Chapter 58: Ash vs Huo La (3)

"Bulbasaur, we strike first! Use Razor Leaf!" Ash's voice was full of sharp resolve, and he was the first to break the stalemate.

"Seed!" Bulbasaur answered, shaking its leaves; dozens of cold‑shimmering sharp leaf blades shot out like whirling blades, their cunning angles covering every escape direction of Ivysaur, even the sand quivered as the wind stirred by the leaves brushed it.

Huo La's gaze hardened, his tone steady: "Ivysaur, we'll use Razor Leaf too!"

"Seed—!" The flower bud behind Ivysaur trembled slightly, and it likewise flung dozens of leaf blades, charging at the opposing Razor Leaf.

A series of crisp "Swoosh" sounds rang out, the leaf blades from both sides darting back and forth in the air, sometimes colliding and shattering, sometimes grazing the edges and flying past, leaving shallow marks on the sand, and for a moment it was impossible to tell who was superior.

Ash stared at the deadlock on the field, growing impatient, his voice rising a notch: "Bulbasaur, stop stalling! Use Vine Whip!"

"Seed!" Two tender green vines shot out from beneath Bulbasaur's leaves, winding toward Ivysaur's stalk like agile snakes.

"Ivysaur, we'll use Vine Whip too!" Huo La's command followed immediately.

Ivysaur's two vines were thicker, bearing a force that cleaved the air as they surged forward—four vines interlaced in midair, grappling each other, and Bulbasaur's vines, smaller in size, were gradually overpowered, causing its body to tilt back slightly.

"Damn!" Ash gritted his teeth and instantly switched tactics: "Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!"

A few seeds bearing tiny vines flew out from Bulbasaur's flower bud, heading straight for Ivysaur's bud.

"Ivysaur, use Leech Seed as well!" Huo La remained unmoved.

The seeds Ivysaur released were faster and more accurate, not only blocking the opponent's Leech Seed but even one nearly landed at Bulbasaur's feet, prompting Ash to shout "Dodge!" in alarm.

In the next few minutes, the beach battle turned into a "Recreation Scene"—Ash called for Sleep Powder, and Huo La had Ivysaur scatter Sleep Powder as well;

Ash had Bulbasaur use Impact, and Huo La had Ivysaur launch Impact too.

The two similar yet distinct moves clashed repeatedly, causing the onlookers to hold their breath.

"What on earth is Huo La trying to do?" Xiao Xia finally couldn't hold back, pointing at the near‑synchronised actions, "Why does he copy whatever Ash uses? Does he have no other moves?"

Lilian frowned and nodded: "It does look that way... but when Huo La was commanding the Nibi Gym, his tactics were very flexible."

"No, it's not that he has no moves; it's Huo La's strategy." Xiao Gang, who had been watching the battlefield, suddenly spoke, his tone confident.

Xiao Xia and Lilian instantly turned to look at him, and Zheng Hui even stopped recording, leaning in to listen; as an experienced Breeder, Xiao Gang often sees the details of Pokemon Battles more clearly.

"Don't be fooled by Huo La's constant mimicry; the same skill applied to Pokémon raised by different Trainers can differ greatly," Xiao Gang said, pointing at the two Bulbasaurs, "Ivysaur has evolved, its size a notch larger than Bulbasaur, with superior energy reserves and muscle strength; Bulbasaur, though agile, ultimately can't match the base stats of the evolved Ivysaur—if you simply compare the power of similar moves, Bulbasaur has always been at a disadvantage."

He paused briefly, then continued his analysis: "More importantly, this is Huo La's Psychological Tactics."

"I've heard you say that when Ash faced the Nibi Gym and the Hualan Gym, he liked to rely on aggressive attacks to break stalemates; his nature is already rather impatient, and after Charmeleon lost earlier, he's definitely eager to win back quickly, his emotions already tightly wound."

Xiao Xia and Lilian recalled Ash's behavior throughout the journey, nodding vigorously.

The last time they encountered a wild swarm of Beedrill in the forest, Ash also acted impulsively because he was eager to protect Pikachu.

"Huo La is exploiting exactly that," Xiao Gang's gaze fell on Ash's increasingly tense face, "He deliberately counters with the same moves; on the surface it's a 'Hard Clash', but in reality it's constantly draining Ash's patience. The more Ash wants to win, the more he rushes to switch moves and speed up the pace, yet Huo La follows his rhythm, gradually disrupting his judgment; once Ash's emotions slip, the outcome is decided."

He added at the end, "Those who use poison..."

As soon as the words ended, Zheng Hui suddenly pointed at the battlefield, lowering his voice to warn, "Here it comes!"

Everyone looked instantly—Ash could no longer hold back, thrusting his fist and shouting, "Bulbasaur, stop matching its moves! Use Impact directly, knock it away!"

"Seed!" Bulbasaur immediately lowered its body, powering its limbs, charging straight at Ivysaur, even a few strides faster than before, clearly eager to decide the outcome.

At this moment Huo La finally altered the "Recreation" tempo, his tone almost flatly calm: "Ivysaur, use Vine Whip to wrap the nearby reef, leap to evade, then use Mountaintop Crush!"

"Seed—!" Ivysaur instantly flung out two vines, precisely coiling around a partially exposed reef nearby, and using the tension leapt upward, easily dodging Bulbasaur's Impact.

Before Bulbasaur could react, Ivysaur had already adjusted its posture in the air, its massive body bearing Gravity potential, crashing down on Bulbasaur like a green boulder!

"No! Bulbasaur, dodge quickly!" Ash's face changed rapidly, and he shouted urgently.

But it was already too late—Bulbasaur had just turned when Ivysaur's body slammed onto the sand beside it, the massive impact causing the ground to cave instantly, shaking Bulbasaur off balance; before it could steady itself, flying sand and gravel blinded its eyes.

"Now! Ivysaur, use a combo of Vine Whip and Razor Leaf!" Huo La's command followed precisely.

From the bud on Ivysaur's back, vines interlaced with Razor Leaf surged forward, striking the still-dazed Bulbasaur directly!

"Seed..." Bulbasaur let out a faint low whine, its body swayed, and it finally collapsed heavily onto the sand, its bud withering away, completely losing its fighting ability.

Zheng Hui immediately raised the record board, announcing loudly, "Bulbasaur has lost its fighting ability! Huo La wins another round!"

Ash stared blankly at the fallen Bulbasaur, taking a moment before he reacted, then hurried over and lifted it, his voice tinged with regret: "I'm sorry, Bulbasaur... I was too hasty."

Huo La had Ivysaur retreat to the side to rest, and, watching Ash, said softly, "A Pokemon Duel is not just a clash of power and type, but also a clash of Trainers, of tactics and thought. Your Bulbasaur is strong, but you can't sustain its greatness."

Ash's gaze grew despondent, but after a moment he straightened up, pulled a third Pokeball from his waist, his fighting spirit not only undimmed but intensified, his voice a bit deeper: "Huo La, you're right; I'm not strong enough, not calm enough, and on that point I'm indeed lacking, but I haven't conceded yet!"