Chapter 292: First Meeting with Pikachu
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander
The two Thunderbolts clashed, perfectly matched. The terrain was open, and the stirred-up black smoke was already dissipating into the surroundings. At this moment, only a layer of black smoke lingered in the center, obscuring the view between Pikachu and Eevee.
"Gary... he's really strong."
Only by truly battling him could Ash understand the true strength of his rival. He was definitely not some comedian here for laughs; the pressure he exuded was exceptionally intense, and the rhythm of his offense was relentless.
"Oh? Ash, you dare let your mind wander while battling me?"
As Gary's voice fell, a powerful aura suddenly emanated from the other side of the black smoke, causing both Ash and Pikachu to raise their heads and look forward cautiously.
"It's coming!"
From within the black smoke, a faint white light suddenly ignited. A small figure broke through the lingering smoke, running swiftly on all fours and charging straight toward them.
"Is that a Quick Attack? Pikachu, we'll use Quick Attack too!" Ash instinctively commanded.
"Pika!"
Pikachu nodded, its body also becoming enveloped in a layer of white light as it charged forward on all fours to meet the attack head-on.
"Quick Attack? Don't look down on me!"
On the other side, seeing they were at maximum range, Gary suddenly gave a cold sneer, his pupils shrinking sharply.
On the battlefield, the aura of the Eevee, which had been covered in white light, abruptly changed. The white glow around its body blazed like a flame along its attack path. The energy surged, its color deepening until it finally transformed into a brilliant golden light.
*Thump, thump, thump!!*
At this moment, Eevee transformed into a small golden tank, its entire body clad in a layer of golden energy. It carved a long, black scar into the ground, and for a moment, its momentum was unstoppable!
Double-Edge!!
"Pika?"
This sudden change of moves startled Pikachu. But it was too late to dodge; it could only brace itself and meet the attack head-on with Quick Attack.
*BOOM!*
Quick Attack and Double-Edge collided. After less than half a second of contact, the white light on Pikachu shattered and vanished. Its momentum was gone; the terrifying force before it was simply not something its Quick Attack could block.
"Eevee!!"
In mid-air, Eevee pressed its advantage. The golden energy of Double-Edge erupted before it, smashing squarely into Pikachu's abdomen and sending it flying. The powerful force launched the smaller Pokémon backward like a cannonball!
*RUMBLE!*
Pikachu's small body hit the ground, tumbling back across the grassland. It rolled for several meters before finally crashing into the fence at the edge of the field and coming to a stop.
"Pikachu!!"
Ash shouted, his voice filled with worry. The damage from that hit was significant.
One had to remember that Double-Edge was also a Normal-type move, which received a boost from the Ability Adaptability. At this moment, its power was far greater than even Giga Impact!
"Damn it... That Gary is too insidious!"
Ash clenched his fist. The starting motion for Double-Edge and Quick Attack was the same. Gary had deliberately not named the move earlier, precisely to set a trap for him.
"No, I was just careless."
Ash immediately shook off that thought. A success was a success; there was no such thing as being insidious. That was just making an excuse for his own failure.
Brother Red had once said that a qualified trainer should be able to distinguish the starting motions of any move.
If you couldn't distinguish it, the first priority was to dodge and take cover, not to attack head-on.
It could be said that in this series of exchanges, he had been playing right into Gary's hands. The latter was operating on a level far above his own.
A few seconds later, amidst the smoke and ruins, a small yellow figure slowly stood up, causing Ash's eyes to light up once more.
"Pika..."
Pikachu slowly rose, pushing away the soil and grass that had fallen on it. Its usually lazy gaze had vanished, replaced by a ferocious one. Its fighting spirit was on full display as it stared down Eevee, battle intent still surging.
But its body was trembling slightly. Its injuries were severe; it was like a candle in the wind.
"Oh? It hasn't lost its ability to battle yet?"
Gary was slightly stunned. With the power of that Adaptability-boosted Double-Edge just now, let alone an Electric Mouse, even a Tauros would have been instantly knocked out.
"Eevee..."
An electric arc flashed across Eevee's body, and it frowned. This was the recoil damage from Double-Edge.
Although it now held an overwhelming advantage, its extensive training made it wary of carelessness. It cautiously watched the Electric Mouse that had gotten back to its feet.
Ash tipped his hat, his eyes glittering with a brilliant light as he asked:
"Pikachu, can you still battle?"
Pikachu hopped a few steps back in front of Ash. It turned to face forward, clenched its little paws into fists, and tensed. Electric current danced on its cheeks.
"Pika, CHU!!"
Following its roar of anger, brilliant and immense lightning energy erupted from Pikachu's body, transforming into an incredibly violent pulse of electric current that shot straight into the sky. It blasted a huge hole right through the white clouds overhead in a truly extraordinary display of power.
It answered Ash's question with sky-piercing lightning!
The battle had only just begun.
*Rumble...*
In an instant, the once clear sky over Pallet Town suddenly turned gloomy. Dark clouds gathered above everyone's heads, and the faint rumble of thunder could be heard, making the atmosphere exceptionally oppressive.
"This..."
Gary was stunned by the scene. His Blastoise knew Rain Dance, so he knew this wasn't Rain Dance. It was purely channeling the power of natural lightning to change the weather.
Easier said than done; the difficulty was extremely high!
But a run-of-the-mill Electric Mouse? How in the world could it be capable of something like this?!
"This..."
Brock and Misty immediately recalled Brother Red's round-faced Pikachu. When it unleashed its secret technique—Lightning Qilin—it could also achieve something like this.
"This..."
Professor Oak was even more dumbfounded.
This Pikachu was just a run-of-the-mill Electric Mouse he'd casually caught. Had it been swapped out?
He couldn't help but recall his first meeting with Pikachu.
He still remembered it was on the back mountain of Pallet Town. At the time, he was conducting an experiment to test Pokémon intelligence.
Professor Oak had set up a trap on a rock wall.
He first dug a small hole and threw some food inside. A Pokémon could reach its paw inside to grab it, but when trying to pull it out, the paw, now clenched into a fist, would be too wide to withdraw.
The Pokémon would have to choose: let go of the food and escape, or stubbornly hold on and remain trapped.
But after placing the food, he abandoned the experiment, figuring that Pokémon weren't so foolish; there probably wouldn't be any that would fall for it. So he left.
It wasn't until a week later, when Professor Oak happened to pass by, that he saw an Electric Mouse, starved to skin and bones, collapsed outside the hole. Despite being tormented by hunger and thirst, with berries and water right beside it, one of its paws was still gripping the food tightly, refusing to pull it out.
This was an Electric Mouse with incredible willpower.
Professor Oak: "..."
Oh, so there really was a fool.
(end of chapter)I think people don't understand it. I have a personal website where I post advanced free chapters — there are 10 new chapters per day, so you can check it out here: soollhooaf.com