50 power stones bonus chapter coming soon
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Sam and his Pokémon weren't the only ones growing stronger.
During their journey, Ash and his Pokémon had also improved at an astonishing rate.
[Pokémon]: Bulbasaur
[Type]: Grass / Poison
[Strength]: Mid-level Elite
[Potential]: Elite
A Pokémon with Elite-level potential.
Sam could only say one thing—this was very Ash.
Even Sam hadn't expected Ash's Bulbasaur to already possess mid-level Elite strength. Fortunately, Ivysaur had evolved into Venusaur, raising its power to the early Gym Leader level. Otherwise, after such an intense battle, the outcome would have been impossible to predict.
"Bulbasaur, use Bullet Seed!"
That familiar, hot-blooded opening move appeared once again.
"Bulba! Bulba!"
Bulbasaur clearly understood Ash's battle style. The moment the command was given, countless green seeds shot toward Venusaur like bullets.
"Venusaur, use Vine Whip to block Bullet Seed," Sam said calmly.
As long-time rivals, how could Sam not be prepared for Ash's opening attack?
"Venu! Venu!"
After evolving into Venusaur, its size had increased several times over, and its movement speed had inevitably slowed.
Fortunately, Sam had already been training Ivysaur using Venusaur-level methods. The loss in mobility didn't significantly affect its combat performance.
A Vine Whip nearly twice as thick as before extended from Venusaur's back and lashed forward with terrifying force.
Compared to its heavy movement, the speed of the Vine Whip was shockingly fast.
Almost the instant Sam finished speaking, the Vine Whip smashed straight into the incoming Bullet Seed.
The green seeds struck the whip and shattered harmlessly, producing nothing more than a dull cracking sound.
After destroying the attack, the Vine Whip didn't stop—it continued straight toward Bulbasaur.
"Dodge, quickly!" Ash shouted.
Ash's signature "miracle dodge" finally appeared.
Even though Vine Whip was fast, it was useless against such evasive instincts. Bulbasaur's limbs burst with power as it narrowly avoided the strike.
"That was close!" Misty and Brock both felt their hearts tighten. If that attack had landed, Bulbasaur's small body would've gone down instantly.
Since starting his journey, Ash had clearly matured. Under the guidance of Misty and Brock, he was no longer the reckless beginner he once was—he now knew how to think during battles.
In terms of endurance and raw power, Bulbasaur was no match for Venusaur. However, there was one area where it held an absolute advantage.
Speed.
Ash decided to use speed to overcome power.
And he had to admit—Ash's Bulbasaur was unbelievably fast.
So fast that it barely resembled a Bulbasaur anymore.
Sam had raised a Bulbasaur himself, but even at that stage, his Pokémon had never reached this level of speed.
As Bulbasaur sprinted across the battlefield, faint afterimages even appeared.
Ash's strategy was undeniably effective. Once Bulbasaur began moving at full speed, Venusaur had very few ways to counter it.
If the opponent had been another Pokémon, Sam could've used Sleep Powder to control the field. Unfortunately, Bulbasaur was also a Grass-type—Sleep Powder would be useless.
"Great job, Ash!" Misty couldn't help but cheer from the sidelines as Ash gradually gained the upper hand.
Brock, however, remained calm.
Unlike Misty, he wasn't blinded by the situation. Although Bulbasaur seemed dominant, the one truly controlling the battlefield was still Sam's Venusaur.
Speed came at a cost.
The stamina consumed by such high-speed movement was terrifying. Bulbasaur couldn't maintain it forever.
A Pokémon battle wasn't a race. Running fast meant nothing if you couldn't defeat your opponent.
Bulbasaur created many opportunities with its speed, landing several attacks on Venusaur. But those hits were no more than scratches.
Venusaur didn't even flinch.
Ash realized this too, but no better option came to mind. The moves Bulbasaur knew simply couldn't deal significant damage. Winning was becoming harder by the second.
Just as Brock predicted, the physically exhausted Bulbasaur began to slow down.
The moment Sam had been waiting for arrived.
"Venusaur, use Solar Beam."
If facing a Pokémon with powerful burst attacks, Sam would never dare to use Solar Beam recklessly. After all, it wasn't an instant move—it required time to charge. Against a strong enough opponent, Venusaur could be defeated before the attack was released.
Unfortunately for Ash—
Bulbasaur lacked that kind of destructive power.
"Lower the intensity and widen the attack range," Sam added calmly.
"With Bulbasaur's size, a direct hit is guaranteed."
Under the constant harassment, Venusaur continued gathering energy.
"Solar Beam—fire!"
Completely drained of stamina, Bulbasaur no longer had the strength to dodge. It could only watch as the blazing beam of sunlight crashed down.
"Bulba… Bulba…"
"Bulbasaur has lost the ability to battle. Venusaur wins. The victor is Sam."
"What a pity," Misty said.
"Ash, why don't you let Bulbasaur evolve?"
After returning Bulbasaur to its Poké Ball, Ash shook his head firmly.
"No," he said seriously.
"Bulbasaur doesn't want to evolve—and I won't force it."
---------------Author---------------
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