Ritchie was furiously shaking Pete's hand thanking him for the battle, so much that the announcer had to call him out so they would get off the stage.
The next battle was being chosen and the screen showed.
Gary Vs Mandi
Before anyone, even the announcer said anything, a loud and slightly obnoxious voice came from the side, "I suppose it is my turn, showtime now watch me work my magic, this battle is for you, my lovely ladies."
Mandi was loudly announcing while doing some dumb magic tricks and was getting a good amount of support from the audience.
"Wow that guy is obnoxious," Ash said out loud, but also thinking something, 'Huh, I just remembered Brock saying something stupid back in the Pokemon league, I think it was something like flying type moves are super effective against Kingler, which was stupid but never really found out if that was a dub error or Brock actually said that.'
At the stadium Gary and Mandi were standing on each side, Mandi was blowing kisses in random directions, "My adoring fans don't worry this battle won't take long, I shall show you all how I work my magic!"
The announcer stayed silent for a bit, not out of respect but more like he was annoyed, "Anyway the next battle will begin on this side we have Gary Oak, and on the other side we have a man who gave me a long list of titles to call him that I will not be doing the magnificent Mandi," the announcer said pulling out a long piece of paper and throwing it behind him.
"Both trainers get your Pokemon, be ready and start."
Gary sent out Wartortle and Mandi sent out Exeggcute.
"It seems like I already have stolen the type advantage just like how I will steal the show, Confusion."
Gary didn't seem to want to honor Mandi with a response, "Wartortle dodge with Aqua Jet."
A beam of different colored shapes was floating quickly at the turtle when suddenly it dashed out of the way in a jet of water and got close to the Eggs.
Mandi looked slightly taken aback, "Exeggcute Bullet seed."
"Don't let him, Rapid spin."
Exeggcute tried charging seeds in its mouth to shoot out but whenever it did Wartortle would come in spinning and slap the face charging up.
"Bite," Wartortle got in front of the main head to deliver a bite that cracked its already cracked shell, although Mandi tried getting it to dodge.
"Hydro pump," Wartortle got in their one blind spot then shot a powerful beam of water sweeping all of the Eggheads and launching them out of bounds and out of the fight.
"I suppose you have some skill, no matter I shall still come out victorious, Golbat!" Soon the floating mouth with wings was facing against the turtle with a tail.
"Golbat wing attack," the large bat's wings started glowing as it moved at high speeds, surprising most people as it got a slash into Wartortle.
"Wartortle Rapid spin to recover," Wartortle attempts to salvage the situation by getting a hit on the bat but it simply starts flying higher to dodge.
"Poison Fang,"
"Withdraw then Bite"
Wartortle directed the bat to bite down on his shell, dealing nothing, allowing him to turn the tables and bite it.
"Now Iron tail," Wartortle's tail glowed silver as it spun itself getting behind the bat and then delivering a strong slam making the bat eat dirt.
Golbat was up, barely, and Mandi looked worried, "Confuse Ray and get out, Quickly!" Golbat sent out a weird orb out of its eyes that went to Wartourtal making him feel dizzy, and Golbat tried to run away.
"No you don't, Wartortle snap out of it Hydro Pump," Wartortle shot out a Hydro Pump, although at first it was going everywhere but then he got himself together and moved it to the fleeing bat shooting him out of the sky and into the ground.
Mandi looked overly surprised and fell on all fours, "How could this be, how could I the great Mandi lose,"
Gary and the announcer both ignored him, "And the winner of this battle is Gary Oak, such a marvelous display of power from Wartortle, how could Mandi stand a chance,"
The crowd started cheering and Ash was clapping while Squirtle was looking at Gary's Wartortle, one may think that he was looking at Wartortle with admiration, but in reality, Squirtle's mind was filled with only one thing, 'What a waste, If I had a tail like that I could boost my poses to the next level.'
Ash got up, returned his two Pokemon, and turned to Misty and Yellow, "I guess that means I'm up, Don't wait up," he said walking off.
On the screen, it showed the last fight which was
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Ash Vs Assunta
Ash walked up to the stand and saw Gary on the way there, gave a nod then continued walking.
When he got up on the other side he saw Assunta looking over to Melissa and gave a nod.
Assunta looked at Ash and pulled out a Pokeball, "Sorry about this but I can't afford to lose, I need to beat that girl for my friend Melissa,"
Ash smiled, "Well that girl you're talking about is my friend so if you want to get to her you'll have to deal with me, and I promise you, you won't win."
The announcer spoke up, "It's time for the final battle of the Top 16 for the last spot in the Top 8, on this side it is Ash, and on the other, we have Assunta, the tension here is so thick you could cut it with a knife, both trainers get ready and begin."
Assunta released a Rhyhorn which was clearly a girl from the smaller horn than the one Brock has, and Ash released Squirtle, on the side Gary took a sip of water and spit it back out in surprise.
Ash saw it and thought, 'Whatever they were going to find out anyway so might as well show off a bit.'
As he thought that Assunta took the opportunity to move first, "Rhyhorn stomp," Rhyhorn began charging forward and prepared her front right leg to stomp down on the turtle.
"Withdraw" as Rhyhorn sent down her foot and sent multiple stomps pulling up a dust cloud, when she stopped the dust cleared and the only thing there was a shell, when Rhyhorn looked down to get a closer look Squirtle popped his head out and shot a Water Pulse into her face.
Rhyhorn staggers back and attempts to stomp again, "Rapid spin to escape and Scald." Squirtle pops back into his shell and is sent flying out, but comes back like a boomerang getting on top of Rhyhorn and then sending boiling hot water on its most vulnerable spot, the back of the head where her joints are, also causing the burn.
"Rhyhorn get it off you and Drill run." Rhyhorn starts moving and jumping around like a wild bull eventually making Squirtle lose his grip, as he's falling Rhyhorn's horn starts spinning as she charges forward, but Squirtle simply hides back in his shell and due to the boosted defense and Burn's secondary effect of halving physical attacks, it barely did anything.
"Bubble into Aura Sphere," Squirtle pops his head out again and gets water into Rhyhorn's eyes forcing her to close it, then as he is still airborne he comes out of his shell and charges a blue ball of energy in his palm and hits it into Rhyhorn, also doing a big spin and the Rhyhorn comes crashing down into, but despite all of that she was still up.
"Rock slide with everything you've got," Rhyhorn stomped with everything she had left and Rocks started barreling down on the small turtle.
"Let's finish this Aqua jet to bounce," Squirtle was enveloped in water and started gliding bouncing off the falling rocks like a ball in a pinball machine, increasing his speed until he reached Rhyhorn and shot into the Pokemon shooting her back and unconscious.
Assunta quickly returned Rhyhorn and pulled out a second Pokeball releasing it and revealing it to be an Ivysaur.
Assunta looked at Ash and then made a motion to Ivysaur before speaking up, "Energy ball," a green orb of energy charged in the bud of Ivysaur which shot out aiming for Squirtle.
"Aura Sphere then get in close," Squirtle smiled and Pulled out his Glasses to put them off, then raised his arms to shoot a blue orb, the two balls crashed and tried to overpower each other, but the two orbs of energy continued to push on each other, meanwhile Squirtle used a Rapid spin to get behind Ivysaur.
"Ice beam," by the time Ivysaur turned around Squirtle was already charging a blue beam which shot into the frog.
Ivysaur was pushed back after getting hit by a super effective move, but it did not deteriorate.
"Ivysaur Ingrain then Vine Whip," Assunta commanded, Ivysaur pulled out 6 different vines, 4 went into the ground and seemed to start absorbing something and the other 2 shot over to Squirtle, Squirtle on reflex hid in his shell, but the vines weren't aiming to whip him, they were meant to grab him, which he made easier.
Squirtle bumped out of his shell and looked at his situation so on reflex he took a bite into the vines hoping to get free, it didn't work, meanwhile Assunta continued, "Solar beam."
Ivysaur's vines grabbed onto Squirtle harder as energy started overflowing from it gathering on the bud, also getting extra healing from the Ingrain.
Squirtle started rapidly spinning in hopes of escaping, but Ivysaur held on like its life depended on it as it kept charging until the beam was ready.
Ash quickly called out, "Brace yourself and Protect,"
The greenish beam shot out as Squirtle raised his arms and started holding back the beam with a barrier he summoned. But the barrier started cracking and the attack was not even close to being done.
Squirtle started sweating thinking that he was going to lose, he closed his eyes thinking that it wouldn't matter, that Ash would still win without him.
In his head, his voice echoed 'without him, without him, without him' until it changed to two voices, a boy and a girl. He heard the girl's voice, "Just leave him, we're better off without him."
Squirtle remembered that day, it was nighttime and they had just set up camp, his trainer was a boy named Kevin, and the girl was his girlfriend Luna.
The day before Kevin challenged a trainer that Squirtle knew was stronger, smarter, and had the advantage against him, yet he still chose him, he lost that battle leaving him injured.
While he was recovering he heard their conversation, now Luna was never really a fan of him, she frankly hated water types in general since she chose to be a fire type expert, so since they started their journey together she has tried to get Kevin to get rid of him.
Keven would always refuse but the consistent chipping away and losing finally got to him one day, Kevin was not a good trainer, he barely knew type advantages and never actually taught Squirtle anything, but he still was Squirtle's trainer so he continued to obey no matter how stupid he acted.
But on this night one word that came out of his mouth changed everything, "Yeah maybe I should, to be honest, I don't even remember why I wanted to keep him around, you already gave me this cool new Pokemon so who needs a useless turtle. But maybe we can keep him as a punching bag."
That was the straw that broke the Camerupt's back, during the night Squirtle sneaked into Kevin's bag and took his Pokeball to smash it, then he limped into the water and lost consciousness, the next thing he remembered he was found by his friends the Squirtle Squad, and the rest was history.
But now things were different, he had a new trainer who cared for him and his friends, even that idiot Bulbasaur and the rookie Charizard, he was happy, he smiled as the beam enveloped him and an explosion happened, and they in his place was a large dust cloud, and when it dispersed the only thing there were the black glasses with one lens broken.
Everyone was wondering where Squirtle was, Ash just smiled, "Let's end this, Ice Jet (Ice Beam + Aqua Jet)."
From the top of the rocks came a turtle in water, as he was in it he launched ice creating an Ice bullet that shot into Ivysaur, forcing his roots out of the ground and sending him flying into the 2 orbs that were still colliding, but once Ivysaur hit them they exploded.
Meanwhile, the turtle walked over to his broken Glasses and struck a pose as the explosion happened behind him.
"ゴゴWar-turtle! ゴゴ," said Wartortle with his broken glasses covering one eye, and his new tail and ears flowing with the air caused by the explosion.