Inside the Battle Pyramid, Brandon actually broke into a rare smile.
Sure, the Heavenly Dao broadcast had dug up his black history, but… this bullet chat system? Now that was fun!
For the first time, he felt joy outside of digging up ruins.
Something strange had awakened within Brandon…
…
For now, Diantha's punishment was shelved. The Heavenly Dao broadcast directly revealed the correct answer:
[Correct Answer: Pikachu!]
The whole world froze.
What? Pikachu?!
How could Pikachu be the Best Actor? That mouse looked just as straightforward as Ash!
Where was the acting in that?!
The footage resumed, giving the explanation.
"Strike first! Pikachu, Quick Attack!"
Ash's voice rang out.
Pikachu's body was instantly cloaked in white light, and in a flash it darted forward! Before Snivy could even react, Pikachu rammed her head-on, sending her flying more than ten meters before she barely stabilized midair.
Pikachu's first strike looked fierce.
But wait—this opponent was just a newbie Snivy!
How could the same Pikachu that beat Regice fail to knock out a starter in one hit?
Even the weakest Quick Attack should've been enough.
Not to mention—the Quick Attack we saw in the last highlight reel was ten times stronger than this!
What was going on? Was Pikachu… going easy on her?
Trip quickly countered:
"Snivy, Tackle!"
"Avoid it, Pikachu!"
"Shuu—!"
Snivy's tiny legs pushed off the ground, charging at Pikachu twice in succession. But Pikachu dodged easily both times.
Well, of course—it was battle-hardened. How could a rookie's Snivy possibly land a hit?
"Good! Now counterattack—Thunderbolt!"
Here it came. Pikachu's signature move, Thunderbolt!
Grass-types resist, sure, but this was Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Surely it would be devastating.
But just as the audience braced for the KO—
"Pika!!! …Chuuu—"
Nothing happened.
"Wh-what's going on?! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!!"
"Pika? Pika-pi!!"
Looking flustered, Pikachu tried again. Electricity gathered—
"Pika!!! Chuuu!!"
Again—nothing!
[Lance: What's happening? Pikachu can't use Thunderbolt?]
[Leon: Don't tell me… after the battle with Brandon, Pikachu suffered some unknown damage and got nerfed?]
[Diantha: …Or maybe you should check the title of this broadcast. Then guess again why Pikachu's called the Best Actor.]
With that hint, everyone suddenly realized it.
This wasn't just a battle—it was a performance.
The segment was literally titled "The Best Actor's Self-Cultivation."
And Pikachu was crowned Best Actor.
So why show a fight? Simple—because Pikachu was acting.
…
Ash, panicked, yelled out another command:
"Then use Volt Tackle!"
"Pika!!"
Pikachu did a backflip, landing on the edge of the field.
Volt Tackle needed a running start.
"Pika! Pika! Pika—pi…ka…pii…"
At first, Pikachu sprinted with all its might.
But before even reaching halfway, it was gasping for breath, stumbling like it had been drained dry.
Ash's eyes bulged.
"You've gotta be kidding me… Why can't you use electric moves?!"
On the opposite side, Trip frowned.
"Are you two even taking this battle seriously? Ordering a Pokémon to use moves it clearly can't! And you call yourself an experienced Trainer? Snivy, Tackle!"
"Shuuya!"
Snivy charged forward again. Pikachu, still panting heavily, couldn't dodge in time—
Bang! It was slammed aside by the Tackle!
The entire world erupted.
What the hell?!
This was the same Pikachu that flattened Regice a moment ago!
And now… it was getting bodied by a rookie Snivy?!
Ridiculous!
"Damn it… Fine! Iron Tail!"
"Pika-chuu!!"
Shaking itself off, Pikachu rose again, tail glowing silver with metallic energy.
"Yes! At least the other moves still work—go!"
"Pika! Pi-ka!!"
With a leap, Pikachu swung its Iron Tail down with all its might—
"Dodge it!"
"Shuuya!"
Snivy's nimble body slipped past effortlessly. Pikachu's Iron Tail smashed into the ground instead, leaving cracks in the battlefield.
The power was there, sure.
But compared to what we saw last time? It was night and day.
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to patreon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito