At this moment, not only was Misty dumbfounded, but even Brock and the Three Sisters of Cerulean were in a daze.
The four of them, as spectators, hadn't fully grasped what just happened. They only saw a golden flash whiz by, and then Starmie was blown away.
What was that move? Even Quick Attack isn't that fast, right?
In the Pokemon world, moves like Quick Attack usually come with a speed boost, but generally, they might only allow you to jump a level or so, and that's when you're at a lower level for such a strong effect.
For example, Pikachu is now at Advanced Level, so using Quick Attack might boost its speed to an Elite Mid-Level degree, but if an Elite Mid-Level Pokemon uses Quick Attack, at most, it'll only be slightly faster than Elite Advanced Level.
However, Pikachu's speed just then—forget about Elite Level—even Professional Level might not reach that speed!
But Pikachu is just an Advanced Level Pokemon; what kind of move lets Pikachu's speed leap so absurdly, reaching such a terrifying level?
And it's not just about speed; the power of this move was terrifyingly strong.
Even though Starmie didn't use its skills, the level gap between Starmie and Pikachu is enormous. No matter how much Electric Type Moves have an advantage, they shouldn't inflict such horrendous damage given the level difference.
If Pikachu's Thunderbolt had hit Starmie earlier, could it have caused this kind of damage?
It probably couldn't...
So, in those brief seconds, what exactly did Ash do to Pikachu? Did wearing a hat make it like a different Pokemon? Did that hat have a buff?
"Pikachu, do it again, Zippy Zap!"
On the field, Misty shook her head, snapping out of her stupor and shouted to Starmie, "Starmie, use Rapid Spin quick!"
The skill Pikachu used earlier was one Misty had never seen before, yet within those few seconds, she figured it out.
No matter what skill Pikachu was using, it's a contact move. As long as Starmie uses Rapid Spin, when Pikachu charges in, it'll inevitably be bounced away by the Rapid Spin!
In terms of raw strength, Starmie is still stronger. If they go head-to-head, Pikachu has no chance of winning.
"Cha!" In the wall, Starmie started spinning, creating a pit in the pool's wall with its Rapid Spin.
It's imaginable how powerful Starmie's Rapid Spin is, able to drill through even concrete walls.
As Starmie spun rapidly, Pikachu transformed into a flash of electricity, slamming into Starmie, causing electrical sparks to fly on the field.
With Rapid Spin used as a defense, this time Starmie didn't sustain much damage and wasn't blasted deeper into the wall but instead held its ground against Pikachu.
Sparks flew around the field, and this was the first time everyone saw Pikachu's form after using Zippy Zap.
Pikachu was enveloped in golden electricity, its body erupting with terrifying thunderpower. Even Starmie, using Rapid Spin, couldn't repel Pikachu in this state and was slowly eroded by Pikachu's electricity, sustaining damage!
"So cool!"
"So awesome!"
"How did they do that?"
The Three Sisters of Cerulean exclaimed one after another. Despite not being particularly skilled as trainers, they knew Pikachu was a common Pokemon in Kanto, unlikely to overcome higher-level battles, much less lower-level.
But Ash's Pikachu seemed quite different.
"By the looks of it, this move resembles Pikachu's exclusive move, Volt Tackle, yet this has a speed much faster than Volt Tackle. It's as if this move combines the speed of Quick Attack with Thunder's velocity, achieving an outrageous speed barely visible to the naked eye."
Brock rubbed his rugged chin, earnestly analyzing. His nature inclined him to show his charming side to the older sisters, believing such worldly knowledge would surely impress them.
Brock secretly glanced at the Three Sisters of Cerulean, only to find them all intently watching the clash on the field, seemingly oblivious to his words.
This left Brock feeling slightly frustrated.
"Sizzle!!"
At this moment, the collision on the field neared its climax. As Pikachu and Starmie clashed, Pikachu appeared to be gradually adjusting its position.
With its movement, Pikachu aimed at the center of the rapidly spinning Starmie, right at that blood-red gem!
It was as if attacking Starmie's core, significantly reducing the power of Starmie's Rapid Spin.
Pikachu seized the opportunity; its electricity surged massively, rumbling thunder filling the arena.
The enormous electricity engulfed Starmie, and this time, Starmie's Rapid Spin couldn't repel the electricity!
"Cha!!" Starmie's painful cry echoed through the Cerulean Gym, and ultimately, Starmie stopped spinning, withering like a frostbitten eggplant.
Pikachu made a graceful rebound, spinning a full 720 degrees in mid-air before landing steadily on the ground, still puddled with some pool water.
"Starmie!!" Misty now seemed far from her confident self at the start of the battle. She bit her lip, clenched her small hands with worry etched across her delicate face.
Under Misty's call, Starmie barely lifted its head, showing that it hadn't lost its ability to fight yet!
"Great job, Starmie, use Psychic!" Seeing Starmie still standing strong, Misty immediately commanded Starmie to unleash one of the stronger Psychic moves, Psychic!
As long as it restrained Pikachu, victory would still be hers!
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!!" Ash shouted with a serious expression, opting for a direct clash!
Golden electricity dazzled on the field, the bolts shot towards Starmie like pythons, yet halted midair, held by Starmie's Psychic.
Not only that, Thunderbolt began turning towards Pikachu, seemingly about to be deflected directly by Starmie.
But the Thunderbolt in the air was stopped; the one on the ground wasn't!
In the pool, still containing a trickle of water, the electricity rapidly spread towards Starmie. By the time Misty reacted, Thunderbolt had landed accurately on its target!
"Cha!!"
Starmie's wail again resounded through the Cerulean Gym, and this time, the bright red light on its chest dimmed.
This indicated that Starmie had lost its ability to fight.