"Miss Maylene, I just caught this little guy a few days ago," Ash said with a smile. "This'll be our first battle together—right here, with you."
Paul's eyes narrowed as he stared at Ash's Gligar.
He didn't expect that to be Ash's newest catch.
A mischievous, almost goofy Gligar—exactly the type of Pokémon Paul would've never looked at twice. But now? He was curious. He wanted to see what kind of performance this little guy could put on.
"Our honor, then," Maylene responded earnestly. "Meditite, let's give it our all—use Confusion!"
"Medi!"
Meditite's eyes gleamed with blue light.
"Gligar! Agility into Swords Dance!"
"Ayaa!"
Gligar coiled its tail like a spring and launched into the air. It glided with ease, boosted by its natural wings, slipping right past Meditite's Confusion.
Blue energy surged around Gligar, swords forming and circling it—Swords Dance activated.
"Yoga Pose, Meditite!"
Maylene saw her attack had missed and immediately opted to boost her own strength.
But Ash had seen it coming. With Gligar's lower level and limited offensive options, Ash knew brute force wouldn't work.
Time to use Aura Power.
He transmitted his thoughts directly into Gligar's mind using Aura—Maylene wouldn't be able to guess his moves this way.
"Gligar—Quick Attack, then be ready for Wing Attack!"
It was a trap—if Meditite tried to dodge with Detect, the delayed Wing Attack would strike. If she didn't use Detect, she'd be hit by Quick Attack.
Gligar nodded in the air, pumped to prove itself.
It charged, eyes sharp, speed boosted by Agility.
"Huh? Ash didn't say anything… Gligar just went on its own?" Dawn asked, puzzled.
Paul was confused, too.
"That's Aura," Anabel explained calmly. "It's a special power, Dawn—you should know it."
Paul narrowed his eyes. "Aura…"
So that's what this is... Damn it, why is he so good?
Maylene recognized it, too—if Ash was using Aura, she wouldn't be able to read him.
"Meditite, dodge with Detect! Then go back to Yoga Pose!"
She was counting on Meditite's ability—Pure Power—which doubles physical attack. If she could land even one solid hit, Gligar wouldn't stand a chance.
Meditite's eyes lit up again—Detect activated, dodging the first strike.
But Gligar wasn't done. Mid-air, it twisted around with its wings—Wing Attack landed right on target.
"Medi…!"
"Don't let it escape! Meditite, Drain Punch!"
"Gligar, dodge with Quick Attack, then use Sand Attack!"
Even with its agility, Gligar couldn't fully escape—Meditite's Drain Punch grazed it hard.
Energy drained, Gligar staggered mid-air. It looked like it might crash.
But just before hitting the ground, it slammed its claws into the dirt to stop itself—bam!
Its pincers cracked into the floor, grabbing a handful of debris, and hurled it straight into Meditite's face—Sand Attack!
Then, Gligar launched itself back into the air with a slick glide.
"Well played! That Gligar's reaction time is nuts!" Reggie cheered from the sidelines.
Paul silently agreed—none of his Pokémon could have pulled off that sequence better.
Dawn and Anabel were on edge, eyes locked on the battle, not wanting to miss a single move.
"Nice one, Gligar! One more Wing Attack!"
"Ayaa!"
Gligar swooped again.
"Meditite, calm down. Use your ears—listen for Gligar's position and then Drain Punch!"
"Medi… Medi!"
Meditite tried to focus, tried to hear through the wind, but…
Smack! Gligar's wings connected again.
"Meditite is unable to battle—Gligar wins!"
Meditite just couldn't hold on any longer.
Round Two: Victory for Gligar.
With the battle over, experience points were distributed—and Ash didn't hold back.
Tenfold EXP Critical Boost Card activated!
Ash dropped one of his rarest cards, each worth 2 million Pokécoins.
Grotle's level shot from 39 to 47—8 full levels!
Gligar? From 35 to 44—even more than Grotle!
"Ayaa!"
The little guy zoomed back to Ash, clearly overjoyed.
Ash smiled helplessly. This Gligar really was like a big kid—just wanted some praise.
"Ayaa, ayaa!"
"Alright, alright. Yeah, you did amazing. That timing? Perfect. Now go chill with Grotle, and watch Buizel's turn."
He gave Gligar a pat and the goofy bat made a face before obediently settling down beside Grotle.
"Pika, Pikachu~!" Pikachu gave it props too.
"Ash, I can't believe that Gligar's a new catch," Maylene said, clearly impressed. "The way you two battled… that level of synch is unreal. And I didn't know you could use Aura! I've always dreamed of that power—I mean, I have a Lucario as my partner, after all."
She looked at him with a mix of envy and admiration. Despite Ash never saying anything harsh, the pressure he radiated was even more intense than Paul's.
"Lucario, I'm counting on you."
"Ruka!"
Lucario stepped forward—Maylene's ace.
Ash reached for the last Poké Ball in his hand.
"Alright, Buizel. You're up."
"Buizel!"
Full of fire, Buizel made its entrance.
Ever since watching Pikachu's match against Lucian's Bronzong, Buizel had been burning for its own turn.
Now? That moment had come.
"Bui! Bui!"
It even taunted Lucario with a confident gesture, waving it over.
The final round had begun.
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T/N:
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