Pewter Gym.
Two wild, thunderous bolts of lightning made Brock and Geodude's faces change dramatically. Brock realized he had underestimated his opponent, so he hurriedly shouted, "Geodude, dodge with Tackle—"
Boom!
Before he could finish speaking, the lightning had already struck!
Centered on Geodude, the two massive bolts of lightning fused together, their golden glow becoming deeper and even more terrifying. Bathed in the thunder, Geodude let out a howl of pain. When the electricity finally faded, Geodude's eyes were spinning in circles and its body had turned pitch-black, just like a chunk of charcoal.
"Come back!" Brock picked up his Poké Ball and returned Geodude, then looked earnestly at Silas. "Sorry, I underestimated you just now. Next, I'll go all out!"
"Continue." Silas replied coolly with just one word.
"Go!" Brock grabbed his next Poké Ball and called out with resolve, "It's your turn—Onix!"
Roar!
When the white light faded, a towering Onix more than nine meters tall—like a building—appeared.
It looked down from above at the golden Pikachu before it, and there was an indescribable gravity in its eyes. It wasn't simply a bond with Brock—the powerful electrical residue on the battlefield could still be felt…
"Tackle!"
This time, Brock didn't dare underestimate his foe. He chose to attack first!
Even though Onix's body was enormous, its speed was nothing to scoff at. In an instant, it lunged at Pikachu, as if intending to send Pikachu flying!
As Onix stormed toward Pikachu with terrifying speed, only then did Silas calmly issue his command: "Lightning Dash!"
"Pikachu!"
A streak of golden electricity ran from Pikachu's electric sacs down to its legs. Like a cannonball, Pikachu rocketed into the air—instantly vanishing and reappearing mid-flight.
Lightning Dash—this move was inspired by Sasuke's Chidori from the anime Naruto, where Sasuke would stimulate his leg muscles with electricity to achieve explosive speed. Silas had thought he'd just try teaching Pikachu this for fun, never expecting Pikachu to master it.
"Onix!"
Seeing Pikachu instantly leap into the air, Brock shouted, "Bind! Catch Pikachu while it's airborne!"
Roar!
Onix immediately halted its charge and swung its long, rocky tail at the Pikachu overhead, ready to bind it.
"Thunder Tail!"
Silas's command came right after. Even with the Elemental System, there was no way Pikachu could fly freely in mid-air just yet. And while this Pikachu had near limitless potential, it simply hadn't trained long enough to learn advanced moves like Protect—so Silas could only attack head-on!
"Pikachu!"
Pikachu's tail burst into light. But this radiance was not the pure white of Iron Tail, but a dazzling gold, like destructive lightning itself. Countless tiny lightning arcs crackled all along its tail.
Do it!
That was the only thought in both Brock and Silas's minds—and for both Pokémon as well.
With its golden tail ablaze, Pikachu twisted mid-air and swung its tail down with all its might toward the open-mouthed Onix below!
Thunder Tail versus Onix!
If this move couldn't take down Onix, Pikachu would be in danger. At best, it would be sent flying out of bounds—at worst, it could be Bind by Onix.
But… was that even possible?
Would Silas ever make such an irrevocable mistake?
If Pikachu hadn't eaten so many crystals, maybe Silas really wouldn't dare such a gamble.
But Pikachu had consumed Thunder crystals—maybe not a lot, but enough that the current running through it outclassed any ordinary Pokémon at this stage. So Silas went all in!
Bang!
Pikachu's thunderous tail crashed down—direct hit—right on the stone pillar atop Onix's head, forcibly snapping it off. The broken pillar crashed to the ground with a thunderous sound. An enormous surge of electricity traveled from Pikachu's tail, instantly enveloping Onix!
Roar!
Onix bellowed in pain, engulfed by the overwhelming electric current.
When the lightning subsided, Onix's massive form—like Geodude's—had turned pitch-black, scorch marks everywhere, and its eyes were swirling in defeat.
"Pikachu~"
Without sparing a glance at the fallen Onix, Pikachu immediately turned and ran up to Silas, wearing a triumphant expression. It pointed at the defeated Onix, eagerly awaiting its reward, as if to say: "I won, so give me my reward!"
Pikachu's antics left Silas both amused and helpless. He squatted down, patted Pikachu's head, and said with a grin, "Not bad at all. Looks like your special training these past days paid off. Make sure to keep learning from Charizard in the future!"
"Pikachu?!!"
"Pika! Pika! Pika Pika!"
Pikachu's eyes went wide at Silas's words. Its proud look instantly vanished, replaced by one of utter despair, and it began furiously shaking its head.
"So… strong."
While Silas was teasing Pikachu, Brock's voice sounded from nearby. At some point, he had come up beside Silas, his narrow eyes filled with shock as he stared at Pikachu and Silas.
"Badge."
Brock's appearance made Silas straighten up and hold out his hand, his tone straightforward and unflinching.
Hearing that, Brock let out a bitter laugh, then took from his pocket an octagonal Boulder Badge. "This is the Boulder Badge. If you want to challenge the Indigo League, you'll need to collect seven more."
'Ding! Boulder Badge received. Reward: 1000 Thunder crystals (Low-grade).'
As soon as he got the Badge, a cold electronic voice rang through Silas's mind, making his expression brighten.
He was desperately short on crystals. To train Pikachu, he had converted 600 out of his last 875 Fire Crystals into 200 Thunder crystals. After a week training Pikachu in Viridian City, he was down to just 160 Fire Crystals, with only 130 Thunder crystals left. Without a fresh supply, he would have run out in just a few days.
Now, the 1000 Thunder crystals he'd received were a lifesaver for Silas.
With his immediate worries resolved and fresh crystals in hand, Silas's spirits soared. He immediately turned to leave.
"Wait…"
He had barely taken two steps when Brock's voice stopped him. Silas turned to look at him, "What is it?"
"Well…" Brock's tone was somewhat awkward. After fidgeting for a moment, he asked, "Do you need a Breeder? I may not be high-ranked, but—"
"No need!"
Silas instantly understood Brock's meaning—he just had professional Breeder habits.
Low-ranked Breeders often follow Trainers, traveling together and helping them train their Pokémon. If they were lucky enough to end up with a Trainer who became a Champion or Elite Four, their rewards would be immense. Beyond the perks, the salary alone was phenomenal. Brock had his eye on Silas's youth and strength.
Having understood, Silas turned to leave without hesitation, calling back over his shoulder, "I already have the best Breeder."