth it! Ash saw Electivire struggling and yelled, "Come on Dragonite! You're almost there!" Dragonite used all of its strength into that Hyper Beam, which unfortunately never fully broke through the Protect.
The light dissipated, revealing two panting Pokemon. Electivire, who had used its final power into its Protect, stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, before falling out of exhaustion with a crash. Dragonite was still able to battle but was incredibly worn out from its usage of immense power.
Ash smiled and exclaimed, "Way to go, Dragonite!", pumping his fists while he complimented his Pokemon. Dragonite weakly looked back and smiled, glad to have helped out its trainer. The Rotom Announcer Drone flew over the Electivire and announced its state. "Electivire is unable to battle-bzzt!" Please send out your next Pokemon-bzzt!"
Paul just softly chuckled, returning Electivire to its Pokeball. "What's so funny, Paul?" Ash asked, slightly annoyed. "We just beat you." Paul scoffed and reached for his next Pokemon. "You'll see," Paul responded, sending out his next Pokemon silently with a slight toss of its Pokeball. It opened and a large figure suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
"Drapion!" The large scorpion Pokemon screamed, raising its head as it did so. Ash saw Drapion and remembered it from their battle at the Lily of the Valley Conference. It had wiped out half of his team before Gliscor finally took it out. "Dragonite! This Drapion is tough, so be careful!" Dragonite looked back at Ash and nodded, visibly tired from its Hyper Beam.
Paul decided to continue the battle and yelled, "Drapion, use Cross Poison!" Drapion's pincers became purple, and it started running towards Dragonite. Ash knew how much damage that move could do and decided to go for a more defensive approach. "Dragonite, dodge it, quick!" He yelled. Drapion slashed at Dragonite, who managed to dodge it by flying upwards and out of Drapion's reach. "Err," Paul grunted as Dragonite floated into the air. He looked at Ash and expressed his emotions. "How did it dodge that? I thought it would've been too exhausted after I sacrificed Electivire to wear it out."
Ash couldn't believe his ears. He was under the assumption that Paul was trying to be a better trainer. I thought maybe he would care more about his Pokemon, Ash thought. I guess I was wrong. Paul groaned and shook his head, saying, "It doesn't matter if my plan didn't work. I'll still beat you! Drapion, use Pin Missile in the air at Dragonite!"
Drapion lowered its head and readied its pincers, which were now glowing white. It began to shoot out white streams of pins directly at Dragonite. Ash wasn't prepared for a ranged attack but still had a plan to subdue the Pin Missile. "Dragonite, use Dragon Claw!" Dragonite's claws began glowing a green color as it swiped at the oncoming pins, struggling to stop all of them.
Suddenly, one of the pins sneaked past Dragonite's claws and made direct contact with Dragonite's chest, disrupting its flow of attacks. Because it was interrupted, Dragonite had stopped clawing away at the pins, so more pins began dealing damage. After what seemed like an eternity of a Pin Missile onslaught, Dragonite fell out of the sky and crashed into the ground.
"Dragonite!" Ash yelled. He didn't expect Paul to be so ruthless with his attacks, which proved to be a mistake. I forgot how much Paul loves winning, Ash thought. I do too, but he's so violent about it! Ash encouraged Dragonite by yelling, "Come on Dragonite, get up! You can do it!"
"There's no way it gets up after all that!" Paul yelled to Ash from across the battlefield. "First a Hyper Beam and now this! Might as well call it quits, Ash!" Ash gritted his teeth and shook his head at Paul. "No way!" Ash yelled back. "I believe in Dragonite and that's all that matters!" As if Ash's words had healed it, Dragonite slowly got up and roared, showing that it was still in the fight.
Impossible! Paul thought. All it took was, what, a belief? He shook his head and frowned. He was in awe of the strength of Dragonite and had to know the secret. "Like I said, it's about believing in your Pokemon and having fun," Ash explained, giving a confident fist pump. Dragonite turned around and smiled, giving his trainer a cry in return.
Having fun? Paul thought. How immature can you get? Pokemon battling isn't about fun, it's about winning! He still wanted to understand Ash, so he continued the battle. "Drapion, use Poison Fang, and make sure to restrain Dragonite!" Drapion opened its mouth and revealed its fangs, now turning purple and venomous. Drapion began running towards Dragonite, barring venomous fangs that entailed Poison Fang, so Ash yelled, "Dragonite, use Hurricane to stop Drapion from readying its attack!"
Dragonite began flapping its wings at extreme speeds, almost blowing off Ash's hat and taking the leaves off of trees. Drapion stopped running towards Dragonite and was trying to not get blown away by the piercing winds. Paul shielded his face from the winds and yelled at the top of his lungs so Drapion could hear him. "Use Cross Poison to fight against the winds!"
Drapion used its now purple pincers to fight against the winds, succeeding in doing so. By attacking against the wind, it was breaking its force and allowing Drapion to get slowly closer to Dragonite. Ash saw this happening and decided to let it approach. He knew Dragonite had managed to raise its attack and speed from the Dragon Dance that was cut short by Pin Missile, and he wanted to utilize it.
Almost there! Paul thought. Once we get closer, we'll use Poison Fang directly at Dragonite. That should knock it out! "Keep on going, Drapion!" Paul yelled through the winds. Drapion continued trekking forward until it was a few feet from Dragonite. Both trainers saw the opportunity to attack, so they each yelled their respective commands.
"Drapion, use Poison Fang!"
"Dragonite, use Dragon Claw!"
Both Pokemon swung with all their might at the other, putting all they had into their move. Both Poison Fang and Dragon Claw made contact with the opposing Pokemon, both moves equally as deadly as the other. They managed to shoot past each other as their attacks landed, appearing on opposite sides and facing away from each other.
There was silence on the battlefield; neither trainer expected a move from the other. They waited for either Pokemon to move after the hit, but neither of them did so. The silence was broken by both Pokemon keeling over, causing a loud impact as they fell to the ground.
The Rotom Announcer Drone flew over to the wreckage of the exchange of moves and declared, "Both Pokemon are unable to battle-bzzt. Please send out your next Pokemon-bzzt!" Ash and Paul were both shocked, with the former running out to the battlefield to help Dragonite.
"Dragonite, are you okay?" Ash asked, getting on his knees to properly see his Pokemon. "Drag," Dragonite responded, letting his trainer know he was fine. "You did great," Ash said, returning Dragonite to its ball. "Now get a good rest." He stood up and looked at Paul.
"Aren't you gonna see how Drapion's doing?" Ash asked in confusion. "No," Paul asked. "Pathetic Pokemon like Drapion don't get special treatment. It couldn't even take out a weakened Pokemon without fainting." He said this with such disregard for Drapion's wellbeing, as he returned it to its Pokeball and tucked it away inside his belt.
"Hey!" Ash yelled. "That's not fair to Drapion at all! It tried its hardest!" He was beginning to grow angry with Paul's attitude and morals towards Pokemon and training them. I can't believe he's still arrogant, Ash thought. I've always had issues with his methods, and he's still using them after all this time.
Paul shrugged his shoulders and said, "Whatever. Your training method never worked for me, and even after battling two of your Pokemon, I still don't get it." Ash gritted his teeth, hoping to prove Paul wrong, when the Rotom Announcer Drone exclaimed, "Will both trainers please send out their next Pokemon-bzzt! If neither trainer sends out their Pokemon, the battle will not be counted towards the rankings-bzzt!"
Paul glared at Ash and said, "We've got a battle to finish." Ash gritted his teeth further and replied, "Fine. But this conversation isn't over!" He stormed back over to his side of the battlefield, looking down at Pikachu with confidence. Pikachu had been sitting beside Ash the whole time and was itching for a battle, especially against Paul.
"You ready buddy?" Ash asked quietly. Pikachu nodded, prompting Ash to extend his hand. "Pikachu, I choose you!" He yelled as Pikachu ran across his arm and hopped onto the battlefield, crying "Pika!" Paul reacted to the choice with a smirk and reached for a Pokeball on his belt.
"Torterra, stand by!" Paul exclaimed, sending out the large grass turtle Pokemon. "Tor!" Torterra's cry rumbled through the field, creating a slight quake in the ground. Ash was worried about this choice. Torterra is a grass and ground type, he thought. Not too great against Pikachu. "You ready?" He asked his best friend. "Pi!" Pikachu responded, raising his tail in a battle-ready position.
Just then, Ash heard his name being called. "Ash! Ash!" Ash looked towards the source of the voice and saw Goh running with food in his hand. "I've been looking all over for you!" He said, running onto the battlefield, much to the annoyance of Paul. "What are you doing?" Goh asked, completely clueless that Ash was in the middle of a World Coronation Battle.
Ash softly laughed and said, "I'm kind of having a battle here, Goh." Goh looked surprised for a second and turned towards Paul, who was visibly fuming. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" Goh exclaimed, running towards the seats that were nearby with his face red. Ash chuckled at Goh, who was rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner saying, "Sorry... sorry..."
Paul wasn't amused and decided to use his anger in using his first move. "Let's make this quick Torterra! Use Frenzy Plant!" Torterra roared and slammed the ground, causing strong, thick roots to appear from the ground and make their way to Pikachu.
"Pikachu, jump and dodge the roots!" Ash yelled. Pikachu leaped in the air and cleared the roots. Much to the dismay of Ash, however, the roots began following Pikachu and made contact, sending Pikachu flying back towards Ash.
Pikachu collided with the ground and got up with a few scratches. "That's it, buddy!" Way to go!" Ash exclaimed, glad that Pikachu was okay and still ready to fight. Goh was eating popcorn while intently watching the fight. That Frenzy Plant was something else, he thought. Following Pikachu like that is something I've never seen before.
"Alright buddy," Ash said. "Let's hit 'em with a Quick Attack!" Pikachu began running towards Toterra, gaining speed as it ran until eventually becoming a white blur. Paul noticed Pikachu had gotten faster since they last fought and decided to go a ranged attack so he couldn't get close. "Torterra, use Stone Edge!" Torterra roared as sharp stones surrounded it, all in a position to attack the speedy mouse.
"Now! Release them!" Paul commanded. All of the individual stones began flying towards Pikachu. Ash reacted quickly, as he knew what to do with both Pikachu's speed and the floating stones. "Pikachu, use your speed to traverse across the stones!" Pikachu jumped on the first stone and continued along with the remaining stones.
"That's impossible!" Paul roared with a confused look on his face. He knew Ash could do some daring things, but nothing of this caliber. Goh almost choked on his popcorn when he saw this maneuver. I thought Ash was crazy enough already, Goh thought. Now, this? Ash smiled as Pikachu continued making its way towards Torterra using its move. His smile faded, however, when he saw Toterra's stones turning around mid-air and following Pikachu again. This is new, he thought. His smile returned to his face again. But it gives me an idea.
Paul chuckled and said to himself, "Pikachu has no idea that the stones are after him. He's done for." Torterra looked at Paul, waiting for a command, who simply said, "Don't worry. You can take a Quick Attack. The stones will get him afterward." Torterra nervously looked back towards the ever-approaching Pikachu, hoping his trainer was right. Pikachu continued leaping from stone to stone, gaining speed with each leap. He was close to Torterra now; Paul was confident that using Torterra as a shield was beneficial for him.
Unexpectedly, Ash yelled, "Now Pikachu, jump over Torterra and get behind it!" Pikachu understood Ash's plan, as he thought similarly to him often, and leaped right over Torterra's head, who confusingly looked up at the yellow streak in the air. The stones continued following a straight path towards Pikachu, who was now behind Torterra and made direct contact with the large turtle, inflicting massive damage throughout its body.
"Torterra!" Paul yelled, not expecting Ash to outplay him so well. Goh didn't expect it either and stood up out of pure surprise and excitement. That's something I didn't expect, he thought. Even from Ash. Ash cheered as Pikachu ran back towards Ash, waiting for the result of the self-inflicted Stone Edge.
The dust produced from the attack settled and revealed a badly injured Torterra. Ash instantly noticed the severity of the injuries and yelled, "I think you should recall Torterra! It looks badly hurt!" Paul scoffed at Ash's caring nature and retorted, "I don't care! It can still battle so I'll keep using it!"
Ash was angry at Paul's arrogance. "Fine! If you want to hurt Torterra, then that's your fault!" He exclaimed. Paul just scoffed, crossing his arms. "Alright then, Pikachu!" Ash yelled. "Get close to Torterra and use Iron Tail!" Pikachu began running as its tail started glowing a metallic silver. Paul watched as Pikachu grew closer, knowing his next move should work. Torterra nervously looked back at Paul, hoping his trainer knew what it was doing.
Pikachu jumped in the air and swung its tail towards Torterra. Paul gave his command, yelling, "Use Crunch on its tail!" Torterra opened its mouth and clamped down on Pikachu's Iron Tail, much to Ash and Goh's surprise.
"Now, throw it around on the ground!" Paul commanded. Torterra began violently tossing Pikachu around, inflicting damage on it every second. Ash grimaced, brainstorming a solution for the situation Pikachu was in.
Paul saw that Pikachu was close to fainting, so to ensure the win, he yelled, "Now! Throw Pikachu high into the air!" Torterra whipped its head up and tossed Pikachu in the air, sending it flying up. Goh worriedly looked at Ash, whose face was in shock, then up at Pikachu. There's no way he'll be fine after hitting the ground, he thought. How will Ash get out of this?
Suddenly, Goh saw Ash's facial features become more confident and sure. He must've thought of something! he thought. "Pikachu! Listen to me!" Ash yelled at the now descending electric mouse. "Use Iron Tail to angle yourself towards Torterra!" Pikachu followed Ash's directions and used Iron Tail, angling it directly towards Torterra.
Of course! Goh thought. The weight of the Iron Tail will cause Pikachu's direction to change! Only Ash would think of something like that! Paul looked at the situation and quickly thought of a way to counter it. "Torterra, get ready to use Crunch again on Pikachu!" The large turtle opened its mouth again, ready to catch Pikachu in midair.
"Pikachu, make sure you land Iron Tail on Torterra's back so it can't grab you!" Ash yelled, receiving a loud "Cha!" from Pikachu signifying that he heard Ash. Goh watched in anticipation as the quickly descending Pikachu was about to make contact with the prepared Torterra. This better work, Ash, he thought, closing his eyes and waiting to hear the loud impact of the two moves.