Chapter 154: Surprised Sabrina

As the three-meter-high tide crashed down, forming a powerful water curtain, Hypno was momentarily startled. It hesitated, frozen in place, fear flashing in its eyes as it failed to react.

Sabrina quickly commanded Hypno to dodge, but it was too late. The close distance between Wartortle and Hypno made avoiding the attack impossible!

The powerful water crashed onto Hypno, dealing significant damage and pushing it back. The thunderous energy gathering in Hypno's left fist dissipated instantly.

"That was amazing!" Misty exclaimed from the stands, letting out a sigh of relief. She had momentarily forgotten that Wartortle could utilize this technique. After all, she had worked alongside Ash to study different ways of using Water Pulse.

"Come on, Wartortle!" Ash didn't waste any time, immediately commanding his Pokémon to press forward. This was the perfect opportunity!

"Wartortle, go!"

"Cami—!" Wartortle charged toward Hypno without hesitation, a move that left the audience surprised and puzzled. Hypno had just been repelled, so why was Wartortle closing the distance instead of keeping a safe range?

Sabrina's face tensed. She knew something was off and immediately issued a command. Hypno reacted swiftly, activating its Psychic energy to launch Confusion, aiming to halt Wartortle's approach.

"Use Bite!" Ash's voice rang out confidently, as if he had anticipated Sabrina's move.

"Kami—!" Dark energy surged around Wartortle, forming a massive set of brown energy fangs as large as its own body. As soon as Hypno's Confusion attack clashed with the dark aura, it was instantly nullified—like a thin sheet of paper torn apart.

Hypno's eyes widened in sheer panic. It instinctively tried to retreat, disregarding any counterattack. But it was too late!

With a powerful leap, Wartortle clamped down on Hypno with its Bite attack!

Boom!

A surge of energy exploded upon impact, sending Hypno flying several meters across the battlefield. It crashed into the ground with a heavy thud, lying motionless.

This was the power of Dark-type attacks against Psychic-types!

Not only were Dark-type moves immune to Psychic-type attacks, but they were also super effective against them. Psychic-type moves had no way of resisting Dark-type moves at all!

Sabrina's face darkened. She hadn't expected Wartortle to know Bite. The entire battle had been thrown off course due to one crucial mistake—Hypno's precognitive dream.

The vision Hypno had seen warned of an attack, but it had identified Water Pulse instead of Bite. Both moves had similar base power, and since Water Pulse was a Water-type attack, it benefited from a same-type attack bonus. That misinterpretation had caused Sabrina to overlook the possibility of Wartortle using a Dark-type move.

This oversight had cost her dearly.

"Again! Use Bite!" Ash commanded, his confident smile unwavering.

Wartortle didn't hesitate, lunging forward once more. Hypno, struggling to get up, barely had time to react before Wartortle's dark energy fangs struck again!

Boom!

Another explosion rocked the battlefield as Hypno was sent flying once more. It tumbled across the ground before finally coming to a stop—unconscious.

"Hypno is unable to battle! Wartortle wins!" the referee declared loudly.

A roar of excitement erupted from the audience. While Sabrina had been defeated by a trainer in the past, this battle was truly exhilarating. The creative use of Water Pulse had amazed the crowd, leaving many spectators inspired.

"Awesome! Ash! Wartortle!" Misty cheered, her voice filled with excitement.

Brock nodded with a smile. "That was a brilliant strategy."

"Cami—!" Wartortle panted, clearly exhausted but overjoyed. Defeating such a powerful opponent filled it with pride.

Sabrina's expression remained calm, though a flicker of displeasure crossed her face. However, she quickly regained her composure. Using her Psychic abilities, she recalled Hypno into its Poké Ball. She then reached for another Poké Ball from her belt, preparing for the next round.

Without saying a word, Sabrina gave Ash a deep, calculating look before tossing her next Poké Ball.

A flash of white light illuminated the battlefield, revealing a Pokémon resembling a walking coconut tree with three heads—Exeggutor!

The Pokémon stood at about two meters tall, its body resembling a thick tree trunk. Its three olive-colored heads each bore a different expression—one happy, one sad, and one neutral.

Exeggutor

Type: Grass/Psychic

Ability: Chlorophyll (Hidden Ability: Harvest)

Strength: Elite-level

The moment Exeggutor appeared, Sabrina wasted no time, using her Psychic abilities to issue a silent command. Exeggutor immediately sprang into action, launching an attack before Ash had a chance to recall Wartortle!

Charging up Grass-type energy, Exeggutor bent slightly, pointing the cluster of leaves on its head toward Wartortle. In an instant, it fired a barrage of glowing green seeds—Bullet Seed!

"Wartortle, dodge!" Ash called out.

Wartortle ran to evade, avoiding a direct jump since Bullet Seed was a rapid-fire move with continuous attacks.

Exeggutor turned its body, tracking Wartortle's movements, unleashing a relentless stream of seeds in pursuit.

However, Ash wasn't going to let this continue. He swiftly pulled out Wartortle's Poké Ball and recalled it just in time.

Exeggutor halted its attack. Sabrina's expression didn't change much, but a flicker of dissatisfaction could be seen in her eyes.

"Thank you, Wartortle. Take a good rest," Ash said softly, placing the Poké Ball back on his belt. Then, he reached for another Poké Ball, tapping it to enlarge it.

"Now, it's your turn! Go, Charmeleon!"

A bright light burst across the battlefield as Ash's next Pokémon appeared.

A crimson-scaled lizard with a flame burning brightly at the tip of its tail emerged. The moment Charmeleon laid eyes on Exeggutor, a golden fire flickered in its gaze, and it let out a powerful roar.

The sheer intensity of Charmeleon's presence sent a wave of pressure through the stadium, making Exeggutor instinctively take a few steps back.

Even Sabrina, known for her cold and composed demeanor, narrowed her eyes slightly. She could sense it—something was different about this Charmeleon.

It wasn't just its slightly larger size that made it stand out. There was something deeper, something more profound about its aura. Even Sabrina's Psychic abilities seemed to be affected by it, a sensation she hadn't experienced in a long time.

The battle was far from over, and both trainers knew it.

Sabrina watched Charmeleon with renewed seriousness, while Ash smirked, confidence burning just as brightly as the flame on Charmeleon's tail.

"Let's do this," he murmured.

The next round was about to begin.

To be continued...