"Infernape, I choose you!"

A pokeball was thrown, releasing the eager fire-type, who grinned, hunched forward.

Poison seeped through his feet, flooding his body. Infernape winced in pain, before righting himself. This feeling wasn't unfamiliar, but he never liked it, either.

"Talk about Deja vu," Dawn frowned. "Poor Infernape."

"Not the best start," Brock agreed. "But he's persevered through the same thing, before."

"Right," Ash agreed. "So, let's get a move-on! Infernape, Mach Punch!"

"Ape!" Crouching on all fours, he grunted through his teeth, lunging at Cloyster with all the momentum he could muster. Dusty frost kicked off his feet, splitting to draw a path under him in the brief instant he passed.

Ambushing Cloyster in the blink of an eye, Infernape drew his fist back, before smashing it into Cloyster's shell - it barely avoided its vulnerable core being struck.

Reflect reminded Ash and Infernape of its presence with a brief flash, buffering most of the punch's force. Cloyster slid back across the ice, groaning in pain.

"Good," Ash praised, gesturing forward. "Flamethrower!"

Catching himself on his front paws, the fire-type put an end to his momentum, spewing white-hot fire out of his mouth.

"A lot of spunk in this one," Lorelei praised. "Cloyster, Blizzard!"

Cloyster hesitated, not quite eager to make himself vulnerable again. But, Lorelei of all people would never steer it wrong. A quick, freezing storm assaulted the battlefield, instantly conjuring a sturdy wall of ice in front of the Bivalve pokemon.

Flamethrower blasted away at the frozen barrier, reducing it to little more than a puddle.

"Cloyster…!" Cloyster shut its shell tight, uncomfortable from the incoming heat.

Lorelei quietly observed the scene, before choosing to speak. "Use Pin Missile!"

A volley of explosive spikes fired from Cloyster, drawing a myriad of brief flashing trails through the sky that converted around their opponent.

"Let's see a Counter Shield," Ash coached, "Flare Blitz, this time!"

"Infern!" Infernape quickly dropped onto his back, spinning wildly on his shoulders. His ordinarily vibrant red head flame ignited with a scalding shade of blue, before wrapping around his body.

White-hot whips lashed out at the incoming Pin Missile, incinerating every spine upon contact as they came. Lines of soot on the shore bank replaced frost, and excess heat lashed out at Cloyster, to boot.

"Stand back," Brock urged, holding an arm out as he stepped away from the heated frenzy. Misty and Dawn were in line with him, avoiding the worst.

Cloyster hissed, enduring several scorches to his outer shell. His inner sanctum was growing awfully uncomfortable.

"Perfect." Ash praised, watching the scene with satisfaction.

Infernape flipped onto his feet with a grin. A sudden wave of poison humbled him, exposing bubbling venom.

"Too bad for that poison, though," the trainer lamented.

A sudden fiery flash alerted the trainer. Cloyster had been consumed with a burn.

"Oh dear," Lorelei spoke.

"Now's our chance," Ash quickly decided, "Thunder Punch!"

Gathering his strength, Infernape lunged, covering his fist in crackling golden static. With a weary Cloyster in striking range, the pokemon roared, smashing Cloyster with a brutal, electrifying uppercut.

The Bivalve was sent flying, landing on the end of a beach, unmoving.

"Cloyster is unable to battle!" The referee shouted, raising a hand. "Infernape wins!"

"Phew." Ash whistled, standing upright.

"That's the way!" Dawn cheered, pumping a fist in the air. "Way to go, Infernape!"

"Thank you, Cloyster." Lorelei recalled her pokemon, turning her attention to Ash. "That's two down, now, for each of us. You should be proud of yourself, Ash."

"Thanks, but I'll save being proud for when I win." Ash smirked, tipping his cap. "So, let's keep this going, Lorelei!"

"I hope you can keep that attitude, through the rest of the battle." The redheaded woman grabbed another pokeball, tossing it into the fray. "Slowbro, it's your turn!"

"Slowww." The rotund, pink pokemon yawned, standing tall, opposite of Infernape. His spiked tail glared at the fire-type with its unnerving set of eyes.

"I remember this one, too," Ash remarked. "He's no slouch."

"If that's the same Slowbro I remember, it took down Ash's Charizard with just one attack, back in the day," Misty recalled.

"But that was then, and this is now." Ash punched forward. "Infernape, Thunder Punch!"

After a decisive victory, Infernape was eager and ready for more. Hunching forward with a grin, he sprung off his hands closing the distance between himself and Slowbro in a single bound.

Flooding his fist with volatile electricity, he struck.

"Disable."

The static around the ape's fist dissipated. Suffering a terrible mental block, the fire/fighting type stumbled back, holding his head. A sudden fogginess gripped his psyche, locking his move of choice safely away. "Ape…"

How, exactly, did he harness that move, again?

"Great," Ash hissed. "That was his one super-effective move,"

"Now," Lorelei resumed, "use Psychic!"

"Slow." The easygoing pokemon's eyes lit an eerie blue, wrapping his opponent in the same ethereal glow. Binding Infernape's limbs, he yanked his opponent into the air.

"Ape!" He tensed his muscles, exerting as much effort as he could to simply make his body budge. With every willed rebellion, though, he found his arms and legs wouldn't respond.

In fact, the effort gave him a pounding headache. "Grhk…!"

Psychic attacks really were the worst.

"Damnit. I take it you can't move any, huh?" Ash frowned, tightening a fist at his side. The look in Infernape's eyes told him everything. His precious partner was trapped.

Bubbling poison had clearly struck him again, to boot, judging by the way his pokemon tensed.

'We're at a huge disadvantage here, and Infernape's already taken some damage… there has to be a way to get the drop on them and overwhelm Slowbro. As powerful as it is, it can't be fast enough to keep up with Infernape. So, if we can just get through its defenses, we can rush it.'

But, to get out of this bind… he had to think back to the last time they were in this situation.

"We've got this, Infernape," Ash encouraged, winking at his pokemon. "We've been through worse!"

Struggling to turn his head towards Ash, the pokemon's expression softened, despite the pain he was in. "Infernape!" He grinned. An unspoken truth existed between them.

No matter how bleak a bind Infernape was in, Ash would offer his confidence. No obstacle was too great.

"Break through, with Flamethrower!"

With a great deal of effort, Infernape tucked his chin, and spit out a hot flame.

"That's some willpower," Lorelei praised. "Slowbro, use Amnesia!"

The Hermit Crab pokemon let out a sigh, clearing his mind of troubles. Hot flames licked at his fatty body, but they were barely an annoyance. A slight warmth that he wasn't really paying any mind.

"Slowbro don't even register pain for at least ten seconds," Misty mused. "With Amnesia, its water typing, and outstanding special defense, I can't imagine Flamethrower's doing much of anything… but it looks like it did break its concentration!"

"That was the plan," Ash agreed. "Now, it's time for Thunder Combat!"

Red-hot flames were torn and split by flashes of gold. Lunging through his own fire with a primal shriek, Infernape lashed out, delivering an electrified punch to Slowbro's jaw.

The Hermit Crab pokemon bounced, tingling with static. "Slow."

So, his opponent wasn't reacting, just yet. Then, Infernape would give him plenty to catch up on, he decided, smashing away at Slowbro's gut with one Thunder Punch after the next.

The bulky pokemon was slow to acknowledge pain, but scorch marks on his belly were beginning to show.

"Now, that's interesting." Lorelei raised an eyebrow at the scene.

"It's a combination move," Ash boasted, grinning. "Why not pack a type coverage move, with all the raw power of Close Combat? It took some practice, but it paid off!"

"Ape!" Infernape roared, knocking Slowbro into the air with a final, sizzling uppercut.

"Looking good, but we're not out of the woods yet," Ash mused. "Use Dig!"

Backflipping out of his assault, Infernape struck the frosty earth, excavating a hole to disappear into.

"I see." Brock nodded. "Wise move."

"What do you mean?" Dawn tilted her head to her friend. "Did I miss something?"

"Close Combat's a very powerful fighting type move, but it suffers a weakness - engaging with that much vigor up-close lets down the pokemon's guard and leaves them open to a potentially devastating attack."

"So, he used Dig, to get away before Lorelei exploited it," Dawn finished. "It's like a whole other combination, after the last!"

"Clever," Lorelei praised. "You know your pokemon's strengths and weaknesses very well. Unfortunately,… you managed to leave Infernape quite vulnerable."

Ash's breath hitched in his throat. That gave him a terrible feeling.

"Slowbro, use Surf."

"Slowww." Coming down from his recent launch, Slowbro landed on one foot, twirling in place to ride out the remainder of his momentum. Raising his paws, he conjured a tiny, condensed tidal wave above his head. He flung the orb into the hole dug by Infernape. "Bro!"

A sudden tremor shook the field, making Ash stumble to regain his balance. "Infernape!"

The frozen ground broke, parting for a roaring geyser. The water pressure tossed Infernape unceremoniously on his back.

The pokemon sputtered up water with a cough, regaining oxygen with heavy, haggard breaths. Eyes half-lidded, he sat up, shaking his head. Water had logged his ears and nostrils, in an experience that he'd describe as less than pleasant.

"That figures…" Ash's eyes trembled. "How're you doing, Infernape?"

"Ape…" Infernape shuddered, clumsily supporting himself on one arm. Poison flooded his veins again. His stamina was nil.

With no reserves, the floodgates opened.

Ash watched on, as golden eyes took on a red glow, and wavering embers atop became an inferno. That familiar, overbearing warmth permeated the battlefield. He smiled. "It's here."

"Ape!" Infernape roared, emitting a raging pillar of fire from his crown. Unruly heat danced off the battlefield, melting sturdy, long-enduring icicles upon contact.

Adrenaline rushed through Infernape's aching body, flooding his muscles with a flickering, but mighty strength. Lifted onto his feet by his latent heat, like a jet, Infernape glowered at Slowbro.

If he was going down, he was going down fighting.

"It's Blaze!" Dawn cupped her hands over her mouth. "Infernape must really be in distress."

"Empol! Empoleon!" Empoleon cried loudly, waving his wing in the air. "You go, Infernape!"

"It's do or die, then," Brock surmised.

"After seeing Blaze at the league," Misty replied, "I wouldn't worry."

Lorelei's hair and coattails flapped about in Blaze's wake. Steam whipped about by heat and frost clouded her glasses. "My, my."

"Let's do this, Infernape," Ash coached.

The fire-type looked back to his trainer, and grinned.

"Give them all you've got!" Ash roared, throwing a hand to the air. "Thunder Flare!"

Blaze's bold red became a blinding blue. Infernape crouched, rearing back his fist. Electricity wrapped around his flame, binding blue with gold.

Infernape's path was scorched black. With all his fury, he struck at Slowbro.

Overwhelming winds broke from the blow, forcing all that were present to stand their ground. The referee called an Alakazam in a hurry, guarding the scoreboard and balloon with a Light Screen.

Ash held a hand over his and Pikachu's eyes, guarding from the smoke. When the uncomfortable heat began to die, he lowered his guard.

Stumbling out of the smoke, Infernape fell onto all fours.

Ash let out a breath he'd been holding for what he felt had gone on for a good minute. "There you are. What an attack!"

"Fern…" The simian exhaled, raising a 'thumbs-up' to Ash.

"Slow…"

The Hermit Crab pokemon laid on its stomach, his body covered in burn marks. The shell clamping to his tail kept its eyes on Infernape, though they were half-lidded.

"It's still hanging in there," Ash grumbled. "This is bad."

"Your combination moves are very impressive, Ash. Slowbro's prided for its stubbornness - a lot of challengers don't make it past him. He's pretty worn down, now."

Ash cocked a brow at Lorelei. "You don't sound too concerned."

Lorelei smiled. "You're about to see why he puts an end to so many matches. Slowbro, please use Slack-off."

"Slow…" The pudgy pokemon pushed himself up, sitting on his rear. Letting out a low, lethargic sigh, he became enveloped in a gentle green glow.

"This is bad." Brock grimaced." Slack-off restores a great deal of stamina, by letting a pokemon put their body at ease. Slowbro's going to get a lot of his strength back."

"This kind of strategy is common in bulkier pokemon, particularly bulky water types," Misty added. "But, very few pokemon learn Recover, so they tended to rely on Rest. Getting that back without the downside of falling asleep…"

"...it makes Slowbro sound unbeatable," Dawn concluded.

"We can't let that happen." Ash bared his teeth, pointing forward. "Let's stop them, Infernape!"

Infernape didn't respond.

"...Infernape?"

"Infernape is unable to battle!" The referee shouted, raising a hand. "Slowbro wins!"

The fire-type sat up on the field, eyes shut, unmoving. He'd lost consciousness.

"...Return, Infernape." Exhaling, Ash recalled his pokemon, staring down at his pokeball. "You did your very best, out there. Thank you."

"Pikachu." Pikachu frowned, his tail flicking behind him. "Talk about an unlucky break."

"Yeah," Ash agreed.

"What now?"

The trainer pulled back his red jacket, eyeing the pokeballs on his belt. "...I think I know."

"Poor Infernape." Dawn mourned. "Those Blaze episodes are powerful, but they wear on him."

"They do, but I don't think it was just that," Brock replied. "To knock out, still sitting up… I think that, more than breaking down his body, Slowbro broke down his spirit. Unleashing a last-ditch, all-out attack like that, on the brink of defeat, only to watch your opponent heal…"

"Ouch." Dawn winced. "Well, he should still feel great! He did defeat Deidra's Metagross!"

"Definitely," Brock agreed. "But we can attend to that, after the match. For now…"

"I've got to hand it to you, Lorelei, you know how to give a trainer and their pokemon a scare." Ash gave an uneasy smile, readjusting his cap atop his head. "But I didn't come this far, just to throw in the towel! So, sorry, Slowbro - you're going down!"

A pokeball spun through the air, bursting open to let out a flash of white light. Materializing on the scorched earth, was a small, teal-colored pokemon, with a bulb on his back.

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur croaked.

Purple vapor fizzled out under his feet, leaving the field.

"A Bulbasaur?" Lorelei tilted her head. "An unexpected choice, for an ice battle."

"I knew that I'd run into trouble if I just focused on beating ice types." Ash smirked. "So, I figured with you, I'd have to have an ace in the hole for water type pokemon. It's a nice bonus, too, that his poison typing means no more Toxic Spikes!"

"Good thinking, but I hope your trump card will be enough - that poison typing is a weakness, too."

"I knew, coming into this, that we'd be fighting an uphill battle," Ash replied. "That's why I'm relying on good ol' Bulbasaur. He's plenty sturdy, and he's always been reliable!"

"Bulba-saur!" The Seed pokemon cried. He wouldn't let Ash down!

"I'm surprised he didn't call out Bulbasaur first, if he could beat Toxic Spikes," Dawn mused. "But it would explain why we didn't see another underground Flare Blitz."

"Ash needed a sure-fire hard hitter to break through Cloyster's defenses," Brock hypothesized. "So, he must have trusted Infernape to bear the burden."

"Let's do this, Bulbasaur." Ash raised a hand to the sky, closing it into a fist. "Sunny Day!"

A golden orb shot out of the bulb on Bulbasaur's back, rising high above the fray.

Harsh sunlight covered the battlefield, bringing down a comfortable wealth of heat.

"Aw, and I was really enjoying the cold," Dawn complained. "What's the point of an ice field, with all these fire type moves!?"

"Sorry, babe," Ash smirked, gesturing ahead. "But we've got a battle to win! Bulbasaur, Solarbeam!"

The grass-type arched his back, aiming his bulb. A vicious blast of sunlight targeted Slowbro.

"Use Amnesia," Lorelei replied.

"Slow." Slowbro looked vacant, as Solarbeam struck.

When the light died, he'd barely budged.

"Shoot." Ash grit his teeth. "That barely did anything."

"Use Flamethrower."

"Say, what!?"

Opening his mouth, Slowbro spat out a roaring, fiery storm, bolstered by Sunny Day.

"Dodge that," Ash urged.

Bulbasaur quickly hopped aside, narrowly dodging wild flames that flickered just short of his side. "Bulbasaur…" That had been awfully close.

"That was close… a Slowbro with Flamethrower," Ash laughed. "Not gonna lie, that caught me off-guard. This is looking tougher by the second!"

"It's a good thing that Bulbasaur has Chlorophyll," Brock spoke. "A Flamethrower that powerful can't be easy to dodge."

"So, I was right about Bulbasaur." Lorelei smirked, nudging her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "The healthy glow he's giving off… that's his hidden ability, after all. So, Bulbasaur has a speed boost. Interesting."

Ash narrowed his eyes at the Elite. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Psych-up."

"Bulba!?" Bulbasaur startled, looking about as a faint glow surrounded him.

The same surrounded Slowbro, after a lazy chant.

"Don't think I've ever seen that move, before." Ash eyed Slowbro carefully. 'What're they up to? Whatever it is… I can't wait and find out.' "Use Solarbeam!"

"Saur!" Bulbasaur fired, again.

"Bro." Padded feet pushed off the ground, launching Slowbro into the air. He'd dodged Solarbeam by a wide margin.

"That… speed!" Ash marveled, watching the chubby pokemon ascend. "That Slowbro ain't slow at all."

"Psych-up mirrors the opponent's stat changes," Lorelei explained. "You won't be taking any advantage in stats, anytime soon."

"Now he's bulky and fast," Ash muttered. "But he can't dodge in mid-air! Power Whip!"

"Bulba-saur!" Glowing purple vines shot into the air, wrapping tightly around Slowbro's torso. Yanking the water/psychic type, Bulbasaur whiplashed him, smashing him brutally into the ground.

"Good job," Ash praised. "Now, Leech Seed!"

A seed shot out of Bulbasaur's bulb, snagging atop Slowbro's head. Pesky, parasitic vines sprouted, wrapping around the pokemon.

"Nice move!" Dawn beamed, pumping a fist in the air. "Now, it'll be harder for Slowbro to stall Bulbasaur out!"

"Use Flamethrower," Lorelei resumed.

Flames, fueled by the harsh sunlight, blasted the field, swallowing up a screaming Bulbasaur in their wrath.

"Bulba…" The grass-type groaned, sprawled out on all-fours. Soot covered his body, and part of his bulb felt a bit burnt.

A small, refreshing rush of vitality was a nice reprieve, though - Leech Seed had worked its magic.

"Now, use Psychic."

Bulbasaur's relief was only temporarily. Telekinetic powers yanked him off the ground, hovering above the battlefield. "Bulba! Bulbasaur!"

"Don't let 'em hold you! Power Whip!" Ash commanded.

"Bulba!" He unleashed his glowing vines, smacking Slowbro brutally across the face. The psychic type stumbled, only to be whiplashed again. A third smack made the pokemon spin.

Sadly, Bulbasaur found he still couldn't move the rest of his body. This was awfully frustrating.

"It's not working." Ash grimaced.

"Unfortunately for you, Slowpoke and Slowbro are very slow to feel pain - you won't disorient it, that easily," Lorelei boasted.

Another dose of energy was sapped away from the oblivious water-type and was quickly fed to Bulbasaur.

"Use Flamethrower!"

Slowbro opened his mouth, spitting out heat.

"Solarbeam," Ash rushed, "now!"

Bulbasaur fired a blinding blast in response.

Flames met pure solar energy, wrapping around one another before ending explosively. Both pokemon were thrown back harshly by the blast.

Bulbasaur grunted, tossed across the scorched earth. Tumbling onto his belly, he winced. "Bulb…"

"I'm surprised your Bulbasaur is still hanging in there," Lorelei said.

"I'm not," Ash answered. "He's always been hardy!" Beaming with pride, Ash eyed his own pokemon. 'He's been feasting on Leech Seed, this whole time. If Slowbro's as zoned out as he looks, he's probably taken a lot of damage without even catching on.'

Turning his attention to Slowbro, Ash saw that it did, indeed, look quite winded. Hunching over with an unfocused gait, the water-type was breathing heavily.

"Now, it's time to wrap this up… huh?" Ash looked up, tilting his cap to get a good look at the sky. Sunny Day's light was fading away. Disappointed, Ash frowned. "Now, that's some rotten luck… but, we can fix that - Sunny Day, one more time!"

"Use Disable."

"Slow…" Eyes lighting up, Slowbro invaded Bulbasaur's mind, locking part of it away.

As Bulbasaur tried to beckon on his stored solar power, his nerves gave no response. He found, even, that he suddenly didn't remember how to cast Sunny Day.

"You've got to be kidding… I guess I should've seen that coming." Ash scowled. On the bright side, though, a red flash surrounding Slowbro signaled another round of Leech Seed. 'At this rate, Bulbasaur might have his full health back, soon. It ain't all bad.'

"Hm." Lorelei hummed, and held a hand out. "Slack-off!"

"Slow…" Slowbro sat back, surrounded in a faint green mist. His health began to stockpile, once again.

"Damn it," Ash muttered. "If this keeps up, it'll be an endless game of stalling…" Frustrated, he furrowed his brows in thought. 'If we're going to get past him, we'll need an attack so powerful, that even his special defense won't hold it.'

Going all out right now, though, would probably end in failure. They had to press on, until they found that opportunity. "Use Tackle!"

"Bulba-Bulba-Bulba!" Bulbasaur sprinted at his opponent, bashing his skull into its stomach. Slowbro doubled over from the force, bending and wobbling to the grass type's assault.

"Use Flamethrower!" Lorelei countered.

"Bro…" The stocky pokemon sat up, opening his mouth. A fierce flame fired towards Bulbasaur.

"Push off the ground, with Power Whip!" Ash ordered.

"Bulba!" Extending his vines from the bulb on his back, the Seed pokemon flooded them with strength, smashing them into the ground below him. Resisting the surface, Bulbasaur vaulted himself into the sky.

Flames licked at his retreating vines, and he hissed.

"That was a close one," Ash swallowed, watching Bulbasaur rise above the heat. Another flash of red told him that Leech Seed was working. "Now, Power Whip!"

"Bul… ba!" Tossing his weight, Bulbasaur whipped his tendrils around.

His heavyweight opponent twirled on one foot, dodging Power Whip's whiplash. He snagged the vines, gripping them tight.

"Bulba!?" Startled, Bulbasaur gawked, with wide red eyes.

"That Psych-up…" Ash grimaced. "Without Chlorophyll, it's got the speed to keep up with Bulbasaur."

"Deal with Bulbasaur, please," Lorelei ordered.

"Slowww." Slowbro swung the captive vines about over his head, violently whipping Bulbasaur about. Startled cries of protest could be heard from above, but the oblivious pokemon paid them no mind.

Bulbasaur flailed, scrambling to reach for something - anything - that could give him traction. Crashing brutally against a rocky surface, he'd found no reprieve. His body ached as he slid down the side of the cavern wall, landing in a slump.

Coughing violently, Bulbasaur struggled to breathe, sitting in a daze. If he had to guess, he'd been thrown against the stone wall beside the battlefield.

"Bulbasaur!" Ash cringed at the impact - it'd looked awfully painful. "Are you hanging in there?"

"Bulb…" The Seed pokemon groaned, sitting up amongst the rubble he'd created. His head felt awfully heavy, right now.

Lorelei observed the hurting grass-type, humming under her breath. "Use Psychic!"

"Slow…" The slow-witted Hermit Crab pokemon exerted his telekinetic powers, his body emanating a calm shade of blue.

At the mouth of the cave, several long, dangerous-looking icicles lit within Psychic's grip, and snapped from their home to hover in mid-air.

"Slow." Slowbro gestured towards Bulbasaur. The sharp molds of ice pointed towards him and flew.

Ash panicked. "Bulbasaur! Watch out!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur tensed, throwing out his limbs.

Icicles pierced stone, burying themselves in the wall.

A painful chill brushed Bulbasaur's arms and legs. He assessed his situation, his ruby-red eyes wide. Several large icicles were embedded around his arms and legs, spreading frost to each limb. He grit his teeth, and yanked his weight against them.

The ice held his limbs in place - each scrape with them spread numbness, making his efforts feeble. He felt his little heart pounding against his chest. He was trapped.

"Poor Bulbasaur." Misty cupped her hand over her mouth, her brows knit low with worry.

"He's trapped…" Brock grimaced. "This could be the end."

"Bulbasaur…" Ash watched his pokemon with bated breath. Whirling around, he glared at Lorelei. "That was dangerous!"

"I wouldn't order an attack that would seriously injure a pokemon. You should know better," Lorelei chided. "I accomplished exactly what I set out to. Your pokemon can't move; but, if you want to spare him any further damage, you could surrender."

The referee remained silent, watching Ash.

"..." Ash turned his attention back to Bulbasaur.

The grass-type caught the gaze of his trainer. "Bulba!" He cried. "Bulbasaur!" He pulled away from the cavern wall, still to no avail.

Ash couldn't possibly think he'd give up, after coming this far, could he? After their time on Two Island?

Bulbasaur's resolute expression told Ash everything he needed to know. "Right." He smiled. "We're not giving up. Bulbasaur, use Solar Beam!"

"Bulba…" The reassuring warmth of the sun coated Bulbasaur, offering the tiniest bit of relief, over the chilling ice's cruelty. Particles of light began to gather, soaking into his body.

The referee abstained.

"In that case," Lorelei replied, "Slowbro, use Flamethrower!"

"C'mon…" Ash's fingers dug into his palms. "Just a little more time…"

The bulb on Bulbasaur's back began to flash intermittently, filling to the brim with power.

The leaking heat, meanwhile, began to melt the icicles binding Bulbasaur. He felt feeling return to his arms and legs.

"Slowww." Slowbro's mouth was agape, and launched a fiery assault.

The light of Flamethrower eclipsed and dwarfed Bulbasaur.

"Come on!" Ash hissed.

"Bulba… Bulbasaur!" The pokemon threw out his arms and legs, snapping through the melting icicles.

Roaring flames engulfed the stone surface, spraying wildly over the cave.

"Pika!" Pikachu ducked under flying embers, and was coddled in Ash's arms, avoiding blistering heat that tossed the trainer's jacket about.

"You should be proud of your Bulbasaur," Lorelei addressed Ash. "He held his own, for quite a while."

"Ahaha," Ash laughed through a grin. "Who said he was done?"

Black smoke leaked into the flames. Large, grey chunks of debris soared out of the heat. Adjusting her glasses to avoid the glare, Lorelei squinted at the scene.

Atop a huge, busted slab of rock, high in the sky, stood Bulbasaur.

"There he is!" Misty laughed, holding a hand above her eyes to block out the sun.

"Way to go!" Brock cheered.

"That's the way!" Ash cheered, gesturing towards Slowbro. "Now, toss that rock, with Power Whip!"

Two purple vines sprouted from Bulbasaur's back, wrapping tightly around the rock he stood upon. "Bulba!" Flipping forward, he slung it towards Slowbro.

The huge rock plummeted and smashed into Slowbro. Knocked senseless, the water-type tumbled over.

"Great," Ash praised, "now, keep 'em coming!"

Bulbasaur descended towards the battlefield below and shot out his vines to snag two more broken rocks. "Bulba-saur!" He cried, tossing them.

"Use Psychic!"

"Slow…" The hurting pokemon held out a paw, freezing the incoming stones in place. With a small gesture, they were sent flying back towards Bulbasaur.

"Bulba!" He braced for impact, and felt the full force of rocks smashing into him. Tumbling backwards, he landed on his belly.

"I thought we had him there, too," Ash hissed. "We need a way to break through…"

"Let's go, Ash! Let's go, Bulbasaur! Do your best, and settle the score!" Dawn chanted, breaking into one of her improvised cheers. "You can do it!"

"Empol! Empoleon!" Empoleon flailed his wings, cheering his heart out.

Looking back to their cheerleaders, Ash smiled, letting out a belly-laugh. Leave it to Dawn to throw a vote of confidence, at a time like this…

...leave it to Dawn…

Though his eyes were concealed beneath his cap, a mischievous grin could be seen on Ash's face. "Ahaha," he chuckled, brushing his index finger over his nose. "Thanks, Dawn!" He gave a thumbs-up. "And, you too, Empoleon! You just gave me a bright idea!"

"We did?" Dawn paused, raising her eyebrows at Ash's claim. "I'm lost."

"You'll see, in just a moment!"

"Oh?" Lorelei pursed her lips, curious. "What sort of scheme are you brewing up this time, Ash?"

"Bulbasaur," Ash addressed, I'm gonna need you to make another Leech Seed. The best one you can manage!"

"Bulba?" The seed pokemon cocked its head at Ash. He wasn't sure what his trainer was up to… but, he'd do his best! "Bulbasaur!" Pouring his borrowed power from Slowbro into his bulb, he willed the greatest parasitic seed he could muster.

A potent glow poked out of the top of his bulb, giving birth to a large Leech Seed.

"I'm not sure what Ash is trying to pull," Brock mused. "You can't use more than one Leech Seed on an opponent."

"I'm not," Ash replied. "Bulbasaur? Time to eat that seed!"

"Say, what!?" Misty blurted out.

"Oh, I see!" Dawn chirped, smiling wide. "That's what he's up to!"

"Bulb…" Bulbasaur was, admittedly, confused. But he trusted his trainer, and popped the seed out of his bulb, leaning back with an open mouth. When the seed came down, he chomped down.

"Interesting…." Lorelei watched, before gesturing a hand. "But we won't let you enact your plan, without a fight. Use Psychic!"

"Slow!"

A telekinetic grip snagged Bulbasaur, launching him violently towards the cavern behind him.

"Come on…" Ash's jaw clenched. "Pull through!"

To the Seed pokemon's surprise, roots began to twist around his bulb, just before he collided with the wall.

The growths snagged the wall, stopping him short.

"What the!?" Misty shouted.

"Well, that's new!" Brock remarked, next.

A horde of roots had grown around Bulbasaur's bulb, holding him up, with a will of their own. With his momentum cancelled, he released himself, touching down safely. A pulsating emerald glow had wrapped around the roots decorating his bulb, filling him with vitality.

"Pika…!" Pikachu cooed.

"I see," Dawn remarked, "it's just like Ice Armor!"

"That's right! I remember, now. When Ash's Torterra ate his Energy Ball - or when Dawn imitated that, with her Mamoswine."

"Bingo," Ash replied. 'This has to work… we need to overpower Slowbro, before it heals again.' With a stern expression, shouted. "Alright, Bulbasaur-"

"Slowbro, use Flamethrower!"

"Bro!" Slowbro opened his mouth, blasting Bulbasaur with heat.

"Saur!" Bulbasaur winced in pain, digging his feet into the dirt. Heat had engulfed him, beginning to eat at the armor around his bulb.

"Bulbasaur!" Ash called out. "Hang in there!"

"Saur…!" Bulbasaur began to lose ground, sweltering under the heat.

"It's now or never," Ash decided. "We won't get another chance. Bulbasaur, I'm gonna need your full power! Use Frenzy Plant!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur cried, smashing his feet into the ground with desperate vigor.

Tremors ran through the shore, under the flames. A sea of spiky roots burst from the ground, obstructing Slowbro's attack.

"Frenzy Plant?" Lorelei watched, wide-eyed, as the many sturdy tendrils swept through Flamethrower's heat. Lively embers fizzled under the lively earthy glow permeating Frenzy Plant. The Hermit Crab's attack was no more, in the face of the ultimate grass-type attack.

"Slowbro, Lorelei commanded, "use Psychic!"

"Slow…!" Slowbro's eyes shone, exerting his will upon the incoming barrage. Telekinesis twisted and mutilated spiky roots, tying the onslaught together in an ineffectual mass.

A second wave of thorns crashed over the first, snatching up the durable psychic type. Constricted at the center of Frenzy Plant, he was helpless as the wave rose into the air.

"That's the way!" Ash encouraged, throwing a hand aside. "Now, finish it!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur roared, exerting his will.

The many tendrils holding Slowbro quickly plummeted, smashing into the ground, below.

"What an attack," Misty gasped.

"I'll say," Dawn marveled. "There's no way it'll get up, after that!"

The referee held his judgement, observing with watchful eyes. As the mangled mess of roots and thorns relaxed and crumbled, Slowbro could be seen, laying belly-up.

"Slowbro is unable to battle!" He called, raising a hand. "Bulbasaur wins!"

"Alright!" Ash grinned, brushing his thumb over his nose. "That's the way!"

"Bulb… Bulba… Saur…" The Seed pokemon panted heavily, exhausted. He was grateful for the Leech Seed Armor, acting as a crown to his bulb. Without it, he might have collapsed.

He couldn't hide the glowing satisfaction on his face, though. He'd overcome a mighty opponent.

He'd won.

"I knew it!" Dawn cheered, hopping in place. "Way to go, Bulbasaur!"

"A risky move, but it paid off in a big way. Still, though," Brock cupped a hand under his chin, "I wonder how Bulbasaur was able to use the move, to begin with."

"I was thinking the same," Lorelei agreed, recalling her pokemon, as Slowbro's visage lost color on the scoreboard. "That was quite a victory, Ash, but if I recall, Bulbasaur shouldn't be able to use Frenzy Plant."

"It's funny you say that." Ash smiled, tipping up the brim of his cap. "Before I started my challenge, I went to the Sevii Islands, after hearing about a move tutor, there."

"Ultima, am I right?" Lorelei interrupted. "I always wondered whether that was a real name, or a title… sorry, I'm interrupting."

"That's the one. I asked her to teach my pokemon those three moves, when I was there."


"Now, let me see the pokemon that's deserving of the three, all-powerful moves." An old, robed woman demanded, casting a scrutinizing glare at the two trainers before her.

Without a word, Gary reached for his belt, lightly tossing a pokeball into the air. A flash of light erupted, taking the shape of a large tortoise - Gary's Blastoise. It let out a grunt, towering over the elder.

"The water-type starter of Kanto," she grunted. "Very well. And, you?"

"I've got a few partners I'd like your help with," Ash requested, reaching for his belt. "Come on out!"

Three more pokemon appeared - a Bulbasaur, standing proud. A Wartortle, sporting a pair of shades. Finally, a Charizard, standing proud, spitting out a flame.

"What kind of idiot do you take me for?!" Ultima spat, quite literally, in Ash's face.

"I don't… remember calling you an idiot." Ash winced, retreating a step from her scrutiny.

"Insulting me, by wasting my time with two unevolved pokemon!? One of them in its first stage, even. I've heard Pallet Town is known for its pranksters, but I didn't think one had the moxie to step foot on my island." With a grumbled complaint, the master turned her back on the young trainer, taking several steps towards Two Island's Shore.

"If you're out of jokes, then feel free to leave."

Ash scowled. "My pokemon aren't jokes, and this isn't a prank! I'm serious!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur asserted.

"War, Wartortle!" Wartortle took off his shades, waving them indignantly at the woman. What was her problem!?

Charizard huffed.

Ultima stopped in her tracks. "I've never trained a pokemon who wasn't in its final stage to harness that sort of power. I've never seen one capable of wielding it, for that matter. It'd be a waste of my time, and yours."

"There's a first time for everything," Ash argued. "I just won the Indigo League Conference, with their help! Just give us a chance to prove we're capable, and you'll see!"

"..."

"For Mew's sake," Gary sighed. "Talk about a waste of a trip. I can't believe you dragged me into this."

"You really believe your pokemon are up to the task?"

"I know they are," Ash corrected.

Ultima turned towards Ash, squinting at the youth. "So be it. But, you're going to be fighting an uphill battle. Don't come crying, if you fail."

"Hm." Triumph showed in Ash's expression, a smirk crawling up his lips. "We're ready for anything!"


"So, that's the story, then." Lorelei smiled, intrigued. "It seems that those moves aren't guarded by evolutionary stage, but by sheer strength. Your Bulbasaur just has the strength of a Venusaur."

"And then some," Ash added. "He's been with me for almost my entire career. I'm proud of him." He winked at the grass-type.

Looking back to his trainer, Bulbasaur gave a glowing smile. "Bulba!"

"Well, then… I hope he's ready for the next pillar of your Champion's League challenge." Lorelei grabbed a pokeball, and tossed it. "Go, Jynx!"

"Jynx!" Twirling onto the battlefield, the Human Shape pokemon danced on the shore, gilding it with another, thin layer of frost. She swayed hypnotically, her lustrous blonde hair waving about. "Jynx, Jynx!" Winking, the pokemon blew a kiss at Bulbasaur.

"Bulba…" Bulbasaur huffed.

"His stamina's looking low," Ash muttered. "But, with that Leech Seed, we've still got a chance! Let's see how we stack up!"

"Pikaaa!" Pikachu let out a battle-cry, supporting his teammate.

The next round was soon to begin.