Chapter 53: A Difficult Battle

Ash's eyes narrowed as he observed the battlefield. The shockwave from Geodude's Bulldoze was a move that Beedrill had a difficult time dealing with. Beedrill lacked the Flying-type ability to soar into the air and avoid the attack, so Ash quickly began thinking of a way to prevent Beedrill from taking the full brunt of it.

As Ash searched for a solution, his eyes gleamed with an idea. The battlefield was littered with large rocks—while these wouldn't completely block the shockwave, they could at least lessen its impact.

"Beedrill, back up and hide behind the rock!" Ash commanded, his voice filled with determination. He knew this tactic wouldn't completely negate the damage, but it would buy time. The poison effect on Geodude was slowly weakening it, and Ash hoped to use that to his advantage.

Beedrill reacted quickly, retreating behind a nearby rock just as the Bulldoze shockwave spread across the battlefield. The rocks nearby shattered as the wave passed, demonstrating the immense power of the attack. As the shockwave reached Beedrill's hiding place, the strength had diminished by half, thanks to the intervening rocks.

Still, the attack caused a significant amount of damage to Beedrill, sending it flying a short distance and reducing its stamina by at least one-third. Beedrill's usually calm, jewel-like eyes now showed a hint of fear—if it had been hit directly, it might have been knocked out.

Meanwhile, Geodude wasn't unaffected. The poisoning from Beedrill's earlier attack caused purple bubbles to appear around Geodude's body, signaling that its health had dropped by about one-eighth. The damage from Beedrill's previous strikes, combined with the poisoning, was beginning to wear Geodude down.

Brock, observing the situation, wasn't about to let Ash gain the upper hand so easily. He needed to act fast.

"That was a good strategy," Brock admitted, his voice calm but full of determination. "But can you dodge the next attack?" He wasn't going to let Beedrill escape unscathed.

"Geodude, Bulldoze again!" Brock raised his hand and ordered with intensity. The Ground-type energy wrapped around Geodude once more as it slammed into the ground, triggering another shockwave.

"Beedrill, keep backing up and hide behind the rock again!" Ash quickly reacted, raising his eyebrows in thought. From the previous attack, he had calculated the range of Bulldoze—it extended about 30 meters. As long as Beedrill stayed beyond that distance, it wouldn't be hit by the shockwave, and Ash could buy more time.

Beedrill obeyed, retreating further while still using the rocks for cover. It kept dodging the shockwave, though this time, the attack was weaker due to the increasing distance and the protection of the rocks. While Beedrill still took some damage, it wasn't as severe as the first hit.

Brock, noticing Ash's quick adaptation, realized that he had underestimated his opponent. "So, you've figured out the weakness of my attack already?" Brock muttered under his breath. Indeed, the range of Bulldoze was limited, and its power was significantly reduced as it traveled farther from Geodude. Despite Geodude's elite-level strength, the move's range only stretched to about 20 meters, with the bonus of Geodude's power bringing it up to 30 meters. With Beedrill using the terrain effectively, the tables were turning.

Now, Geodude's stamina had dropped significantly. The combination of Beedrill's attacks and the continued poisoning had weakened it, and it was only a matter of time before it became a liability for Brock. But Brock wasn't ready to give up yet.

He needed a solution. As he thought about his next move, Ash observed Geodude's limited options. Beedrill didn't have many long-range attacks, but it did have String Shot—an attack that could serve as an effective harassment tool. While String Shot wasn't powerful, its range was nearly 50 meters, far beyond the reach of Bulldoze.

"Beedrill, keep backing up while using String Shot!" Ash commanded.

"Bee———!" Beedrill obeyed, retreating as it fired off streams of silk from its mouth, aiming at Geodude. The string threads zipped through the air, covering a wide distance.

Brock, frowning, could only order Geodude to dodge. He was preoccupied with finding a way to defeat Beedrill and had little time to react. Geodude attempted to hide behind the rocks, but most of the rocks had been destroyed by the Bulldoze attacks. The remaining rocks were insufficient to block the String Shot, and although the threads moved fast, Geodude had enough time to avoid them.

However, Geodude's evasive actions triggered the poisoning effect once again, further draining its stamina.

Brock realized that his options were becoming limited. Geodude was being steadily worn down, and he needed a new plan. "Geodude, use Rollout and get close to Beedrill!" he ordered, hoping to close the distance and put pressure on Beedrill.

As Geodude launched itself toward Beedrill, Ash saw his chance. He had been waiting for this moment. Geodude's Rollout was powerful, but it had one critical flaw: it required Geodude to gain momentum, making it predictable. Ash wasn't about to let that opportunity slip away.

"The waiting is over!" Ash said with a confident smile. "Beedrill, go up and use Twineedle!"

Beedrill, still retreating, suddenly halted and turned sharply. Its ruby-like eyes gleamed with determination as it rushed toward Geodude, who was coming in at full speed. Brock's eyes widened in realization—he knew what Ash was planning, but it was too late for him to adjust his strategy.

Geodude charged forward with all its might, but Beedrill expertly dodged to the side, avoiding Geodude's attack. Before Geodude could recover, Beedrill struck with its Twineedle move, its sharp needles laced with Bug-type energy. The attack hit Geodude with pinpoint accuracy.

"Bang—bang—!" The force of the two strikes sent Geodude flying backward. Though the attack wasn't a critical hit, the energy from the Twineedle still caused significant damage. Geodude was knocked off balance, and its strength diminished even further.

Brock stood there, stunned. He had miscalculated, underestimating Ash's quick thinking and Beedrill's agility. The battle was far from over, but the momentum had shifted decisively in Ash's favor.

The once confident Geodude was now reeling, its stamina drained, and its chances of winning rapidly dwindling. Ash clenched his fists, knowing that victory was within reach.

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