Join my p@treon for more chapters
[email protected]/Tempest_29
Golbat's Supersonic attack was incredibly powerful. Without proper focus, a Pokémon could easily fall into confusion—a dangerous condition in battle.
Charmeleon concentrated intensely, fighting against Supersonic's disorienting effects. From the sidelines, Ash felt the attack's remarkable power, enduring the sharp ringing in his ears as he observed the numerous Golbat figures scattered across the battlefield.
"Wait—Charmeleon, use Flamethrower to your right!" Ash called out urgently.
All the Golbat images in the sky appeared identical, making it impossible to distinguish the real one from the duplicates. Ash's expression grew serious as he shouted his command.
With a powerful roar, Charmeleon's eyes flashed with understanding. He turned sharply to the right, opened his jaws wide, and unleashed a blazing stream of fire directly at the Golbat positioned there.
BOOM!
The Golbat releasing Supersonic clearly hadn't expected Ash and Charmeleon to locate it among so many Double Team clones. It had no time to evade the Flamethrower attack coming straight at it.
Under the intense flames, Golbat's body was thrown backward uncontrollably. Koga's eyes widened in surprise.
"What?!" the Gym Leader exclaimed.
"Double Team is tricky to handle, but in the end, only one of them is real!" Ash said with narrowed eyes.
Double Team could indeed confuse opponents, but the duplicates were merely illusions, not solid entities. Though it appeared that all clones were attacking, only the real Golbat could inflict damage.
It was mainly visual deception, and when Golbat attacked while using Double Team, it revealed subtle flaws. In a cautious battle, these might be difficult to spot, but long-range attacks like Supersonic produced distinct sounds. With enough concentration, one could pinpoint the source.
"As expected of Ash!" Misty couldn't help clenching her fists when she witnessed this. She hadn't detected anything unusual, but Ash had managed to distinguish the real Golbat.
"Impressive—quite keen judgment! But what about this?" Koga praised, unwilling to admit defeat.
"Golbat, use Double Team again!" The Gym Leader repeated his strategy. The recovered Golbat used Double Team once more.
Soaring through the sky, Golbat's image instantly multiplied. More and more duplicates appeared until the entire airspace was filled with Golbat copies.
"Wing Attack!" Koga immediately changed tactics, knowing that long-range attacks were easier to detect.
The wings of dozens of Golbat clones simultaneously glowed with white light as they dove toward Charmeleon. Neither Charmeleon nor Ash could distinguish the real one.
BOOM!
Charmeleon's right shoulder was struck by Golbat's wings. The impact sent him flying to the other side of the field, where he landed hard, using his claws to stabilize himself on the ground.
Many clones rushed toward Charmeleon and vanished upon contact, but numerous Golbat duplicates remained in the air. Koga pointed at Charmeleon and commanded mercilessly.
"Keep using Wing Attack!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Golbat launched a relentless offensive with its many clones, repeatedly striking Charmeleon. After each hit, it quickly changed position and hid among the duplicates again.
Charmeleon countered with Flamethrower, but he only managed to eliminate the clones. Whenever the number of duplicates decreased, Golbat quickly used Double Team again to create more.
This cycle continued, making it impossible for Charmeleon to identify the real Golbat. The Poison/Flying-type used the cover of its clones and its natural speed to launch continuous attacks.
Ash frantically considered countermeasures as anxiety built in his chest. Charmeleon kept fighting valiantly, but if this continued, he would eventually fall.
"The situation doesn't look good!" Misty observed with cold sweat on her palms.
"You're right. Even though Flying-type moves aren't super effective against Charmeleon, the continuous hits will wear him down no matter how strong he is," Brock added with a frown. He was also trying to think of a solution, but nothing would work unless they could overcome Double Team.
"If we can't avoid it, then we don't hide! Charmeleon, hold on," Ash said, narrowing his eyes and clenching his fists, having thought of a strategy.
Charmeleon sensed Ash's determination and turned his head slightly to look at his Trainer. His eyes were full of trust and resolve.
"Charmeleon! Thank you!" Ash felt moved by Charmeleon's unwavering faith in him.
"Continue to attack, Golbat!" Koga ordered. Golbat once again directed all its clones to use Wing Attack, rushing toward Charmeleon from all directions.
Seeing countless Golbat figures charging simultaneously, Misty and Brock tensed up, concerned for Ash's Pokémon. Misty could barely watch the impending collision.
"Wait... wait..." Ash saw Golbat approaching again but forced himself to remain calm. They had only one chance—Golbat would be more cautious next time, so they couldn't miss this opportunity.
When Golbat was just a few meters from Charmeleon, with duplicates coming from all directions, Ash knew only one was real, but there was no way to tell which one.
"Now! Charmeleon, use Fire Pledge on yourself!"
As Golbat approached the anticipated position, Ash's eyes flashed with determination. He waved toward the battlefield and gave an order that shocked everyone present.
With a mighty roar, Charmeleon raised his claws, his entire body enveloped in a red glow. The flame on his tail surged brilliantly as he clenched his fists, fire burning in his eyes.
He slammed one powerful fist into the ground.
BOOM!
Upon impact, an astonishing energy erupted. The ground beneath Charmeleon's feet collapsed as intense heat burst forth, engulfing him completely.
Waves of scorching air swept outward as pillars of fire rose skyward. Golbat, unable to halt its charge, collided with the fiery eruption. The clones dissipated instantly while the real Golbat was blasted away by the tremendous power of Fire Pledge.