Capítulo 1: Chapter 1051: Yūga vs. Norman
Before Ash could respond, Max quickly introduced him, "His name is Ash, and he's from... from... what's the name of that town in Kanto again?"
"It's Pallet Town!!" Ash corrected, glaring childishly at Max, who scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and chuckled.
Yūga nodded and said, "Ash, huh... Did you come to Hoenn to participate in the League Tournament?"
Ash replied, "Yes! So please accept my challenge."
But Yūga shook his head and explained, "To challenge the Verdanturf Gym, you need to have at least three badges. Ash, you just arrived in Hoenn, right? Do you have any other badges from Hoenn Gyms?"
Ash was momentarily taken aback, then scratched his head awkwardly, "Hehe... Not yet."
Max widened his eyes and exclaimed, "What! Then you can't challenge my dad either! You need three badges to challenge him too! I was really looking forward to seeing you battle him!" Max's tone was filled with disappointment.
Ash shouted, "Is that so? No way, that's so unlucky!"
Norman, who had been chatting with May since they returned, laughed and said, "It's not a big deal. Once you have three badges, I'll gladly accept your challenge."
Ash sighed, "I was hoping to challenge the Gym right away. Pikachu, isn't that what you were thinking too?" As he spoke, Ash scratched Pikachu's chin.
"Pika...Pika...Chuuu—" Pikachu closed its eyes in contentment.
Yūga turned his attention to the Pikachu he hadn't paid much attention to before.
**Pikachu**
- Type: Electric
- Ability: Static
- Gender: Male
- Potential: Unknown
- Level: Unknown
- Moves: Charm, Tail Whip, Thunder Shock, Quick Attack, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Discharge, Thunder, Agility, Volt Tackle, Signal Beam
After reviewing Pikachu's details, Yūga was surprised to find that he couldn't see its potential or level.
There were usually two situations where Yūga couldn't see a Pokémon's detailed information. One was with divine Pokémon like Florges, Rayquaza, and Deoxys. The other was with Ultra Beasts like Cosmoem or Kartana, which possessed an "Ultra Aura."
However, Pikachu seemed different. Yūga didn't sense any special energy from it—neither divinity nor an Ultra Aura. Its overall demeanor was almost identical to the regular Pikachu in Yūga's Ecogarden.
But the "Unknown" markers for potential and level in Yūga's discerning eye were so conspicuous that it felt odd!
And then there were the moves. Considering that Ash had been on his journey for about three years now (Note: In this story, Ash's Kanto and Orange Islands adventures happened in the same year), how come Pikachu's move set was so limited?
"Pika...Chu—"
Seeing that Yūga had been staring at it, Pikachu waved at him cheerfully. Yūga was momentarily taken aback, then smiled back at Pikachu. It was... rather cute...
Unable to figure out Pikachu's situation, Yūga set his doubts aside for now. At this moment, Norman, sensing the disappointment in Ash's tone, smiled and said, "How about we have a battle?"
Having learned a bit about Ash's situation, Norman was thinking of having May and Ash travel together, so he was willing to fulfill Ash's wish as much as possible.
Although May had matured quite a bit, this was still her first time traveling alone. As her father, Norman couldn't help but worry. Having a companion like Ash, who had been on his journey for several years, would ease Norman's mind.
Hearing Norman's offer, Ash immediately became excited. "Really? That would be great!" As long as he could battle a strong opponent, Ash wasn't too concerned about whether it was a Gym match or not.
However, Max muttered, "Actually, I'd rather see Dad battle Yūga than Ash." When there was no choice, he wanted to see his dad battle Ash, but now that he had a choice, he'd rather see his dad battle Yūga.
Max's voice wasn't quiet, and everyone heard it. Yūga and Norman were surprised by his words, while Ash quickly changed his mind and shouted, "I want to see the two Gym Leaders battle too!"
Even though Ash loved battling Gym Leaders, the opportunity to watch two Gym Leaders fight was too rare to pass up. And he knew he could challenge Gyms later.
At this point, May, who hadn't said much, also raised her hand quietly, "I want to see it too!"
Yūga and Norman exchanged glances, and Norman smiled as he asked Yūga, "Shall we have a match?" Norman's desire to battle was clearly piqued.
Yūga wasn't someone who sought out battles often, but hearing the eagerness in Norman's voice, he nodded and agreed, "Alright."
As Yūga thought about battling Norman, he couldn't help but remember the Balance Badge he had once earned from him. Back then, Yūga didn't know much about the League's structure, and Norman hadn't used his full strength in their match, so Yūga had assumed that Norman was a pseudo-Elite Trainer.
Looking back, he realized how naive he had been.
The battle was set to take place in Norman's Ecogarden. Since Yūga had been there before, he was familiar with the surroundings.
Once Yūga and Norman were standing on opposite sides of the battlefield, Ash turned to Pikachu and said, "Pikachu, watch closely. This is a rare opportunity."
"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu excitedly clenched its little paws.
Seeing the situation, May released her Swablu and then picked up the Torchic at her feet. "Let's watch and learn from Dad and Big Brother Yūga's battle."
Max glanced at Ash's Pikachu and then at the Torchic in May's arms, enviously saying, "That's so great."
"Let's start when we're ready!" Norman said to Yūga. After Yūga nodded, Norman continued, "As the elder, I'll send out my Pokémon first. Is it alright if we make this a double battle?"
Yūga made an OK gesture, and Norman released two Poké Balls, summoning his Pokémon.
**Slaking**
- Type: Normal
- Ability: Truant
- Gender: Male
- Potential: Blue
- Level: 78
- Moves: Scratch, Yawn, Faint Attack, Covet, Amnesia, Reversal, Retaliate, Outrage, Drain Punch, Play Rough, Rest, Snore, Fake Out, Hammer Arm, Night Slash, Thunderpunch, Ice Punch, Water Pulse, Rock Smash, Giga Impact, Sleep Talk, Shadow Claw, Earthquake, Bulk Up.
**Blissey**
- Type: Normal
- Ability: Healer
- Gender: Female
- Potential: Blue
- Level: 75
- Moves: Pound, Sweet Kiss, Refresh, Minimize, Soft-Boiled, Double Slap, Heal Pulse, Explosion, Shadow Ball, Seed Bomb, Light Screen, Sing.
Yūga recognized the Slaking, which had been a major contributor to Norman's top spot as a reserve Elite Four member and was Norman's signature Pokémon.
As for the Blissey, it was Yūga's first time seeing it. He hadn't heard Norman mention using one before, although he knew Norman had a similar Chansey.
After sending out his Pokémon, Norman joked, "I'll give it my all to win against you."
This wasn't entirely a joke. Although it had been a while since Norman battled Yūga, he was well aware of Yūga's achievements.
Yūga smiled and replied, "I'm eager to see it."
Yūga chose to battle with his Vivillon and Charizard. Given that Slaking was clearly a close-combat Pokémon, using a Flying-type Pokémon was the most suitable choice.
Seeing the four Pokémon on the field, Ash and Max cheered excitedly.
Since Norman sent out his Pokémon first, Yūga let Norman take the first move.
The first move was by Norman's Blissey. It gave a sweet kiss, sending countless pink hearts floating toward the Vivillon and Charizard in the air.
Blissey was clearly a support Pokémon focused on healing and disrupting. Its Sweet Kiss was executed perfectly, with the pink hearts filling up most of the sky, making it nearly impossible for Vivillon and Charizard to avoid.
Under the pressure of Sweet Kiss, Vivillon and Charizard separated. Vivillon ascended to the sky, while Charizard was forced to land.
Slaking, which had been lazily lying on the ground, quickly moved to Charizard's side and struck it with a Claw, causing Charizard to cry out in pain and fly backward.
Seeing Slaking and Blissey's performance, Max shouted excitedly from the sidelines, "Dad is amazing! Go, Big Brother Yūga!"
Vivillon, seeing Charizard being knocked back, vibrated its four wings rapidly, emitting waves of sound that shattered the pink hearts into pieces.
At this point, Slaking, due to its Truant ability, lay lazily on the ground again. Vivillon then sent an Electric Net toward the distant Blissey.
Knowing Slaking's ability, Blissey didn't expect Slaking to assist it. It shrank its body and easily avoided Vivillon's Electric Net.
This was the move Minimize.
However, Vivillon didn't give up and continued to throw Electric Nets, but Blissey skillfully avoided them with Minimize.
With little offensive power, Blissey had maximized its evasion abilities.
Meanwhile, Charizard, after recovering from being knocked back, immediately attacked the immobile Slaking with intense flames, engulfing Slaking in fire.
When the flames dissipated, Slaking remained lazily on the ground, not even changing expression. At this moment, Blissey's Heal Pulse restored Slaking's injuries completely.
Slaking was naturally a robust Pokémon with above-average defenses, and with Blissey's Heal Pulse providing constant recovery, Charizard's Flamethrower couldn't inflict effective damage.
As soon as Slaking's injuries were healed, it sprang up and used Claw again on Charizard. Fortunately, Charizard was prepared this time, and Slaking's attack missed.
Charizard and Vivillon attacked Blissey and Slaking again, but the situation remained the same. Blissey was too slippery to hit, and Slaking always recovered from Blissey's Heal Pulse.
Seeing this, Yūga realized that ordinary attacks wouldn't be effective against the defensive combination of Blissey and Slaking. He shouted to Vivillon and Charizard, "Charizard, cover Vivillon while it uses Quiver Dance!"
Charizard nodded and quickly approached Vivillon.
Under Charizard's cover, Vivillon performed Quiver Dance at the fastest speed, enhancing its stats to the maximum.
Compared to the past, Vivillon had transformed significantly. After evolving with the Gale of the Ancients, it could perform Quiver Dance rapidly and easily reach the highest six layers of enhancement.
Seeing Vivillon complete Quiver Dance, Yūga shouted, "Vivillon and Charizard, it's time!"
Hearing Yūga's command, Norman's heart skipped a beat, but before he could respond, Vivillon created a column of wind with its Hurricane move, centered around itself and Charizard.
In an instant, the massive wind column covered Vivillon and Charizard at its center. The purple light flashed in Vivillon's eyes as it used its powerful psychic power to expand the wind column outward.
"Roar!!!"
Charizard took a deep breath and unleashed its intense flames toward the rapidly spinning wind column. Soon, the entire wind column turned red with flames, the rising temperature enveloping the entire battlefield.
Initially, the size of the flame column wasn't extreme, but in the blink of an eye, it spread across the entire field. Norman wanted to warn Blissey and Slaking to avoid it but soon realized there was no escape.
Thus, Blissey and Slaking were both engulfed in the flame column, with the wind fueling the fire and making them endure both the scorching flames and the tearing wind.
As long as Vivillon's psychic control didn't waver and Charizard's flames didn't stop, the damage from the flame column wouldn't cease.
Blissey and Slaking, caught in the flame column, tried to retaliate, but the spinning column disoriented them, preventing them from using any moves.
Seeing this, not only did Norman on the field fall silent, but Ash, Max, and May outside the field all stared in awe.
It was spectacular!
Vivillon's control was strong, and the flame column was firmly confined to the battlefield by its psychic power, not affecting the outside at all.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the wind column slowly subsided, and the flames gradually dissipated. The unconscious Blissey and Slaking fell from the sky, signaling Yūga's victory in this friendly match.
Despite winning, Yūga's Vivillon and Charizard were exhausted, lying on the ground, gasping for air.
This combination move was originally developed by Vivillon and its partner, Volcarona. When Yūga discovered it, Charizard took Volcarona's place. (Volcarona: Feeling a bit green.)
Looking at the fallen Slaking and Blissey, Norman remarked, "The new generation is truly stronger!"
At this point, Ash outside the field was still in shock, repeatedly muttering, "So impressive."
The battle between Yūga and Norman left an indelible impression on Ash. He realized for the first time how formidable Gym Leaders were and recognized his own weakness.
That night, Ash couldn't sleep.
(End of Chapter)
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