The moment Electivire moved, Paul's triumphant grin froze on his face.
His pupils shrank to pinpoints.
All color drained from his cheeks, leaving only stunned disbelief.
"W–what?!"
"Electivire, you—?!"
His voice trembled violently.
Not far away, Electivire's eyes burned with fighting spirit… but also held a trace of disappointment.
And beneath that — a long-suppressed pride.
Even though it was facing a much lower-level opponent…
It wanted to win fair and square!
Not through cheap tricks.
Electivire's silent protest erupted into a surge of wild blue lightning.
"Zzzzt—!"
Two different yet equally ferocious bolts of electricity clashed in the center of the field.
Two Electric Pokémon, both unleashing their strongest Electric-type attacks.
One was Pikachu's pure, unyielding golden torrent.
The other was Electivire's raging azure dragon.
Blinding light swallowed half the battlefield in an instant.
The air ionized, producing a sharp, teeth-gritting screech.
Dust and debris swirled violently.
In the center of the arena, Pikachu and Electivire stood their ground, neither taking a single step back.
In their eyes burned nothing but fierce will to fight.
"E–Electivire has ignored Paul's command! It's using Thunderbolt!"
The referee's voice, full of disbelief and excitement, rang out over the loudspeakers.
"It's happening!!"
"A phenomenon where a Gym-level Pokémon under the command of an Elite-level Trainer refuses orders due to a clash in values or a breakdown in trust!"
"This is incredibly rare in an official match!"
He explained the unusual scene to the crowd.
Paul's eyes went wide, veins bulging at the corners. His chest tightened painfully.
He nearly coughed up blood.
His Electivire—one of his trump cards—
Had just disobeyed him.
The shame and humiliation were so overwhelming that black spots danced in his vision. His body swayed unsteadily.
"Pika~!"
"Rrrhh!"
Their roars rang out again.
As the battle grew fiercer, it was as if the two Electric Pokémon reached a silent agreement.
They poured everything into their Electric attacks.
Ignoring size, ignoring level.
Only a pure clash of Electric energy.
No schemes. No tricks.
The crowd was on its feet again, roaring in excitement.
"Haha! Serves that punk right—Electivire isn't listening to him anymore!"
"What else is there to say? Electivire's got character!!"
"Well done, Electivire! Keep it up, don't lose face!!"
"Pikachu, go! Beat another Gym-level Pokémon for us!!"
The audience was swept away by the moment, hearts stirred.
Whether it was Pikachu's unyielding perseverance…
Or Electivire's raw, honest nature…
Both moved them deeply.
Only Paul sat on the ground in shock, doubting his entire worldview.
He stared blankly at the "true man's duel" between the two Electric-types before him.
His carefully honed tactics.
His belief in level supremacy.
His trump card that he treated as nothing but a tool…
All of it was being crushed and trampled under the storm of pure lightning raging before his eyes.
"They're about to decide the winner!!!"
After trading more than a dozen Thunderbolts, the two Pokémon unleashed one final, earth-shaking clash.
The impact wave tore across the field, sending smoke and debris high into the air.
As the blinding light faded, the dust slowly settled.
Silence.
Absolute silence engulfed the entire arena.
Every eye was locked on the center of the ravaged battlefield.
Only one figure remained.
A small, adorable figure.
Yet its back was straight, its stance unyielding.
When two Electric Pokémon clash despite a massive level gap…
Victory belongs to the one with the stronger will.
And Pikachu, through sheer resolve, was the one left standing.
"Pika pi~"
The faint yet clear cry broke the silence.
As the yellow figure came into view, the referee's voice cracked with excitement.
"It's Pikachu! Pikachu is the one still standing!!"
"Unbelievable! Absolutely astonishing!!"
"This is… this is a miracle!!"
"How many more impossibilities can Ash and his Pikachu create?!"
The crowd erupted again, louder and more passionate than ever.
"Yeahhh!!"
"Ash, you're amazing!! Pikachu, you're amazing!!"
"From now on, this place is Pikachu Square!!"
The entire breeding center seemed to shake from the roar of voices.
Countless eyes brimmed with tears.
Today, they had witnessed a true miracle.
And Ash… looked like he'd expected it all along.
A faint smile of relief spread across his face.
When it came to a contest of willpower…
Even though Electivire was strong, Pikachu would never lose.
The "Unyielding" trait, you get it, buddy?
At that moment, in the center of the field, Ash could clearly see it through the system's panel—
A vast Electric energy gathered within Pikachu, coalescing into a glowing red trait that slowly emerged.
[Ding! System Notification: Detected resonance between Pikachu's battle spirit and immense lightning power!]
[Core Trait "Thunder God" has awakened!]
[End of Chapter]