"Another battle?" Serena adjusted her slightly askew hat from running over and sighed softly.
"Well, that's just Ash's nature," Bonnie said helplessly.
"In that case, I'll be the referee." Clemont was surprised when Ash issued a battle invitation to Terrance. He wanted to remind Ash that Terrance might be very strong, but knowing Ash's personality, he gave up on the idea as it would be useless.
"He actually wants to battle Pikachu. Ash's Pikachu is really strong. Maybe it could..." Clemont still had a lot of confidence in the bond between Ash and Pikachu.
Terrance nodded and looked over his six Pokémon, hesitating for a moment.
All six of them were clearly brimming with a desire to fight.
"This is really a tough choice..." Terrance scratched his head in frustration and said, "Ash, how about this? Since I chose to battle Pikachu, I'll let you pick your opponent."
"Huh, I get to choose?" Ash looked slightly surprised, then turned to look at Terrance's Pokémon and showed a similarly troubled expression.
"If he chooses Beautifly, he'd have a slight advantage," Clemont reckoned while adjusting his glasses.
But he knew very well that, given Ash's personality, he would definitely make an unexpected choice.
In fact, Ash had a hard time deciding. He stared at Terrance's Pokémon for a long while, unable to make the final decision.
"Ahhh, whatever, I'll just point at one randomly." Ash covered his eyes, turned around, then spun back and pointed randomly in a direction.
"Gallade..."
Looking at the spot Ash pointed to, Clemont was slightly stunned. When Ash opened his eyes and saw the silent warrior he had chosen, he showed a satisfied smile.
Just from appearance, Gallade looked incredibly strong; exactly the kind of opponent Ash was excited to challenge.
"Pikachu, let's go!!" Ash shouted.
"Gallade, huh." Terrance looked at Gallade and smiled slightly. That was a good choice too.
"Gall~ade!!"
As the five stepped aside to clear space, Terrance and Ash each took a position on opposite sides of an open area.
Pikachu leapt off Ash's shoulder, sparks flying from its cheeks, staring at Gallade with battle intent blazing in its eyes.
"Gallade, the Blade Pokémon. It uses blade-like arms to fiercely duel its enemies..." Recalling the data he had just seen in the Pokédex, Ash observed Gallade's arms.
"Then the battle..." Clemont, seeing both sides ready, slowly announced:
"Begins!!"
"Be careful," Terrance warned, "Gallade, use Slash!"
Terrance gave the order.
In that instant, Ash hadn't even had time to react. A flash like a ray of dawn cutting through darkness swept out and struck Pikachu hard, sending it flying backward.
"Pi-ka..." Pikachu cried out in pain as its body was sent flying several meters away, continuously skidding across the ground as the immense force of the slash instantly spread across Pikachu's small frame.
"Pikachu!!" Ash shouted in shock and concern.
"Pikachu—!" Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont were all stunned by the sudden turn of events, staring in disbelief at the Gallade, which had vanished and then suddenly reappeared at Pikachu's original spot.
That just now was...
"Tele..port?" Clemont gulped, eyes wide with shock as he stared at Gallade.
Not just the speed, but also the power. This Trainer's Pokémon was truly strong!
"Pikachu, are you okay?!!" Seeing Pikachu blasted away, Ash was extremely worried and shouted anxiously. In response to Ash's call, Pikachu slowly stood up, its body covered in injuries, eyes filled with seriousness as it stared at Gallade.
"Pika!!" Pikachu cried out to Ash, indicating it could still continue the battle.
"Not bad." Terrance thought silently. At first, he was worried that Gallade's full-power attack might cause too much damage to a Pokémon like Pikachu, but now it was clear that Ash and Pikachu's strength exceeded his expectations.
You had to know, that single Slash from Gallade just now, even the champions and runners-up of the League Conferences he had faced before couldn't withstand a single strike, utterly outmatched.
For a Pokémon like Pikachu, whose defense wasn't its strong point, to withstand that hit, it genuinely surprised Terrance.
"Alright, Pikachu, now it's our turn to fight back!!" Ash's eyes were filled with caution. Though he said that, Gallade's earlier attack had left a serious impression on him.
"Gallade, another Slash," Terrance said calmly.
Hearing the command, Gallade used Teleport to instantly close the distance. A burst of white light, gathered from nothingness, instantly shot toward Pikachu!
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt's Counter Shield!" Ash shouted at the same moment Terrance gave his order.
Counter Shield?
As the referee, Clemont's eyes immediately locked onto Pikachu.
Gallade's teleport was fast, but the coordination between Ash and Pikachu once again surpassed Terrance's expectations. Even before Gallade moved, Pikachu had already gathered electricity, spinning rapidly on the ground. Endless bolts of electricity flew out in arcs!
As Pikachu spun, the direction of its Thunderbolt became less concentrated. Instead, synchronized with Pikachu's coordinated movements, it gradually transformed into a shield-like move.
Bang!
Gallade, who had teleported next to Pikachu, had no choice but to raise its arm to block this combined attack-and-defense "Counter Shield", and was helplessly blasted back by the powerful electric currents, retreating quickly.
"Counter Shield… When did Ash's Pikachu learn that technique?" Serena and Clemont were both shocked.
"Hehe, I developed it while traveling in the Sinnoh region. The inspiration came from a Coordinator friend of mine." Ash grinned after successfully blocking Gallade's attack.
Sinnoh? Coordinator?
Terrance looked at Ash with interest and said, "If all you can do is defend, that kind of electricity won't be enough to beat my Gallade."
"Use Close Combat and slash through its Counter Shield," Terrance ordered.
"Defense isn't my style either!" Ash shouted back. After two rounds, Pikachu had learned Gallade's attack style and timing.
Pikachu, Iron Tail!
Terrance and Ash gave their commands almost simultaneously.
Bang!
The sound of Close Combat clashing with Iron Tail echoed in Terrance's ears, and he felt a sense of admiration: "This Pikachu's battle awareness is exceptional, better than my own Pokémon."
Terrance's weakness was his lack of battle experience. Gallade's attacks were faster, but Ash and Pikachu, relying on rich experience and extraordinary instincts, managed to counter them. This made Terrance want Gallade to go all out.
"Splitting Waterfall!!"
Terrance shouted. Splitting Waterfall, a technique honed by slashing waterfalls in Alola, allows power to be released continuously. At this moment, Pikachu's Iron Tail clashed against Gallade's attack. The sheer force of the Iron Tail, amplified by gravity and momentum, was even able to block Gallade's assault. This forced Terrance to make Gallade reveal its true strength.
Bearing the force of Iron Tail, Gallade bent its knees slightly, its blade bursting with even greater strength, the energy attacking Pikachu relentlessly!
"How's that? Can you withstand it?" Terrance smiled.
"Pikachu, layer Electro Ball onto Iron Tail!!" Ash shouted quickly as he noticed Pikachu's Iron Tail was starting to be overpowered.
If Electro Ball could be layered onto Iron Tail, the resulting surge of electricity would be enough to seriously injure Gallade in an instant. That was Ash's plan.
But the moment that command was issued, Terrance's expression calmed. The battle was over.
Pikachu, having lost control of Iron Tail, could no longer threaten Gallade.
"Slash," Terrance said softly. Pikachu immediately lost its balance, its expression going blank as it began to fall. Above it, a blade of light followed like a shadow, slashing down ruthlessly.
"Pika——" Pikachu cried out in pain as it crashed to the ground, losing consciousness.
Ash and Pikachu had lost, defeated by their misread of Gallade's Teleport.
Seeing Pikachu losing unconscious, Ash quickly rushed over, scooping Pikachu into his arms and calling out urgently.
"This is an Oran Berry." Terrance picked up a freshly washed Berry and tossed it to Ash, saying, "That was a great battle. If you had figured out Gallade's fighting style, we would've been in real trouble."
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