"That's a lot of clones! But they won't work against Turtwig. Let's get straight to the point: use Leaf Storm!"
The small sapling on Turtwig's head glowed green, and sharp leaves whipped up into a massive, swirling tempest that roared across the battlefield.
"It knows the ultimate Grass-type move, Leaf Storm! That Turtwig must be a really high level!" Brock's face registered surprise from the stands, but he quickly calmed down.
"Relax, relax!" Dawn waved her hand dismissively, full of confidence in Ash. "Ash will definitely win, definitely!"
Brock shared the same confidence and focused back on Ash. Although Turtwig's razor-sharp Leaf Storm shredded Staravia's Double Team clones one by one, the true body was not among them.
"This is not a very direct battle, is it?" Gardenia murmured her thoughts aloud, searching for the real Staravia alongside Turtwig.
"Star!"
Just as Gardenia and Turtwig scanned their surroundings, an excited cry came from above.
Both immediately looked up, only to see Staravia dropping straight down in a vertical dive, several white air currents swirling around its beak.
"Turtwig, quickly close your eyes!" The intense sunlight forced Gardenia to squint, and realizing the danger, she urgently commanded Turtwig.
But it was too late. Turtwig was clearly affected and involuntarily shut its eyes.
"Use Aerial Ace followed by Wing Attack!"
In that brief moment, the vertically diving Staravia, which gained impact force from the drop, struck the Grass-type Turtwig with Aerial Ace, followed by an extra hit from Wing Attack.
"Turtwig!"
Under Staravia's relentless combination, the incredibly fast Turtwig cried out in pain and was defeated.
"Thank you for your hard work, Turtwig!" Gardenia consoled her Turtwig apologetically. She knew this loss was largely due to her own mistake as a trainer; with Turtwig's speed, it shouldn't have fallen so quickly.
"It seems I have no choice but to deploy my final Pokémon, straight to the point!" Watching Ash and Staravia celebrate, Gardenia sent out her third Pokémon: Roserade.
This was a humanoid Pokémon, elegantly holding red and blue roses in its hands, wearing what looked like a mask and cape, giving it the appearance of attending a masquerade ball.
"It's your turn, Grotle!"
Ash decisively threw out a Poké Ball, and a Grotle, comparable in size to a Torterra, lumbered onto the field. Despite its immense size, Grotle wore a somewhat gentle,憨厚 (simple and honest) expression, hinting at the shadow of a good-natured giant.
"Ah!"
To everyone's shock, Gardenia's expression flushed upon seeing the massive Grotle, staring at it intensely as if she had hit a pressure point.
"This turtle is so big! I want to have a loving interaction with it!" She spouted crude (虎狼之词) words, looking exactly like Brock when he saw a beautiful woman.
Ash, Dawn, and Brock were all stunned, but Grotle maintained its placid expression.
"Grotle, use Growth!"
The battle continued. Grotle's body momentarily swelled then shrank back, boosting its Attack and Special Attack stats. The effects of Growth were doubled under the blazing sunlight of the ongoing harsh weather.
"Use Weather Ball!"
Gardenia finally regained her composure mid-battle and decisively commanded the attack while Grotle was powering up. Weather Ball is a move whose type and power change based on the current weather. In harsh sunlight, Weather Ball becomes a super-heated, Fire-type fireball, with its power doubled.
"Roserade!"
Gazing at the stationary giant, Roserade promptly hurled the huge fireball from its flower bouquet.
"Use Light Screen!"
A transparent, mystical barrier formed in front of Grotle, ready to withstand the Fire-type Weather Ball, which was super effective against the Grass-type Grotle.
"Grotle!"
Although the damage was halved, the Fire-type effectiveness against Grass was unavoidable, causing Grotle to cry out in pain.
"My little darling, I didn't mean it!" Gardenia looked distressed, yet as a Gym Leader, her attacks were truly merciless.
"Use Weather Ball again!"
Seeing Grotle slightly scorched and knowing the effectiveness of the move, Gardenia immediately commanded another Weather Ball.
Seeing another scorching fireball approaching, even the good-tempered Grotle couldn't help but internally roll its eyes. This woman says she likes me, but she hits so hard!
"Use Solar Beam!"
This time, Ash didn't let Grotle take the hit again. Instead, he commanded the powerful counter-attack, Solar Beam. The first hit had been necessary as it occurred during the crucial power-up phase of Growth.
Now that the power-up was complete, with both of Grotle's offensive stats boosted by two stages in the sunlight, Ash commanded it to clash directly with Weather Ball. Grotle absorbed the sunlight through the large tree on its back and fired an instant Solar Beam at the Weather Ball.
Due to the two-stage increase in both of Grotle's offenses, the Solar Beam easily overpowered the Weather Ball after a brief stalemate, continuing its trajectory toward Roserade.
However, Roserade, using its nimble movements, gracefully dodged the sweeping Solar Beam.
"My darling turtle may be huge, and its defense is impressive, but its speed can't match Roserade's!" Gardenia said playfully, winking.
"That might not be true!" Ash smiled back and shouted: "Grotle, use Grass Knot!"
An inconspicuous green vine suddenly appeared beneath the feet of the highly mobile Roserade.
"Oh no!" Gardenia gasped. "Quickly avoid it!"
Although Grass Knot itself didn't inflict significant damage on the relatively light Roserade, the surprise trip sent Roserade tumbling. In that critical moment, a dark green energy bar, like a snake, shot toward Roserade, beginning to drain its stamina.
"Use Rock Climb!"
Even though Grotle (and later Torterra) is often ridiculed for using Rock Climb to "deliver themselves" to the opponent, Ash chose the move for its sheer power.
"Grotle!"
Grotle stomped its thick legs on the ground, causing the terrain around Roserade to erupt, forming a sheer rock wall. Grotle's forelimbs suddenly lengthened, and it scaled the wall with irresistible momentum, landing a heavy strike on Roserade.
The referee rushed to the fallen Roserade and declared the result: "Roserade is unable to battle! Grotle wins the match! The winner is Challenger Ash!"
"That's great!"
Ash walked over to the gentle Grotle, relieved, and stroked its head. Grotle was no longer the Pokémon that used Rock Climb just to get knocked out.