"No way?"
"Tier-2 Legendary potential?"
Yozora was utterly stunned.
Even though he had braced himself for a surprise, hearing it for real still left him dumbfounded.
"Tsk, tsk… so this is what they call the protagonist's destiny, huh?" In the end, Yozora could only force out a wry smile.
He had a system. His Pokémon had unprecedented dual Abilities.
And yet, at best, his own partners carried Champion-tier potential…
But Ash's Pikachu? Just casually revealed as Tier II Legendary potential. How was anyone supposed to compete with that?
"Still… potential is one thing. Whether it can actually be awakened, whether it can truly be realized—that's another matter altogether."
With that thought, Yozora felt a bit more balanced inside.
He knew very well that Pikachu's Tier II Legendary potential was real, but to actually grow into such a level was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
At the very least, in the anime of his past life, that forever-ten-year-old who reset his age and reset his strength every new season never managed such a thing.
"In this world, that kind of ridiculous reset shouldn't happen anymore. Which means… Ash really does have staggering potential." Yozora suddenly chuckled. That would make things far more interesting.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Having just lost two battles in a row, Ash—eager to turn things around—sent out Pikachu and immediately launched the attack.
"Pika!"
Pikachu nodded firmly, leapt into the air, and unleashed a streak of lightning. It slashed across the sky like a serpent of thunder, striking straight at Yozora's Pidgeotto.
Yozora didn't so much as flinch. Nor did Pidgeotto react in the slightest as Thunderbolt crackled violently against its body.
"Wha—"
For a moment, Pidgeotto's feathers glimmered with electric sparks.
And yet…
It remained utterly calm, as if nothing had happened.
"Pika?"
Pikachu froze, wide-eyed.
"What? Thunderbolt didn't work?"
"No way… that's impossible!"
Ash and Misty both cried out in shock, their jaws dropping in disbelief.
Especially Misty.
As a Water-type specialist, her sensitivity to electricity far surpassed the average Trainer's.
She knew: Pikachu might only be at Senior-level strength, but the electricity it produced was undeniably at the Elite tier.
"Yozora's Pidgeotto is strong—it should be Elite-level too. But even so, it shouldn't be able to completely nullify Pikachu's electricity!"
No matter how she racked her brain, Misty couldn't explain it.
Of course, how could she have known? Yozora's Pidgeotto possessed the Volt Absorb Ability…!
"Take it down—use Wing Attack!" Yozora raised his hand and gave the order with a casual flourish.
"Fwoosh!"
Wind gathered with a violent surge. Pidgeotto's wings gleamed with a dazzling white light.
In a blur, it darted forward, its massive wings like blades of radiant energy slashing toward Pikachu.
"Pika?!"
Pidgeotto was simply too fast. Pikachu was caught off guard, with no chance to dodge.
But in truth, Ash hadn't even considered dodging.
"Hmph! Impossible. There's no way Electric moves don't work on Pidgeotto!"
"Again, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted with unshakable determination.
On the field, Pikachu roared back and discharged another bolt, nearly point-blank into Pidgeotto's chest.
And still… nothing.
Without even slowing, Pidgeotto swept its gleaming wings down in a single Wing Attack. Pikachu was slashed aside, sent tumbling violently across the air.
It flipped head over heels several times before crashing heavily into the dirt, raising a cloud of dust.
Just one Wing Attack—
That was all it took for Pikachu to be battered and bruised, covered in dirt and scrapes, its stamina nearly drained dry.
It tried, trembling, to get back to its feet. But after three failed attempts, it let out a faint cry… and collapsed.
"Pikaaa…"
From the sidelines, Charmander had watched the entire battle. Its eyes gleamed as it recalled the radiant glow of Pidgeotto's wings. Deep inside, it seemed to grasp something new.
"…Sorry, Pikachu."
Ash rushed to Pikachu's side, scooping it into his arms. His cap brim shadowed his face, hiding everything but the bitterness and unwillingness etched in his eyes.
Strictly speaking, this was his first official defeat since starting his journey. No wonder the blow was so heavy.
"Pika… pi…"
Even so, Pikachu couldn't bear to see Ash like this. Weak though it was, it still did its best to cheer him up.
"Come back, Pidgeotto."
With the match over, Yozora recalled his partner into its Poké Ball and walked up to Ash, smiling. "Don't take it so hard, Ash. Remember—we might have started our journeys on the same day, but I've been raising Pokémon since I was little. I've got more experience than you."
"Besides, victories and losses don't define a man. What matters is getting back up."
"I can see it—your Pikachu has incredible potential. If you train it well, it'll grow even stronger."
Ash blinked, then slowly lifted his head. Thanks to Yozora's words, the fire in his heart reignited. "Thanks, Yozora. From now on, I'll work even harder to grow stronger!" His sunny smile returned in an instant.
"That's the spirit!" Yozora laughed. "Come on, let's get Nurse Joy to heal Pikachu."
"Right!" Ash nodded firmly and followed him with Pikachu in his arms.
"…"
Watching their confident strides, Misty froze for a moment. A vein twitched on her forehead.
Excuse me?! Did you two just forget all about me?!
That evening.
After dinner, Yozora had just returned to the Pokémon Center when the videophone rang—it was Professor Oak.
"Yozora, I just heard from Ash—your Charmander's tail flame turned blue?" Through the screen, Oak looked practically giddy with excitement.
Of course he was. The professor lived and breathed Pokémon research. Whenever something unusual came up, he couldn't eat or sleep until he investigated.
Sure enough—
The moment Ash told him about Yozora's crushing victory, and about Charmander's strange transformation, the cup noodles in Oak's hands instantly lost all flavor.
So he called the Pewter City Pokémon Center non-stop, over and over, until Yozora finally picked up.
Yozora didn't bother to hide it. "That's right, Professor. A couple of days after starting our journey, Charmander's tail flame just… changed to blue."
Oak leaned closer to the screen. "And do you know why?"
"I think it has to do with water. You see, Professor—my Charmander is special. It isn't afraid of water. In fact, it can even swim freely!"
Oak's eyes shone. It was exactly the direction he'd hoped the conversation would go.
Yozora, knowing it was impossible to conceal the truth from a top-tier Trainer and one of the greatest scholars alive, simply laid it all out.
(End of Chapter)