Pokémon: Simultaneous time travel, this Ash is too versatile!

Chapter 52: Battle against Elite Starmie, Butterfree and Pidgeotto team up!
Even if a normal gym battle is handled with a lot of leniency, it's still the same number of Pokémon against the same number of Pokémon. After all, the number of Pokémon used has a significant impact on the outcome of the battle.

When several Pokémon form a defensive alliance, their strength can be increased exponentially.

When Ash challenged the Pewter City Gym, he would never have won so easily if he only had a Butterfree or a Pikachu.

So when Xiaoxia said she wanted to challenge him to a three-on-one match, Xiaozhi was completely stunned.

"You're looking down on me, Misty! Gym battles are supposed to be proper, with the same number of Pokémon battling each other! What kind of nonsense is this, three against one!" Ash said, slightly dissatisfied.

"Of course I know, but the lower-level Pokémon in the gym are still at the Pokémon Center. Based on your gym badge and travel time, I should be arranging the lowest level challenge for you, but I can't do that now, so I can only use my main Pokémon."

"Didn't I refuse your request to battle you before? Let me tell you, my strongest Pokémon is at the peak of its elite level. Although it can't compare to the professional-level main Pokémon that most Gym Leaders have, it's still far superior to the Pokémon you have," Misty said bluntly.

To put it simply, Ash's Pokémon were too low-level, and she couldn't bring out any low-level Pokémon from the gym to battle Ash, so she had no choice but to use special rules.

The use of tactics can indeed make up for the level difference to some extent, but the difference between Ash's Pokémon and hers is too great. During this period of travel, Misty can be said to know Ash inside and out. How could she not know Ash's capabilities?
The strongest Pikachu is only at the Advanced stage, probably around the Intermediate Advanced stage, while the other Pokémon haven't even reached the Advanced stage yet, so there's no point in even thinking about it.

The Pokémon she used was at its peak elite level, which was roughly one major level and two minor levels lower than Ash's strongest Pikachu.

What kind of tactics can bridge this level gap? Moreover, she has the advantage of the field. If Ash hadn't only had three Pokémon with battle power, Misty wouldn't have suggested a three-on-one battle, but would have asked Ash to bring out more Pokémon.

However, Xiaoxia does have some weaker Pokémon. She has a main Pokémon, Goldfish, which is at the elite level and is about to evolve.

If Ash were to use that Pokémon to battle, he would have a very high chance of winning. However, Misty wants to use her strongest Pokémon to fight Ash!
It's already a shame that Misty can't have a proper three-on-three battle with Ash. She should at least have her strongest Pokémon battle Ash, and... it would be best if she could win!

Xiaoxia's intuition told her that if she couldn't beat Xiaozhi in this match, the chances of defeating him in future battles would be extremely slim.

This guy's speed in improving his strength and self-improvement is just too fast. In a year or two, who knows what kind of monster he'll become.

"...Okay, then it'll be three against one. Don't say I won unfairly if I lose!" Ash thought for a moment and finally agreed to Misty's request.

The opponent's Starmie was stronger than all of his Pokémon combined. It didn't seem unfair to Misty that it was three against one, but rather unfair to him. With such a huge level difference, he would be at a disadvantage even in a three-on-one situation.

But that's just right. Without facing some challenges, how can he quickly advance towards the championship?

“Then, according to the rules of the gym challenge, I’ll take out my Pokémon first… Go, my baby!” Misty threw out a Poké Ball, and with a flash of light, a Starmie with a pale purple body and a blood-red gem in the center appeared on the field.

"As expected of Starmie, Ralts. You stand aside for now. Don't go into battle today. Let me show you the fighting style of the seniors... I choose you, Butterfree!" Ash placed Ralts at his feet, gave her some instructions, and then threw Butterfree's Poké Ball.

"So the first one really is Butterfree? But after watching your duel with Brock, your previous tactics won't work on me anymore." Misty said with a smile. The hypnotic powder, silk-spitting, and ultrasonic tactics were indeed disgusting, but in her home turf, Misty had countless ways to counter them, not to mention that her Starmie was so much stronger than Butterfree.

The stronger a creature is, the weaker the abnormal status it is affected by. For example, even if a gem starfish were to fall into a sleep state, it would probably wake up in less than ten seconds.

This is the difference caused by the huge difference in levels.

"Butterfly, use Sleep Powder!" Ash said, ignoring Misty's verbal attacks, and used Sleep Powder first.

"Didn't I tell you it's useless? Starfish, jump into the water." Faced with the hypnotic powder, Xiaoxia directly made the starfish jump into the water.

The Cerulean Gym's Water Field is a huge swimming pool, which is also where the Cerulean sisters usually perform water ballet. There are a few floating boards on the field that allow some non-swimming Pokémon to stand, but the area is very narrow and there are not many of them.

Therefore, Xiaoxia has an absolute advantage in this area. The starfish turned around on the float and came into the water. The hypnotic powder fell down and couldn't touch the starfish at all.

Moreover, even if they encounter it, Starmie can wash it off before the sleep powder takes effect, which is why Misty said that Ash's tactics are useless against her.

Seeing Starmie jump into the water, Ash's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "Come back, Butterfree, I choose you, Pidgeotto!" Ash recalled Butterfree and traded it with Pidgeotto.

"Phi-pipi!" Pidgey, making its first official appearance at the gym, let out a clear chirp.

"Have you come to the truth? Butterflytail can't affect starfish."

"Hmph! Butterfree's efforts weren't in vain; it successfully forced Starmie into the water! Pidgeotto, use Tornado!" Ash snorted and commanded Pidgeotto to use the Tornado move!
This Pidgey knew more skills than Ash had imagined. Before coming to challenge the gym, he had already imagined the scenario of challenging the Cerulean Gym based on the teachings of the experts in the group.

Although his opponent was Xiaoxia, he still didn't change what he was doing or his tactics.

A tornado swept across the field, and the howling wind whipped up the water in the pool, even stirring up the bottom of the water!

The starfish in the water was uncontrollably swept up by the rolling rainwater and began to spin wildly in the water.

"Using the water terrain against yourself? You're something else, Ash! Starmie, get out of the water!" Misty was also taken aback by Ash's actions. He had actually used the terrain advantage against himself, using the water flow and the suction of the tornado to firmly hold Starmie in the tornado.

This would indeed cause some damage to the starfish, and Xiaoxia quickly took the starfish out of the water.

However, the combined force of the tornado and the churning water was too great; the gem starfish was unable to escape the water for the time being, and the water in the pool was rapidly decreasing as it was being swept up and sucked in by the tornado…

(End of this chapter)