With Pikachu's defeat, the score stood at three to two, allowing Masamune to recover some ground. But the two battles he had practically thrown away early on still left him on the brink.
Ash still had four Pokémon he had yet to reveal, which meant Masamune would have to handle the coming battles carefully. He could not afford any more easy losses.
Once Ash had carried Pikachu back and returned to the Pokémon Trainer's Battle Area, the match continued.
This time, Ash sent out his Torkoal.
In terms of typing, Torkoal undoubtedly had an advantage over Steelix. However, Masamune did not switch Pokémon, continuing to battle with Steelix instead.
Despite the type disadvantage, Masamune paid it no mind. Instead, he brimmed with fighting spirit, seeming like a different person compared to the first two battles.
Once the battle began, he even directed Steelix to trade attacks head-on with Torkoal.
Dragon Breath collided with Flamethrower. In the end, Flamethrower proved stronger, canceling out Dragon Breath before continuing forward and striking Steelix.
The flames dealt double damage to Steelix, leaving it in considerable pain. Seeing his chance, Ash decisively ordered Torkoal to press the attack. But when Torkoal breathed fire again, Steelix reacted in time, meeting it with another Dragon Breath.
This time, Flamethrower failed to overpower Dragon Breath. The two moves exploded in midair, producing a mass of flames and smoke.
Taking advantage of this, Steelix used Dig and burrowed underground. To prepare for an attack that could come from anywhere, Torkoal hurriedly used Withdraw, only for Steelix to burst out directly beneath it and knock it into the air with its head.
The instant Torkoal fell from the air and accidentally landed upside down, Steelix seized the opportunity to blast it with another Dragon Breath, knocking it out.
After a