"Slugma is unable to battle. Mudkip wins!" Mr. Moore sighed. Flannery's battle experience was still a bit lacking.
"You did great, Meg! Now it's your turn—go, Torkoal!" Flannery sent out her final Pokémon.
[Torkoal][Strength: Early Gym Leader Tier]
Torkoal was clearly the ace Pokémon Flannery had saved for last.
"Come back, Mudkip!" Ash recalled his Pokémon and pulled out another Poké Ball. "Corphish, I choose you!"
"Heh-heh~!" Corphish snapped its claws, ready for battle.
"Battle start!" Flannery declared.
"Corphish, use Bubble Beam!" Ash commanded. Corphish launched a torrent of bubbles from its pincers.
"Torkoal, Flamethrower!" Flannery countered.
The five glowing vents on Torkoal's shell lit up as it blasted out a thick stream of flames, completely overpowering the Bubble Beam thanks to its higher level.
"Corphish, Harden!" Ash shouted. Corphish's body shimmered as it boosted its defense and braced against the flames. "Heh-heh~!"
"Now, Corphish—Crabhammer!" Corphish charged forward, one pincer glowing white as it swung it down powerfully toward Torkoal!
"Torkoal, Withdraw!" Flannery called out calmly. Torkoal ducked into its shell with a clang, completely blocking the attack.
Flannery immediately followed up: "Now, Sludge Bomb!"
Torkoal suddenly spat out globs of poisonous sludge, striking Corphish directly.
"Oh no, Corphish!" Ash shouted in concern. He hadn't expected a Poison-type move!
"Heh-heh~" Corphish managed to get up again — luckily, it wasn't poisoned!
"Good job, Corphish! Now, counter with Razor Shell, back-to-back!" Corphish's pincers glowed with watery blades as it attacked rapidly, but Torkoal's tough shell still held firm.
"Torkoal's defense is too strong... It's hard for Corphish to break through!" Ash frowned, trying to think of a strategy.
"Now's our chance! Flamethrower, Torkoal!" Flannery seized the moment.
"Corphish, Harden!" Ash ordered quickly. Corphish's body shimmered again just before flames engulfed it.
"Hang in there!" Ash urged. As the flames blazed, Corphish began to glow—it was evolving!
"It's evolving! It's evolving during battle again!" Max shouted in amazement.
Corphish's body grew larger, and a star-shaped crest appeared on its forehead—it had evolved into the intimidating Water/Dark-type Pokémon, Crawdaunt!
[Crawdaunt][Strength: High Advanced Tier][Moves: Swift, Crunch, Hydro Pump, Knock Off...]
"Amazing! Crawdaunt, use Swords Dance and then Crabhammer!" Ash commanded.
Crawdaunt spun swiftly, powering up with Swords Dance, then slammed Torkoal with a glowing pincer. The impact flipped Torkoal onto its back, leaving it dizzy and vulnerable!
"Now—Hydro Pump!" Ash shouted.
A powerful jet of water blasted Torkoal off its feet.
"Torkoal is unable to battle! Crawdaunt wins! The winner is Ash from Pallet Town!" Mr. Moore announced.
"You did great, Crawdaunt! Come back and rest!" Ash recalled his Pokémon.
Mr. Moore approached Flannery and gently said, "You fought well. Ash is a strong opponent. Now I can feel confident sending you out on your journey."
"Really?! Thank you, Grandpa!" Flannery said excitedly, her eyes shining.
She walked up to Ash and handed him a badge. "Ash, thank you for an amazing battle. Here's your Heat Badge!"
Ash smiled as he took it. "Awesome! I got the Heat Badge!""Pika~ Pikachu!""Vee~ Eevee!"
[Ding~ Obtained the Heat Badge. Reward: 1000 points]
Ash turned toward Mr. Moore and asked, "Mr. Moore, if I remember right... weren't you once the Fire-type Elite Four member of Hoenn? I'd like to battle you!"
"Oh? No problem at all!" Mr. Moore accepted without hesitation.
"Huh?! Mr. Moore used to be a Fire-type Elite?!" Max and May exclaimed. None of them expected the Lavaridge Gym to have such a hidden legend behind it.
Flannery stood in as referee. Each trainer would use just one Pokémon.
"Go, Typhlosion!" Mr. Moore called out."Boom!" Typhlosion landed with a burst of flame and pressure.
[Typhlosion][Strength: Early Elite Tier (Previously Late Elite, slightly weakened due to age)]
"I choose you, Pikachu!""Pikapi~!" Pikachu sparked with energy, eyes locked on Typhlosion.
"Pikachu? Alright then—Typhlosion, use Fire Blast! Show no mercy!"
The more stamina the user has, the stronger Fire Blast becomes—it was clear Mr. Moore wasn't holding back.
"Pikachu, use Electroweb! Dodge and close in!""Pika!" Pikachu zipped through the air like lightning, avoiding the Fire Blast and landing a hit that knocked Typhlosion back.
Mr. Moore's expression grew serious. Pikachu's speed was unreal.
"Now, Surf!" Ash shouted.
A massive wave surged from under Pikachu and crashed down onto Typhlosion!
"What?! Pikachu knows Surf?!" Flannery and Mr. Moore both looked stunned.
Mr. Moore squinted. "Interesting... In that case, Typhlosion, use Earthquake!"
Ash smirked. Mr. Moore noticed, and a thought struck him—could it be...?
"Pikachu, Fly!"
"Pika~!" Pikachu suddenly took to the skies, completely avoiding the Earthquake!
Now Flannery and Mr. Moore were truly stunned. Surf was already shocking—Fly was simply insane! If someone had told them a Pikachu could fly, they'd have thought it was a joke.
"Pikachu, Surf—now!" Ash shouted.
"Pika-chu~!" Pikachu rode the wave from the sky and came crashing down onto Typhlosion!
"Typhlosion, use Overheat!"Boom!
Both Pokémon were panting heavily but still standing.
"Not bad at all, Ash!" Mr. Moore said. "Let's end this with one final blow!"
Ash nodded. "Yeah, Pikachu doesn't have much energy left either!"
"Thunderbolt!""Flamethrower!"
"Pika—CHUUU!""Fwoooosh!!"
A massive explosion engulfed the field. When the smoke cleared…
"Pikachu and Typhlosion are both unable to battle. It's a draw!" Flannery announced.
Flannery looked stunned. Her grandfather's Typhlosion, an Elite-level Pokémon, had actually fought Ash's Pikachu to a standstill!
"The next generation truly is incredible…" Mr. Moore said with a sigh. "I'm getting old. The world belongs to you young folks now." He then pulled out a notebook and handed it to Ash. "Ash, this is my experience training Typhlosion. Please take it."
"Your training notes? That's way too valuable!" Ash said, shaking his head.
"Don't be ridiculous. If you refuse, you're looking down on an old man!" Mr. Moore stuffed the notebook into Ash's hands with a grin.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Moore!" Ash bowed respectfully. With this, his Quilava could grow even stronger.
[Ding~ First time defeating an Elite-level opponent. Reward: Emerald Orb]
Ash's eyes widened. Emerald Orb?! Was the system preparing him to catch Rayquaza?!
"Ash, you're amazing!" May and Max exclaimed. "You actually held your own against an Elite Four Pokémon!"
Back when he fought Steven, Ash was just near-Elite level. But now, even a draw proved he was breaking into Elite-tier territory.
And with that, Ash and the others said their goodbyes to Mr. Moore and Flannery, leaving Lavaridge Gym behind as their journey continued!
To be continued…