Chapter 216: Pikachu vs. Rapidash!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
On the Rock Field, a mouse and a horse were locked in a tense standoff.
Pikachu puffed out its chest, its gaze resolute. Although the difference in their physique was quite large, it showed no weakness.
"Thud!"
Rapidash lifted a foreleg and stomped it fiercely on the ground. The ground instantly rippled outwards with a tremor. Caught off guard, a startled Pikachu slipped and fell on its bottom, losing its composure.
"Chahumph!"
Seeing this, Rapidash snorted a puff of hot air from its nostrils, its expression full of pride and ridicule.
What can an Electric Mouse Pokémon do?
While galloping across the fields, it had trampled countless mice like this one.
"Pikachu, we can't lose in terms of momentum!" Ash hurriedly cheered his Pikachu on from behind.
In Pokémon battles, momentum is also very important. Once it's lost, the rest of the battle can quickly become a complete rout.
"Pika!"
Pikachu nodded, its morale restored. It mimicked the action, lifting its leg and stomping it fiercely onto the ground.
"Tap."
The ground didn't react at all.
The motion was even similar to a High Jump Kick—a mini-High Jump Kick, you could say. Pikachu clutched its aching leg, hopping around repeatedly on the Rocky Ground.
HP -1.
"Chahumph-humph!"
Seeing this, Rapidash's taunting grew even more pronounced. It thought to itself that this Electric Mouse Pokémon was just here to be a clown.
Even Blaine, standing in the back, didn't seem too concerned. He was even a little disappointed, wondering if the Wartortle from before was Ash's strongest Pokémon, and the rest were just Baby Pokémon for show.
It seems I won't be able to enjoy myself today.
"Pika..."
Faced with continuous disdain, Pikachu's gaze suddenly hardened, and it leaped into the air on the spot.
Its small body spun three times in mid-air, its tail tucked beneath it, gathering a raw, chilling metallic gleam. Finally, it landed heavily on the Rocky Ground.
"Crack!"
The ground suddenly shook violently. With its tail as the epicenter, the Rocky Ground cracked and shattered layer by layer. The fissures spread out like waves towards Rapidash, and a blast of smoke and dust instantly swept outwards, blinding everyone.
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!"
Rapidash, at the center of the earthquake, cursed inwardly. This time, it didn't dare to snort. It quickly bent its four legs into a half-squat, lowering its center of gravity to maintain its balance amidst the vibrations.
Rapidash is a Pokémon with long legs, so its center of gravity is naturally high. Once it bent its knees, it looked as if it were kneeling on the spot, a very unflattering posture.
After a long moment, the commotion caused by the Iron Tail finally subsided. Several small craters had been smashed into the Rocky Ground.
Rapidash: "..."
As Rapidash stood up again, the arrogant look on its face gradually vanished.
Blaine: "..."
His gaze deepened. He had originally thought it was just for show, but it seemed its strength was not to be underestimated.
"Pika!"
After flexing its muscles, Pikachu flicked its tail against the ground, landing back on the rocky surface. It was very pleased with the expressions on the man and horse before it.
Don't you dare look down on me, Pikachu!
"It seems the power in its tail is immense... Rapidash, watch out for this Electric Mouse Pokémon's tail."
"Chahumph!"
Rapidash quickly recovered from its shock. Its four hooves stamped against the ground, ready to charge and attack at any moment.
"Rapidash, use Flame Charge!"
The moment he spoke, Rapidash stomped hard on the ground, kicking up a cloud of smoke and dust. The fiery mane on its body flared up instantly, and crimson flames cloaked its body like a suit of energy.
"Swoosh!"
With a loud cry, a red figure shot out from the smoke and dust at great speed.
"A contest of speed? Pikachu, let's use Quick Attack too!" Ash, not to be outdone, commanded Pikachu to launch a similar move.
"Pika!"
Cloaked in white light, Pikachu pushed off with its hind legs and charged towards its opponent. Its figure, racing across the ground, was like a bolt of white lightning, its Speed even a notch above Rapidash's.
Pikachu didn't go for a head-on confrontation. Instead, at the moment of impact, it instantly flashed to Rapidash's side and slammed into its abdomen.
"Smack!"
It rammed its head into Rapidash's stomach. The Damage wasn't very high, but it made Rapidash pause for a moment.
Being able to change its method of attack while facing a Flame Charge showed just how comfortable Pikachu was with its own Speed.
"Its Speed is actually a bit lacking...?"
Blaine was slightly surprised. His Rapidash had won running championships before, yet it had fallen behind in Speed, its greatest strength.
It looked quite plump, but were its motor skills inversely proportional to its appearance?
The first clash ended. A special red light, symbolizing a stat boost, fell upon Rapidash.
"In that case, use Flame Charge again!" Blaine ordered another attack, unhurried.
Rapidash once again kicked up a cloud of smoke and dust, then burst through it cloaked in its flame outer layer. This time, its Speed had risen by a level; it was clearly much faster than before.
"Beep, beep. Flame Charge. While using this move, the user's Speed is increased," the Pokédex provided a timely explanation.
Without waiting for Ash's command, Pikachu used Quick Attack again to compete in speed. But this time, just as it was about to repeat its old trick, Rapidash managed to keep up with its movements, sidestepping slightly.
"Swoosh!"
Pikachu grazed past its back, failing to land a direct hit and only leaving a small scratch.
Then, another red light of a Boost descended upon Rapidash.
Giving Ash no chance to think, Rapidash used Flame Charge for a third time. This time, its Speed was no longer inferior.
"CHAH!!"
Facing Pikachu's agile movements, Rapidash changed its footwork. This time, it finally reacted completely, meeting Pikachu's Quick Attack with its own head-on Flame Charge.
"CLANG!!"
The white light and the firelight collided head-on, producing a powerful, resounding impact.
"Pika..."
After the impact, the horse and mouse were both knocked back. Rapidash retreated three steps, while Pikachu retreated five.
"Just as I thought. The key to its Power is its tail. If it's just its body, its Strength is nothing to fear..."
Seeing this, Blaine revealed a confident smile and pushed up his sunglasses.
"Rapidash, use Flame Charge!!"
This command made Ash's face darken instantly. No matter how good a move is, there's no reason to use it over and over. Isn't that just cheap?
"Clip-clop-clop..."
Rapidash tossed its head. The smoke and dust it kicked up this time were even more intense as its flaming body shot out from within.
But this time, its Speed had reached an incredible level. Before Pikachu could even initiate its Quick Attack, Rapidash's figure was already right in front of it. The towering, crimson silhouette gave Pikachu a fright.
"SMACK!!"
Caught completely off guard, Pikachu was sent flying into mid-air by Rapidash's direct hit, taking the blow right to its face.
"My Rapidash is a long-distance running Champion with maxed-out Stamina! It can keep using Flame Charge like this all day long!"
Blaine watched as Pikachu, sent flying, began to tumble in the sky, struggling to right itself. A faint light began to glow on its jagged tail. He smiled to himself, his wise eyes beneath his sunglasses having already seen through everything.
"Rapidash, be careful of its Iron Tail."
(end of chapter)