As Aerodactyl flew onto the field, Ash watched everyone's reactions while already thinking about what to do.
This was gonna be Aerodactyl's first real battle. I mean, sure, there was training, but that doesn't count. A big part of that was because Ash had hatched this boy himself, so he had to wait for him to mature, which, for Rock-types, is pretty slow but not the worst. After that, he needed to train him so he could catch up.
Now, Ash didn't have too high hopes. Aerodactyl was significantly weaker than the rest of his Pokémon, but he had something else, the fact that no one exactly knew how to counter him. He might be at a heavy disadvantage, but Ash knew how to exploit that.
"Hey, eyes up here~" Ash teased, looking over at Jasmine. "But if you're gonna be like that, then I'll take the first move. [Stone Edge]!"
Aerodactyl screeched happily as rocks formed around him. He began shooting them down while flying by, aiming them all at Skarmory.
Jasmine blinked and shook her head. "Right! Skarmory, evasive maneuvers!"
Skarmory flew up as the stones chased him, dodging from one side to the next, flipping mid-air. He dodged most of them, but one of the stones clipped his wing, but it was fine.
"Getting tricky, huh?" Jasmine muttered, then raised her voice. "Alright, don't let him get comfortable up there, Skarmory, [Air Slash]!"
Skarmory spun midair, wings glowing with energy before launching a flurry of compressed blades of air toward Aerodactyl.
Ash didn't even flinch. "Barrel roll, then [Brave Bird]!"
Aerodactyl spun his body, flying over the slashes, then dove like a missile. As he moved, his body ignited, and he crashed into Skarmory, sending them both flying into the ground.
Now, funny thing, this Aerodactyl had the ability Rock Head, thanks to him coming directly from Lance's clan. They only bred the best, so Aerodactyl didn't take any recoil. But Skarmory sure did.
Skarmory shook his head as he pulled himself out of the ground. Jasmine panicked slightly, then took a breath. "Alright, Skarmory, get back up with [Roost]!"
Skarmory stood and fluttered, shedding some broken feathers and healing a bit after all the damage he'd taken.
Ash saw this and pointed immediately. "Don't let up! [Dragon Dance], then [Brave Bird] again!"
Aerodactyl's body began to glow purple as he flew up and got ready to dive again. Since he didn't take recoil, there was no point in not doing this. I mean, sure, Skarmory resisted it, but it was still good damage.
As the Rock-type came down again, Skarmory looked up and readied his wings. Jasmine narrowed her eyes, waiting. "Wait for it..."
Then Aerodactyl came crashing down, tackling into Skarmory, making the metal bird slide back a little, but he didn't fall. Jasmine pointed, "Now! [Counter]!"
Skarmory opened his eyes, wings glowing red, and pushed back with double the force he'd received, knocking Aerodactyl onto his back.
Jasmine smiled and pointed again. "Now's your chance, [Iron Head]!"
Skarmory flew up and shot forward, his head glowing even brighter as he crashed into Aerodactyl. This time, it was super effective. The hit brought Aerodactyl below 50%.
But unfortunately for them, that's where the real fun began, for Aerodactyl. It was part of his mutation.
—
[Aerodactyl (M)]
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
Ability: Rock Head
Hidden Ability: Tough Claws
Prehistoric Might: When it reaches 50% health, all physical stats are doubled.
—-
Now that he was at half, Aerodactyl was really getting pumped up. His eye slits narrowed, and he looked even more feral, letting out a roar.
"What the what?" Whitney said into her mic, looking surprised. "Did this Aerodactyl just go feral? He looks like he's gone wild!"
Ash smiled as he swiped his arm forward. "He did more than change his look, [Rock Tomb]!"
Aerodactyl huffed and slammed his tail on the ground, kicking up rocks and shooting them into the air to slam into Skarmory.
Jasmine quickly called out, "Quick! Skarmory, [Steel Wing]!"
Skarmory's wings began to glow as he flew forward, cutting one rock after another and breaking them. But when he cut the last rock, Aerodactyl appeared right behind the split stone.
Jasmine immediately panicked. "Quick, [Steel Wing] again!"
Skarmory raised his wing and swiped, it hit Aerodactyl. But here's the thing: Aerodactyl wasn't trying to dodge. It was like he didn't care about dodging anymore. He took the hit and didn't move.
"Not this time. Now take them out of the sky, [Smack Down]!" Ash commanded.
Aerodactyl huffed and bit Skarmory's wing. Skarmory screeched in pain. Aerodactyl's foot came up and grabbed the other wing, and then he stopped flapping.
They began free-falling, and Aerodactyl held onto both wings so Skarmory couldn't escape. Skarmory thrashed and scratched at Aerodactyl with his talons, but Aerodactyl didn't care, slamming them both into the ground.
Now that Skarmory was grounded, Ash snapped his fingers. "Alright, [Earthquake]!"
Aerodactyl raised his tail and slammed Skarmory in the chest, sending a shockwave through the metal bird.
Jasmine panicked at seeing Skarmory so helpless, until she spotted an opportunity. "Skarmory, [Counter], again!"
This time, Skarmory's feet started glowing red, and he kicked upward, hitting Aerodactyl in the stomach and knocking the air out of him. That gave Skarmory an opening.
"It's our turn now, [Brave Bird]!" Jasmine called.
Skarmory flipped himself onto his legs and shot up into Aerodactyl's chest, sending them both rolling backward into the ground. They were both too tired to fly, but too stubborn to stop fighting.
"Let's end this, [Brave Bird] again!" Ash commanded.
Jasmine immediately countered, "Not without a fight! You too, [Brave Bird]!"
The two Pokémon didn't even fly, they just ran toward each other, crashing head-on, each trying to overpower the other. As they clashed, neither wanted to go down first. They both let out a yell, and a small explosion erupted from the impact.
When the smoke cleared, both Flying-types were standing, unmoving, until suddenly, they both fell. Skarmory hit the ground first, then Aerodactyl collapsed on top, both with spirals in their eyes.
Everyone watched in silence, then cheered as Whitney grabbed her mic. "I don't believe it! That's a double KO! That means both trainers are three Pokémon down!"
Ash and Jasmine returned their Pokémon. Ash was actually pleasantly surprised. Aerodactyl did better than he thought for his first battle. "You did just perfect, bud."
Jasmine reached for another Pokéball. "Alrighty then! Ready to keep going? Or don't tell me you're out of steam already," she teased.
Ash laughed and grabbed another Pokéball. "Alright then. I guess I'll step it up a little more. Don't blame me if I one-shot though~"
"Just try it," Jasmine said confidently as she threw out her Pokéball. From it came a Scizor, slamming its claws together, holding a Choice Scarf for extra speed.
Ash smirked. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He tossed his own Pokéball.
Like he said earlier, Ash had been training. But Crocalor wasn't the only one. He also put effort into a certain Quilava.
As the ball opened, a long, weasel-like Pokémon stood tall, flames igniting around its neck, it was Typhlosion, equipped with Choice Specs.
Jasmine blinked. "Oh, so that's what you meant. Well—" she smiled. "I hope you don't think this is my first time dealing with a Typhlosion. I've faced them before."
"Oh, I know. But too bad you haven't dealt with me," Ash said, snapping his fingers. "[Eruption]!"
Jasmine prepared to use her usual strategy against Typhlosions, but just as she opened her mouth, she saw the literal fire in Typhlosion's eyes.
If you remember way back when Ash caught this thing, its ability was something new called Flaming Soul. Now, if you don't remember what it does, here's a refresher: as long as Typhlosion is at full HP, all Fire-type moves have priority.
With a roar, a scorching column of lava and flame surged from the fire along his neck. It got so hot that all the leftover snow on the field melted away, so much that people in the crowd actually started taking off their coats.
"Scizor, [Bullet Punch]!" Jasmine shouted, trying to quickly stop it, but it was too late.
Typhlosion was already mid-attack as he shot a geyser of fire from his mouth, engulfing the Bug/Steel-type. Now let's do some math: Typhlosion was at max HP, so the move hit with its full 150 base power. Then you add in the boost from Choice Specs, and multiply by 4 for type advantage. Yeah, this thing got one-shot.
Scizor tried to block the attack, but it was too much, and the bug dropped to the ground in a heap, fainted in a single hit, just like Ash promised.
Jasmine blinked owlishly. "Jeez, you weren't kidding. Kinda anticlimactic. You could've at least held back a little."
Ash shrugged playfully. "Sorry, but my little sister is watching. What kind of big brother would I be if I wasn't the strongest~?"
Jasmine laughed as she returned Scizor to its Pokéball. "Fair. But this is as far as you go. Now it's time for me to give it all I've got."
She grabbed her last Pokéball and threw it out. A large metal snake towered over the field, Steelix, and on its head was a certain familiar orb.
Before anything else could happen, Jasmine raised her Keystone and pressed it. "Let's give it all we've got, Steelix, Mega Evolve!"
The gem on Steelix began to glow as light engulfed its body. Its metal segments expanded, pieces floated around its core, and jagged spikes erupted along its frame. Mega Steelix had arrived.
Typhlosion turned his head slightly toward Ash, waiting for the signal. Ash just smiled. "Think you're up for it, buddy?"
Typhlosion let out a low growl, flames flaring up in response.
Ash nodded. "Good. [Eruption], again!"
As flames surged on Typhlosion's back and he got ready to attack, Jasmine raised her voice: "Block it with [Aqua Tail]!"
The fire burst forward, but Steelix swung its massive, glowing-blue tail, now coated in water, like a wrecking ball. It slammed into the fire blast, and steam exploded across the field, obscuring everything.
The fog of steam blocked everyone's view, including Typhlosion's. He looked around, trying to find where Steelix had slithered to. He swiped at the steam with his paw, but Steelix was already right on top of him.
"Now's your chance, [Body Press]!" Jasmine ordered.
Steelix raised its massive head and slammed down like a hammer, crushing Typhlosion beneath its weight.
Typhlosion rolled across the field, struggling to stand. That hit had hurt, [Body Press] used Steelix's massive Defense stat, and the thing was a tank.
"Typhlosion, don't let them build momentum, [Eruption]!" Ash called out.
But Jasmine was right behind him: "Push through with [Gyro Ball]!"
Typhlosion's flames lit up again, but they were weaker now, he'd taken a lot of damage, and his HP had dropped below the trigger for Flaming Soul. Still, he managed to blast fire forward, but Mega Steelix powered through the flames, grinding against the molten blast even as it took damage.
Then, with a crash, it slammed into Typhlosion again, sending him flying and tumbling across the battlefield. He was left barely standing, breathing heavily. Meanwhile, Steelix looked more or less fine, Mega Evolution made it absurdly tanky,
Meanwhile, Typhlosion struggled to push himself back onto his hind feet, breathing heavily. Ash was watching closely, his eyes locked onto the massive metal snake looming ahead.
Jasmine gave a little smirk. "What's up? Don't tell me you're thinking about giving up~"
Ash smirked right back. "Who said anything about that? Typhlosion's still standing, isn't he?"
Typhlosion let out a huff of smoke from his nostrils. Then, with a low growl, he tore the goggles from his head and tossed them behind him to Ash. At this point, they were just getting in the way.
Jasmine smiled, clearly enjoying the challenge. "Alright then, you asked for it. Steelix, finish this with [Body Slam]!"
As Steelix surged forward, Ash swiped his hand and pointed forward. "If we're going down, give them a show! [Fiery Dance]!"
Typhlosion roared as a halo of fireballs burst into existence around him, and he broke into a sprint straight toward Steelix.
As the steel giant tried to slam down on him, Typhlosion leapt into the air and hurled several fireballs down in midair. Steelix countered with a sweeping tail attack, but Typhlosion ducked, grabbed onto the tail mid-spin, and clung on as he fired off three more blazing shots while the remaining fireballs orbited him like a comet.
Steelix, trying to shake him loose, slammed its tail into the ground, but Typhlosion stayed on, running up its massive body. In one swift motion, he leapt onto Steelix's head and unleashed a barrage of fireballs point-blank into its face.
Steelix roared, thrashing violently, trying to shake him off. Typhlosion kept up the assault until Steelix finally slammed its head into the ground hard, knocking Typhlosion off and ending the onslaught.
Ash quickly returned him. "Great work, you did more than enough." He looked down at the Pokéball in his hand before gently placing it back on his belt. The battlefield was scorched and steaming, the intense flames had melted most of the remaining snow, and even though more flakes fell from the sky, the ground was now radiating heat.
Jasmine looked over, still visibly impressed. "Geez… you weren't kidding when you said he wasn't down yet."
Ash smiled. "Yeah, well… we don't plan on losing." He reached for his next Pokéball. "But I think it's time we end this, don't you think?"
Jasmine gave a mischievous grin. "Is that you admitting defeat? 'Cause I don't plan on losing either. So one of us is a liar."
Ash was about to reply, but then, "You can do it, Big Brother! I believe in you!" Molly shouted, using her hands like a little microphone from the sidelines.
Ash turned and smiled at her. Then he looked back at Jasmine, "Sorry, but my little sister's watching. I wouldn't be a good example if she saw her big brother lie."
He spun the Pokéball in his hand. "And I told her that I am unbeatable."
He threw it forward, and with a flash of light, Heracross landed on the field. The blue beetle flapped his wings and squared off with the looming Mega Steelix. A familiar glowing orb was mounted on his horn.
Ash raised his wrist, revealing the Keystone embedded in his glove. "Then let me return the favor, Heracross, Mega Evolve!"
He pressed down on the stone, and Heracross's body was engulfed in radiant light. He grew, his armor thickened, red markings flared across his carapace, and a second horn split from his original one. His limbs became bulkier, more powerful. When the light faded, Mega Heracross stood firm, wings buzzing with energy.
Jasmine narrowed her eyes. "Alright, Steelix, let's end this quick [Stone Edge]!"
Steelix roared, the ground rumbling beneath it as jagged crystal spires erupted from the earth and launched in a wave toward Heracross.
Ash was ready. "I don't think so, [Pin Missile]!"
As the stone spikes flew toward him, Heracross braced himself. He brought his arms together and launched a volley of white-hot needles at lightning speed. With Mega Evolution granting him Skill Link, every spike landed with maximum consistency, five shots per burst, machine-gun style.
The missiles collided with the Stone Edge mid-air, exploding the incoming shards in a shower of sparks. The air cracked with pressure as the two attacks clashed, neither side letting up. Heracross, eyes glowing with determination, kept firing, his horns angled forward as he pushed into his momentum.
As the spikes clashed with the flying stones mid-air, each one shattered on impact, until Heracross's Pin Missile finally punched through. The remaining volleys drilled into Steelix's armor, staggering the giant serpent.
Jasmine blinked in surprise. "Alright then, get in close, [Heavy Slam]!"
Ash snapped back, "Take to the sky! [Bullet Seed]!"
As Steelix lunged forward, aiming to crush Heracross under its massive weight, the bug-type flared his wings and shot upward in a sharp arc, dodging just in time. While airborne, Heracross opened fire, spitting rapid-fire seeds like a machine gun.
Steelix thrashed, trying to swat him down with its tail and head, but Heracross flew circles around it, peppering its steel hide from every angle. One seed didn't do much, but dozens? even more, The damage was piling on.
Jasmine swiped her arm with urgency. "Steelix, don't let him pin you down! [Rock Slide]!"
Steelix roared and slammed into the ground. Chunks of earth and boulders tore upward in an erratic scatter, launching skyward in a storm of rocks.
Ash wasn't fazed. "Dodge through and finish the barrage, [Arm Thrust]!"
Heracross buzzed downward, weaving between the falling stones with practiced ease. As he reached Steelix, he drove his fists into the titan's face, one, two, three, four, five, each hit slamming home
Steelix tried to retaliate, jaws wide, but Heracross spun behind it and landed a brutal sledgehammer punch into its flank, sending the massive snake rolling backward across the field.
Jasmine bit her lip. Steelix was on its last legs, visibly dented, cracked, and staggering. Still, she wasn't going down without a fight.
"Now that he's close, [Iron Tail]!"
Steelix's tail lit up with a blinding metallic glow, and it twisted to strike. But Ash was already grinning, confident and calm.
"Sorry," he said. "But all good things have to end, [Focus Punch]!"
Heracross tensed, his right fist glowing white-hot as he reeled back for one final blow. Steelix lunged with its glowing tail, and at the same moment, Heracross launched forward, fist-first.
The two attacks collided in midair.
BOOM!
The shockwave from the impact sent a gust of wind howling through the stadium, stirring up snow, dust, and sparks. Both Pokémon pushed against each other, Steelix roaring with effort, Heracross growling with grit, until finally, Heracross roared and forced his punch through, knocking Steelix's head back with a devastating crack.
Steelix slammed face-first into the ground
Silence fell.
As the cloud cleared… Steelix lay motionless, eyes replaced with spirals, as he went back to base
Heracross stood tall, arm raised, Ash snapped his fingers. "And that's game." he said as people started cheering
He turned to the stands, and went to the group of Delia, Molly, Yellow, Green, and Gary. He found them near the front, cheering wildly. Molly had both fists raised high in the air.
Ash gave a big thumbs up and grinned. "Told ya~ This big brother is unbeatable."