"You know," Pikachu said, as they entered the box for the second match. "The grass seems awfully not burned given what we did to it last match. And we can't be the only ones throwing around powerful attacks."

"Yeah, good point..." Ash admitted. "Do they replace the floor or anything?"

I believe they have a groundsPokémon with Grassy Terrain, Dexter commented.

Ash nodded, pleased there was an answer. "That would do it. Hey, I wonder who our opponent is this time..."

"Good question!" Latias squeaked, hovering alongside. "Ooh, so this is what the trainers see during a league battle..."

"Yeah, it's pretty restricted, I guess," Ash said. "But I can see my Pokémon, and the battlefield, and that's usually enough – though Aura Sight helps, too."

"Right! And I guess you could see me if I was cloaked?"

"That's right," Ash confirmed. He was about to go on, but the announcer cut in.

"And facing him, Macy!"

"Uh oh..." Pikachu muttered.

"What?" Ash asked. "I think I remember her..."

"Hi!" Macy called. "I really like you, Mr. Ketchum!"

"Congratulations," Pikachu said, deadpan. "Meet your greatest threat. Fangirls."

"I don't get it," Ash muttered. "Okay, let's see..."

He selected a Pokéball. "Go! Houndour!"

"Slugma!" Macy replied, throwing her own Pokéball.


Houndour landed on lithe feet, and looked across the field at his opponent.

With a faint crackle, the grass caught fire around Slugma.

"Whoops..." it said, glancing down.

"I know the feeling," Houndour said. "Right, battle time?"

"Okay!" Slugma said, ears flaring up.

"Blast him, Slugma!" Macy called. "Show him our passion!"

"Flamethrower!"

Houndour dodged aside, frowning as the grass-smoke began to spread out in an impromptu smokescreen. "Ember!"

The scatter of small fireballs did nothing in particular to the Slugma, but the way some of them glittered through the smoke but others vanished did tell Houndour one important thing – where to attack next.

He howled, a chilling sound, and then lunged forwards – bounding through the flames, and feinting left before hitting Slugma in the side.

There was a crackle of heat as Slugma's skin shifted and the hot rock beneath glowed through, but Houndour was used to heat – indeed, he relished it, his Ability drinking in the flames and sending an extra pulse of energy through his body.

"Take this!" Slugma called, lunging at Houndour, and the Dark-type gave way and just about avoided being hit. The follow-up attack was more of a problem, though – an Earth Power which knocked him backwards and rolling out of the smoke cloud.

Shaking himself, he got up – facing the advancing wall of smoke – and let out a yip of confusion as eight Slugma came out of the smoke cloud.

He sniffed, trying to tell which was the real one by scent, then sneezed.

With all the ashes and soot in the air, that had been a bad idea.

"Ash?" he asked, glancing at the box for a moment.


Latias frowned. "Wait, they're not setting the grass on fire..."

"Right!" Ash nodded. "Good spot. Houndour – none of them are real! They're not making the grass burn!"


Houndour blinked in realization. "Oh, right! I missed-"

A rock came wooshing out of the cloud, making it billow, and he ducked with his belly flat to the ground to avoid being hit.

The Double Team of Slugma vanished, and Houndour frowned. Coming to his feet, he paced around the expanding circle of flame and smoke before firing a Dark Pulse into it.


"Houndour!" Ash called. "Look out, he's-"

A shower of large stones came out of the smoke, spaced in a close pattern around Houndour. The canine Fire-type kicked off from the ground and smashed his forepaws into one, knocking it aside, and landed with a shake of his head – then nearly got clocked upside the jaw by a very, very fast lava-snail.

"-evolved," Ash finished.

"Wonderful!" Macy called. "A symbol of the deep connection between my opponent and me!"

Pikachu glanced up at Latias' invisible form. "Are you growling?"

Latias turned cherry-red under her feathers. "Eep – was I?"

Pikachu nodded slowly.

She didn't know what to say to that.


Houndour jumped out of the way of the turbo-snail, keeping track of it as much by sound as sight – the high-speed Magcargo wasn't moving quietly, after all.

"How exactly does this work?" he asked, running for a relatively safe area, and then jumped out the way as that became a dangerous area.

"Rock Polish, I think!" Ash called over to him. "Hey, Houndour! Dig!"

"Right!" Tail wagging, Houndour picked a spot and dug a hole into the ground – making it under just before Magcargo tried to knock him flat again.


"I hope he gets this right..." Ash said, squinting as the smoke irritated his eyes. He waved a hand, starting up the Airslip trick, and tried to keep both Magcargo and Houndour in view. "Come on..."

Can Houndour learn Dig? Dexter asked, confused.

Ash looked puzzled. "He's a dog. And I know that Growlithe, Poochyena and Lillipup can do it..."


Magcargo slowed down a little, looking around. "Okay, where'd you go?"

There was a pause. Then Houndour lunged out of the ground just behind him, delivering a powerful blow with both forepaws, and added in a Crunch for good measure.

"Ow!" Magcargo snapped. "That hurt!"

"It was supposed to!" Houndour muttered, fighting to stay on the thrashing snail. "By the way - Foul Play!"

With that, he wrenched his neck around, and Magcargo overbalanced.

Panting, Houndour jumped off and dove underground again with a Dig – aiming to hit his opponent before it could right itself.

"Come back, Magcargo!" Macy called. "Star-"

Houndour came back out the hole he'd just dug, and pounced. "Pursuit!"

The impact finished Magcargo off.

"Phew," Houndour said, tail wagging, as the smoke began to disperse. "Who's next?"

His reply was a large, high-speed globe of water which slapped to the ground right next to him.


"A Starmie," Ash frowned. "Those are tough, I hope Houndour's ready for this."

"That's a Water-type, but also a Psychic-type..." Latias said, following along. "So I guess it's even?"

"Starmie are fast, though," Ash pointed out. "Type isn't everything."

"With you it sometimes doesn't mean anything..." Pikachu quipped.


Houndour glanced over his shoulder, looking towards Starmie, and then jumped aside as another Water Pulse came in.

He jumped over the curtain of fire that was still rolling across the stadium, and hid in the smoke cloud.

"Right!" he said, before yelping as a Thunderbolt barely missed him.

Starmie followed that up with a Water Pulse and a Water Gun, and Houndour headed deeper into the smoke to avoid being pasted.

"Okay, let's try-"

"Starmie, use Surf!" Macy called. "Quench those flames!"

"Houndour!" Ash called immediately. "Run forwards – get under the wave!"

Hondour spun towards Starmie, and began to run flat out – body flat and at full extension between long lopes, kicking up puffs of ash and dirt from the smouldering grass.

To either side of him the Surf hit the ground with a hiss, and he closed his eyes before barging through the leading edge of the watery attack.

He slipped on the wet, slick ash as he landed, rolled over once, and got moving just in time to avoid a Water Pulse.

"Keep it up, Houndour!"Ash called.


"He's not attacking..." Latias muttered. "Is that bad?"

"I think he's trying to," Pikachu replied. "But he's not able to stand still long enough to attack. Ash, what's the plan here?"

"That water's making more smoke," Ash said. "It's getting harder and harder for her to see through it... Houndour! Try now!"

Houndour nodded, and split off two duplicates as he ran. They crackled with Dark-type energy, formed into doubles of Lucario and Pikachu, and promptly got obliterated by a Thunderbolt from the hovering Starmie.

"Not thick enough, then," Latias observed.

"Good work, Starmie!" Macy called. "Now, get that Houndour!"

Houndour zigged when he should have zagged, and got caught in the side by a Water Pulse. He yelped in pain as it smashed into him, knocking him off-course and skidding across into the smouldering area of the battlefield.

Starmie fired two follow-up attacks mostly-blind, producing wet slap sounds but nothing more.

There was a long pause. Then a Dark Pulse came flashing out of the smoke, and Starmie slipped sideways in the air to avoid it.

"Starmie!" Macy called. "Use Psychic to clear the smoke!"

A hammer of psionic force washed across the field from left to right, gathering up the smoke and forcing it out of the way.

And, smoke streaming around him as it plumed from his Dark-type shadow, was Ash's Pokémon.

He wasn't a little Houndour any more. Over twice as tall as before and easily three times the bulk, rangy legs ringed by bony manacles held up a pitch-black body with rows of bones across his back and with a spade-tipped tail lashing behind him.

His red jaw hung slightly open, baleful eyes flashing above it, and the two big bony horns topping his skull shimmered in the sunlight.


Houndoom snarled briefly, tail snapping across like a whip-crack, and this time four duplicates appeared next to him.

They poofed into the forms of Suicune, Entei, Raikou and Keldeo, and proceeded to charge in on Starmie as a group.

Starmie managed to blast away the Entei-copy with a powerful Thunderbolt, and the Raikou-copy ate a Water-Pulse which destroyed it as well, but then the pseudo-Suicune and the pseudo-Keldeo hammered Starmie into the ground and then jumped on it.

Before the starfish Pokémon could hover back out of the small crater, Houndoom pounced – both paws landing hard on the outer body, before slamming home a Crunch and using that as leverage to toss it across the battlefield like a frisbee.


Ash blinked. "Huh."

There was a flicker of red light as Macy returned her Water-type.

"Uh," she began, then rallied. "That's another sign of our bond! Your Fire-type evolved as well!"

Houndoom looked over at Ash, and beamed. "I did it!" he yapped, tail wagging happily, and bounced around a bit. "I beat the Starmie too!"

Ash chuckled. "You sure did – nice work, Houndoom! Congratulations on evolving!"

"Thanks!" Houndoom barked, still prancing around. "That was a fun battle!"

"Okay, Electabuzz, we can still win this!" Macy called, getting their attention. "Go!"


Houndoom shook his head, focusing, and turned to face his opponent.

She gave him a brief, considering look, then put her hands together and launched forwards a Thunderbolt.

Houndoom feinted and dodged, snatching his tail out of the way of the attack, and then cracked it. "Beat Up!" he announced, one eye on his opponent, and sent in copies of the three Beasts to hit Electabuzz.

"Shockwave!" Macy called out, and Electabuzz' horns crackled. She nodded once, and the two horns exchanged a flicker of lightning before producing a spherical electrical shockwave that burst the three incoming Beat Up clones.

"...that's not very fair," Houndoom said, a whining note in his voice. Then he released a Dark Pulse, blowing away the incoming Thunderbolt, and elected to close in instead.

Another Thunderbolt snapped past his ear, making him flinch away reflexively, and the third and last she got off before he arrived glanced off a horn and sent a tingle of electricity through his body.

Growling, he hit her with both paws, bowling her over, and her next attack – a Thunderpunch – slammed into his flank as he built up the heat for an Inferno.

Wincing, he focused the purplish flames and launched them down at his opponent. There was a crackle as the grass around crumbled further, but Electabuzz seemed fairly hale.

Then she pulled her other hand out from beneath her. Houndoom had just enough time to realize there was a Focus Blast glowing between the two forefingers before it hit him in the chin.


"Ouch!" Latias squeaked, as Houndoom performed a complete cartwheel in the air.

He landed surprisingly well, forelegs reaching out to slow his fall, but was still a little dazed when he landed – and then he took a Zap Cannon squarely in the shoulder, which detonated and crackled along his fur.

When it faded, Houndoom wobbled for a moment and slumped sideways.

Ash returned him with a smile. "That was awesome, Houndoom."

He switched Pokéballs. "Okay, Donphan, let's finish this!"


Donphan materialized. He looked at his opponent, then around at the stands, and blinked. "I have this strange feeling of deja vu..."

Shaking his head, he frowned. "Right. Battle time. Let's try..."

Rearing up, he drove his hooves into the floor and sent a lance of brown-glowing energy forwards along the ground. Electabuzz tracked it as it came in, and jumped over it – avoiding the Ground-type attack, before landing again and throwing forwards a Signal Beam.

Donphan rolled sideways to avoid it, and discovered why Donphan didn't usually do that as his tusk promptly stuck in the ground.

"...oh, this is embarassing."

"Electabuzz!" Macy called. "Close in and get him!"

Electabuzz ran forwards, legs pumping, and her fist drew back and began to shimmer.

"That's Ice!" Ash called urgently. "Look out!"

Donphan glanced at the oncoming Electric-type to judge her speed, and drew back his two hooves which were closer to the ground. Just as she arrived, he kicked off with them – taking a glancing and painful blow from the Ice Punch, but also knocking himself onto his back rather than his side.

As Electabuzz planted a foot and spun into a sweeping low kick, Donphan accelerated – moving rapidly out of the way of the attack before it could connect, and curving around to come in on an actual attack run with Rollout.

"Get another Ice Punch ready!" Macy called, and Electabuzz set her stance.

Donphan's Rollout connected with an Ice Punch coming the other way, which sent both combatants bouncing backwards from the point of impact and knocked him out of his curl.

Electabuzz recovered first and pressed her advantage, running forwards to deliver another Ice Punch, and Donphan took it in the side as he spun up before shooting off to the other side of the arena.


"What now?" Latias asked, trying to follow the fight. "I think... well, does Donphan know any good ranged attacks? That Electabuzz seems fast enough to hit him as he comes in."

"That's right," Ash nodded. "And no, he doesn't... but he can come in faster. Donphan! Head around to the south side of the arena!"


Donphan changed course as soon as he heard, and accelerated – easily dodging Electabuzz' Signal Beams she fired at him.

"Ram the wall and push off!" Ash added.

Trusting his trainer, Donphan charged the retaining wall. He hit with a crash, rolled part-way up it with his topspin, and then pushed himself into the air.

To his north, Electabuzz watched the hurtling elephantine Pokémon. She cocked her fist back, glowing with another Ice Punch, then frowned – squinting, as Donphan moved near the sun.

"Look out!" Macy called, suddenly realizing Ash's plan. "Dodge!"

"Magnitude!" Ash ordered, as Donphan came down.

The impact made the stadium tremble, and Electabuzz had left it too late to run. Too close to the impact, she was battered into the air by a slab of arena underfloor knocked up by the impact, and Donphan ran her over with a Bulldozer just after she landed.

"Electabuzz!" Macy cried out. "Are you okay?"

Electabuzz twitched, looked up at the large Ground-type giving her a look, and tapped her hand on the floor twice.

"Electabuzz is unable to fight on!" the referee announced. "Victory to Ash Ketchum!"


Ash caught up with Macy as she left the stadium.

"That was a good fight, by the way," he told her. "I know I kind of beat you with just two Pokémon, but – I thought I'd let you know it was good."

Macy's expression broke into a smile. "Thanks, Mr. Ketchum!" she said enthusiastically. "That means a lot to me!"

"Heh, it's-"

"I mean, a lot!" she stressed. "I mean – I feel so lucky to have been beaten by you!"

Ash blinked. "Wait, what?"


Pikachu glanced up at Latias. "You realize you actually have to focus psychic energy to use Psybeam, right?"

Latias blinked. "What?" she asked, looking away from Ash trying with increasing desperation to end the conversation without seeming rude.

"You kind of looked like you wanted to get that trainer as far away from Ash as possible..."

Invisibly under her light-bending feathers, Latias blushed. "I did it again, didn't I..."

Pikachu nodded.


"Here goes," Misty said, leaning forwards in the box as the groundskeeper's Grotle finished replenishing the grass. "Ash's last qualifier."

"Thanks for letting us sit here, by the way," Brock added, nodding to Lance.

"The stadium's built with plenty of room," Lance told them. "And the Elite Four box seems to have been designed in case someone wanted their Wailord to watch... anyway, Misty, I hope you're paying a lot of attention to all the battles."

Misty nodded. "I've certainly been keeping track of the Water-types and anything else that's relevant – for example, I can't help but notice that someone had what looked like a Greninja, but Greninja don't learn all those moves."

"They don't?" Lance asked, interested. "Well, well. I missed that one. Thank you for the information."

He shook his head. "I must have been misled by how it's a ninja."

"Ninja or no ninja, they don't learn Solarbeam or Night Daze," Misty assured him. "I think everyone else missed it because they're so rare here, but..."

Brock frowned. "Night Daze? Now you mention it-"

"Wait a minute," Misty interruped him. "Is that Pietra?"

Brock turned back to the battlefield. "It is! Look at that..."


"Nice to see you again!" Pietra called.

"You too!" Ash replied. "Who are you sending out first?"

"You'll know when I do it, of course!" Pietra told him.

"Please send out your first Pokémon on the count of three!" the referee said, raising his flag. "Three, two, one – go!"

"Azumarill, let's go!" Pietra cried, throwing her Pokéball forwards.

Ash threw his Safari Ball. "Tauros!"


"Right, let's get on with it," Tauros said, rolling his neck. "An Azumarill, huh... well, I know how to handle that! Take Down!"

He bent down and charged forwards, hooves drumming on the springy grass underfoot.

Azumarill tilted his head as the bull came in, then jumped and twirled – the ball on the end of his tail enveloping itself in water just before impact.

Tauros grunted in surprise as the Aqua Tail hit – very, very hard. Water exploded out in all directions, knocking him to the side and making his hooves skid a little as he avoided falling over, and even after he recovered there was at least an inch of water on the floor.

"How exactly does that work?" he asked, hooves splashing in the water as he turned to face Azumarill more directly.

His opponent shrugged, and fired a stream of Muddy Water. Tauros snorted, squinting, and charged up it – sending up great plumes of water as his hooves propelled him forwards in the gradually deepening water.

Just as he reached Azumarill, he slowed – digging his hooves in and shedding speed. That threw Azumarill off, and his second overpowered Aqua Tail didn't connect.

Tauros wasted no time capitalizing on it. He Stomped down at Azumarill as the Water-type landed from his jump, managing to connect with one blow of two before Azumarill blocked with his still-powered-up tail ball and produced another huge blast of water.

The water sluiced down Tauros' hide, carrying the mud that had accumulated there, and the water level rose another inch or so.

"Seriously, how are you doing that?" Tauros muttered.

"I've just got Huge Power!" Azumarill replied, jumping at him. "Play Rough!"


Brock blinked. "Misty – why is that Azumarill swinging Ash's Tauros around by its tails?"

Misty shrugged. "I don't know..."

"Is your Azurill going to do that?"

"Only if I let Ash babysit, most likely," Misty said.


Landing in a slippery, skidding kind of way, Tauros shook his head to recover before turning to face Azumarill once more. "That hurt," he announced, and kicked a hoof irritably at the water. "And the lake doesn't help..."

Azumarill added to the water with a Hydro Pump, and then looked at Tauros again. "Are you having trouble with all the water?" he asked. "I hope you're not... that would be terrible..."

"You're quite annoying, surprisingly," Tauros announced. "Okay, that's it."

Snorting, he broke into a trot and then a run. "Giga Impact!" he said, pushing mightily to maintain his speed through the thigh-deep water.

"Waterfall!" Azumarill called in reply, cloaking himself in water and charging forwards.

Tauros skidded to a halt, the purple-yellow glow of his attack dissipating. "Sorry, meant-"

Azumarill hit home, with an almighty blast of water as his overpowered Waterfall connected.

"-COUNTER!"

There was a BANG, and Azumarill was sent flying into the air by a red flash of light as Tauros returned the power of the attack with interest.

Both participants came off badly. Azumarill hit the water – now over a foot deep – hard enough to make a loud smack noise, and bobbed to the surface a moment later looking much the worse for wear.

Tauros was worse still. He'd done what would probably have been a bounce if he were lighter, and fetched up against the retaining wall in a splayed pile of limbs. A long moment passed, then he pushed himself back to wobbly hooves.

"Ow," he said, and met a Bubblebeam from Azumarill which finished the job of knocking him out.


"I wonder if I should feel guilty that I taught him that," Misty muttered. "Well, the Bubblebeam bit, not the Aqua Tail stuff."

Brock shrugged.


"Okay, time for my second Pokémon!" Ash said, grinning.

Pikachu sighed. "You're really going to do this, aren't you."

Ash shrugged, and picked up the second Safari Ball. "Tauros!"


"...wait, I'm getting deja vu," Pietra said, blinking. "And – okay, how is he standing on the water?"

She shrugged. "Well, I can hardly talk. Right, Azumarill – same as last time!"

Azumarill nodded, and dove under the water.


"Hmmm..." Tauros mused, keeping his eyes peeled. "Where might that Azumarill be..."

He shrugged. "Not that it matters!"

Bunching, he began to run – and his hide snapped and crackled with electricity as he used Wild Charge.

The entire miniature lake crackled and fizzed, and Azumarill burst back out of the water looking battered.

Unfortunately, he came out right in front of Tauros, who planted a well-aimed kick on his midsection to send the Water-type flying in the direction of the stands.


Azumarill halted mid-air as the LinesPokémon caught him, and then levitated him back to his trainer.

"Azumarill is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "He was defeated by Ring Out. Pietra to send out her second Pokémon!"

Pietra nodded. "Well, you're best here!" she said brightly. "Go!"

Misty sighed. "Pokémon these days don't appreciate water battlefields."

Brock nodded sympathetically, and they watched as Pietra's Rhydon surfed into the battle.

"That's a better board than the one he had last time, though..." Brock pointed out, absently.


"That Wild Charge won't work on me," Rhydon said, slowing slightly, and then dipped his tail into the water and thrashed it to get back up to speed.

"Well, yes, I'd gathered," Tauros replied, trotting around to keep his opponent in his line of sight. "Hold still, please!"

As he said that, he abruptly accelerated – hooves thundering along the water as though it were solid earth – and curved in towards Rhydon, snorting and bellowing.

"Iron Head!" he bellowed, his horns glowing with a silvery light as he approached.

Rhydon chuckled roughly, then drew back his fist.

"Left!" Ash called suddenly, and Tauros dug in his hooves and slowed – sending up a great wash of water which splashed Rhydon's face, and made the Hammer Arm attack Ash had seen being prepared go wide.

As he curved, Tauros hit Rhydon with all three tails in succession – the first one was normal, but the second and third ones glowed with the same silvery light as his horn had as Tauros belatedly used Iron Tail.

Both those latter two impacts made crunch sounds which were audible from the stand, and Rhydon wobbled a bit before overbalancing and falling off his board with an almighty splash.

"He's not down yet!" Ash told Tauros. "Look out!"

Tauros kept running, gaining some distance, then turned to look and saw Rhydon standing out of the water – his board on his head.

As he watched, Rhydon walked, then broke into a lumbering, sloshing run. He threw the board down into the water, jumped astride it, and used his tail to accelerate back up to speed.


"That's going to get annoying..." Ash muttered. "That's much faster than Rhydon normally are. Hmmm..."

He frowned for a few more seconds, then snapped his fingers. "Got it! Tauros, new plan!"

Tauros glanced over at him, still circling.

"Run straight at Rhydon!" he commanded.

"So... this is the old plan again?" Pikachu asked, as Tauros accelerated and charged in.

"Not really..." Ash said absently, frowning. "Right – Earthquake!"


About two seconds from reaching Rhydon, Tauros reared up. His hooves glinted for a moment, then he rammed them with full force into the water.

Although he was on water, not earth, the trick he was using to stand on the water made it react a lot like earth. The watery surface trembled, then knocked him backwards as it burst outwards in all directions.

Rhydon found himself abruptly facing a wave nearly as tall as he was. He turned to try to ride it out, but too late – the breaker curled over him and crashed down in a massive avalanche of water.

Tauros was similarly pulled down by the instant wave, and the remains of it slapped against the retaining walls and sent spray skywards.


"...that's new," Misty said, blinking. "Instant huge wave. I'll have to see if I can do that somehow."

"That reminds me, how would you deal with this Rhydon?" Brock asked, as he saw both Pokémon hauling themselves erect again – a bit bedraggled in each case, though Tauros seemed marginally better off.

"Kabutops and Leaf Blade," Misty replied promptly. "Even if he's more resistant to Water than usual, Kabutops could attack from unexpected directions with a Grass move."

"Makes sense," the Rock-type specialist... who had just the one Rock-type... nodded.


Tauros shook his head, recovering his senses, and then crouched briefly and reared his front legs out of the water. When they came down, they hit the water surface as though it were solid, and he used that as a lever to pull himself the rest of the way onto the water.

Rhydon was looking down at his board. "Oh no!"

"What?" Tauros asked, frowning. "What is it?"

Rhydon held up a small piece of fabric. "The arm strap came off! It's not safe now!"

Tauros blinked. "...right..."

"That's not fair!" Rhydon went on. "Take this!"

His horn began to rotate, faster and faster, and he crouched over and began a splashing run through the water.


Ash frowned. "That's Horn Drill, and that means – right, I hope this works. Tauros! Cancel the water walk!"

Bemused, Tauros did so. He splashed back down up to his haunches, and faced the oncoming Rhydon.

"What are you-"

"Now, Fissure!" Ash shouted, just as Rhydon arrived.

The Fissure shook the stadium slightly, and hit Rhydon square-on – invisible under the deep coating of water covering the floor – at just the same moment the Horn Drill hit Tauros.

Both Pokémon went flying backwards, out for the count, and slammed down into the water.

Which was rapidly draining away.

"...did you plan that?" Pikachu asked, blinking, as the Fissure drained out the entire stadium in only a few seconds.

"Yeah?" Ash replied, sounding a bit confused. "Why? The others can't water-walk."

He picked up his third 'ball for the fight. "Tauros!"

"You're kidding!" Pietra called, as the third Tauros appeared. "You are kidding! You've sent out three of the same Pokémon?"

"They're still different!" Ash replied. "What's your third?"

Pietra blinked, glanced at her third Pokéball, and flushed slightly. "Uh... Dugtrio..."


"Does that really count as one Pokémon?" Tauros asked, as he jumped up and down a bit to feel the consistency of the ground.

"Yes," Dugtrio said, all three voices in unison. "We train a lot to be this coordinated."

"Okay," Tauros muttered.

A ball of energy began to grow between his horns.

"What's that?" Dugtrio asked. "It looks like-"

Tauros fired the Solarbeam.

The moment he finished, a Mud Bomb hit him in the side.

"Missed!" the Dugtrio said, then popped back down its hole.


Ash blinked. "Is that Dugtrio male or female?"

Pikachu cocked his ear, and listened for a moment.

"Two male, one female," he said.

"Dugtrio are strange. Anyway... uh... Tauros! Can you use Earthquake?"

Tauros' reply was to lean forwards, coming off the ground with his hind legs, before swinging back and driving them into the ground.

Another tremor resonated out across the stadium, driving the Fissure fissure to crack a little wider, and Dugtrio popped out of the ground before diving right back in as soon as the shaking stopped.

"Uh... right..." Ash frowned, as Dugtrio launched itself out of the ground long enough for a Fury Swipes before going right back in again.


"Over by the stadium wall!" Tauros heard Ash say, and lumbered over there.

"Okay, good!" Ash told him. "Now – Earthquake again!"

This time, Tauros saw the Dugtrio pop out of the ground. "Aha!" he bellowed, and charged forwards – and the Dugtrio promptly vanished underground.

"...well, bullocks," he said, and glanced at Ash's box. "Any ideas how I can whack some moles?"

"Yeah!" Ash replied. "We're nearly done – now, go over to the stadium wall, and charge up Solarbeam!"

Nodding, and wincing as Dugtrio hit him with a nasty Slash, Tauros trotted over to the side of the arena and began to build a Solarbeam again.

There was the sound of a muffled argument from underground.

"What are we going to do? We can't stay underground during an Earthquake!"

"I don't know, you know everything!"

"Guys, we need to-"

Tauros slammed down an Earthquake, and the Dugtrio popped out of the ground again.

"Aaaaah!" they all called in unison, as Tauros fired his Solarbeam at the trio of Ground-type moles.

When the green beam of light faded, they were all unconscious – having fallen mostly back into a hole, but not far enough to keep them safe from the attack.

"Ash Ketchum wins!" the referee announced.


"I have to admit, Dugtrio confuse me, too," Brock said, joining in the applause. "So... how does it work now?"

"Well, Ash is one of the first to finish the round-robin stage," Lance told them, as Tauros and Dugtrio were recalled and the Grotle trotted out to refresh the grass. "So he's probably got a day or so free before the elimination stage."

"Okay, neat," Misty said. "I guess he gets a day off..."


AN:


Continuing along with the Silver Conference...

The idea of a big, scary-looking Houndoom being a doofus amuses me.

As for that last battle... well, Tauros, Tauros and Tauros all wanted a go.