Looking at Geodude, who had lost the ability to fight,
Brock silently took it back.
He still didn't know that the Water Gun had created a wet, muddy field,
Which caused Geodude's Rollout to lose speed and control.
Was that part of Ash's plan?
If Ash had thought this far ahead,
Then calling him an ordinary Trainer would be an insult.
This was definitely the skill of a senior Trainer!
On the other side, Misty leaned toward Serena and whispered,
"He said he was going to teach me a lesson today, but he won just by using Attribute restraint!"
Before entering the gym,
She had told Ash to take advantage of the type matchup if he wanted a sure win against the Nibi Gym.
Although Froakie's strength exceeded her expectations,
It was still a win based on Water beating Rock.
Wasn't that exactly what she had said earlier?
How was that teaching her a lesson?
Slightly~~~
Serena forced a small, awkward smile and didn't respond.
Unlike Misty, she trusted Ash completely.
Even though she had only been traveling with him for a few days,
Her memories of Ash from childhood, combined with his calm and reliable behavior during their journey,
Made her faith in him absolute.
So in the face of Misty's questioning,
She wouldn't argue.
If Ash said there was a lesson to be taught,
Then there must be one!
"What a powerful Pokémon! But what will you do against this one?"
"Go, Onix!!"
"ROAARR!!"
A massive rock serpent emerged on the battlefield, shaking the ground with its entrance.
Although Onix was also a Rock and Ground-type Pokémon, its power was on a completely different level from Geodude.
A proper Gym Leader could handle even an Attribute disadvantage calmly.
As for what happened just now…
Ahem, that was a sneak attack!
Yes, definitely a sneak attack!
If Ash hadn't caught him off guard,
Even if he couldn't defeat Froakie, he could've at least dealt some damage!
After all, it wasn't easy to overcome a four-times Attribute weakness, even for a Gym Leader.
But Onix was different!
Onix's strength far surpassed Geodude's.
Ash checked Onix's level.
Advanced beginner — definitely stronger than Geodude.
But Froakie could still handle it.
However…
"Come back, Froakie."
Ash recalled Froakie into his Poké Ball, then pulled out another one.
"It's decided. You're up, Pidgeotto!"
"Pi~dgeotto!!"
The Poké Ball spun beautifully through the air before bursting open in a flash of light.
A large, majestic bird spread its wings and let out a cry that echoed through the gym.
When Brock saw Pidgeotto, he froze for a second,
Then his expression darkened.
"What do you mean by this? Using a Flying-type Pidgeotto against my Rock-type Onix?"
"Are you mocking me?"
Flying-types are weak against Rock-type moves,
While Rock-types deal double damage to them.
Unless that Pidgeotto was three or four levels stronger than Froakie,
Sending it out here was nothing short of looking down on him!
Ash smiled and waved his hand.
"Don't worry. You'll understand soon."
He knew Brock was impatient, but there was no need to rush.
Didn't he already say it?
Reverse Attributes — even dogs won't play that!
In the past few days since capturing Pidgeotto,
Ash had been training it intensively.
Although its level hadn't increased much,
Its mastery of new moves had!
Once again, Ash was reminded just how broken that golden entry truly was.
That "Hardworking Bird" ability —
It was easily among the strongest of the golden entries!
If it weren't for the rule that mythical and legendary moves were twice as hard to learn,
It would practically be in the Celestial class!
"Misty!"
Ash suddenly called out, startling Misty, who was still confused about why he had sent out Pidgeotto.
"W-What is it?" she asked nervously.
"Didn't I say I'd teach you a lesson today?"
"In Pokémon battles, it's not just about Attribute restraint."
"Even if the opponent has a type advantage, as long as you have a move that can counter it, your disadvantage disappears!"
"Brock's Onix may be Rock-type, but it's also Ground-type."
"Ground-type moves have no effect on Flying Pokémon like Pidgeotto."
"And compared to Onix, Pidgeotto is much faster."
"In other words… if my Pidgeotto has a move that can counter Onix, then I hold the absolute advantage!"
Ash smiled.
"Pidgeotto, use Water Gun!!"
Misty: ???
Brock: ???
Serena: ???
Everyone was completely dumbfounded.
Before they could even process what they heard,
Pidgeotto, soaring gracefully through the air, opened its beak wide.
The next second, a stream of water shot out!
Although it wasn't as strong as Froakie's, it was unmistakably a Water Gun!
Onix — and even Brock himself — froze in disbelief.
Before anyone could react, the blast of water struck Onix directly!
"ROAAARR!!"
The rock serpent let out a painful cry as the water splashed across its massive body.
Brock finally snapped out of shock and shouted,
"Onix, use Rock Slide!!"
He still couldn't believe what he had just seen.
A Pidgeotto using Water Gun?!
No, that wasn't just unusual — it was absurd!
But there was no time to question it now.
He had to focus on commanding Onix to turn this around!
As the boulders began to fall, Pidgeotto darted gracefully through the air, evading them with ease.
Serena and Misty were both stunned into silence.
Even without being battle experts, anyone with basic Pokémon knowledge knew —
Pidgeotto could never learn Water Gun!
That move wasn't even in its skill pool!
Yet here it was, right in front of them.
Misty stared wide-eyed at the scene, her lips trembling.
"Am I… seeing this right? Pidgeotto used Water Gun?!"
She reached up and pinched her cheek hard.
"Ow!!"
The sting confirmed it — she wasn't dreaming.
Pidgeotto was actually using Water Gun!!
(End of the chapter)