Pokemon : Rewind-Chapter 455 - 43: The Gap

Bugsy had miscalculated. He overestimated the speed of his Ariados and underestimated the range and precision of Lapras' Water Pulse.

Although Agility had given Ariados a sudden burst of speed, it wasn't enough to completely escape the attack's range. Water Pulse hit its mark, leaving Bugsy momentarily stunned.

Realizing the danger, Bugsy quickly adjusted his strategy. "Ariados, use Fell Stinger! Break through Water Pulse and counterattack Lapras!"

With a shrill cry, Ariados gathered Bug-type energy into its horn, which was now shrouded in a dark green aura.

The horn swelled and grew to an impressive size, transforming into a formidable weapon.

Charging forward, Ariados cut through the oncoming Water Pulse like a blade slicing through water, splitting the attack in two.

For a brief moment, Bugsy and his Pokémon seemed to gain the upper hand. But Ash had anticipated this.

Before Bugsy could celebrate, Ash gave his next command. "Lapras, Ice Beam—now!"

Lapras immediately unleashed a beam of concentrated ice energy. The freezing attack struck Ariados, catching both Bugsy and his Pokémon off guard.

The force of the Ice Beam pushed Ariados back, shards of ice forming on its horn and legs. Unable to react quickly, Ariados was encased in a thin layer of frost, its movements slowed further.

Ash smirked. His plan had worked. By following Water Pulse with Ice Beam, he had prepared for both outcomes:

One: If Water Pulse was blocked, Ice Beam would strike as a surprise counter.

Two: If Water Pulse wasn't stopped, Ice Beam would freeze it mid-flight, turning it into a more powerful attack.

Bugsy clenched his fists as Ariados skidded back more than ten meters, frost covering parts of its body. Its agility was severely reduced, leaving it vulnerable.

"This is bad," Bugsy muttered under his breath. His earlier confidence had been shaken. He realized that his initial underestimation of Ash had left him at a serious disadvantage.

Despite Ariados' Silver-level strength, it couldn't recover from the relentless assault. Its slowed movements made it an easy target, and Lapras landed hit after hit, eventually overwhelming it.

"Ariados is unable to battle! Lapras wins!" the referee declared, raising a flag toward Ash's side.

The crowd erupted into cheers, marveling at how thoroughly Ash had dominated the match. "Incredible! He completely outclassed Bugsy!" one spectator exclaimed.

Bugsy grimaced as he recalled Ariados into its Poké Ball. The realization stung—he had been careless.

Had he taken Ash's Bronze-level Lapras more seriously from the start, the battle might not have turned out so one-sided.

---

Bugsy sighed and threw out his next Poké Ball. "It's your turn, Forretress!"

In a flash of light, Forretress appeared—a large, cocoon-like Pokémon with a metallic shell resembling a walnut.

Its outer shell was uneven and rugged, while its red inner shell had slits revealing its piercing eyes.

Forretress

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Type: Bug/Steel

Category: Bagworm Pokémon

Ability: Sturdy

Hidden Ability: Overcoat

Strength: Silver Level

Bugsy had chosen Forretress for its defensive prowess and type advantage against Lapras' Ice-type attacks. He wasn't taking any chances this time.

But Ash wasn't about to let Bugsy regain momentum. Returning Lapras, he threw out another Poké Ball.

"Haunter, I choose you!"

Haunter materialized in mid-air, its mischievous grin and glowing hands giving it an eerie presence.

Though it hadn't yet evolved into Gengar, Haunter's strength and agility made it a formidable opponent.

Bugsy's face fell. Forretress' high defense meant little against Haunter's Ghost-type attacks.

"Haunter, use Shadow Ball!" Ash commanded.

Haunter formed a pulsating orb of dark energy between its hands and hurled it toward Forretress. The attack connected, sending Forretress reeling.

Bugsy quickly retaliated. "Forretress, use Gyro Ball!"

Forretress spun rapidly, its metallic shell turning into a weapon. It launched itself at Haunter, but Ash was ready.

"Haunter, dodge with Aerial Ace!"

Haunter moved like a shadow, evading the attack effortlessly before slamming into Forretress with precision.

The impact sent Forretress tumbling back, its tough exterior finally showing signs of damage.

Before Bugsy could issue another command, Haunter launched a second Shadow Ball, landing a decisive hit.

"Let's put some pressure on them! Haunter, Shadow Ball!"

Haunter's eerie grin widened as it summoned a swirling sphere of dark ghostly energy between its claws. With a flick of its fingers, it launched the Shadow Ball straight at Forretress.

"Forretress, block it with Protect!" Bugsy countered.

A green shimmering shield appeared around Forretress just as the Shadow Ball struck.

Though the shield absorbed the attack, the force of the impact caused the steel Pokémon to wobble slightly. Bugsy smirked, confident his defensive tactics would hold up.

"Keep at it, Haunter—Shadow Punch!" Ash commanded.

Haunter zoomed forward, its claws glowing as it charged with ghostly energy for a decisive punch. Its disembodied hand shot out, bypassing any obstacles as it connected directly with Forretress' side.

"Direct hit!" Ash exclaimed, the excitement in his voice evident.

Forretress groaned as it was forced backward, trembling slightly from the impact.

Bugsy's calm expression faltered slightly. "Tch. That Ghost-type advantage is giving me trouble... but we're far from done!"

"Forretress, lay down a Toxic Spikes!"

Forretress spun in place, scattering a toxic purple powder across the battlefield to poison any grounded Pokémon that stepped on it.

"Haunter's not touching the ground," Ash reminded, his grin growing. "That won't work on us. You're wide open now, Bugsy! Use Confuse Ray, Haunter!"

Haunter let out a delighted cackle as its eyes shimmered with hypnotic light. Pulsing waves of eerie yellow energy flowed toward Forretress, surrounding it in a glowing aura.

Forretress visibly staggered, its movements erratic as it succumbed to confusion.

"Nice! Let's press the advantage—Haunter, go for another Shadow Ball!"

Haunter wasted no time in summoning another orb of dark energy. This time it charged the move longer, making the ball grow larger and more powerful before hurling it directly at Forretress.

Bugsy grimaced. "Forretress, snap out of it! Use Rapid Spin to deflect it!"

Dazed and confused, Forretress attempted to spin its body to ward off the attack, but the confusion from Confuse Ray caused it to stumble instead.

The Shadow Ball struck Forretress head-on with a loud "boom", sending it skidding back across the battlefield.

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