In the semifinals of the Hoenn League's Ever Grande Conference, Ash and Gary met head-on.
"Corphish, Crabhammer!"
"Metagross, Meteor Mash!"
Bang! Bang! Their fists traded blows, with repeated bursts of sound as they tore through the air.
"Hey-da!" Although Corphish's claws were swollen from all the pounding, its terrifying strength still kept Metagross from taking it down quickly.
Gary was rather frustrated too. After using tactics for so long, he had fallen for Ash's tricks today...
His mixed team of third-stringers and first-stringers had run straight into Ash's first and third teams, and the two sides had actually ended up in a tug-of-war.
If he could, Young Master Mao really wanted to switch in Electivire and give Corphish a couple of Thunder Punches.
But... Young Master Mao hadn't brought it...
With Eevee and Turtle backing him up, he wouldn't lose, but being caught off guard by Ash was even more embarrassing than losing!
"Metagross, Psychic!" Seeing Corphish swinging its huge claws and preparing to charge again, Young Master Mao decisively changed his approach.
Hum! Powerful psychic energy instantly lifted Corphish into the air.
"Beta!" Metagross kept pouring in psychic energy, immediately putting Corphish at a disadvantage and hurling it straight into the sky.
"Corphish, use Bubble Beam!" Ash reacted at the last possible moment.
"Hey-da!" Corphish forced its claws open, pouring out a barrage of icy Bubble Beams.
"Protect!" Gary could only fall back on defense and wait for a chance to counterattack.
Bang! Bubble Beam pelted the protective light shield like rain. Metagross dug all four limbs into the ground, not budging an inch.
"Now, use Crabhammer!" Taking advantage of its downward plunge, Ash once again went all out with his reckless fighting style.
Gary suddenly laughed.
"That's my rival for you. This is the kind of pressure you