"What's wrong?"
Paul's mocking words made Ash roll his eyes a little.
Who was he to tell Ash what Pokémon to use?
"I'm not looking down on you or anything," Paul said smugly. "But you'd better send out that Shiny Butterfree of yours. That one's at least Elite level—might be able to take a couple hits."
"This Pikachu's probably Entry-level at best. It won't even survive one move from Drapion…"
Faced with such arrogance, Ash remained calm.
His eyes didn't even flicker. He didn't bother responding. He simply sent Pikachu out. His first battling partner.
"Pika~!"
Pikachu landed on the field.
Its tiny body stood tall and proud.
The electric sacs on its cheeks crackled with faint golden sparks.
It faced Drapion's menacing glare without a shred of fear.
"Battle start!"
The referee's voice rang out just in time.
Like a trumpet signaling the charge.
And the moment the words left his mouth—A sharp gleam erupted in Ash's previously calm eyes.
His command came like a drawn blade cutting through the air.
"Pikachu!"
"Quick Attack!"
Pikachu shot forward at his command.
Its small body turned into a streak of golden lightning, nearly impossible to track with the naked eye.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just raw momentum, surging forward with breathtaking speed, charging directly at Drapion.
"Ash strikes first—his Pikachu is incredibly fast!"
Before most of the trainers could even react—Even the referee was startled.
His voice trembled slightly through the speakers.
Nobody had expected it.
That this Entry-level Pikachu could explode with such speed?!
Pikachu was so fast, it even left a faint golden afterimage behind.
"Pika~!"
In the blink of an eye—It had slammed right into Drapion's massive body.
A collision between two drastically different sizes—And yet, Drapion was sent flying!!
"So fast!!"
In the crowd—Yumi's pupils dilated in shock.
The other trainers had the same stunned look on their faces.
Some of them barely managed to let out half a syllable of their surprise.
"My god—too fast!"
"Is that really just an Entry-level Pokémon?!"
"It's faster than my Elite-level ones!"
This Pikachu's speed—
Had completely outstripped their ability to visually track it.
Only Leaf on the sidelines had expected something like this.
Just yesterday, when Ash battled Gary—His performance already exceeded expectations for someone his age.
But today…
Was he even stronger than he was yesterday?!
It's only been one day!!
"Drapion!"
Seeing his Pokémon sent flying, the arrogance drained from Paul's face, replaced by shock.
His voice finally revealed panic.
He'd thought this match would be another clean sweep.
He expected to utterly dominate again.
But instead, Ash had taken the initiative right out the gate!
This sudden reversal—Was like a hammer blow to his chest.
"Damn it…"
Still—As a battle-hardened Elite-ranked trainer, Paul quickly pulled himself together.
He gritted his teeth.
Forced himself to calm down.
Then barked a command:
"Drapion, lay down Toxic Spikes across the field!"
After all—Quick Attack may land first, but its power was low.
Paul still planned to control the field and outlast his opponent.
That Pikachu was fast.
But that had to be its only threat.
There was no way it could also hit hard.
No way it had both insane speed and power. That'd just be broken…
"Ssshhh…"
But as Drapion tried to respond—It let out a pained groan.
And didn't move at all.
Faint golden sparks crackled between the gaps in its armored shell.
Its muscles twitched involuntarily.
"Paralysis!!"
An experienced trainer in the crowd suddenly jumped to his feet.
He pointed at Drapion and shouted excitedly:
"Pikachu's Ability is Static—any physical contact has a chance to paralyze the opponent!"
"Unbelievable!!"
"Ash got so lucky—one hit and Drapion's already paralyzed?!"
The crowd was stunned.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the stands like a tidal wave.
This match…Was going nothing like they expected!
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Ash wasn't about to give Shinji or Drapion a chance to breathe.
Now that his opponent was paralyzed and unable to move—He was going to finish the battle here and now!
"Pika…CHUUUU!!"
Golden lightning burst from Pikachu's tiny frame.
Even more dazzling than what Leaf had seen back at school.
The massive electric surge flew straight toward the paralyzed Drapion.
Like a roaring golden dragon—Crackling with destructive energy and a deafening "ZAP!"
"Drapion, dodge! Dodge now!!"
Paul had completely lost his cool.
He waved frantically, trying to get Drapion to evade.
But it wasn't up to him anymore.
Paralysis meant a high chance of being unable to act.
And with Ash's Battle Legend trait in play—That chance was amplified beyond reason!
The Thunderbolt slammed straight into Drapion.
"SSSKKKK—AARRGH!!"
Drapion let out a high-pitched shriek of pain.
Wild lightning arced across its armored body, exploding violently.
Its dark purple shell instantly scorched black.
The stench of burnt chitin filled the air.
"It's not over yet!"
Ash's eyes were razor-sharp, like an eagle honing in on its prey.
His ability to seize an opening was perfect.
Drapion was still paralyzed.
Now was the time to go all in—to lock in the win.
"Use Thunder!"
[End of Chapter]