Having Misty concede would, of course, be out of the question; otherwise, Ash would have taken the Water Drop Badge Violet offered from the start.
This thought merely circled Ash's mind briefly before he discarded it.
After catching Ralts and placing it back on the ground, Ash stood up again and, along with Pikachu, who also breathed a sigh of relief, looked at their opponent.
"I almost thought you were going to send Ralts out there."
"How could I? If I were to send Ralts out, I might as well go out there myself."
Misty: ...
Is that something a human would say? Damn, going yourself.
If it were anyone else saying this, Misty would definitely throw down some harsh words, saying, "If you've got the guts, go ahead yourself." A human battling a Pokemon is so reckless.
But since this was Ash, Misty chose to swallow all her words.
This guy can really fight Pokemon!
And from the strength he usually shows, even Elite Level Peak Pokemon might not be his match.
If Ash personally took the field, he might actually have a higher chance of winning than Pikachu.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!!" After a brief exchange of words, Ash was the first to command Pikachu to launch an attack.
Pikachu's body erupted with dazzling golden sparks, cutting through the sky straight towards Starmie.
"Starmie, use Rapid Spin to deflect it!" Misty opted not to have Starmie dodge but to execute Rapid Spin instead.
Starmie's entire body began to spin, quickly turning into a rapidly spinning top, with an unimaginable spin speed.
The brilliant electricity spanned the distance and struck Starmie's body, only to be deflected away by its spinning, and what's more, Starmie maintained this rapid spinning state, charging swiftly at Pikachu.
"Dodge quickly!"
"Bang!!"
Pikachu tried to dodge Starmie's attack, but just after using Thunderbolt, he hadn't yet recovered from the recoil, and Starmie's speed far exceeded Pikachu's speed.
Even though Misty's Starmie's speed ability value is only D, and Pikachu's is C~B, the level difference between them was enough to even out or ignore this disparity in ability values.
If Pikachu's ability values were at the S level right now, then perhaps the situation might be reversed, with Pikachu ignoring this huge level gap.
Pikachu was hit by the Rapid Spin, sent flying backward, rolling over the ground more than ten times.
Luckily, there was some water on the ground to cushion the blow; otherwise, Pikachu would have taken even more damage.
Even so, being hit like that with such a level gap, the situation was very dire for Pikachu.
At this moment, although Pikachu could still stand, his little legs were already trembling slightly.
"Give it up, Ash. Your Thunderbolt is ineffective against Starmie, and one strike from Starmie already put Pikachu in this state. I've won this battle; you shouldn't exert so much effort on altering the field."
"If at the start, you had Butterfree and Pidgeotto use Gust alternately to increase the tornado's hold on Starmie, then swapped in Pikachu for Thunder Shock in between, perhaps you'd have a better chance, but now..."
Seeing the wounded Pikachu, Misty shook her head at Ash.
This speech highlights Misty's responsibility as a Gym Trainer. When facing a challenger about to lose, instead of defeating them outright, she explains the mistakes and weaknesses they've shown, allowing them to learn something.
Especially since this challenger is Ash, Misty certainly wants to do her best to help Ash address his shortcomings.
As for the badge... Ash's performance was quite good, just a bit off direction; for a Junior Trainer, he's already at the top level, and even if he didn't win this battle, he deserves a badge.
Just as Misty fantasized about teaching Ash with pride, standing on the high ground of education, Ash suddenly smiled.
"I lost? That might not be true; until the battle ends, who knows what the result will be?"
"What do you mean? You're still unwilling to give up? Continuing like this will cause Pikachu more harm; knowing when to give up is also something a competent Trainer should do," Misty paused, then frowned and advised.
"But since my Pikachu hasn't given up yet, how could I make that decision for him?"
Hearing this, Misty looked at Pikachu and found that even though Pikachu's legs were trembling, his face was still filled with fighting spirit.
He had not lost his enthusiasm because of the tremendous level gap, and instead, his fighting spirit was even more vigorous.
"The words ' We Never Give Up' are engraved in our instincts, right, Pikachu!"
"Pika Pika!!"
"Great, let Misty see our true power!" Ash finished speaking, took off his hat, and threw it into the field.
Pikachu leaped up, accurately catching the hat on his head, then landed steadily on the ground.
At this time, Pikachu with Ash's red and white hat seemed a bit odd, but for some reason, it also seemed naturally fitting, as if this Pikachu... was its complete form?
Misty was dazed by this, wondering if Pikachu with the hat on was complete? Why did she have such a thought? She sensed an ominous feeling...
"Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash's eyes lit up with a bright blue glow, and Pikachu reciprocated — Aura Fusion state.
"Electric Type moves are useless against my Starmie, what method are you planning to attack with?" Misty suppressed the odd feeling in her heart and spoke flatly.
"That might not be certain; as long as we attack you before you use Rapid Spin, won't it work? Pikachu, use Zippy Zap!" Ash waved his hand grandly and exclaimed.
Zippy Zap? What kind of move is that?
After Aura Sphere, now another move never seen before, and while Aura Sphere was a move Ash taught Pikachu using his own Aura Power, this Zippy Zap... Did Pikachu know such a move?
Regardless, defend first: "Starmie, Rapid Spin..."
"Pika Pika Pika!!" Before Misty's voice finished, Pikachu had already hit the ground on all fours, his entire body turning into a bolt of lightning, vanishing from the field.
Only a streak of golden lightning flashed over the field, and before Misty's words were completed, Starmie had already been knocked back!
"Boom!!"
A deafening sound erupted, causing the whole field to tremble slightly.
Misty stared dazedly at Starmie, who had been blasted against the wall, her pupils losing focus.
What... just happened?