The night before the Top 16 match, Ash was in the Pokémon Center making final preparations for tomorrow's battle when he suddenly received a call from someone claiming to be Ritchie.
"Ash, can you come to the small grove on the east side of the contestant village right now? I want to talk with you before the match."
The voice on the other end did sound like Ritchie, but Ash's Aura sensing immediately picked up something off. It was Meowth mimicking Ritchie's voice.
A faint smile curled at Ash's lips. He had long expected Team Rocket to pull something like this.
In the original story, this trick had nearly made him late, and his Pokémon's condition had been affected. But this time, he was going to make Team Rocket suffer the consequences.
"Sure, I'll be right there," Ash said, pretending to fall for it, while giving Misty and Brock a subtle signal.
The three of them quickly came up with a plan to turn the tables.
Ash headed to the meeting spot alone, while Misty and Brock took Officer Jenny along another route to flank them.
In the small grove, Team Rocket had indeed set a trap.
As soon as Ash stepped into the clearing, a large net dropped from above. But Ash was already prepared, rolling swiftly to dodge it.
"If you're asking with such sincerity!" Jessie leapt out from behind a tree.
"Then we'll kindly answer you!" James appeared from the other side.
"To protect the world from devastation! To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love! To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!" "James!"
"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!" "Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
" Meowth, that's right!" Meowth stood between them.
Ash calmly dusted off his clothes. "Your acting is still terrible. But thanks for helping me warm up before the match."
Just as Team Rocket was about to attack, the sound of a police siren grew louder in the distance.
Misty and Brock arrived in time with Officer Jenny, throwing Team Rocket into complete panic.
"This time, you're not getting away!" Ash shouted. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
With Officer Jenny's coordination, Team Rocket was swiftly captured and directly escorted to the police station.
Before they were taken away, Ash said to them, "Team Rocket, I could ignore how you've targeted me before. But trying to sabotage me during my match? That's something I won't let slide!"
Then Ash signaled to Officer Jenny, rolled his wrists, took off his jacket, and gave the Team Rocket trio a thorough beating.
There was no need to describe how badly they were beaten. Even if Giovanni himself showed up now, he probably wouldn't recognize them.
This beating could be considered venting all the frustration from how things went in the original story.
"Officer Jenny, I'll leave the rest to you!" Ash said politely before leaving with Misty and Brock. As for Team Rocket, they could enjoy some time behind bars for now. They would find a way to escape eventually anyway.
This little incident not only failed to affect Ash's rest, but actually left him feeling more energized.
Without any outside interference, he felt especially confident about tomorrow's match.
The next day, the Indigo Plateau's main stadium was packed to the brim. The Top 16 match between Ash and Ritchie became one of the most anticipated battles.
"So it's finally here," Ritchie said to Ash in the contestant corridor. "Let's both give it our all and leave no regrets."
Ash nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking."
The referee announced the start of the match. Ritchie sent out Butterfree first. "Go, Happy!"
"Go, Pidgeotto!" Ash responded, sending out his shiny Pidgeotto, its golden feathers gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight.
"Happy, use Confusion!"
"Pidgeotto, use Agility to dodge!"
Butterfree struck first with Confusion, attempting to control Pidgeotto's movements. But Ash's Pidgeotto, having undergone special training, was far faster than an ordinary one.
Its speed was so great that Butterfree could barely keep track of it!
"Now, use Steel Wing!"
Pidgeotto turned into a streak of golden light. Not only did it effortlessly evade the Confusion attack, but its wings shimmered with a metallic sheen as it struck Butterfree with perfect precision.
Ritchie's Butterfree followed up with Sleep Powder and Gust in quick succession, but in the face of Pidgeotto's Hurricane, everything was swept away without a trace.
After several exchanges, Ash seized the opportunity. "Pidgeotto, finish it with Sky Attack!"
Under the assault of the shiny Pidgeotto, Ritchie's Butterfree lost its ability to battle.
"Butterfree is unable to battle! Pidgeotto wins!"
For the second match, Ritchie sent out Sparky, while Ash chose Pikachu. A mirror match between two Pikachu began.
Both Pikachu darted rapidly across the field, testing each other. They simultaneously used Quick Attack, colliding midair before bouncing back.
"Sparky, use Thunderbolt!"
"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"
After special training, Ash's Pikachu had greatly increased the power of its Electric moves. The Electro Ball quickly broke through Thunderbolt and surged toward Ritchie's Pikachu.
"Sparky, use Double Team!" Ritchie commanded.
In an instant, Sparky split into more than a dozen copies, not only dodging the attack but also surrounding Ash's Pikachu.
"Nice move, but... Pikachu, we'll use Double Team too!" Ash responded without hesitation.
Soon, Ash's Pikachu also created over a dozen clones, even surpassing Sparky in number. In this clash of illusions, Ritchie's Pikachu was once again overwhelmed.
"Now's the chance, Pikachu, Quick Attack into Iron Tail!"
A streak of yellow and white flashed across the field. Ash's Pikachu struck with overwhelming force, its Iron Tail landing decisively and defeating Ritchie's Pikachu.
"Ritchie's Pikachu is unable to battle! Ash's Pikachu wins!"
In the end, Ash's Pikachu secured victory through greater battle experience and stronger electrical reserves.
Now, Ritchie was left with only his final Pokémon.
He took a deep breath and sent it out. "Zippo, I'm counting on you!"
As expected, it was Charmeleon. Ash had researched Ritchie's team the night before and knew this was his strongest Pokémon.
But Ash was already prepared. "Go, Wartortle!"
The type disadvantage made Ritchie frown.
"Zippo, use Dragon Breath!"
"Wartortle, withdraw into your shell to defend!"
Wartortle swiftly retreated into its shell, blocking the Dragon Breath. Then, at Ash's command, it fired a Hydro Pump in return.
Although Charmeleon tried its best to dodge, it was still grazed by the torrent, and the damage was super effective.
"It's not over yet!" Ritchie shouted. "Zippo, use Slash!"
Charging through the Hydro Pump, Charmeleon lunged forward, its claws striking fiercely against Wartortle's shell.
But thanks to its intense training, Wartortle's defense had greatly improved. The attack did little damage.
"Now, Water Pulse!"
At close range, Water Pulse struck directly. Charmeleon could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground.
The referee waved the flag. "Charmeleon is unable to battle! Wartortle wins! The victor is Ash from Pallet Town!"
Ritchie recalled Charmeleon and walked to the center of the field, extending his hand. "That was an incredible battle. I admit defeat. You have to keep winning. When you become champion, I'll be able to say I lost to the champion!"
Ash nodded solemnly. "I will."
This victory not only allowed Ash to advance into the Top 8, but also made up for the regrets of the original story.
As he left the field, the audience erupted into thunderous applause.
The curse of the Top 16 had been broken. What lay ahead was the unknown challenge of the quarterfinals and beyond!
...