Pokémon: Ash's New Journey

"Sceptile, it's your turn again!"

"Cha-mo!"

Sceptile, having consumed little energy in its earlier battle with Shiftry, was in peak condition—especially now, with its power having skyrocketed after leveling up.

Spenser furrowed his brows as he studied Ash's Sceptile.

For some reason, he felt that this Sceptile was significantly stronger than during its match with Shiftry.

Was it just his imagination?

"Sceptile, use Agility!"

Swish!So fast!

At level 53, Sceptile's speed had increased tremendously. Spenser was startled.

"Claydol, use Teleport to create some distance, then follow up with Rapid Spin!"

"Sceptile, Agility again! Stay on Claydol's tail!"

Sceptile moved at lightning speed, closing the gap immediately. Before Claydol could even begin spinning, Sceptile stomped heavily on the ground, instantly catching up.

"Too fast to shake off? Claydol, jump into the water and use Rapid Spin!"

If Claydol spun rapidly in the water, the swirling currents would create a natural barrier, making it nearly impossible for Sceptile to approach without getting hit.

"Sceptile, Seed Machine Gun!"

"Cha-mo!"

Sceptile launched a barrage of seeds at Claydol, but its spinning created a watery shield, deflecting the attack.

"Claydol, maintain Rapid Spin and charge at Sceptile!" Spenser commanded with determination.

But where was Sceptile?

Spenser's heart sank.

"Claydol, use Teleport to leave the water—hurry!"

Too late!

Ash snapped his fingers, and Sceptile suddenly emerged from the water.

"Leaf Blade!"

Two sharp blades of energy sliced through the water barrier, hitting Claydol squarely.

"Follow up, Sceptile! Use Leaf Storm!"

"Cha-mo!"

Leaf Storm struck Claydol with devastating force.

"Claydol, don't give up! Counter with Hyper Beam!"

Even as Claydol was flung back by the Leaf Storm, it managed to muster a powerful Hyper Beam.

Ash, however, was already prepared.

"Sceptile, SolarBeam!"

With the bright sun overhead, Sceptile's energy orbs absorbed sunlight instantly, unleashing a SolarBeam that collided with Claydol's Hyper Beam in a massive explosion.

A mushroom cloud rose from the impact.

"One more SolarBeam, Sceptile!"

Claydol, having already hit its limit after the Hyper Beam, was defenseless.

Sceptile's SolarBeam struck Claydol directly.

"Claydol?" Spenser called out, shocked to see it fall.

"Claydol is unable to battle. Since all three Pokémon of the palace guardian have been defeated, the winner of this challenge is Ash!"

The announcement echoed from the recording equipment, declaring Ash's hard-fought victory.

"Incredible! Ash, you're the strongest challenger I've faced since becoming a Battle Palace guardian!" Spenser approached Ash, his praise genuine. Both trainers recalled their Pokémon.

"Ding! Congratulations, Host! Sceptile has defeated Claydol and earned 34,000 battle experience points!"

Ash decided to save his last fivefold experience boost card and used a threefold card instead.

"Ding! Using a threefold boost, Sceptile gains 102,000 battle experience points!"

Sceptile leveled up from 53 to 55, just shy of the Elite Four threshold at level 60.

"That was an amazing battle, Spenser. I still have much to improve," Ash said humbly.

Meanwhile, Misty and May were ecstatic.

"Ash, you were amazing! Sceptile and Pidgeot were both incredible!"

"Yes! Palace Maven Spenser is so strong—it feels like he's even tougher than most Gym Leaders!"

"Of course," Scott interjected, descending in his hot-air balloon.

"Battle Frontier facilities have guardians stronger than most Gym Leaders. Every challenger here is top-notch, and Ash, your performance is one of the most impressive I've seen."

"Your next opponent is Anabel at the Battle Tower, located on a small island near Metallica Island. I'll meet you in Vermilion City to prepare," Scott said, his eyes full of admiration.

Spenser then presented Ash with the Spirit Symbol, the badge signifying his victory at the Battle Palace.

"I did it! I've earned the Gold Spirit Symbol!"

"Pi-ka-chu!"

With five symbols in hand, Ash now had only two challenges left: Anabel at the Battle Tower and Brandon at the Battle Pyramid.

Preparing for the Final Showdowns

In this real-world Pokémon journey, Ash knew that his current team wasn't yet strong enough to guarantee a win against Brandon. He decided to visit Mt. Silver to check on Larvitar before the final battle.

He also resolved to locate Lapras in the nearby Orange Islands.

Taking a deep breath, Ash steeled his resolve, ready for the challenges ahead.

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