Ash Vs Winona

Because they had made a reservation in advance, Ash and his group were immediately led to the battle arena by the staff upon arriving at Fortree Gym, where they met the Gym Leader, Winona.

As a Flying-type Trainer, Winona had a solid reputation. While she wasn't as famous as her ex-boyfriend Wallace, she was undoubtedly one of the strongest among the younger generation.

Winona became the Gym Leader of Fortree Gym at a young age. After the older generation of Gym Leaders retired, she was once called the leader of the young Gym Leaders in Hoenn.

At that time, Yuga, who was much younger than Wallace, Winona, and Steven, had not yet made a name for himself.

Seeing Ash and his friends enter, Winona, dressed in her unique flying attire, said, "So you're Ash from Pallet Town? I've been waiting for you."

Winona was someone who valued a sense of ceremony and held an extremely high and pure belief in flying and the sky. Even in her daily life, she wore what could be considered bizarre flying attire. The citizens of Fortree City were well aware of her habits, so no one ever commented on her "strange" outfits.

Ash, full of energy, responded, "Yes, I'm Ash! Please take care of me today!"

"Alright, follow me!" Winona said as she turned and led Ash and the others to the battle arena.

As a Flying-type Gym, Fortree Gym's battle arena was a bit different from other Gyms. Not only was it an outdoor, open-air arena, but it also featured two tall "watchtowers" with a very wide view.

Under Winona's guidance, Ash climbed up one of the watchtowers, while Winona herself ascended the one opposite him.

Yuga and Luvia, whose identities were concealed, were treated as ordinary companions and were taken by the staff to the spectator area along with May and the others.

"I wonder what kind of Pokémon Gym Leader Winona will use?" Max said excitedly as he sat down.

May looked at him helplessly. "Ash is the challenger, so why are you the one getting so excited?"

Brock laughed, "Since Fortree Gym specializes in Flying-types, Gym Leader Winona will definitely use Flying-type Pokémon."

…

Yuga and Luvia quietly sat beside the kids, remaining silent, blending into the background.

After the referee finished explaining the rules of the gym battle, the match officially began. The battle was set to be a three-on-three, with the challenger allowed to switch Pokémon, while the Gym Leader could not.

Winona's first Pokémon was Pelipper. Although it had fully evolved, this particular Pelipper wasn't highly skilled or leveled, making it more of a test to gauge Ash's strength.

Most Gym Leaders typically choose their Pokémon based on the challenger's strength. Compared to special gyms like Petalburg and Rustboro, where challengers need to earn three badges beforehand, Fortree Gym's challenge level was much lower.

However, to everyone's surprise, Ash's first Pokémon was Solrock.

"Wait... hasn't Ash only just caught Solrock a few days ago? Is he sure about this?" May said worriedly.

"Yeah, Solrock is a Rock-type and has an advantage over Pelipper's Flying-type, but Pelipper's Water-type also counters Solrock! What is Ash thinking?" Max analyzed seriously.

Hearing this, Brock quickly reassured them, "Don't worry, Ash definitely has a plan."

…

Regardless of how worried May and the others were, the battle between Ash and Winona had already begun.

Winona's Pelipper had the Ability Drizzle, so as soon as it came out, it started raining lightly from the sky.

Rainy weather was a disaster for a Pokémon like Solrock, which thrives in sunny conditions. However, Solrock had its own way of dealing with the rain. A blue shield of energy appeared around its body, causing all the rain to bounce off before it could even touch it.

Seeing this, May smiled and praised, "I didn't expect Solrock to be this capable! Maybe my Lunatone can do the same in the future."

With the rain enhancing its power, Winona's Pelipper became energized, unleashing a Water Gun aimed directly at Solrock.

But perhaps due to the Water Gun's recoil and Pelipper's lack of strength, it was sent flying backward as soon as the attack was launched.

"Solrock, use Psychic to stop the Water Gun, then hit it with Stone Edge!" Ash's voice rang out across the battlefield.

Psychic-type Pokémon usually have quick reflexes, and the moment Ash finished speaking, a blue barrier of psychic energy appeared in front of Solrock. The Water Gun struck the barrier, wavered for a moment, and then was deflected.

Psychic is one of the most practical Psychic-type moves, also one of the most common and easily learned advanced techniques. Most Psychic-type Pokémon can master it after reaching a certain level, and Ash's Solrock was no exception.

Yūga could actually understand why Ash chose Solrock as his lead Pokémon.

As a Pokémon from the third level of the Mirage Tower, Solrock's level was actually not low—at least higher than Yuga's newly caught Treecko. The only thing lacking between Ash and Solrock was coordination and mutual understanding.

One of Ash's strengths was his ability to quickly bond with newly caught Pokémon. So, even though they still needed time to develop deeper synchronization, Ash would have no problem commanding Solrock in battle.

After Pelipper's Water Gun was deflected by Psychic, water droplets splattered everywhere, creating a curtain of water in the sky.

Just then, sharp Stone Edges cut through the water curtain and shot toward Pelipper. Its vision obscured by the water, Pelipper had no time to react before the stones whizzed past its wings, pinning it against the watchtower wall.

Each of Solrock's Stone Edges was enormous. Pelipper struggled a few times but couldn't break free, leaving the referee no choice but to declare, "Pelipper is unable to battle. Gym Leader Winona, please send out your next Pokémon."

"Yes! Ash won a round! Now he's in the lead!" Max jumped three feet in the air, as if he were the one battling.

However, Brock wasn't as optimistic. As a Gym Leader himself, he was familiar with the typical tactics of other Gym Leaders and knew that the first Pokémon was usually sent out to test the challenger's strength. He reminded Max, "Don't celebrate too early. This is just the beginning and doesn't mean much yet!"

Hearing this, Max sat back down.

After recalling Pelipper, Winona said to Ash, "Not bad, but your Solrock seems like you've just recently caught it. Your coordination still seems a bit stiff."

Ash confidently replied, "Yes, I just caught Solrock a few days ago, but we're already great friends. Isn't that right, Solrock?"

"Solrock, Solrock!"

Solrock turned its head and happily nodded.

Seeing this, Winona didn't say anything further, giving a barely noticeable nod before sending out her second Pokémon.

Winona's second Pokémon was Skarmory, a Steel and Flying-type. Its level and potential were far superior to Pelipper's, and shortly after the battle began, Solrock was defeated.

Had Ash and Solrock been more in sync, it's possible the outcome could have been different.

Seeing Ash's Solrock lose, Max's earlier excitement vanished. He glanced at Brock, realizing he still had a lot to learn.

Ash's second Pokémon was Taillow. Though it hadn't evolved yet, its level was quite high, as it was the first Pokémon Ash caught in the Hoenn region.

"Taillow, Taillow!"

As soon as Taillow appeared, it took the initiative, using Double Team to confuse Skarmory before using Aerial Ace to charge at it.

Distracted by the afterimages from Double Team, Skarmory failed to dodge, and with a loud "clang," it was sent flying by Taillow's attack.

However, as a Steel-type Pokémon, Skarmory had high resistance, so Flying-type moves only did half the damage. After regaining its balance, Skarmory retaliated with Steel Wing, aiming directly at Taillow.

Taillow is known for its pride and tenacity. It would never back down easily. Seeing the much larger and stronger Skarmory charging at it, Taillow immediately flew to meet it head-on.

Bang, bang, bang...

The two Pokémon collided fiercely in the air, but while Taillow was covered in wounds, Skarmory appeared relatively unscathed.

However, Taillow's eyes remained sharp and its aura unwavering. Its ability, Guts, fueled it with courage and determination, making it unafraid of any challenge.

In the end, both Pokémon were knocked out simultaneously, but not before Taillow learned the move Endeavor, a skill that can turn the tide in a desperate situation. (Endeavor: The less HP the user has, the greater its power.)

Winona's third and strongest Pokémon was Altaria, while Ash's third was Pikachu.

Watching the show in the past, Yuga never fully grasped how strong Ash's Pikachu really was. But after the battles at the Mirage Tower, he had a clearer idea.

Considering Ash's two or three years of training, Pikachu wasn't weak. In fact, few Pokémon below Elite level would stand a chance against it.

However, Pikachu wasn't ridiculously strong either. When facing Pokémon with higher levels, like the Elite level Solrock and Lunatone or the two pseudo-Elite Flygon from the Mirage Tower, Pikachu struggled.

Of course, that was just the surface. Yuga didn't know if Pikachu had any hidden strengths.

Once Pikachu entered the battlefield, it began moving rapidly, making it hard for Altaria to land any attacks. Compared to most Pikachu, Ash's was unusually fast, which seemed to be one of its unique traits.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"

While moving at high speed, Pikachu took advantage of its surroundings, dashing across the lookout towers. Ash saw an opening and ordered Pikachu to counterattack the relentless Altaria.

"Pika!"

Pikachu leapt high, using the platform as leverage, spinning in midair and striking Altaria with its tail, which glowed with a metallic sheen.

"Altaria, Cotton Guard!"

Under Winona's command, Altaria suddenly released soft, white cotton that cushioned the blow, bouncing Pikachu backward.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Still in the air and yet to land, Pikachu followed Ash's instruction, releasing a Thunderbolt that struck Altaria directly, causing it to scream in pain and fall to the ground, smoking.

Yuga was stunned by the sight. The power of Pikachu's Thunderbolt seemed unexpectedly overwhelming.

Altaria's Cotton Guard only boosted its physical defense, so it was naturally unable to block Thunderbolt. But the key issue was that Altaria had exceptional special defense. Even without using moves to enhance its special defense, it shouldn't have dropped so easily after just one Thunderbolt.

Keep in mind, Altaria's level wasn't low.

Yuga wasn't the only one stunned; even Winona was a bit taken aback. She hadn't expected her Altaria to be in such a state after being hit by just one Thunderbolt.

Winona's momentary hesitation gave Ash and Pikachu the perfect opportunity. They quickly followed up with another Thunderbolt, and Altaria immediately lost the ability to continue the battle.

Yuga finally confirmed what he had been suspecting: not only did Ash's Pikachu have an innate speed advantage, but the electricity it produced was also stronger than that of typical Electric-type Pokémon.

Ordinary Pikachu couldn't store such powerful electric currents in their bodies. Their small size imposed limits, and overloading their system with electricity would typically result in illness or even death.

As someone who had raised Pikachu, Yuga was all too familiar with this fact.

After recalling Altaria, Winona handed Ash the Feather Badge from her gym.

"This is the Feather Badge. It's yours now. I hope you achieve great results in the League Tournament."

Ash accepted the badge, thanked her, and proudly held it up, shouting, "Feather Badge, get!" Pikachu jumped up excitedly alongside him.

Yuga: … That's such a classic move!

Winona then added, "You don't seem like a new Trainer, but the Pokémon you're using all look like they were just recently caught. Why is that?"

Ash replied, "I just wanted to start a new journey in Hoenn using the Pokémon I've recently caught."

Hearing this, Winona thought for a moment and said, "I see. But focusing solely on training newly caught Pokémon isn't always a good idea."

Ash was momentarily taken aback, recalling what Yuga had said to him earlier in the day. Before he could ask any further questions, Winona had already turned and left.

After leaving the gym, everyone congratulated Ash on earning another badge. Ash seemed a bit distracted and didn't realize until later that Luvia wasn't around.

"Huh? Where's Luvia?"

Yuga smiled and responded, "She still has some matters to take care of at the Fortree Gym. She'll return later."

Ash nodded, understanding it was likely related to the gym assessment and didn't press the matter further.

With Ash's gym challenge concluded, Yuga's gym assessment had also gone smoothly. May, feeling relaxed, suggested:

"Since we're in Fortree City, let's take this opportunity to explore a bit. You'll be leaving after the assessment, Yuga, so this is a rare chance."

Fortree City, known for its unique scenery and culture, was an excellent place to explore, so everyone agreed to May's suggestion.