Sunlight streamed through the tall, arched windows into the grand hall of the Pokémon Noble Academy.
Ash, Brock, and Xiao You stood at the entrance, gazing up at the world-renowned institution.
The marble floor was polished to a mirror shine, and the walls were adorned with portraits of famous Trainers throughout history.
The air was filled with the faint scent of books and Pokémon food.
"Wow! Is this the legendary Pokémon Noble Academy, famous all over the world?" Ash excitedly looked around, Pikachu on his shoulder, equally curious about the surroundings.
"Pika Pika!"
Brock flipped through the guidebook in his hand: "It's said that countless top Trainers have been cultivated here, and the tuition fees are astonishingly expensive; ordinary families simply can't afford it."
"Look over there!" Xiao You pointed to the crowd gathered in the center of the hall, "It looks like there's some kind of event."
The trio squeezed into the crowd and saw a huge electronic billboard displaying a scrolling message:
[Pokémon Battle Competition]
Champion's Prize: Shinny Beldum
Entry Requirements: Unlimited
Competition Format: 1v1 Elimination Tournament
"What?! A Shinny Beldum?" Ash's eyes widened, his voice rising with excitement, "That's Metagross's initial form!"
Pikachu also jumped up excitedly: "Pika (Yeah)!"
A staff member of the academy, dressed in a tasteful uniform, walked over and explained: "This is a special event organized by our retiring Headmaster.
He is about to retire and wants to select a successor through this competition.
That Beldum is the child of his Metagross."
Brock stroked his chin in thought: "Allowing Trainers from outside the academy to participate, the Headmaster's magnanimity is truly vast."
"I'm signing up!" Ash raised his hand without hesitation, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit.
At the registration desk, an elegant lady handed Ash a form: "Please fill in your information and the Pokémon you will use.
The competition is about to begin, and the first round of battles will take place in the battle arena on the east side."
Ash quickly filled out the form and headed to the battle area with his companions.
On the way, he crouched down to meet Pikachu's gaze: "Pikachu, we have to face five battles to win Beldum, are you ready?"
"Leave it to me!" The electric mouse perked up its tail, and the electric sacs on its cheeks sparkled with electricity.
Xiao You smiled encouragingly: "Go, Ash! We're all rooting for you!"
Brock reminded him: "Remember, this is a 1v1 match, so you need to manage Pikachu's stamina wisely."
The bell for the first round of the competition rang, and Ash stood at one end of the east battle arena, facing a boy in an academy uniform whose name tag read "Richard."
The referee raised the flag: "First round, Ash versus Richard, battle start!"
"Go, Charmeleon!" Richard threw out his Poké Ball.
A red flash, and a strong Charmeleon appeared on the field, the flame on its tail burning fiercely.
"Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash shouted, and Pikachu nimbly jumped onto the field.
"Charmeleon, use Flamethrower!" Richard took the initiative.
Scorching flames rushed towards Pikachu, and Ash reacted quickly: "Pikachu, use Quick Attack to dodge!"
Pikachu transformed into a yellow lightning bolt, instantly disappearing from its original spot, the flames only hitting an afterimage.
In a blink of an eye, Pikachu had already appeared on Charmeleon's side.
"Now, Swift!" Ash seized the opportunity.
Pikachu leaped lightly, floating into the air as if weightless, then dove down at an astonishing speed, crashing heavily onto Charmeleon's back.
Charmeleon staggered a few steps, letting out a cry of pain.
"Charmeleon, don't give up! Use Dragon Claw!" Richard shouted.
Charmeleon's claws glowed green as it swiped at the just-landed Pikachu.
Ash's mouth curved into a smile: "Pikachu, Quick Attack again!"
Pikachu once again turned into a lightning bolt, circling behind Charmeleon, and before it could turn around, landed another "Swift."
This attack directly knocked Charmeleon to the ground, rendering it unable to battle.
The referee raised the flag: "Charmeleon is unable to battle, Ash and Pikachu win!"
"Good job, Pikachu!" Ash hugged his partner, and Pikachu happily rubbed against his cheek.
Richard recalled his Charmeleon, walked over and extended his hand: "Excellent tactics, your Pikachu is really fast."
Ash shook his hand: "Thanks, your Charmeleon is strong too."
The second round of the competition began an hour later.
While Ash was resting on the sidelines, Brock handed him a Pokémon drink: "Pikachu's 'Quick Attack' and 'Swift' worked perfectly together, but the next opponent might target this strategy."
Ash nodded: "I know, we'll have to improvise."
Soon, the second round began.
Ash's opponent this time was a girl named Emily, and she was using Blastoise.
"Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" Emily launched a fierce attack right from the start.
A thick jet of water shot towards Pikachu, and Ash shouted: "Pikachu, dodge and then use Surf!"
Pikachu nimbly dodged the high-pressure Hydro Pump, its tail glowing blue, summoning a giant wave.
Surprisingly, electric sparks shimmered within the wave, a special attack infused with electric energy.
The giant wave, carrying Pikachu, surged towards Blastoise.
"Blastoise, withdraw into your shell to defend!" Emily quickly ordered.
Blastoise retracted its limbs into its hard shell, but the impact of "Surf" still knocked it back several meters, and the current conducted through the water, leaving Blastoise paralyzed.
"Oh no!" Emily's expression changed.
Ash seized the opportunity: "Pikachu, now, Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu's entire body erupted in dazzling golden light, and a powerful, sure-hit bolt of lightning struck Blastoise.
Even though Blastoise's shell absorbed much of the damage, this "Thunderbolt" still caused considerable harm.
"Blastoise, hang in there, use Ice Beam!" Emily refused to give up.
Blastoise barely managed to stick its head out of its shell, gathering Ice-type energy in its mouth.
But the paralysis set in, and its movements froze.
Pikachu seized this chance, landing another "Swift," ending the battle.
"Blastoise is unable to battle, Ash advances to the next round!" the referee announced.
The third round of the competition took place in the afternoon, and Ash's opponent was Maxim, a top student from the academy, who used the Psychic-type Alakazam.
"Alakazam, use Foresight!" Maxim started with a tricky move.
Alakazam's spoons crossed, and a mysterious light flashed in its eyes.
Ash knew this move would automatically attack a few turns later, so he had to finish the battle quickly.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack followed by Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu quickly rushed in front of Alakazam, unleashing a powerful electric shock.
But Alakazam was prepared: "Teleport!"
Alakazam disappeared from its original spot and reappeared at the other end of the field.
"Psychic!" Maxim immediately followed with an order.
Invisible Psychic waves attacked the Thunderbolt, but the Thunderbolt's immense power broke through the Psychic and slammed into Alakazam.
"Foresight's attack is coming!" Brock warned from the sidelines.
Sure enough, energy fluctuations suddenly appeared in the air, and an invisible force struck towards Pikachu.
Ash had a flash of inspiration: "Pikachu, use Swift to dodge!"
Pikachu soared into the air, and Foresight's attack only hit an afterimage.
Maxim's expression changed slightly, clearly not expecting the move to be dodged.
"Now, Thunderbolt!" Ash seized the gap in Alakazam's skill cooldown.
This time, Alakazam didn't have time to Teleport and was hit squarely by the sure-hit electric shock.
Psychic-types don't have high resistance to Electric-type attacks, and Alakazam swayed a few times.
"Alakazam, use Recover!" Maxim tried to restore its stamina.
But Ash wouldn't give him a chance: "Pikachu, continuous Quick Attack!"
Pikachu transformed into a golden lightning bolt, moving rapidly around Alakazam, leaving an electric shock each time it passed.
Alakazam's Recover was interrupted, and it finally collapsed under the continuous rapid attacks.
"Excellent tactics!" Maxim recalled Alakazam and saluted Ash, "You completely disrupted our rhythm."
Ash humbly replied: "Your Alakazam was also very strong, that Foresight move almost put us in a tough spot."
The semifinals were held in the evening, and Ash's opponent was Robert, a Trainer from another region, who used a fierce Gyarados.
"Gyarados, use Dragon Dance!" Robert first boosted himself.
Gyarados circled in the air, its aura continuously rising.
Ash knew he had to stop it: "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
A powerful electric shock hit Gyarados, but it endured the attack, and Dragon Dance boosted its attack and speed.
"Gyarados, Aqua Tail!"
A massive tail, imbued with water, slammed towards Pikachu.
Ash quickly ordered: "Pikachu, Quick Attack to dodge!"
Pikachu barely dodged the main attack, but was still splashed by water.
Robert sneered: "Gyarados, Ice Fang!"
Gyarados suddenly turned, its sharp Ice Fang biting towards Pikachu.
Ash gasped: "Pikachu, Play Rough!"
Pikachu suddenly became light and agile, playfully using Fairy-type energy to evade Ice Fang while simultaneously counterattacking.
"What? Pikachu knows a Fairy-type move?" Robert exclaimed in shock.
Ash showed a victorious smile: "Pikachu, use Play Rough continuously!"
Pikachu nimbly leaped around Gyarados, injecting Fairy energy with each contact.
Gyarados furiously attacked everywhere, but it could never catch the tiny Pikachu.
Finally, under continuous Play Rough attacks, Gyarados crashed to the ground.
"That's amazing!" Xiao You cheered from the sidelines, "Ash is in the finals!"
The finals were held in the open-air battle arena in the center of the academy, with the stands packed with students and teachers.
Ash's opponent was the academy's top-ranked student, Shana, who used a powerful Gabite.
"Gabite, use Sandstorm!" Shana changed the weather right at the start.
The strong winds whipped up sand, engulfing the entire field.
Ash narrowed his eyes: "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
However, Gabite is Ground and Dragon-type, so Electric-type moves are completely ineffective.
The golden light hit Gabite, but it passed through the electricity unharmed.
"It's useless," Shana said confidently, "Gabite, use Earthquake!"
The ground shook violently, and Pikachu was rattled, swaying back and forth.
Ash had a flash of inspiration: "Pikachu, use Swift to fly into the air!"
Pikachu floated lightly, avoiding the main damage from Earthquake.
Shana frowned: "Gabite, use Rock Slide!"
Gabite summoned rocks to smash towards Pikachu in the air.
Ash quickly ordered: "Pikachu, Surf!"
Pikachu summoned an electrified wave, dispersing most of the rocks, but it was still hit by a few, taking considerable damage.
"Pikachu, can you still continue?" Ash asked with concern.
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded firmly.
Ash took a deep breath: "Alright, then we'll use that move! Pikachu, Play Rough!"
Pikachu suddenly became incredibly agile, playfully using Fairy-type energy to tease Gabite.
Shana's expression changed dramatically: "What? Gabite, quickly counterattack with Dragon Claw!"
But it was too late; the Fairy energy of Play Rough perfectly countered Dragon-types, and Gabite was continuously attacked and forced to retreat.
Under the Sandstorm weather, Pikachu also took continuous damage, but it gritted its teeth and persevered.
"One last attack, Pikachu, full power Play Rough!" Ash shouted.
Pikachu gathered all its strength, and a powerful Fairy-type attack hit Gabite's vital spot.
Gabite swayed a few times and finally fell.
The entire venue was silent for a second, then erupted in thunderous applause.
The referee loudly announced: "Gabite is unable to battle, the Champion is Ash and Pikachu!"
Shana recalled Gabite, walked over and extended her hand: "Excellent battle, your Pikachu and your command ability are impressive."
Ash shook her hand: "Your Gabite was also very strong, we almost lost."
A white-haired old man, surrounded by people, walked onto the awards stage.
It was the retiring Headmaster.
He held a special Poké Ball in his hand, which contained the Shinny Beldum.
"Young Trainer," the Headmaster said kindly, "as agreed, this Beldum is yours.
At the same time, I officially invite you to become the next Headmaster of the academy."
The entire venue was in an uproar.
Ash's eyes widened in surprise: "Headmaster? Me?"
The Headmaster nodded: "Your battling talent and your bond with Pokémon are exactly what our academy needs."
Ash pondered for a moment, then solemnly replied: "Thank you very much for your kindness, but I cannot accept it yet.
Pikachu and I still have to continue our journey, to see more Pokémon and Trainers."
The Headmaster was not angry, but instead showed an appreciative smile: "I understand your choice.
When you are young, you should see more of the world.
Beldum still belongs to you, and I hope it can accompany you as you grow on your journey."
Ash took the Poké Ball and bowed deeply: "Thank you! I will definitely train Beldum well!"
Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder, curiously looking at the new companion's Poké Ball.
"Pikachu!"
Brock and Xiao You walked over to congratulate him.
Xiao You excitedly said: "Ash, you're amazing! Five battles, five wins!"
Brock, meanwhile, looked at Beldum's Poké Ball: "This is a pseudo-legendary Pokémon; if trained well, it will become a powerful Metagross."
As the sun set, Ash looked at the Poké Ball in his hand, then at Pikachu on his shoulder, a happy smile on his face: "Let's go, my friends, we have more adventures waiting for us!"