Chapter 116: Furious Zhora

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"How is this possible?! How is this possible?! How is this possible?!" Zhora shouted in disbelief, his face contorted with both bewilderment and fury. He couldn't fathom that he had been outsmarted by a trainer he had so easily dismissed.

It was at this moment that Zhora realized how his Electrode had fallen into the sleep condition. Bulbasaur had used Vine Whip to leap into the air, evading the attack while also gaining the advantage of altitude to deploy Sleep Powder. This delayed the Sleep Powder's effect, allowing it to descend slower than usual.

Zhora recognized that he had walked straight into a trap. The Leech Seed had been a test, just to gauge Electrode's speed. After seeing that Electrode could easily dodge the Leech Seed, Ash had switched to Razor Leaf. Zhora had underestimated his opponent, and this caused him to reveal his strategy with Sonic Boom.

When Sonic Boom cleared the Razor Leaf, Ash wasted no time in formulating his next move. Bulbasaur used Vine Whip to spring into the air, not only dodging Sonic Boom, but also masking the true purpose of his attack: the Sleep Powder.

Zhora had responded by using Sonic Boom to try and shake off the Sleep Powder. He thought the Sleep Powder wouldn't work on Electrode, but he had failed to account for the fact that Sleep Powder, released from the air, descended slower and had a higher chance of hitting its target.

Ash had used this to his advantage. After Electrode had dodged Sonic Boom in mid-air, Bulbasaur released Sleep Powder once again, and this time the height of the jump allowed the Sleep Powder to fall with more precision.

Zhora could hardly believe it. "Is this really a strategy a child could come up with?!" he muttered. He was both impressed and furious at the same time. The strategy was clever, and it had taken advantage of his own weaknesses in a way he hadn't expected.

"Come on, Electrode!" If this had been a regular battle, Zhora would have recalled his Electrode immediately, but this was a Gym Challenge, and he had no choice but to keep Electrode in the battle.

But Electrode didn't respond. It was still fast asleep. The energy drained by Leech Seed and the Vine Whip's hits only caused it to stir slightly. After a brief turn, it returned to its slumber without a care in the world.

Ash kept commanding Bulbasaur, and with each attack, Bulbasaur grew stronger thanks to Leech Seed's energy absorption. Bulbasaur was hardly tiring out, while Electrode remained unable to fight back.

Finally, after a last, powerful blow, Bulbasaur knocked Electrode off the battlefield. Electrode stayed asleep and lost its ability to continue the fight.

"Electrode cannot continue. Bulbasaur wins!" The referee, too, was astonished by Ash's tactics. He had witnessed many Gym Challenges, but this one was by far the most brilliant battle he had ever seen.

"That's amazing! Ash! Bulbasaur!" Misty shouted from the stands, leaping up in excitement.

Ash didn't respond, but he gave a small wave to Misty to acknowledge her cheer.

The audience around them began to chatter, with some of the trainers nearby explaining Ash's strategy to those who hadn't fully understood. Their faces now showed admiration and surprise as they watched Ash and Bulbasaur with new respect.

"Come back, Electrode!" Zhora recalled his Pokémon with a fierce glare, his gaze fixed on Ash and Bulbasaur. He was furious that he had been defeated by a kid and a Pokémon that hadn't even evolved, though a part of him couldn't help but feel awe at the boy's tactics.

"Next, I won't be so careless!" Zhora growled, his anger boiling over. "Magneton, show them your power!"

Zhora threw another Poké Ball, and out came his second Pokémon, Magneton.

Magneton, the evolved form of Magnemite, looked like a combination of three Magnemites. The two Magnets at the bottom were extended forward as arms, while the other Magnemites formed the body. The Pokémon was Electric and Steel type, giving it an imposing appearance.

Magneton

Type: Electric, Steel

Category: Magnet Pokémon

Ability: Analytic (Hidden Ability: Analysis)

Analysis: If the Pokémon acts after its opponent, its moves are boosted by 30%.

"Analysis Ability... luckily, it's not the Magnetic Ability," Ash muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing. The system's data interface was invaluable, allowing him to immediately identify his opponent's abilities without having to guess.

If Magneton had the Magnetic Ability, it would have been a nightmare to fight. Any Pokémon, except for Ghost-types, would be unable to escape the battle. The Pokémon couldn't return to its Poké Ball until the battle ended.

"Come back, Bulbasaur, great job!" Ash called, recalling his Grass-type Pokémon without hesitation. Bulbasaur was at a disadvantage against Steel-types, and Ash's prediction had been correct. It was time for Charmander to step in.

"Charmander, it's your turn!" Ash threw another Poké Ball, sending his fiery partner into the fray.

A small orange lizard appeared on the battlefield, flames flickering brightly at the tip of its tail. Charmander's excitement was clear from the sparks shooting from its mouth as it prepared for the fight.

"Another unevolved Pokémon? So weak!" Zhora sneered, furious at the sight of Charmander. "How much more do you plan to underestimate me?!"

"Magneton, use Tri Attack!" Zhora ordered, his anger now clouding his judgment as he lost his composure. He commanded his Pokémon without hesitation.

"Magneton!" Magneton emitted a mechanical sound as three types of energy—golden lightning, blue ice, and red-orange flames—emerged from its three components.

Tri Attack was a powerful Normal-type move with a chance of causing status effects: burn, freeze, or paralysis. It was a formidable move, and the speed with which it shot out was nothing short of spectacular.

The air seemed to shimmer with the force of Tri Attack as it shot toward Charmander. It moved with incredible speed, and the shockwave was visible to the naked eye.

"Charmander, use Smokescreen, then dodge!" Ash's face shifted slightly, realizing the magnitude of the power behind the attack. He knew this battle wasn't going to be easy.

Charmander obeyed immediately, releasing a thick cloud of black smoke from its mouth. The smoke spread quickly, enveloping Charmander entirely. Moving quickly within the smoke, Charmander maneuvered to dodge the attack.

The Tri Attack passed through the smoke, slightly dispersing it, but it failed to hit Charmander. The surrounding smoke quickly filled in the gaps, concealing Charmander's movements once more.

Suddenly, Zhora and Magneton lost track of Charmander's position entirely.

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