A few minutes later, the stage near the plaza had been quickly repurposed into a makeshift battlefield. Whitney, naturally, had taken over as the emcee, grabbing a microphone and jumping to the front.
"Alright, Goldenrod! Looks like we've got ourselves a holiday throwdown!" she shouted, and the crowd, already buzzing with excitement, erupted into cheers. "On one side, we have my bestie Jasmine! And on the other, my other bestie Ash!"
"And of course, I am your super pretty girl Whitney, and I'll be your referee, let's start this party right!" Whitney yelled into the mic as people cheered.
Over in the crowd stood Green, Gary, Molly, Delia, and Yellow, all bundled up with steaming cups of cocoa in hand. Ash had dropped off their drinks before heading to the stage, and Molly was now sitting on Delia's lap, with Pikachu and Vee nestled into her coat like living space heaters.
"He really said 'I'm going to grab cocoa' and then signed up for a boss battle," Green muttered with a smirk.
Gary rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I'm not surprised at this point. I'm more surprised she challenged him instead of the other way around. But I guess he's not using Pikachu, so he's holding back."
Molly moved her head back and forth as she sipped her hot chocolate. "I believe in my big brother! He told me he couldn't lose if I cheer for him, so I'm going to be the loudest of them all!"
On stage, Jasmine had stepped forward and brushed some snow off her hat as she tapped her leg on the ground. "This is your seventh badge, right?"
Ash went to the other side, standing across from her. He cracked his knuckles. He wasn't wearing his baseball cap; his hair was down, tied into a small ponytail since it was finally long enough.
"Yep. Let's do this, but you better not think I plan on losing."
Whitney raised her hand. "Alright, let's have some fun! I don't need to tell you those boring rules, everyone knows how it works. So let's just get started, throw out your Pokémon!"
Jasmine and Ash grabbed a Pokéball each. Jasmine threw out hers first, and from it came a Forretress holding some Leftovers. Ash held his Pokéball and smiled.
Obviously, Ash hadn't just been sitting around. He knew he was going after Jasmine next, so he'd been planning for that. He'd been training for the past few days specifically for this.
"Hey Jasmine, here's one I think you'll like."
Ash raised his arm and threw out the Pokéball, and from it came a large yellow sheep, an Ampharos, Ash's former Flaaffy.
Jasmine smiled, spotting Amphy clapping from the sidelines. "That's fun, alright. Hope you didn't do it just to impress me, because while it is working, doesn't mean I'm not gonna go all out."
"Of course," Ash said with a grin. "But since you're so unbothered, I'll take the first move. Ampharos, [Power Gem]!"
The gem on Ampharos's head started to glow as he shot out beams of light one after another, blasting into Forretress and making it slide back a little.
"Sneaky! No fair! Fine, my turn Forretress, start setting up [Spikes]!"
Forretress retracted back into its shell and spun around rapidly, throwing spikes around the ground of the plaza.
Ash smiled and waved his arm in front of him. "Please. You think I wasn't already expecting that? Ampharos, [Tail Glow]!"
Ampharos raised his tail as it began glowing, static electricity starting to spark off his body.
Then Ash smiled. "Now let's get crazy [Cotton Spore] on the ground!"
As everyone blinked, wondering what Ash was thinking, Ampharos jumped up and shot out balls of wool from his mouth onto the ground. They landed where the spikes were, and the wool caught, making the spikes stick to them.
But he wasn't done. He grabbed one of the strands of wool and spun around, catching each of the balls of wool together, clumping them up until it was one big ball. Then he threw it like a wrecking ball at Forretress.
The wool itself didn't do any damage, but the spikes did, stabbing into Forretress's sides.
Jasmine squinted slightly as the dust settled, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, rude. But smart. I'm not falling for the same trick twice though. Forretress, let's show them we can improvise too, [Rapid Spin]!"
Forretress curled into its metal shell and began to spin, starting to tear out of some of the wool, but that was exactly what Ash and Ampharos wanted.
"Now, Ampharos, [Electroweb]!" Ash commanded.
Ampharos was still holding on to a piece of the wool when he threw the ball of wool at Forretress. He tightened his grip as the wool started to spark, sending electricity through it, and that meant Forretress, who was inside the ball of wool, was shocked even worse as the light lit up the sky.
As the crowd watched the light show, Jasmine winced at the sight, but she didn't let that stop her. "Let's push through, get out of there with [Gyro Ball]!"
After a bit more struggling, Forretress managed to break through the wool and slammed into Ampharos's chest, sending the sheep sliding back.
"Ha! Told you!" Jasmine said with a smirk. "How was that?"
Ash grinned. "Not bad. But you should've knocked him out in one hit."
As he said that, Ampharos stood back up, and it looked like that hit had just generated even more electricity, thanks to his ability, Electromorphosis.
Jasmine blinked in surprise, seeing Ampharos light up, and quickly called out, "Quick, [Toxic] it now!"
But Ash was already on the move. "Not a chance! Dodge, then [Thunderbolt]!"
As Forretress spun and started shooting balls of sludge toward Ampharos, he ducked down and flipped in the air. His tail lit up even more as he shot a bright bolt of electricity down at Forretress.
Forretress was enveloped in a blinding light as the boosted [Thunderbolt] hit it. When the electricity finally stopped, it was left smoking, but still standing. Barely. Sparks flew off it, it was paralyzed.
"Oh no, Forretress!" Jasmine blurted out, looking panicked at the Steel-type. "Are you okay?"
Forretress barely made a sound but let off a little nod. "For…"
Jasmine smiled. "Alright, let's take advantage then, [Gyro Ball] again!"
Forretress curled up in a ball again and shot itself forward, hitting Ampharos across the face. He was still catching his breath from that last attack, so he couldn't dodge. Not to mention, paralysis lowers speed, so this did even more damage.
Ampharos was sent onto his back, but he quickly stood back up and wiped his mouth, glaring toward Forretress.
Ash smiled. "Heh, finally catching up? Too bad it's a little too late for that."
"We'll see. I'm not planning on giving up," Jasmine smiled back.
"Neither am I. Get ready for a [Meteor Beam]," Ash said.
Ampharos raised his hands toward his head as a small beam began to slowly charge.
Jasmine pointed forward. "Not this time Forretress, close the distance!"
Forretress curled back into its ball and shot forward, getting closer to Ampharos. But when Jasmine looked up to see Ash's reaction, he was just smiling.
"Too bad. Cancel and [Fire Punch]!" Ash snapped his fingers.
Ampharos grabbed the small orb of energy he was charging and wound up his fist. Then, when Forretress was close enough, he punched down as his fist ignited in an explosive punch, sending out a heatwave and starting to melt some of the snow.
And in the center, where Forretress had been, its unmoving, unconscious body was now lying on the ground, spirals in its eyes.
Whitney pointed dramatically at the fainted Forretress. "OHHH! And Forretress is down! That's one KO for Team Ash! Guess you could say… he shocked us all!"
The crowd responded with a mix of laughter and cheers.
Jasmine returned Forretress with a soft, "You did great," before pulling out her next Pokéball.
"Alright," she said, her expression sharpening just slightly, "Let's go, Magneton!"
The Pokéball burst open in a shimmer of light, and a Magneton hovered into view, humming softly with an Eviolite attached between its heads.
Magneton was probably the best choice against Ampharos, since it resisted all of Ampharos's Electric-type moves and still had Steel-type STAB, without losing Electric-type STAB either.
But Ash didn't back down just yet. Ampharos was looking tired, but not out.
"[Dazzling Gleam], now!"
Ampharos's gem started to glow as he spun and shot out shards of pink energy at the Magneton.
Jasmine raised her hand. "Use [Light Screen]!"
A shining barrier formed in front of Magneton, blocking most of the shards of energy and rendering them nearly useless as the screen shimmered, then turned invisible.
Jasmine continued, "Now, [Flash Cannon]!"
A silvery sphere of light burst from Magneton's core, blasting into Ampharos and sending him skidding backward, breathing more heavily now.
"Alright if that's useless now, close the distance and [Fire Punch] again!" Ash called out, waving his hand.
Ampharos's fist ignited with fire as he ran forward, quickly closing the distance and jumping, ready to sledgehammer this magnet into the ground.
But before the punch connected, Jasmine called out, "Magneton, [Iron Defense]!"
The metallic hum intensified as Magneton's plating shimmered and hardened. The punch landed, sending Magneton shooting down into the ground and kicking up dust. But when the dust cleared, Magneton was fine.
Jasmine was the one smiling now. "Now finish this with [Tri Attack]!"
Still on the ground, Magneton charged up three balls of energy, one between each head, then fired them upward. The attack hit Ampharos in the stomach, then the face, then the face again, sending the sheep crashing down onto his back.
As the crowd cheered, Ash returned Ampharos to his Pokéball. "Leave the rest to us."
Jasmine smiled, placing her hands on her hips. "Well, let's see what else you've got. I hope that wasn't your only plan."
"Big words for someone wearing a sleeveless dress in the snow," Ash jabbed back, grabbing a new Pokéball. "But I've been training way too hard, so I won't lose."
He threw out his next Pokéball, and from it came a certain croc. Again, Ash had been training all his Pokémon, so this time, it wasn't Crocalor that came out, instead, it was Skeledirge.
The fire croc landed on the field and let out a happy growl as the small firebird on his head flapped its wings.
People cheered, Skeledirge wasn't a Pokémon many of them had seen before, being from Paldea after all, and he looked ready to have some fun.
"Say hello to your encore act," Ash said as he snapped his fingers. "Skeledirge, [Snarl]!"
Skeledirge opened his mouth, letting out a deep, guttural roar laced with dark energy. It hit Magneton hard, making it almost look like it was short-circuiting, and lowering its Special Attack.
"Nice trick," Jasmine muttered. "But let's see if your fire has more bite than bark. [Flash Cannon]!"
Ash pointed. "Intercept with [Torch Song]!"
As Magneton charged a bright beam between its heads, the bird on Skeledirge's head jumped up, almost like a microphone. Skeledirge raised his head and began to sing into it. As he did, the bird grew larger and brighter.
Then both attacks launched, Magneton's beam and Skeledirge's firebird, meeting in the air and clashing before exploding in a burst of fire and light. The [Light Screen] absorbed most of the damage on Magneton's side, and its boosted defenses helped, but it still took a decent chunk. Skeledirge also took a hit, but the bigger deal?
Skeledirge's Special Attack rose sharply Yes, sharply as in +2.
You might ask, "Wait, isn't [Torch Song] only a +1 boost?" Well, yes… but actually, no. Turns out, Skeledirge here has a new ability.
—-
[Skeledirge] (M)
[Ability: Simple]
[Hidden Ability: Punk Rock]
—-
Ash had no idea why Skeledirge had Simple. That wasn't its normal ability. But honestly? He didn't care. And having Punk Rock as a hidden ability? That was just fun.
Jasmine shook her head, trying to focus back on the battle. "Alright, Magneton [Thunder Wave]!"
Electricity surged between the magnets as Magneton fired off a burst of paralyzing current toward Skeledirge.
Ash's eyes lit up. "Intercept it with [Shadow Ball]!"
Skeledirge's jaws glowed with eerie dark energy as he spat a crackling orb into the air. The two attacks collided midair, detonating in a violent spark of energy. The crowd gasped, then roared in approval.
"Now, [Torch Song] again!"
The flaming bird on Skeledirge's head pulsed with energy as he belted out another infernal tune. The haunting melody echoed through the plaza, and the heat it radiated began to melt even more snow. The firebird launched again.
Magneton's [Light Screen] shimmered, trying to absorb the blow, but this time, the fire burst through, exploding across all three of Magneton's bodies.
Before Magneton went down, it fired off one last attack through the smoke, an arcing [Zap Cannon] that slammed into Skeledirge just as the steel-type finally hit the ground.
Whitney punched the air. "And Magneton is donezo! That's two KOs for Ash, he's on fire! Someone put out that crocodile!"
Jasmine returned Magneton with a quiet, "Thank you," and pressed her lips together thoughtfully. "Hehe... this is fun."
"Always is," Ash replied with a smirk. "But come on, now it's my turn to ask you, is that all you got?"
"You know it isn't." Jasmine grabbed her next Pokéball. "Get ready. I know just how to beat that croc."
She threw the Pokéball, and from it came a screeching Skarmory, who hovered high above the field and glared down at Skeledirge.
Ash narrowed his eyes. "Okay, Skeledirge, get ready. You've got experience with these things, [Flamethrower]!"
Skeledirge raised his head to spit flame but Jasmine was ready.
"[Agility], dodge!" she shouted.
Skarmory's eyes flashed as it darted to the side in a silvery blur, barely evading the searing jet of fire. The heat trailed just behind its tail feathers as it swooped low and then arced sharply back upward.
"Now dive down with [Drill Peck]!" Jasmine ordered, her voice sharp and precise.
The metal plating across Skarmory's body glinted as it hardened. It tucked its wings in tight and spiraled down in a corkscrew, its beak glowing white-hot. The drill strike slammed into Skeledirge's shoulder, making him stumble back.
Ash narrowed his eyes. "Quick, while it's close, [Fire Fang]!"
Skeledirge growled and lunged, biting down hard on Skarmory's wing, trapping it in place so it couldn't fly away.
"Now do a death roll!" Ash swiped his hand to the side.
Skeledirge didn't let go. He began spinning violently, thrashing and slamming Skarmory against the ground again and again.
But Skarmory didn't give up, and neither did Jasmine, "Now [Metal Sound]!"
Skarmory opened its beak and unleashed a piercing screech straight into Skeledirge's ear, disorienting the crocodile. And with Skeledirge's Simple ability, this kind of debuff became even more effective, sharply lowering his Special Defense.
With Skarmory freed, Jasmine grinned. "Now use [Flash Cannon] to break away then [Brave Bird]!"
Skarmory launched a silvery beam down at Skeledirge, using it like a propulsion blast to shoot itself backward into the air. Then it tucked its wings and dove back down like a missile.
Skeledirge could barely hear anything through the ringing in his ears, Ash's voice was drowned out. But that didn't stop Ash.
Skeledirge heard Ash's voice inside his head 'Now use the move we practiced.'
Outside, Ash called, "Now [Counter Shield]!"
Jasmine blinked in confusion as Skeledirge… began to dance. He moved from one leg to the other, then his tail, then his arms, before pushing himself into a spin. Fire burst from his jaws in a wide [Flamethrower], and the bird on his head flared up, spinning with him, creating a swirling inferno around his body like a fiery tornado.
The crowd gasped in awe at the elegant, glowing spiral of flames, then Skarmory crashed down.
Skeledirge pushed the flames forward, meeting Skarmory head-on. The flames exploded outward as they clashed, melting the nearby snow. Steam began to rise all around the battlefield. The heat and pressure between the two Pokémon built until a sudden blast of hot air exploded between them, launching both backward.
Skarmory slammed into the ground and barely managed to recover mid-flap. But Skeledirge, already hurt from earlier, was sent tumbling. The impact and earlier damage proved too much, and the fire croc rolled to a stop, spirals in his eyes. Skarmory circled once before landing triumphantly on his fallen opponent.
The crowd erupted into applause, clapping wildly at the fiery exchange.
Ash returned Skeledirge to his Pokéball. "Great work, bud. You did exactly what you needed to."
Across the field, Jasmine clapped her hands with a sly smile. "That last move was really pretty. Don't suppose you'd be willing to teach it to little old me~?"
"Maybe after I beat you," Ash grinned. "But for now? The battle's just getting started."
He unzipped his hoodie, now that the area was nice and warm, and grabbed another Pokéball from his belt, "Let's have some fun"
He tossed the ball high, and from it burst a massive, purple-winged dinosaur. Aerodactyl spread his wings and screeched into the sky.