Chapter 282: Pikachu's Ferocious Assault (Part 2)
Seeing this, Gary couldn't help but glance resentfully at Ash and Pikachu cheering from the audience seats.
(It clearly didn't need cheering anyway...)
"What's up with Gary? His look is scary," Ash involuntarily trembled at the accusing gaze, then looked over curiously. He soon realized Gary was staring at him with resentment, as if Ash had done something wrong.
(Hmm, I don't think I provoked him recently...)
Ash briefly doubted himself, reflecting on the past two days to recall if he had truly offended Gary in any way.
"Thanks for your effort, Steelix!" Gary said softly after a moment's thought, withdrawing the unconscious Steelix into its Poké Ball, before murmuring some words of comfort.
In Gary's eyes, Steelix's failure partly resulted from his own carelessness. He was willing to shoulder this grave responsibility.
"I'm counting on you, Arcanine!" Gary shouted.
After saying this, Gary jokingly kissed the Poké Ball in his hand, then threw it out with force, releasing his trusted Pokémon.
The white light faded, revealing Arcanine, its body covered with fluffy flaxen fur, marked with tiger-like black and orange stripes, and tufts of fur around its feet.
Arcanine was one of Gary's three main powerhouse Pokémon, carefully trained and nurtured.
Clearly, Gary deployed Arcanine, intending to use its superior speed to defeat Ash's Pikachu.
"Now Gary's sent out his third Pokémon. Meanwhile, Lord Red hasn't switched his Pokémon yet, and Pikachu remains in good condition. The situation remains uncertain," the announcer explained.
The bell rang.
"Arcanine, use Flamethrower!"
"Thunderbolt!"
Red and Arcanine launched simultaneous attacks. The charged electricity and scorching flames collided in the center of the battlefield, each attempting to overwhelm the other.
After a brief exchange, the power of the two moves created an explosion and thick black smoke that blocked the audience's view for a time.
The tension gripped the spectators' throats, curious how the clash would unfold.
"Arcanine, use Extreme Speed now!"
Seeing the smoke as an ideal chance to strike, Gary seized the moment eagerly.
"Pikachu, use Agility to dodge!"
At lightning speed, Arcanine charged toward Ash's Pikachu, crashing fiercely in Ash's direction.
Due to Arcanine's extraordinary swiftness, Pikachu couldn't fully evade the attack and braced to absorb the impact with its arms.
"Pikapika!"
Pikachu staggered back but quickly used its tail to stabilize against the ground, regaining its balance.
"Pikapika..." Pikachu was slightly embarrassed but looked at Ash and gave a subtle scratch of its head.
"It's alright," Ash soothed quietly, wanting Pikachu not to worry too much.
"Arcanine, use Extreme Speed again," Gary pressed his advantage.
"Use Iron Tail to leap into the air, and release Discharge over all of Arcanine's copies!" Ash ordered.
Annoyed by Arcanine's repeated charge, Pikachu leapt with an iron-charged tail, skillfully avoiding Arcanine's rush.
Arcanine looked surprised as Pikachu, now in the air, erupted in electricity, releasing high-voltage current across every corner of the battlefield, making evasion impossible.
"Ugh!"
Arcanine let out a pained cry as it took the brunt of Pikachu's attack.
The referee instinctively took a few steps back, fearful of being caught in Pikachu's live electric current.
"Arcanine, are you okay?" Gary called anxiously.
After enduring the electric onslaught, Arcanine shook its fur and barked to Gary, signaling its readiness.
"Good. Now, Arcanine, use Flare Blitz!"
Noticing Arcanine's labored breathing, Gary realized it was time to unleash the finishing move in hopes of defeating Pikachu.
Gary misjudged Pikachu's ability to resist the fierce Flare Blitz, and exhaled slowly, expecting victory.
"Pikachu, use Volt Switch!"
Seeing the confident grin on Gary's face, Ash's smile curled upward.
(Gary, you've underestimated me after all…)
Arcanine's body blazed with intense flames, its whole being engulfed. Suddenly, it lunged toward Pikachu with blazing speed.
Red's Pikachu responded fiercely, charging forward, wrapped in powerful electricity. A thunderbolt radiated like a pillar, and Pikachu enveloped itself with shocking power, darting at Arcanine.
"Volt Switch?!"
Everyone except Ash stared in shock at Pikachu's performance on the battlefield.
"Volt Switch is a signature move for the Pikachu line and can only be mastered by naturally talented Pikachu. Its power index rivals that of Flare Blitz," Professor Oak explained to the watching crowd, eyes eagerly fixed on the oncoming clash between Red's Pikachu and Arcanine.
In full view of the audience, electric current and raging flames violently collided at the battlefield's center. The fire attempted to devour the electricity but was rebuffed. After sustained combat, the moves gradually fused, producing a powerful explosion.
"Boom!"
A deafening blast echoed from the arena's core as a terrifyingly deep crater appeared. The referee nearby was blown backwards, barely avoiding injury. This showed how intense the power struggle between Pikachu and Arcanine truly was.
The entire stadium anxiously fixed their eyes on the battlefield, curious to see who had gained the upper hand.
When the smoke cleared, Pikachu and Arcanine stood panting. While Arcanine looked severely injured, Pikachu maintained a proud stance, only occasionally gasping—signs that its stamina was draining.
At that moment, both Pokémon displayed odd phenomena. Flickers of flame and electric energy appeared around them, revealing the onset of burn and paralysis status effects.
"You've got bad luck..." Red said calmly, hardly believing Pikachu had suffered a burn.
"I thought I could win, but I didn't even get a draw..." Gary sighed helplessly.
"Pikachu, return for a rest. Use Volt Switch."
"Volt Switch?"
Gary's face hardened as he witnessed Pikachu's move. Volt Switch was an officially recognized attack move in the League and not a cheat by Red.
With shocked looks from Gary and Arcanine, Pikachu suddenly transformed into a streak of lightning, rushing at the heavily injured Arcanine, crashing into it fiercely.
"Ugh!"
Just as Arcanine prepared to release flames in retaliation, Pikachu became lightning again and swiftly returned to Red's Poké Ball.
"Everyone, remain calm. Pikachu's Volt Switch is a legitimate League move. Lord Red is not cheating!" the announcer reassured the crowd, most of whom had never seen such a scene and mistook it as cheating. The explanation promptly calmed the crowd.