"Pryce, you don't need to say anything more. You can't shut yourself off from all Pokémon because of that one incident." Seeing that Ash and Pryce refused to back down, Sima let out a helpless sigh.
"Hmph, a kid with such naive thinking has no chance of beating me. Let me correct your mindset."
After hearing Sima's words, Pryce snorted coldly and led Ash toward the battlefield of the Mahogany Gym. At this point, forget breakfast, the tense atmosphere alone made it clear that this was no time for anything else.
"I'm really sorry. Pryce wasn't like this before, it's only because of that incident." Sima followed behind, apologizing to Sabrina at her side.
"It's fine. I'm just a little worried about this match. From the way Ash looks, he's genuinely angry. If things go wrong, there could be an accident."
Sabrina shook her head, her eyes fixed on Ash's back with concern. Just moments ago, she had clearly felt the energy within him shift into something chilling, completely different from his usual presence.
Normally, Ash's Aura and psychic power felt warm and vibrant. But now, all she could sense was an icy coldness. Even the life force emanating from him carried that same frigid edge.
"Don't worry, Pryce is very measured," Sima said, assuming Sabrina feared Pryce might go too far.
"You misunderstand. I'm not worried about Grandpa Pryce being too harsh. I'm worried about Ash. If you don't understand him… even a Legendary Pokémon would be nothing more than a joke in front of him."
Sima froze at those words. A Legendary Pokémon… and not just any, but even the strongest among them, reduced to a joke?
"You saw his eyes just now. Like him, I'm a psychic. You've probably heard of it. But unlike me, Ash's psychic power is highly offensive."
"You also know about the incident with the two Legendary Pokémon not long ago. It was Ash and his Pokémon, Mewtwo, who stopped them. And Ash is the youngest Champion-level trainer in Kanto."
Sabrina had once considered stopping him, but she didn't dare. Both Cynthia and Lorelei had warned her before, when Ash was truly angry, he could not be reasoned with.
Lorelei had once accidentally touched upon Ash's inner taboo, so she understood this clearly. Cynthia knew even more about the dangerous edge hidden within him and understood his anger better than anyone.
"So the strongest trainer people talk about… that's your boyfriend?" Sima asked, finally grasping the gravity of the situation.
As the two spoke, everyone arrived at the Mahogany Gym battlefield. The arena was a combination of ice and water. Ice platforms and frozen surfaces covered the field, with a circular pool at its center.
"It's too late to stop them now… I can only watch how this plays out." Sima sighed and stepped onto the referee's platform.
"Now beginning the Gym battle. Each side will use two Pokémon. The challenger may switch once per match, but the Gym Leader cannot switch. The match… begins!"
Holding a red flag for the Gym Leader and a green flag for the challenger, Sima declared the start of the battle.
"I'll show you, old man. Building bonds with Pokémon only makes battles stronger, not weaker. Come on, Pikachu. This time… no holding back."
As the battle began, Pikachu leapt from Ash's shoulder onto the icy field. In an instant, golden lightning erupted around its body, wrapping it completely.
Thunder God Mode.
For the first time, Ash unleashed Pikachu at full power.
No one around Ash had ever truly seen Pikachu's full strength. This time, Ash intended to show the old man that only by treating Pokémon as true partners could one achieve absolute coordination in battle.
"Hmph, your ideals are completely useless." After hearing Ash's words, Pryce let out a cold snort and threw a Poké Ball.
A flash of white light appeared, and a Dewgong emerged on the battlefield. Its presence alone revealed its Champion-level strength.
"Water and Ice typing… Pikachu, use Dark Pulse."
Ash's Sharingan spun slowly as he locked onto Dewgong's movements. This time, he wasn't holding anything back, he was genuinely furious.
"Pika!"
Pikachu opened its mouth, releasing a burst of dark, crackling energy. The Dark Pulse shot forward like a beam, tearing across the field at incredible speed. The moment Pryce saw it, his pupils shrank.
"Dewgong, use Ice Beam!"
The Dark Pulse was too fast to dodge. Without hesitation, Pryce chose to counter head-on.
"Dew~!"
Dewgong cried out as the horn on its head gathered icy blue energy. In the next instant, a freezing white beam fired forward.
Boom!!!
Dark Pulse and Ice Beam collided midair, erupting into a violent explosion. The shockwave spread across the icy battlefield, and for a moment, neither side gained the advantage.
"Dewgong, use Horn Attack!"
Taking advantage of the clash, Pryce immediately issued another command.
Dewgong slid swiftly across the ice, its body gliding with practiced ease. Reaching the edge of the central pool, it launched itself into the air, diving down from above with its horn aimed straight at Pikachu.