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The ice surface shattered where Cloyster stood, forming a deep crater. Cloyster's shell remained tightly sealed in the center of the pit.
Pikachu landed not far in front of Cloyster. At that moment, Cloyster's shell slowly opened, revealing its peculiar smirking face.
Clearly, the previous attack hadn't caused any real damage to Cloyster. Withdraw was a defensive move that boosted protection.
As for Cloyster itself, it possessed two layers of defense—the outer shell and the inner shell. Once the inner shell closed completely, it formed an impenetrable seal.
Though the shell's sharp spikes prevented it from closing entirely, it was enough to withstand most offensive force.
Although Zippy Zap was incredibly fast, its power still didn't match moves like Wild Charge or Volt Tackle.
While the move had a high critical hit ratio, Cloyster's vital point was protected deep inside its shell. No matter how fast the attack, it couldn't strike faster than Cloyster could close its shell. Landing a direct critical hit was nearly impossible.
"I may not have seen that move before, but there's no way it can defeat my Cloyster!"
Pete watched the scene and breathed a sigh of relief. He still had complete confidence in his Cloyster—he'd just been momentarily startled by the unfamiliar technique.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash's expression remained calm as he waved his hand slightly.
"Pika!"
Pikachu immediately slid forward upon hearing the command. Having gradually adapted to the slippery ice surface, he could now move smoothly without needing to ride on ice chunks.
He rushed toward Cloyster and, at the moment of leaping high, his tail gleamed with metallic luster. He descended from the air, bringing his tail down toward Cloyster.
"Cloyster, use Withdraw!"
Seeing this, Pete called out his command, and Cloyster immediately sealed its shell once more.
Boom!
Pikachu's attack landed with tremendous force. The impact created shockwaves that rippled outward, producing sharp whistling sounds as they cut through the air. Cloyster's body sank deeper into the ice.
Pikachu's strength alone shouldn't be enough to break through Cloyster's defense. Pete just needed to keep using Withdraw to bolster its protection.
Pete had his strategy firmly in mind. No matter how Pikachu attacked, he would simply use Withdraw to resist.
Each time Withdraw was used, Cloyster's defense would increase further. Eventually, no matter how powerful Pikachu's moves became, they wouldn't be able to penetrate it.
"Iron Tail still has no effect! Cloyster is like an iron fortress! Pikachu simply cannot break through its defense!" The announcer observed the situation on the field.
"Iron Tail again!" Faced with this situation, Ash continued his assault.
"Pika... chu!"
Pikachu's eyes narrowed with determination as he executed Iron Tail once more. Pete employed Withdraw as expected, and Cloyster's defense rose again.
As Cloyster's defensive capabilities increased, Pikachu felt greater resistance when his tail collided with the shell. The massive force rebounded, sending Pikachu flying backward.
"Try as many times as you like—it'll be the same result! Right now, Pikachu can't do any damage to Cloyster!" Pete looked at Ash with a confident smirk.
After three consecutive uses of Withdraw, Cloyster's defense had reached an extremely high level.
"What's going on with Ash? This doesn't seem like his usual style!" Yellow watched from the audience with concern.
Ash's current battle tactics were indeed unusual. He wasn't the type of person to keep using ineffective strategies blindly.
"That's right! Since it's not working, he should recall Pikachu and try a different Pokémon!"
Misty was equally puzzled. The League allowed trainers to recall their Pokémon and substitute them with others during battle.
Since Pikachu wasn't having any effect, Ash could withdraw him and try another approach.
"It's my turn now! Cloyster, use Aurora Beam!"
After continuously withstanding Pikachu's attacks and watching him get knocked back, Pete issued his counterattack order.
"Ha!" At that moment, Ash suddenly smiled.
Pete's expression shifted slightly when he saw Ash's knowing grin. Something felt off. Then he noticed that Cloyster hadn't responded to his command.
"Huh? What... this..."
Pete looked toward the battlefield, but the situation unfolding before him made his eyes widen in disbelief.
"Oh! This is incredible! Cloyster is stuck in the field and cannot open its shell to attack!" The announcer finally spotted what was happening.
Cloyster's shell trembled intermittently, but it couldn't launch any attacks. Due to Pikachu's continuous Iron Tail strikes, most of its shell had been driven deep into the ice.
Cloyster's body was extremely sturdy, and its shell-closing force was particularly powerful. If something got caught in its grip, there was virtually no way to escape.
However, a body like that also had a critical weakness—although its closing force was immense, its opening force was comparatively weak.
Just like a crocodile's jaw: while its bite force was astounding, it took only minimal pressure to prevent it from opening its mouth.
Cloyster now found itself in exactly that situation. Wedged firmly in the ice crevice, it was completely immobilized and unable to attack.
No matter how strong one's defense, without the ability to fight back, one could only take hits passively. Even the strongest defense couldn't withstand endless assault.
Pikachu's power indeed wasn't as overwhelming as Kingler's mighty pincers. Since Ash hadn't registered Kingler for this venue, he needed to employ more strategic thinking to handle Cloyster.
"Simply taking attacks without fighting back was an unwise decision!" Seeing his plan succeed, Ash smiled slightly.
"Even so, you still can't break through my Cloyster's defense!" Pete retorted, having given up on attacking.
"Ha! You don't think this is over, do you?" Having devised this method, Ash naturally had a follow-up plan.
"Before the Indigo Plateau Conference, I learned a very useful technique! Pikachu, use Thunder Wave!"
"Pika pika!"
Upon hearing the command, electrical current suddenly coursed across Pikachu's body, releasing gentle waves of light. This electricity wasn't as violent as Thunderbolt—it seemed slower, softer, and less powerful in appearance.
But Pete's eyes widened as he recognized what was coming. Thunder Wave wasn't meant to deal damage—it was a status move designed to paralyze opponents. And with Cloyster trapped in the ice, unable to dodge or defend properly, it was a sitting target.