"Quick Attack, shift position!"
Since Turtwig was now frantically trying to track Starly's movements, Ash's strategy was straightforward: keep using Starly's agility to confuse Turtwig's judgment.
The advantage of the air over the ground lay precisely in this.
"Mu!"
Turtwig, which had barely caught sight of Starly's trajectory, saw its form vanish in a flash, forcing it to halt and search again. Being in the middle of a forest, the battlefield was virtually boundless, and at this moment, Starly had already hidden behind the nearest tree, awaiting Ash's next command.
"Growl!"
Just as Turtwig was about to turn its gaze toward the tree where Starly hid, Ash quickly issued the next order.
A piercing cry echoed across the field, so shrill that even Dawn and the others watching from the sidelines were forced to cover their ears, lest the sound overwhelm them and cause dizziness.
If it was this effective against bystanders, Turtwig, directly hit by the Growl, naturally couldn't escape its fate. It crouched down, stretching out its front legs in an attempt to cover its ears, though its short limbs made the gesture look somewhat comical.
"Quick Attack!"
Seizing the moment when Turtwig was completely distracted, Ash directed Starly to launch its assault.
An arc of light streaked through the air, striking Turtwig's body and pushing it several meters away, even lifting it slightly off the ground.
Feeling the force from the impact, Turtwig didn't give up. Instead, it glared defiantly, its eyes wide, and pressed its four limbs firmly against the ground.
Starly, which had planned to use its momentum to knock Turtwig airborne, hadn't expected Turtwig to stabilize itself. In fact, it now seemed that Starly was the one losing out in this test of strength.
"N… N… NA!!!"
Turtwig roared, swinging its head forcefully to fling Starly's body away. With another head swing, it unleashed Razor Leaf again, the move that had missed in the first round.
This time, however, Turtwig's Razor Leaf was far more powerful and swifter than before.
"Mu~!"
Blasted back by Turtwig's strength, Starly couldn't dodge in time and was hit head-on by Razor Leaf. Fortunately, the move wasn't very effective, and Starly's body hadn't lost its balance.
"Use Aerial Ace directly!"
Starly's setback didn't surprise Ash. When he noticed Starly trying to overpower Turtwig with brute force earlier, he'd already foreseen this outcome.
Though Starly's idea was sound, it had misjudged Turtwig's strength. Ash hadn't intervened to pull it back because he intended to use this experience to teach Starly not to rely too heavily on force in future battles.
Of course, setbacks happened, but counterattacks after setbacks were just as crucial.
Hit by Razor Leaf, Starly regained its balance immediately, adjusted its direction, and after a brief spiral, charged at Turtwig with a glowing arc of light.
Turtwig, undaunted, shook its limbs and rushed toward Starly in kind.
In Turtwig's mind, if it could overpower Starly with brute force once, it could do so again.
Turtwig's plan was solid, but reality wasn't so simple.
Raw strength might give it a slight edge against Quick Attack, but against Aerial Ace, which was several times more powerful, Turtwig's vaunted power seemed frail. The moment it collided with Starly, Turtwig was sent flying backward, unable to withstand Aerial Ace's force.
"Quick Attack to pursue! Then finish with Wing Attack!"
Seeing Turtwig unable to stabilize its body, Ash knew this was the perfect moment to end the battle.
"Mu!"
Starly let out another long cry, straightened its body, and accelerated toward Turtwig's trajectory.
Mid-flight, Turtwig forced its eyes open. Seeing Starly relentlessly charging, it wanted to resist, but its pain-wracked body refused to obey.
"Mu!"
Starly's wings glowed white. Upon reaching Turtwig, it accelerated again to position itself behind, aiming at Turtwig's shell and delivering a powerful strike.
Bang~!
With a dull thud, Turtwig, already in midair, was knocked forward by Starly's attack. Another super-effective hit left even the resilient Turtwig without the stamina to continue fighting.
"N… N… Na~"
After a final struggle, Turtwig's head tilted, and it fainted, unable to rise again.
Ash pulled out an empty Poké Ball, aimed at the unconscious Turtwig, and tossed it casually. The Poké Ball struck Turtwig's body precisely, transforming it into a red light and drawing it inside without resistance.
"I caught Turtwig!"
"Pipi-Pikachu~!"
"Mu!"
As Ash gained a new companion, Pikachu and Starly offered their congratulations. Dawn, watching from the sidelines, wanted to applaud, but recalling how effortlessly Ash threw his Poké Ball compared to her own blunder, she wasn't sure if she should celebrate.
"No way! I've got to train harder! I can't make that mistake again!"
Dawn muttered to herself, resolving in her heart. Brock, observing her small gesture, smiled warmly. Seeing the competitive yet bickering dynamic between Ash and Dawn, he felt reassured.
Brock believed this relationship would drive both to grow quickly.
Come to think of it, one being a Coordinator and the other a traditional Pokémon Trainer, yet sharing such a competitive bond, was truly rare… Their personalities were so similar, or rather, they meshed so well, didn't they?
Brock thought to himself.