Chapter 214: Pikachu Takes Action
The following matches were basically one-sided affairs. Pokémon that hadn't grasped their true Aura were just a bunch of weaklings in Ryan's eyes, easily reaching the finals.
Meanwhile, Ash and Morrison also advanced all the way to the semifinals, where they met to compete for the last spot in the finals.
Ryan and his group met up with Brock and his friends to watch the last match of the morning. After the morning's matches, the final would be held in the afternoon. If Ryan won, there would be a championship match: Ryan vs. Lance.
With the commentator's enthusiastic voice, Ash and Morrison entered the arena. The two stood in front of the arena, and then the wheel on the big screen spun, finally confirming that the first half's arena was an Ice Field.
"An Ice Field, huh. That's very disadvantageous for Morrison," Ryan said, stroking his chin.
Morrison specializes in Dragon-type Pokémon, so battling on an Ice Field would definitely be very disadvantageous. Moreover, Ash isn't the same hot-blooded trainer he used to be; he's quite powerful now.
"Please, Altaria!" Morrison declared, leading with Altaria.
"Swellow, I choose you!" Ash declared, leading with Swellow.
Ryan nodded: This is going to be interesting. Among Ash's Flying-type Pokémon, Swellow is definitely one of the strongest. Its incredible resilience and tenacity, coupled with Ash's encouragement, make it a formidable opponent.
"Altaria, Dragon Pulse!" Morrison shouted.
"Dodge it, then use Aerial Ace!" Ash yelled.
Altaria opened its beak and spewed out pale green draconic energy towards Swellow, but in terms of speed, Altaria was no match for Swellow. Swellow easily dodged Altaria's Dragon Pulse, then with a flash of its wings, it hurtled towards Altaria.
But Altaria, unperturbed, instantly fluffed up its cotton-like feathers, using them as a defense to block Swellow's attack. Then, it quickly used Cotton Guard, releasing a large amount of cotton-like down that coated Swellow, turning it into a white cotton ball.
"Ice Beam!" Morrison shouted.
Altaria instantly unleashed an Ice Beam, freezing Swellow and the entire cotton coating. The ice ball then slammed into the ground. Morrison smiled faintly: It's over.
"Not even close," Ryan muttered, shaking his head.
"Swellow! Show some guts!" Ash shouted.
Swellow shattered the ice with its Guts ability and soared into the sky. Because of the ice, all the cotton-like feathers were frozen solid and fell away, and nothing could hinder it anymore.
Ryan watched this scene, thinking: Here it comes, Suicune's blessing, directly removing the status ailment through sheer willpower.
"Swellow, show him our guts! Brave Bird!" Ash shouted.
Swellow flew at high speed towards Altaria, who immediately unleashed an Ice Beam at it, but Swellow nimbly dodged it. Swellow then rammed into Altaria with all its might, leaving an energy trail in the air behind it.
Altaria cried out in pain and plummeted to the ground. Swellow seized the opportunity to use Aerial Ace, slamming Altaria into the ice.
With a loud crash, Swellow pulled up sharply. On the ice, Altaria lay in a crater, unable to battle.
"Altaria is unable to battle! Please switch Pokémon, Morrison!"
Morrison recalled Altaria, thought for a moment, and said, "Dragonite, I'm counting on you!"
A flash of white light, and a robust, battle-hardened Dragonite appeared. This Dragonite wasn't as friendly as most; its sharp eyes and scarred body revealed its extensive battle experience.
"Swellow, use Brave Bird again!" Ash shouted.
Swellow swooped down, charging towards Dragonite. But Dragonite performed a swift Dragon Dance, dodging Swellow's Brave Bird. Simultaneously, with lightning speed, it reached out and grabbed one of Swellow's wings, while its other hand crackled with electricity as it unleashed a barrage of Thunder Punches on the helpless Swellow.
After a few Thunder Punches, Dragonite disdainfully tossed the charred Swellow towards Ash, beckoning him with a claw—the meaning was clear: Bring it on!
"Damn, this Dragonite is cocky!" Ryan was amused by the arrogant Dragonite: "Would it kill you to be a little more humble?! It's only just touched the edge of Aura, and it's already this arrogant? If it truly masters Aura, it'll be unstoppable!"
"Come back, Swellow, you did very well. Please, Pikachu!" Ash recalled Swellow and sent out his first partner, Pikachu.
Dragonite was about to get utterly crushed. That was what everyone was thinking.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash said.
"Dragonite, Dragon Dance to dodge!" Morrison said.
Pikachu unleashed a burst of incredibly powerful electricity, striking towards Dragonite at lightning speed. But Dragonite used Dragon Dance to dodge it. Just as it was about to taunt Pikachu, Pikachu seemed to manipulate the electricity, pulling it back. The Thunderbolt current reversed direction, striking Dragonite directly from behind, causing it to cry out in pain.
Ryan: What?!
Ruby voiced Ryan's confusion. "Has Pikachu mastered that power?"
"Yes. Pikachu often trains with Suicune and has mastered that power. Now Pikachu can manipulate electricity at will," Brock nodded, answering Ruby's question.
Ryan was silent: It's not just about manipulating electricity; Pikachu's electric power has also greatly increased. One Thunderbolt took away more than half of Dragonite's health, which is terrifying. So, it truly lives up to its reputation as the strongest Pikachu!
Dragonite barely escaped the Thunderbolt attack, panting heavily, and no longer dared to underestimate the power of this yellow electric mouse. However, its health had been greatly depleted, and Dragonite couldn't guarantee it could finish it off.
"Dragonite, Draco Meteor!" Morrison also frowned and called out. He also knew how terrifying Pikachu was, so he simply used his ultimate move.
Dragonite roared, unleashing a massive energy blast into the sky, which exploded mid-air, sending countless meteors streaking across the air and crashing down onto the icy terrain.
"Pikachu, Wild Charge!" Ash shouted.
Pikachu instantly unleashed a network of electric arcs, filling the entire space without dissipating. Pikachu immediately bounded along these arcs, bouncing rapidly between them, the Draco Meteor completely missing it. The scattered arcs struck Dragonite, causing it to be paralyzed by the electricity.
"Electro Ball!" Ash yelled.
Dragonite struggled to escape, but the scattered electric arcs in the air, like a web, bound it tightly, leaving it powerless to dodge. Pikachu lightly leaped onto the arcs, forming a giant Electro Ball on its tail. With a flick of its tail, the Electro Ball struck Dragonite at incredible speed.
A massive explosion followed, and Dragonite collapsed helplessly to the ground, unable to battle.
Ryan whistled: This electric manipulation technique is a bit too strong!
(End of Chapter)
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