Chapter 119: Ash VS Gary, Round of 16
After defeating Miyuki, Ryan secured his spot in the round of 16. The winners from each venue were then announced: Ash, Gary, Erika, and Harrison all advanced.
The tournament bracket made Ryan laugh. Ash would face Gary again, just like in the anime, but if he defeated Gary, his next opponent would be Erika.
Ryan's opponent in the round of 16 was none other than Harrison. Seeing Ryan, Harrison approached with a look of resignation and said, "Ryan, I'm not asking for much. At least use one of your Legendary Pokémon. That way, losing won't be too embarrassing."
"Uh, are you sure?" Ryan said. "If I send out my Legendary Pokémon, yours might not last a single round."
"It's okay, I'm ready," Harrison said. "This tournament marks the end of my League challenge journey. Afterwards, I'll train under Elite Four member Koga. I believe I'll definitely become an Elite Four member someday."
"Yes. Best of luck." Ryan extended his right hand. Harrison shook it and then left to select his Pokémon.
"Ryan, are you really going to use your Legendary Pokémon in the match?" Lillie approached.
"Well, that's what Harrison wanted," Ryan said. "I'll fight with everything I've got. That'll be worthy of Harrison's dedication."
Ryan returned to his room, turned on his computer, and registered his team: Mewtwo, Solgaleo, Celebi, Zeraora, Nihilego, and Greninja.
This was probably Ryan's strongest lineup, though he had a few others. But Aerodactyl and Charizard had already competed, and both requested spots in the finals, which Ryan granted.
The round of 16 consisted of eight matches, two per day, taking four days to complete. Ryan was scheduled for the afternoon session on the third day, leaving him plenty of time. The first match was between Ash and Gary, a battle Ryan was very interested in watching.
Ryan and the others found Brock and Misty in the audience seats and sat down, ready to watch the match. As the official match began, the field was randomly selected—a rock field—with Gary going first.
"Go, Nidoqueen!" Gary sent out his Nidoqueen.
"I choose you, Feraligatr!" Ash summoned Feraligatr, which had a type advantage against Nidoqueen. "Feraligatr, Hydro Cannon!"
Ash took the initiative, unleashing a massive Hydro Cannon at Nidoqueen. At Gary's command, Nidoqueen used Earth Power, stomping the ground so hard that it cracked beneath Feraligatr's feet. Feraligatr lost its footing and tilted, causing the Hydro Cannon to veer off course, missing Nidoqueen completely.
"Perfect opening, Nidoqueen, Thunder Punch!" Gary exclaimed, seeing Feraligatr's foot stuck in the crack.
"We won't lose in a contest of strength! Feraligatr, Ice Fang!" Ash declared.
Nidoqueen charged at Feraligatr, her fist crackling with electricity, and punched hard. Feraligatr withstood the blow, then with its icy jaws, bit down on Nidoqueen's shoulder, clamping down relentlessly.
Nidoqueen screamed, clearly deeply wounded. Using Nidoqueen's momentum, Feraligatr managed to pull its leg free from the crack. Then, under Ash's command, it used Aqua Tail to knock Nidoqueen out cold, rendering her unable to battle.
"Return, Nidoqueen!" Gary recalled his Pokémon. "Go, Scizor! Agility, then X-Scissor!"
Upon appearing, Scizor transformed into a red blur and rushed toward Feraligatr. Scizor crossed its pincers, both glowing with white energy. Immediately after, it slashed through the air, unleashing a powerful X-shaped strike toward Feraligatr. The attack was accompanied by a wave of white energy that sent Feraligatr flying, knocking it out instantly.
"So fast!" Ash exclaimed in surprise.
He hadn't expected Gary to employ Scizor's speed battle strategy right from the start, and Feraligatr was defeated before it could even react.
After recalling Feraligatr, Ash thought for a moment and said, "We can't lose in a race of speed! Go, Pikachu! Quick Attack!"
"Swords Dance!" Gary shouted.
Pikachu moved swiftly, charging toward Scizor, who spun rapidly in place to boost its attack power. Then Pikachu rushed at Scizor and struck it in the midsection with Iron Tail, sending it flying. A small electric current then engulfed Scizor.
"An Iron Tail and Thunder Wave combo?" Ryan mused, rubbing his chin.
Scizor struggled to stand up, sharp pain in its body and paralysis coursing through it. It was in its worst condition.
Gary gritted his teeth and shouted, "Scizor, Hyper Beam!"
Scizor opened its pincers, energy concentrating between them, and fired a blast of energy at Pikachu. Ash commanded Pikachu to dodge the energy blast, and then a Thunderbolt struck Scizor, which could barely move. Scizor fell to the ground, its body scorched and unable to battle.
"Go, Arcanine! Flamethrower!" Gary recalled Scizor and immediately sent out Arcanine.
Arcanine launched a jet of flame at Pikachu, who dodged with incredible agility, only to be blindsided by Arcanine's Extreme Speed. At the same time, a powerful Flare Blitz struck Pikachu mid-air, instantly defeating it.
"Wow. Are these two going for an all-out blitz?" Rosa said, observing the speed of their exchanges.
"Gary's getting desperate," Ryan said, shaking his head.
Gary was indeed desperate. Such rapid-fire attacks could only mean he was frantic. The truth was, the two had been rivals since childhood, always eager to prove who was superior. Now, Ash was sprinting ahead while Gary struggled to keep pace. The gap between them was widening, and Gary, who had once held Ash in check, was beginning to feel powerless.
This was probably why Gary would eventually give up being a trainer and prepare to succeed Professor Oak as a Pokémon Researcher. After all, Gary was a proud person. Seeing his former rival leave him far behind must have hurt.
Ash recalled Pikachu to let it rest. After a moment of hesitation, he finally sent out Zapdos.
The moment Zapdos appeared, it instantly captured everyone's attention, setting the entire arena ablaze with excitement! Ryan surveyed the excited crowd, rubbing his chin. If he sent out his Legendary Pokémon, it would definitely electrify the entire arena and earn him tons of popularity.
"Ryan, that Zapdos...?" Ruby frowned.
"Yeah. Not the one we encountered," Ryan said.
He couldn't sense any Origin Power in this Zapdos; it was probably the same type as Articuno—a Second-Class Legendary. A Legendary Pokémon like this could easily crush ordinary Pokémon and even completely overpower Pseudo-Legendaries, let alone other Third and Second-Class Legendaries.
While Ryan wasn't particularly impressed by this Zapdos, for everyone else, it was a truly insurmountable wall.
Gary was experiencing that now. Seeing Zapdos, Gary recalled Arcanine and sent out Rhydon. He commanded, "Rhydon, Rock Blast!"
Rhydon raised its arms, and rocks formed around it, rising into the air and shooting toward Zapdos. Zapdos fixed its gaze on Rhydon, who instantly stiffened, even slowing down its Rock Blast.
Ash then directed Zapdos to use Drill Peck. Zapdos spun and dove toward Rhydon, generating rotating energy around itself that deflected all the Rock Blasts. It struck Rhydon with its sharp beak, finishing it with a single blow.
With Gary's three Pokémon defeated, a five-minute break commenced.
Ryan shook his head. The intimidation ability of Legendary Pokémon was a minor mechanic in the games, but a devastating force in reality. It oppressed opponents, putting pressure on them from all angles, causing all of the Pokémon's stats to decline.
If a trainer didn't have the courage to face Legendary Pokémon head-on, defeat was inevitable.
(End of Chapter)
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Power Stone or Review!
P@atreon/Soulforger (45+ advanced chapters)
Buy me coffee - ko-fi*com/soulforger01