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Dawn and Brock cheered excitedly for Ash, Mai, Mao, and Candice, all shouting how cool Snorlax was.
Purugly clearly attempted to dodge, but Snorlax anticipated its movements and sent it flying with a single punch.
Snorlax even turned to wave at Ash on the battlefield, seemingly unaffected by the Toxic.
The commentator praised Snorlax's astonishing power.
Ash's opponent's second Pokémon was the Fighting-type Hariyama, which countered Snorlax's Normal type directly.
Since Snorlax had been hit by Toxic, Ash wisely switched out his Pokémon rather than stubbornly sticking with it.
When Ash's second Pokémon appeared on the field, Luther couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Dawn and Mai scanned Muk with their Pokédexes, their faces turning pale. "Ash has a Pokémon like this?"
Brock chuckled dryly, recalling the moment Ash captured Muk.
The image of Ash being chased by dozens of Grimer was burned into Brock's memory and impossible to forget.
Muk immediately tackled Ash upon emerging from its Poké Ball, ignoring its opponent in the Battle Arena completely.
Luther had always believed that if Ash's Pokémon were ranked by clinginess, Muk would take first place without a doubt.
It took Ash quite a while to coax Muk into the arena, and only after the referee warned that further delay would result in disqualification did Muk comply.
To determine if a Muk is properly trained, beyond observing its viscous skin, the key lies in its scent.
When Ash's Muk unleashed its controlled Stench aura, the opposing Hariyama's expression visibly changed.
Though far from the arena, Luther and the others felt the tension acutely. Ash was clearly struggling to maintain his composure; his forced calm barely concealed his unease at Muk's unexpectedly robust condition.
'How exactly did Professor Oak raise this Muk?'
'Even before the battle began, Hariyama was trembling. Was this some kind of intimidation tactic?'
"For a Fighting-type Pokémon, its willpower is remarkably fragile," Luther observed. "If it can't endure this level of pressure, then Ash has already won."
The outcome of the battle soon confirmed Luther's prediction.
Muk launched a Sludge Bomb at Hariyama. Under Ash's command, Hariyama braced against the attack and endured the damage before charging forward with a powerful Headbutt.
Its massive palms repeatedly struck Muk's soft, sludge-like body. After enduring the barrage, Muk sneered contemptuously at Hariyama.
Undeterred, Hariyama continued its relentless assault.
After using Bulk Up, Hariyama unleashed Force Palm and Thrust. His face twisted into a ferocious grimace, as if he wanted to pound the contemptuous look off Muk's face.
Yet, even with the Bulk Up boost, Muk remained unfazed by Hariyama's attacks.
Most remarkably, Ash seemed to have stopped commanding his Pokémon.
"What's wrong with Ash? Why isn't he seizing this opportunity to attack Hariyama?" Dawn asked anxiously.
Despite seeing Muk being pummeled, Ash wore a calm, confident expression, as if he had the entire battle under control.
"Could it be...?" Brock glanced at Luther.
Luther also realized something.
Back at the Kihara Restaurant, Etorre had taught them a technique for exhausting an opponent's stamina during battle. The technique relied on a single, decisive strike to win. He had also taught Ash how to gauge a Pokémon's stamina levels and identify vulnerabilities in their movements.
Hariyama's Force Palm struck Muk with tremendous force, visibly elongating its body and causing a massive bulge to swell on its back.
"Ash's Muk is truly terrifying! It's withstanding Hariyama's attacks without flinching and showing no fear. We don't know why Ash isn't retaliating, but..."
Before the commentator could finish, as soon as Hariyama retracted his Force Palm, Ash raised his hand and pointed at Hariyama, saying, "Use Sludge Bomb on its abdomen!"
Muk grinned viciously in mid-air and unleashed its move. Caught off guard while recovering from the attack, Hariyama was hit directly by the Sludge Bomb.
His Pokémon Trainer was about to order him to attack the now unsteady Muk when he suddenly collapsed to the ground with a thud.
As expected, Ash was using his tournament opponents as practice partners.
During their usual four-person training sessions, everyone held back, and some techniques remained purely theoretical, never receiving much practical application.
Ash hadn't found time to spar with other Pokémon Trainers before the preliminary round of the Lily of the Valley Conference.
So, he decided to use the matches for practice.
Snorlax and Muk were both incredibly resilient Pokémon, able to endure tremendous punishment while dishing out equally devastating blows. This suited Ash's mindset perfectly, take a beating while experimenting with techniques and ensure victory.
Could Ash's final Pokémon really be Kingler?
Sure enough, Ash recalled Muk. However, Muk refused to return to its Poké Ball and clung stubbornly to Ash's side instead. Ash sighed and let it have its way.
His opponent's final Pokémon was the Grass-type Tangrowth.
Ash's final Pokémon was indeed Kingler.
For Ash, being at a type disadvantage felt familiar. The scene was so absurd that even the commentator began to stutter.
Kingler used its giant claw like a ping-pong paddle, smashing the Energy Ball back into Tangrowth's face.
Before Tangrowth's Vine Whip could reach Kingler, the claw snapped it in half. Though Ash didn't attack, the type-advantaged assault failed to land a single hit on Kingler.
Although Dakota had taught them to mess with their opponents' minds, Luther remembered Ash saying he preferred fair and square victories.
But this situation... Ash, are you really not messing with that poor Pokémon Trainer's head?
The opposing Pokémon Trainer was shouting orders furiously. Had he been able to step onto the battlefield, he would have likely been pounding on Kingler's massive claws.
Thankfully, this brutal situation came to an end. As Tangrowth launched another Energy Ball, which Kingler swatted away, Ash seized an opening and struck with a critical hit from Cross Chop.
The commentator must have been exhausted because Ash's battles were notoriously difficult to commentate on.
One moment, the match seemed one-sided, and the next, the opponent's Pokémon suddenly collapsed. This had embarrassed the commentator twice already.
Luther studied Ash's expression and became convinced that he genuinely wasn't trying to mess with his opponent's mind. He was simply focused on honing his skills.
Glancing at the dejected Pokémon Trainer across the battlefield, Luther could only silently wish him better luck in the future.
Back in the preparation room, Etorre eyed Dakota.
Dakota immediately understood what Etorre was thinking and quickly explained, "Ash wanted to refine his team, so he used three Pokémon in three battles. Any psychological impact was purely accidental, it had nothing to do with me."
(End Of This Chapter)