Chapter Thirty-Nine: What a Coincidence, Isn't It?

Psychic Shock is a rather unique special attack among the psychic-type moves. Although classified as a special attack and thus influenced by the user's special attack stat, its damage materializes physically and must be countered with physical defense. Bulbasaur, being vulnerable to psychic types and possessing high special defense but low physical defense, was at a clear disadvantage.

Already worn down from the previous exchanges, Bulbasaur was taken out with a single decisive blow.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle. Ash, please send out your next Pokémon," Brock announced after confirming Bulbasaur had fainted.

Ash quickly recalled Bulbasaur—fainted Pokémon can be retrieved immediately without the need to prepare any moves.

Bulbasaur had already made a significant contribution: despite a rough start, it managed to heavily drain Ivysaur’s stamina and even forced Ivysaur to retreat. That alone was quite an effort.

Meanwhile...

"Go! Butterfree!" Rather than risking it with Pikachu, who was still asleep, Ash chose to send out Butterfree.

"Excellent! Ash brought Butterfree after all… Now that Exeggutor is in trouble," Goh remarked with excitement.

Butterfree is a dual-type bug and flying Pokémon, and bug type is super effective against both grass and psychic types—Exeggutor’s dual typing makes it doubly weak.

Bug-type power tends toward gnawing and startling. The gnawing aspect is not only a weakness for the target but also clearly counters grass types, while the startling effect is especially potent against psychic types. In Allen’s view, the logic was that psychic types are highly strung and thus vulnerable to being startled—much like how dark types are also effective against them.

"Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? What bug-type moves does his Butterfree even know?" Misty couldn't help but roll her eyes at Goh’s enthusiasm. After all, Allen was her own rival, and she wouldn’t stand to lose to someone like Ash.

Goh opened his mouth but faltered—Butterfree really only knows Bug Bite as an attack!

The situation was much like when Allen had faced a number of Bug Catchers before… Butterfree, despite its bug typing, lacks effective offensive moves and, without extra training, is left with just the physical Bug Bite.

From the moment Allen saw Butterfree, his expression turned peculiar—it wasn’t that he had it out for Ash, but what a coincidence!

The contest between Butterfree and Exeggutor, outside of any special moves, was a stalemate between two weaklings.

Butterfree lacked fangs, claws, a robust physique, or even the strong wings that bird Pokémon use for offense—its delicate butterfly wings were ill-suited for attack. Exeggutor, for its part, was still struggling to use psychic power offensively and was better at using it to disrupt the opponent’s attacks. Any direct psychic attack was unlikely; its best chance to deal damage was to trip up its foe with psychic energy, forcing them into a misstep or sprain.

In the long run, however, Exeggutor’s prospects were brighter—given time, it would surely master psychic power for offense beyond its moves. Butterfree, on the other hand, was destined to play a supporting role.

Currently, Exeggutor was the stronger of the two, able to interfere with even regular tournament-level Pokémon using psychic power outside of its official moves, making it difficult for them to land effective hits. Butterfree, meanwhile, barely benefitted from such interference as it lacked any true offensive capability.

After a feeble exchange of blows, both sides finally finished preparing their first moves—Butterfree’s base speed is higher, and Allen suspected that Ash’s Butterfree specialized in speed, but…

Exeggutor’s superior battle power negated the speed gap, leaving them more or less even.

"Butterfree, use Air Slash!" Ash commanded calmly, resisting the urge to go for a risky Bug Bite.

To his credit, this was a wiser move than a typical Bug Catcher.

Butterfree’s wings beat furiously, generating slicing currents of compressed air that slashed toward Exeggutor.

"Allen! Wait for your chance!" Allen’s command was odd—not an order to dodge, defend, or counterattack, but simply… to seize the moment?

Exeggutor understood, and its three grinning faces turned uncharacteristically serious. Rather than gamble on evasion, it focused its psychic power around itself and braced for impact.

It was impossible to fully counter Butterfree’s move with psychic power alone; the air slash struck Exeggutor directly. At that exact moment…

Allen had timed it so that, right after Butterfree unleashed Air Slash and was left exhausted and clumsy in flight…

"Hit it now!"

Exeggutor didn’t need further instruction—it knew exactly what Allen meant.

From between its three faces, a dark gray sphere of energy condensed and then blasted toward Butterfree!

"Butterfree, dodge it—quick!" Ash shouted in alarm.

But Butterfree, wings still recovering from Air Slash, was too drained to avoid the attack.

Struck squarely, Butterfree suffered even more than expected, letting out a pained cry as it crashed to the ground. After a brief struggle, it failed to rise.

"What just happened…?" Goh was at a loss.

Misty, however, looked smug—she had watched Allen train these moves and knew exactly what to expect.

Brock spoke up, "That was the rock-type move Ancient Power."

As the former Pewter City Gym Leader, Brock was intimately familiar with rock-type techniques. Though Ancient Power doesn’t produce obvious rock formations like other rock moves, Brock recognized it all the same.

"Rock-type…" Goh realized the problem instantly.

Though Exeggutor isn’t a rock type, Ancient Power is super effective against both bug and flying types—making Butterfree doubly weak.

Just as Butterfree was on the verge of defeat, Exeggutor pinned it down with psychic power.

"Butterfree forfeits!" Ash quickly called out.

"Forfeit accepted," Allen replied.

Exeggutor understood. Without further command, it gently levitated the unresisting Butterfree out of the arena.

Ash sent out Pikachu next, but…

Pikachu was still asleep.

"Come on, Pikachu! Wake up!" Ash pleaded desperately, hoping to rouse him.

But Pikachu showed no sign of waking, while Exeggutor, having finished preparing its next move…

"Allen! Use Synthesis!" Allen commanded, prioritizing a recovery of stamina.