Grotle!
Drifblim!
"What the heck is Ash thinking? Drifblim's such a floaty, evasive Pokémon. Grotle's so heavy and sluggish—there's no way he can win!"
Barry was stunned, eyes wide with disbelief.
But Dawn and Anabel didn't even bat an eye.
Even if Ash had sent out a Weedle to challenge the Gym, they believed he had a reason.
Why bother doubting?
Just watch and enjoy the show.
"Ash, you really made a move I didn't expect," Fantina twirled with a dancer's grace, "But! How do you plan to have such a heavy Pokémon fight against my nimble, floaty Drifblim? Drifblim, start us off—Ominous Wind!"
She might've been surprised, but regardless of who Ash sent out, Fantina welcomed it.
After all, the purpose of Gym Leaders wasn't simply to defeat challengers.
Their true role was to help the Pokémon League identify and reward promising Trainers, handing out badges not just for victory but for potential.
That's why, sometimes, even if a challenger didn't technically win, they could still walk away with a badge.
Talent, determination, and growth—that's what the League really looked for.
"You'll see soon enough. Grotle, Leaf Storm!"
Ash started strong—no testing the waters, just going full force.
Grotle's mobility might've been limited, so Ash chose long-range tactics from the start.
And what a move—Leaf Storm's power far outclassed Ominous Wind.
The storm of razor-sharp leaves tore through Drifblim's attack like paper.
"Will-o-Wisp! Block it!"
Fantina didn't panic. Blue ghostly flames formed around Drifblim's body, shooting toward the Leaf Storm in an attempt to intercept it.
Boom!
The two moves collided in mid-air and exploded with a thunderous burst.
"Again! Will-o-Wisp!"
Fantina ordered Drifblim forward once more.
This time, the second barrage of ghostly fire aimed directly at Grotle.
Smoke still lingered from the earlier blast, obscuring both Pokémon from view.
But then—out of that smoke—dozens of enormous, spiked vines suddenly surged forward!
What!?
It was… Power Whip—Grotle's trump card!
Ash had chosen Grotle with a plan in mind.
Forget mobility—just go all-in from a distance!
Power Whip was even stronger than Leaf Storm, with one downside—it left the user in a stiff, rigid state for a short time afterward.
The Will-o-Wisps were obliterated on contact.
Drifblim was caught completely off-guard, pummeled by the ferocious vines crashing from all sides!
Even Dawn and Anabel in the spectator seats were stunned.
If they couldn't react, how could Fantina?
Drifblim was battered senseless.
Its stamina was high, yes, but its level was no match for Grotle's!
And this move had overwhelming force—Drifblim was barely hanging on!
"Now! Drifblim—Hypnosis!"
Fantina saw a narrow window.
Even though her heart ached for Drifblim, she couldn't let this opportunity slip by.
The ghost-type floated unsteadily toward Grotle… and let out a hypnotic pulse.
Grotle's eyes fluttered… and closed.
"Yes! Now, Gust!"
Drifblim's tendrils whipped furiously, generating a fierce wind over the battlefield.
Grotle was caught in the middle, pummeled by the buffeting gusts.
Flying-type moves were super effective against Grass-types—this was a direct hit!
"Good! One more Gust for the finish!"
Fantina finally breathed a little.
Gust didn't have high base power, but with type advantage and Grotle asleep, it was the perfect combo.
Two hits should do it…
But then—Grotle's eyes snapped open!
"Wha—!? How is that possible!?"
Fantina was stunned.
Her ghost-type strategies almost always centered around Hypnosis, one of her best tools.
Normally, if the opponent was hypnotized, that was game over.
But Ash's Grotle had woken up way too fast!
"I get it now…"
Dawn leaned toward Anabel and whispered,
"Ash's training for his Pokémon has always been so specific and intentional…"
Anabel nodded.
"Of course. That's just who Ash is."
Ash's journey wasn't just about catching Pokémon—it was about forging them into champions.
From early on, Grotle (then a Turtwig) had been trained to resist status conditions, including Hypnosis.
Ash even had Mewtwo help out, casting simulated Hypnosis attacks to test each Pokémon's resistance threshold.
Charizard, Pikachu, Sceptile—whether it was his original team or the new recruits from Sinnoh, they'd all gone through this training.
Just like building muscle, the more exposure they had, the stronger their resistance.
Eventually, they could shake it off in seconds.
And to make things worse for Fantina—Drifblim had attacked right after using Hypnosis!
That counted as an external stimulus—Grotle's body naturally responded and woke up.
"It's over. Grotle, Leaf Storm!"
"Graoooo!"
Now fully awake, Grotle roared.
Its movements were slow, but the speed of its attack—blistering.
Gales collided once again—only this time, Leaf Storm utterly shredded the incoming Gust.
The swirling leaves roared forward like a green hurricane and smashed into Drifblim without mercy.
BOOM!
Ding! [Congratulations to the host. Grotle has successfully defeated Drifblim and earned 10,500 battle experience points!]
"Drifblim is unable to battle! Grotle wins! The victor is the challenger—Ash Ketchum!"
"Graooo!"
Grotle stomped in victory, vines rustling with joy.
"Pika Pi!"
Pikachu jumped up and joined in Grotle's celebration.
"Ay-ay-ay! Ash, that battle was truly magnifique!"
Fantina spun with joy, not hiding her admiration.
"Your bond with your Pokémon and the effort you've both put in is crystal clear. Please—take this badge. It belongs to you now."
Ash stepped forward, eyes shining.
"Nice! I got the Relic Badge!"
"Graooo!"
"Pikachu!"
"Yay! Another badge for Ash!" Dawn cheered.
"Yeah! At this rate, I can't wait to see how he performs in the Lily of the Valley Conference. I just know he's going to shake things up…" Anabel's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Seriously, what the heck?! Ash is just too amazing!" Barry threw up his hands.
And just like that—Ash had claimed his fifth Sinnoh Gym Badge!
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