Yuga Vs Mr. Norman

Hearing Ash's battle request, Yuga didn't agree immediately. Instead, he pretended not to know and asked, "I don't think I know your name yet?"

Before Ash could respond, Max quickly answered for him, "His name is Ash, and he's from Pal... Pal-something Town."

"It's Pallet Town!!" Ash retorted childishly, glaring at Max. Embarrassed, Max scratched the back of his head and gave Ash a sheepish grin.

Yuga nodded and said, "Ash, huh... You came to Hoenn to participate in the League tournament?"

Ash responded, "That's right! So, please accept my challenge!"

However, Yuga still didn't agree right away. He shook his head and explained, "To challenge the Verdanturf Gym, you need to have three badges first. You've only just arrived in Hoenn, right? Do you have any badges from other Hoenn Gyms yet?"

Ash was momentarily taken aback by this, then scratched his head awkwardly, "Hehe... not... not yet."

Max widened his eyes in surprise and said, "What! So you can't challenge my dad either? You need three badges to challenge him too! I was really looking forward to watching you battle Dad!" Max's tone carried a hint of disappointment.

Ash cried out, "Is that so? No way, that's just my luck!"

At that moment, Mr. Norman, who had just returned and was chatting with May, chuckled and said, "What's the big deal? Once you've got your three badges, I'll gladly accept your challenge anytime."

Ash sighed and said, "I was really hoping to challenge a gym right away. Pikachu, you were thinking the same, right?" As he spoke, Ash scratched Pikachu's chin.

"Pika... Pikachu—" Pikachu squinted its eyes in delight.

Yuga's gaze then fell on the Pikachu, whom he had only just noticed.

[ Pikachu ]

Type: Electric

Ability: Static

Gender: Male

Potential: Unknown

Level: Unknown

Moves: Charm, Tail Whip, Thunder Shock, Quick Attack, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Discharge, Thunder, Agility, Volt Tackle, Signal Beam.

After reviewing Pikachu's data, Yuga was surprised. He hadn't expected to be unable to see Pikachu's potential or level.

There were typically two reasons why Yuga couldn't view a Pokémon's detailed information. The first involved Legendary Pokémon with divine qualities, like Lady Xerneas, Rayquaza, or Deoxys. The second concerned Ultra Beasts like Cosmoem or Kartana, which possessed an extreme aura.

But this Pikachu seemed different. Yuga didn't sense any special energy field from it—no divine power, no extreme aura. Its overall demeanor was nearly identical to the ordinary Pikachu in Yuga's eco-park.

Yet the "Unknown" markers for potential and level were glaringly obvious to Yuga's keen sight, which was unusual.

And then there was the move list. Hoenn was Ash's third year of traveling, right? How could Pikachu's list of learned moves be so limited? (Note: In this story, Ash's travels through Kanto and the Orange Archipelago took place within the same year.)

"Pika... chu—" Pikachu, noticing Yuga staring at it for a while, waved at him in a friendly manner. Yuga was momentarily stunned but then smiled back at Pikachu. It was... kind of cute.

Unable to figure out Pikachu's situation, Yuga set his doubts aside. Just then, Mr. Norman, sensing the disappointment in Ash's voice, smiled and said, "How about we have a battle?"

Having a general understanding of Ash's situation, Mr. Norman was considering letting May travel together with Ash, so he was willing to fulfill Ash's wish as much as possible.

Although May had matured quite a bit, it was still her first time traveling alone, and as a father, Mr. Norman naturally felt some worry. Having Ash, a companion with a few years of travel experience, along would certainly ease his concerns.

Upon hearing Mr. Norman's words, Ash immediately got excited. "Really? That's great!" As long as he could battle a strong opponent, Ash didn't mind whether it was a Gym match or not.

However, Max mumbled, "Honestly, I'd rather see Dad battle Yuga than watch him fight Ash." When he had no choice, he wanted to see his dad battle Ash, but now that he had the option, he preferred to see his dad face Yuga instead.

Max's voice wasn't low, and everyone heard him. Yuga and Mr. Norman didn't expect Max to say that, and Ash quickly chimed in, "I want to see the two Gym Leaders battle as well!"

While Ash was eager to battle a Gym Leader, opportunities to watch two Gym Leaders fight were rare, and he would have plenty of chances to challenge Gyms in the future.

At this moment, May, who had mostly stayed silent, quietly raised her hand. "I want to see it too!"

Yuga and Mr. Norman exchanged glances, and Mr. Norman smiled as he asked Yuga, "How about a battle then?" At this point, Mr. Norman's desire to battle had clearly been sparked.

Yuga wasn't inherently a combative person, but hearing the anticipation in Mr. Norman's tone, he nodded in agreement. "Alright."

Thinking about battling Mr. Norman reminded Yuga of the Balance Badge he had received from him in the past. Back then, he wasn't very familiar with the League's dynamics, and when Mr. Norman battled him, he hadn't used his full strength. Yuga had thought Mr. Norman was a pseudo-Elite Four level trainer.

Looking back, he realized how naive he must have been at the time.

The battle would take place in Mr. Norman's eco-park, which Yuga had visited before, so he was quite familiar with the surroundings.

Once Yuga and Mr. Norman had taken their positions on opposite sides of the battlefield, Ash turned to Pikachu and said, "Pikachu, keep an eye on this! Opportunities like this are rare."

"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu excitedly punched the air in response to Ash.

Seeing this, May imitated Ash by sending out Swablu and then picked up the Torchic at her feet. "Let's learn from Dad and Yuga's battle too!"

Max glanced at Ash's Pikachu and then at the Torchic in his sister's arms, looking enviously and saying, "That's so cool."

"Once we're ready, we can start!" Mr. Norman said to Yuga. After Yuga nodded, he added, "As the elder, I'll send out my Pokémon first. Is it okay if we set the rules for a double battle?"

After Yuga signaled an "OK" with his hand, Mr. Norman took out two Poké Balls and released his Pokémon.

...

[ Slaking ]

Type: Normal

Ability: Truant

Gender: Male

Potential: Indigo

Level: 78

Moves: Scratch, Yawn, Feint Attack, Covet, Amnesia, Chip Away, Counter, Flail, Focus Punch, Play Rough, Reversal, Swagger, Hammer Arm, Crush Claw, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Water Pulse, Brick Break, Giga Impact, Rest, Shadow Claw, Earthquake, Bulk Up.

...

[ Blissey ]

Type: Normal

Ability: Heal Wish

Gender: Female

Potential: Indigo

Level: 75

Moves: Pound, Angel's Kiss, Refresh, Minimize, Egg Bomb, Triple Slap, Heal Pulse, Explosion, Shadow Ball, Grass Knot, Stockpile, Hyper Voice, Water Pulse, Heal Bell, Light Screen.

...

Yuga recognized this Slaking; it was the key Pokémon that helped Mr. Norman maintain his top position on the substitute Elite Four list, and it was also Mr. Norman's signature Pokémon.

As for the Blissey in front of him, it was Yuga's first time seeing one. He had never heard of Mr. Norman using it before, although he knew that Mr. Norman had an Audino.

After releasing his Pokémon, Mr. Norman joked, "To win against you, I'll have to give it my all."

This wasn't just a joke; even though he hadn't battled Yuga in a long time, Mr. Norman was well aware of Yuga's accomplishments.

Yuga smiled in response, saying, "That's exactly what I'm hoping for."

For his part, Yuga chose to battle with Vivillon and Charizard. Given that Mr. Norman's main attacker was Slaking, which was clearly a melee-type Pokémon, flying-type Pokémon were the most suitable counter.

When the four Pokémon appeared on the battlefield, Ash and Max both cheered excitedly.

Since Mr. Norman sent out his Pokémon first, Yuga graciously allowed him to take the first attack.

The first move came from Mr. Norman's Blissey, which flashed a sweet smile and unleashed countless pink hearts that hurriedly floated toward Vivillon and Charizard in the air.

Mr. Norman's Blissey was clearly a healing and disruptive support Pokémon, and its use of Angel's Kiss was exceptional. The densely packed pink hearts quickly filled much of the sky, making it nearly impossible for Vivillon and Charizard to evade.

Under the pressure of Angel's Kiss, Vivillon and Charizard separated; Vivillon soared high into the air while Charizard was forced to land.

Slaking, which had been lazily lying on the ground, suddenly shot over to Charizard's side and landed a critical hit with its Crush Claw on Charizard's abdomen, sending it flying backward with a painful scream.

Seeing the performance of Slaking and Blissey, Max shouted excitedly from the sidelines, "Dad is amazing! Go, Yuga!"

In the air, Vivillon noticed Charizard being knocked away and began to flap its wings rapidly, sending out Supersonic that quickly shattered all the pink hearts into fragments, making them disappear.

At that moment, Slaking, due to its Truant ability, lazily returned to the ground. Vivillon then directed an Electroweb toward the distant Blissey.

Knowing well about Slaking's ability, Blissey didn't rely on it for help. Instead, it swiftly shrank in size and, after returning to normal, easily dodged Vivillon's Electroweb.

This was the move Minimize.

However, Vivillon did not give up and kept throwing Electroweb, but Blissey skillfully evaded each one using Minimize.

Blissey, which lacked offensive power, had maximized its evasive abilities.

Meanwhile, Charizard, after being knocked back, immediately launched an attack on the immobile Slaking, engulfing it in intense flames.

When the flames dissipated, Slaking was still lazily lying on the ground, its expression unchanged. At that moment, Blissey's Healing Wave landed on Slaking, erasing the injuries caused by the flames without a trace.

Slaking was already a Pokémon with strong stamina and above-average defense, and with Blissey's Healing Wave continuously restoring its health, Charizard's fiery attacks had almost no chance of dealing effective damage.

The moment its injuries were healed, Slaking sprang up and swung its Crush Claw at Charizard again, but fortunately, Charizard was prepared this time, and Slaking missed.

Charizard and Vivillon once again attacked Blissey and Slaking, but the situation was the same as before. Blissey was incredibly slippery and couldn't be hit at all; while Slaking was easier to hit, it always managed to recover completely with Blissey's Healing Wave.

Seeing the situation on the field, Yuga quickly realized that standard attacks wouldn't work against the formidable tank duo of Blissey and Slaking. He shouted to Vivillon and Charizard, "Charizard, cover Vivillon while it uses Quiver Dance!"

Charizard nodded and swiftly moved closer to Vivillom.

With Charizard's cover, Vivillom completed six rounds of Quiver Dance at incredible speed, maximizing its status.

Now, Vivillon was on a whole different level compared to before. With the help of the Genesect Fossil, it had completed its transformation into a Butterfly King, allowing it to execute Quiver Dance at lightning speed and easily stack it up to the maximum of six layers.

Seeing that Vivillon had finished its Quiver Dance, Yuga shouted, "Vivillon and Charizard, let's go!"

Upon hearing Yuga's command, Mr. Norman's heart skipped a beat. But before he could respond, Vivillon created a wind pillar with its and Charizard's center using the move Hurricane.

In the blink of an eye, the enormous wind pillar obscured Vivillon and Charizard at its center. Within the wind pillar, Vivillon's eyes gleamed with purple light as its powerful psychic energy acted upon the wind pillar, causing its walls to begin expanding outward.

"ROAR!!!"

Charizard took a deep breath and unleashed a torrent of intense flames toward the rapidly spinning wind pillar. In no time, the entire wind column was engulfed in a bright red hue, the rising temperature instantly sweeping across the entire battlefield.

At first, the size of the flaming wind pillar wasn't particularly exaggerated, but in the blink of an eye, it expanded to fill the entire arena. Mr. Norman wanted to warn Blissey and Slaking to get out of the way, but he quickly realized there was no escape.

Just like that, both Blissey and Slaking were caught in the fiery wind pillar. The wind fueled the flames, forcing Blissey and Slaking to endure the scorching heat of the fire while being torn by the force of the wind.

As long as Vivillon maintained its psychic control and Charizard continued to unleash its flames, the damage from the fire wind pillar would not cease.

Caught within the fiery wind pillar, Blissey and Slaking attempted to fight back, but the spinning column disoriented them, preventing them from using any of their moves.

Seeing this scene, not only did Mr. Norman fall silent, but also Max, Ash, and May in the stands couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

It was so spectacular!

Vivillon's control was impressive; it firmly restrained the fire wind pillar in the battlefield with its psychic energy, ensuring that it didn't affect the outside at all.

Time seemed to stretch, and eventually, the wind pillar gradually slowed down, the flames slowly dissipating. The already unconscious Blissey and Slaking fell from the air, signaling that the victory in this battle belonged to Yuga.

However, despite Yuga's victory in this skirmish, both Vivillon and Charizard were completely drained, lying on the ground panting heavily.

This combination of moves was originally developed by Vivillon and Volcarona together, but after Yuga discovered it, Charizard replaced Volcarona in the duo. (Volcarona: Feels a bit green on top.)

Looking at the collapsed Slaking and Blissey, Mr. Norman sighed, "Truly, each generation surpasses the last!"

At that moment, Ash outside the arena was still a bit dazed, repeatedly murmuring, "So amazing."

The battle between Yuga and Mr. Norman left an indelible impression on Ash. For the first time, he realized just how powerful Gym Leaders could be, and he also recognized his own weakness.

That night, Ash couldn't fall asleep.