On the field, Wartortle was in a toppled state, with a charred black spot on the bottom of its shell.
Pikachu stood calmly on the field, as if the attack just now was something it released casually.
Gary widened his eyes, unable to comprehend what had just happened, what exactly did Pikachu do? How could it have such speed?
Even an Elite Level Pikachu couldn't possibly achieve that speed, could it?
What on earth is that skill called Zippy Zap? Why has he, with all his knowledge, never heard of it before? Is it a skill Pikachu can learn?
Numerous questions flooded Gary's mind, but now it was time for battle. Even if he asked Ash, Ash wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal the uniqueness of the skill to him, so he could only find a way to counter it himself.
"Wartortle, can you still fight?"
"Wartortle!" Wartortle emerged from its shell, and its face clearly showed signs of fatigue, but it hadn't yet lost its ability to battle.
"Great, Wartortle, use Liquidation!"
"Wartortle!"
A stream of water enveloped Wartortle's body, then it shot forward with the speed of a rocket!
The water trailed a beautiful arc in the air, emitting a whistling sound. It was clear that this move was incredibly powerful!
But Gary wasn't just having Wartortle use Liquidation so simply!
"Now, combine with Zen Headbutt!"
A pink glow suddenly appeared on Wartortle's forehead!
The impact and power of Liquidation, combined with the pulling ability of Zen Headbutt, meant that Wartortle's attack reached an extreme level of speed,
and its power far exceeded its usual level!
Combining various moves was one of Gary's capital investments in defeating all kinds of Gym Trainers.
"Pikachu, Zippy Zap."
Under Ash's command, Pikachu vanished from its spot again, and Wartortle instantly lost its target.
A single trick to subdue the opponent. As long as the opponent couldn't keep up with Zippy Zap, no matter how strong Wartortle's attack was, it wouldn't matter.
Gary widened his eyes, carefully searching the field for Pikachu's figure, but all he could hear was the sound of rushing wind and an occasional flash of electricity.
By the time he caught a glimpse of Pikachu, it had already vanished from its original position.
"Oh no, Wartortle be careful!" Gary suddenly realized that regardless of how Pikachu moved, to win it must attack Wartortle.
So Pikachu's landing spot would definitely be on Wartortle!
As long as Wartortle could block this move and capture Pikachu, there would be a chance for victory!
However, even with Gary's warning, Wartortle could not defend against Zippy Zap.
In the blink of an eye, Pikachu appeared beneath the rapidly moving Wartortle on the field, and then it rammed its small head against Wartortle's shell!
"Bang!"
Wartortle was knocked out of Liquidation, its body rolled uncontrollably on the ground, spinning over ten times before it finally came to a stop.
"Wartortle!!" Gary shouted Wartortle's name, but Wartortle was already unable to respond.
The difference in level, combined with the two hits from Electric Type moves, had overwhelmed Wartortle.
Although Wartortle had used Withdraw to boost its Defense, Zippy Zap is a critical-hit move, and in a critical hit, it can partially ignore the opponent's raised Ability Value. (In games, it completely ignores the improved Ability Value.)
So even though Wartortle had used a Defense-raising move, it had no effect against Pikachu.
Moreover, Pikachu not only suppressed Wartortle in level, but its Ability Values were also beyond what Wartortle could match. Considering all these advantages, if the two Zippy Zaps weren't enough to take down the opponent, Pikachu might as well give up.
Seeing Wartortle lose its ability to battle, Gary's eyes turned vacant.
He... lost?
And it was even with his trump card Wartortle that he lost...
Bear in mind, his Wartortle had defeated Erika's Elite Level Grass Type Pokemon despite a Negative Attribute, yet today it was utterly crushed by Ash.
This wasn't exaggeration; he truly had no chance to fight back, in Ability Values, levels, or moves. He was completely outclassed!
This dealt a heavy blow to proud Gary. Before the journey, he always had the upper hand over Ash, especially in matters regarding Pokemon.
How did everything change so drastically after just a month?
"We won, Pikachu!"
"Pika Pika!!" Pikachu jumped directly into Ash's arms, celebrating this victory with him, and Ralts on Ash's shoulder was also happily clapping its hands, feeling joyful for Ash's win.
As the battle ended, the surrounding audience was buzzing with discussion.
"Wasn't Gary supposed to be very strong? How did he end up like this?"
"That just means Ash is even stronger!"
"Who's Ash? Has anyone ever heard of his name?"
"I heard he also got the Pewter City and Cerulean City Gym Badges."
"Not just that, I'm from Vermilion City, Ash cleared our Gym too, and he passed the Gym trial by defeating the Gym Leader's ace Pokemon, Raichu!"