Against everyone's expectations, Ash was clearly on the back foot.
After crashing into the wall, Pikachu struggled back to its feet.
Neither Regice's speed nor its ability to unleash Focus Punch without charging was something Ash had anticipated.
If Pikachu took even one more hit, it might really be over.
Ash clenched his teeth, glanced around the frozen battlefield, and a spark of inspiration flashed in his mind.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail to chip off a block of ice! Then ride it as a stepping stone to get close to Regice!"
"Pika!"
Only Ash's Pokémon could ever pull off such wild, spur-of-the-moment tactics.
Pikachu swung its tail hard against the icy ground.
A chunk of ice flew upward, launched with precise force—
and Pikachu leapt onto it!
The audience was dumbfounded.
What kind of move is that? Self-launch rocket technique?
From the ice block, Pikachu kicked off again, using Quick Attack to burst through the air.
"Now! Iron Tail!"
"Pika! Pika-chu!!"
Spinning midair, Pikachu's tail shone with a deadly metallic gleam—
and it slammed into the Ice Titan!
Boom!
This time, it wasn't just a scratch.
The strike gouged a visible crack into Regice's frozen body!
The legendary golem, said to be forged from the ice of the Ice Age, had actually been scarred by Pikachu's Iron Tail!
What kind of terrifying power was this?!
In the Wyndon Stadium, even the Champions watching were struck silent.
Pikachu had inflicted serious damage on Regice—
and with a move that wasn't even its natural type advantage.
What kind of tail was that supposed to be?
Even Steel-type Pokémon using Iron Tail didn't hit that hard!
"This is… a little outrageous," Steven muttered, swallowing nervously.
As a Steel-type specialist, he knew Iron Tail's limits better than anyone.
That blow Pikachu just landed… even a Champion's Steel-type wouldn't do much more than that.
And this is supposed to be Iron Tail?
"Don't you think… Pikachu's Iron Tail has gotten stronger since the start of the battle?" Leon asked.
His eye for battle details was razor-sharp.
This Iron Tail was completely different from the first one.
Even with extra momentum from jumping and spinning, the power boost was far too extreme.
"…It does seem that way. Let's keep watching."
The situation was shifting.
Just thirty seconds ago, 99.99% of the world was convinced Ash had no chance.
But after this Iron Tail, the scales of fate… had begun to tilt.
Onscreen—
Ash's eyes lit up at the successful strike. He urged Pikachu to press the attack,
but Brandon reacted instantly.
"Regice, Focus Punch!"
"Regiii!"
The glowing fist came crashing down. Pikachu sprang aside—
"Ice Beam!"
In midair, Pikachu had no way to dodge. It could only counter head-on.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Pika—CHU!!"
Golden lightning clashed with freezing blue energy.
The collision was evenly matched!
Not only Iron Tail—
even Thunderbolt's power had clearly grown stronger.
When the clash ended, Pikachu somersaulted and landed solidly on the ground.
"We can do this! Pikachu, Iron Tail, one more time!"
Ash's voice brimmed with hope. Pikachu's surge had made victory seem possible!
But Brandon was ready.
"Regice, Ice Beam!"
"Dodge it!"
This time, however, the Ice Beam wasn't aimed directly at Pikachu—
but on the battlefield around it.
In an instant, icy spires erupted upward, trapping Pikachu in a cage of frozen pillars!
"Regice, Rest!"
The crowd gasped.
Rest—a move that restores all health in an instant.
When used by a legendary Pokémon, it was downright disgusting.
All of Pikachu's hard-earned damage—
undone in a single moment.
[Lance: Brandon, you filthy strategist! Having a legendary use Rest?!]
[Cynthia: Legendary Pokémon already have immense endurance. All of Pikachu's effort is wiped away in seconds… this must be crushing for Ash.]
[Brandon: I said it before. Against any opponent, I give my all. And that boy Ash… he's no ordinary rookie.]
Watching from his Battle Pyramid, Brandon folded his arms.
With Ice Beam traps and Rest both unleashed, he was truly fighting with full strength.
For Ash to force him to this point was impressive.
Brandon hoped that one day, in the future, he could face Ash in a true, fiery battle.
But as for this match… there was no way he could lose.
"Pikachu, break those ice pillars with Iron Tail! Then Quick Attack in—finish it with another Iron Tail!"
"Pika!!"
With a spinning slash, Pikachu shattered the frozen cage,
then dropped low to the ground, lightning streaking as it charged toward Regice!
"Yes! If we're fast enough, before it wakes up—"
But before Ash could finish, Regice stirred.
"Regiii!!"
"Ice Beam!" Brandon ordered.
"Pikachu!!"
The forward momentum was too much—
Pikachu couldn't dodge.
The frigid beam struck it full on,
encasing the little mouse in a solid block of ice.
It stood frozen in place.
The battle… was over.
Around the world, viewers slowly let out the breath they'd been holding.
What an incredible fight it had been.
Pikachu had performed far beyond expectations.
But in the end, Brandon and his Regice were simply stronger.
Pikachu—
though defeated, had fought with honor.
Everyone believed the match was decided.
But onscreen, Ash's eyes told a different story—
He refused to believe it was over.