As Gardevoir's radiance faded and Ash made his decision, the second round officially began.
"Bellossom, Grassy Glide!"
"Bellossom~!"
With a cheerful cry, Bellossom tapped her tiny feet against the grassy floor. Her whole body shimmered in green light, then, in the blink of an eye, she shot forward like a blade of wind.
Ash and Gardevoir barely registered the movement before Bellossom was already upon them, trailing sparkling energy as she slammed straight into Gardevoir's chest!
"Gardevoir!"
The newly evolved Pokémon was thrown backward, tumbling across the ground. Her pristine gown-like skirt fluttered through the air before she rolled to a stop, a little scuffed but far from beaten.
"Gardevoir…!"
Ash frowned, mind racing. Grassy Glide? That move wasn't in any of his Kanto-region records.
Gardevoir rose slowly, brushing stray grass from her arms. The attack had surprised her, but her eyes still burned with focus. The hit hadn't been strong enough to bring her down, only fast. Far too fast. Even her sharp psychic perception had barely followed Bellossom's movement.
That wasn't just Chlorophyll's speed boost; something else was amplifying her agility.
From the spectator stands, Misty blinked. "Brock, did you see that? What kind of move was that? I've never heard of Grassy Glide!"
Brock, who had been gazing dreamily at Erika a few minutes earlier, snapped back to attention. "No… that isn't a Kanto move. It must be a TM imported from another region, maybe Galar. It's not in my data either."
Misty frowned. "So even you don't know it…"
Ash's eyes narrowed, analyzing calmly. "That speed… Pikachu, it's kind of like your attack, isn't it?"
"Pika pi." Pikachu nodded, tail twitching. The feeling was similar, though not identical. Electric acceleration attack gave instant acceleration; Grassy Glide's energy flowed with the terrain, giving both priority and power in grassy fields.
"Heh, don't recognize it, do you?" Erika teased, a playful smile crossing her face. "This move's pretty rare in Kanto. The TM for it is only sold in Galar. As for what it actually does…" she tilted her head, eyes glinting mischievously, "I'm not telling~"
Ash sweat-dropped. "You really want to play it that way, huh?"
"Bellossom, again, Grassy Glide!"
"Gardevoir, use Psychic!"
The two commands overlapped.
Bellossom darted forward once more, sunlight gleaming off her petals. Her movements were so fast that she left multiple afterimages dancing across the field. Gardevoir's psychic senses strained, but the target flickered in and out of perception, too swift for a mental lock.
A green blur flashed, another direct hit!
"Bang!"
Gardevoir was sent skidding backward again, boots dragging across the grass. But before Bellossom could pivot for another pass, her body suddenly froze in place, suspended mid-motion.
A deep azure aura rippled across the battlefield.
Gardevoir slowly straightened, dust swirling at her feet. She raised one slender hand, and invisible energy coiled around Bellossom like a vice.
Psychic, success.
Erika's jaw fell open. "W-What? Bellossom's speed should make it impossible to catch her! How did she?"
Psychic was powerful, yes, but notoriously narrow in range, it required direct focus and eye contact. Under Sunny Day, with Bellossom's doubled speed and Grassy Glide's priority boost, there should've been no way for Gardevoir to land a lock.
Ash smirked. "Want to know how she did it?"
Erika glared but leaned forward slightly. "Go on."
Ash grinned wider. "Actually… I won't tell you~"
He even mimicked her earlier teasing tone, sticking his tongue out.
Erika's smile twitched. For several long seconds, she stood frozen in dignified silence, clearly fighting the urge to yell something very un-lady-like.
"Be a lady… Erika… be a lady…"
Erika repeated the words silently like a mantra, fighting the twitch in her cheek. After several long, shaky breaths, she managed to shape her lips into a smile, one so polite it could shatter glass.
"Very good, Ash," she said sweetly, voice dripping venom beneath the honey. "You've learned the first lesson of battle: never reveal your Pokémon's secrets. Now," her eyes glinted, "let me teach you the first lesson of being human: never provoke a woman!"
"Bellossom, Petal Dance!"
The order cracked through the air.
Bellossom's cry rang out, high and melodic. Power surged from her tiny frame, waves of Grass-type energy bursting outward so violently that Gardevoir's psychic hold shattered like glass. The dainty flower Pokémon spun into motion, skirts fluttering, releasing a storm of glittering petals that whirled around her like a cyclone of color and death.
Each drifting petal shimmered with lethal intent.
"Gardevoir, Mystical Fire!"
"Voir!"
Crimson flames roared to life, spiraling around Gardevoir and scorching the incoming petals. For a moment, it seemed the fiery barrier would hold, but as Bellossom's dance intensified, the torrent of petals thickened. Their grassy energy absorbed the heat, snuffing out the edges of the flame.
Fire might counter Grass, but the raw force of Petal Dance, fueled by Sunny Day and Grassy Terrain, was overwhelming. And Mystical Fire wasn't one of Gardevoir's natural STAB moves; her control wavered.
Soon, she was surrounded, trapped in a storm of dancing petals with nowhere to dodge.
Unless, of course, she wasn't there anymore.
"Gardevoir, Ally Switch!"
The world flashed blue.
In an instant, Gardevoir vanished from the heart of the storm, and Bellossom found herself engulfed by her own fiery vortex!
The flames closed in, but instead of burning her outright, Bellossom's petals burst outward, scattering like shrapnel and tearing the fire apart from within. The arena glittered with embers and petals. The killing intent in the air didn't fade, it only grew sharper.
Erika's voice rang out. "Don't think you can escape that easily! Bellossom, control the petals, keep attacking!"
Ash's grin widened. "Then we'll stop running. Gardevoir, Psyshock!"
"Gardevoir!"
She raised a slender hand, the air around her condensing into shimmering psychic force. The invisible blast cut through the maelstrom of petals, slamming into Bellossom with the impact of a cannon.
But at the same time, Petal Dance continued to lash against Gardevoir, slicing fine red lines across her pale skin. The Grass-type energy seeped into the wounds, making her wince.
The clash was brutal, mutual destruction.
Yet for all its ferocity, Psyshock did something Petal Dance could not: it struck Bellossom's concentration.
Her elegant rhythm faltered. The cascade of petals wavered, and then stopped.
"Now, Skill Swap!" Ash's eyes gleamed.
A thread of light shot from Gardevoir's body, weaving through the air until it struck Bellossom. Another thread instantly flowed back the other way. The two Pokémon's auras shimmered briefly, then shifted.
Gardevoir's ability, Synchronize, vanished.
In its place: Chlorophyll.
Under the blazing sun, Gardevoir's power spiked, and her body blurred, her speed doubling in an instant.
Erika froze. "What… what have I done?"
She stared at Bellossom, whose movements suddenly slowed in comparison. Realization crashed over her.
"There's no helping it now, Bellossom, keep going! Petal Dance! Finish her!"
Her voice trembled between fury and disbelief. Regret, self-reproach, and sheer frustration flickered across her elegant face.
As a Gym Leader, Erika prided herself on her grace, discipline, and control. But right now, all of that was gone.
Blinded by anger, she had issued a reckless order, one she couldn't take back. Petal Dance.
It was an emotional move, not a strategic one. The kind of mistake she would have scolded her own students for.
And then, to remember that she'd said "Don't provoke women" mere seconds before making it…Her cheeks flushed with shame.
Still, she refused to back down. It was far too late for regrets.
"Bellossom, continue!" she shouted through gritted teeth. "Keep up the dance!"
Ash, watching her, understood exactly what she was thinking. Bellossom had already hit Gardevoir twice with Grassy Glide, then once with Petal Dance. Even if Gardevoir had evolved, she had to be nearing her limit. One more clean hit would finish it.
"Teleport, Fire Punch!"
Gardevoir vanished in a flash of blue light and reappeared high above the field, one elegant arm engulfed in roaring fire.
"Bellossom!" Erika gasped as her Pokémon looked up, petals still swirling like knives around her.
"Finish it!" Ash's command rang out.
Gardevoir dropped from above, her fiery fist blazing like a comet.Bellossom responded instinctively, unleashing a storm of petals that hardened into glowing green blades, each one sharp enough to slice through steel.
The two forces collided.
BOOM!
A massive explosion ripped through the battlefield. Shockwaves tore across the arena, sweeping up grass, petals, and flame alike. The protective barriers surrounding the Gym flared to life, containing the blast before it could reach the audience.
For a long, tense moment, no one moved. All eyes fixed on the rising wall of smoke. The entire Gym fell silent, waiting for the haze to clear.
When it finally did, both Pokémon were still standing.
Both swayed in silence.
Then;
"Gardevoir…!" Ash whispered.
Gardevoir let out a low cry, one knee hitting the ground as she fought to stay upright.
Erika's lips parted in relief, only to freeze as Bellossom trembled, gave a soft grunt, and collapsed.
The victor… was decided.
Gardevoir had the upper hand.
Even standing barely on her feet, she was the last one conscious.
Around the arena, the female Gym attendants exchanged wide-eyed glances. Their usually serene leader had just lost her second Pokémon.
To an opponent who, moments ago, hadn't even reached the Elite tier.
Even with evolution, Gardevoir's level was still lower, yet she had defeated two of Erika's strongest Grass-types in a row. It was almost unbelievable.
As the lingering sunlight faded, the fiery brilliance of Sunny Day vanished. The green shimmer of Grassy Terrain dissolved with it.
At the same time, the twin protective barriers around Gardevoir flickered out of existence. The field returned to neutrality, yet the outcome was already clear.
"Bellossom is unable to battle! Gardevoir wins!"
The referee's voice cracked slightly, even he unable to keep his composure.
Erika sighed softly, retrieving a Poké Ball. "Good work, Bellossom. Rest well."
The red beam enveloped the fainted Pokémon and drew her back inside.
When Erika straightened, her expression had changed, no longer smiling, no longer calm. There was something sharp beneath the elegance now.
"This is my last Pokémon," she said, holding up a final Poké Ball. "One of my main partners. Whether you defeat him or not, I will still award you the badge."
Ash blinked. "Wait. What do you mean by 'main Pokémon'? Are you saying..."
"Go, Venusaur!"
The ball burst open, and the Gym trembled as a massive shadow landed on the field.
"Venuuu… saur!"
The roar shook the air. A gigantic, muscular Pokémon stood before them, its flower in full bloom. Sunlight caught the petals, scattering refracted light across the arena like shards of color.
Ash looked at the opponent's status and immediately felt uneasy.
Venusaur - Professional Level, Beginner.
"Professional level…?!" He froze.
"You're kidding me! This was supposed to be an Elite-tier Gym challenge! What's a Professional-level Pokémon doing here?!"
Erika smiled sweetly. Too sweetly.
"Didn't I say it already? No matter the outcome, I'll still give you the badge. But…" Her voice dropped to a dangerous purr. "I still need to vent my anger."
Erika's face showed a genuine smile, but no matter how Ash looked at it, he felt that this smile was truly too sinister!
...
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