♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝔹𝕪 𝔻𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕪 (𝔸𝕞𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕘) ♛

Chapter 22: PROMISE

Chapter 22: Promise

In the stands, Blue looked confused at the battle.

"What is the Professor doing?" she asked.

"That old coot is quite the bad man," Agatha replied, realizing Oak's intentions.

However, her pupil was observing Ash's Butterfree closely.

"I see…," the teen uttered in understanding, noticing the blue cloth around the Pokémon.

"Choice Scarf, is it?"

The teen then observed as for every [Energy Ball] Butterfree shot…

He got even faster.

"Your friend is rather crafty," Karen said to Blue.

"Using Choice Scarf boosts Butterfree's Speed," she explained to the girl.

"But it locks it in [Energy Ball] for the rest of the battle."

"However, ranged attacks are probably the best options for the kid…"

"Since he's wary of Professor Oak."

"Not only that, Butterfree's precision must be…"

She hypothesized the possibilities.

"…I see."

"Compound Eyes."

An ability that boosted accuracy.

"Furthermore, Butterfree is a special attacker," the teen continued surmising.

"Intimidate lowers only the Attack stat, meaning nothing to Butterfree."

"Very astute observation, Karen," Agatha praised.

"But you made a single mistake in your observation..."

Karen looked at her mentor with a confused expression.

Her eyes asking the old woman to elaborate.

"Who said Tauros' ability was Intimidate?"

The [Energy Balls] connected.

A critical hit among them.

It rendered Tauros visibly wounded.

'We can do this!' Ash thought with a hopeful smile.

Then it was gone.

"Alright, my turn," Oak announced.

Suddenly, Tauros began emitting a powerful force. The beast mooed with amazing spirit.

The battlefield began vibrating at its declaration.

"What the?!" Ash blurted out in a panic.

"Tauros, [Payback]." Oak simply called out.

And the bull rocketed towards Butterfree.

The butterfly's Speed boost did not matter to the beast.

For it was already over before Butterfree could react.

Tauros attacked with a tremendous charge. The poor butterfly's body flew across the battlefield.

And landed on the Gym's wall behind Ash.

A deep crater in his wake.

With a mighty bellow, Tauros announced its victory.

Butterfree was unable to battle.