Pikachu, using the recoil from the Iron Tail just performed, adjusted its body mid-air and landed lightly.
"Pika!"
As the dust gradually dispersed, Crobat's figure reappeared in front of everyone.
All four wings had completely drooped, and its eyes spun continuously—clearly, it had lost its ability to battle.
Melli stiffened once more.
Earlier, when Skuntank was defeated, he could still say he was too overconfident from the start, misjudging Pikachu's true strength.
But this time, he had been serious.
He even specially chose Crobat, his fastest Pokémon, based on the speed Pikachu had shown earlier.
Yet where he believed he could have an advantage, he lost even more thoroughly.
Melli ran somewhat chaotically to Crobat's side, lifted it out of the pit, then skillfully took out a healing spray to treat its injuries.
Once Crobat's breathing gradually stabilized, it was as if he suddenly lost the momentum he had earlier and sat directly onto the rock ground next to him.
"Why..."
"Why did I lose to a kid..."
Ash slowly walked to Melli, his expression still not having eased much.
"Because you are too self-assured."
"It's the same with the King, it's the same in battles. From the beginning, you only believe in what you think, without truly judging what is actually happening in front of you."
"You think Electrode getting stronger is a good thing, so you're unwilling to think whether this power might cause the King pain. Seeing Pikachu just now, you immediately thought I looked down on you because the ordinary Pikachu in Hisui isn't strong."
Ash pointed to Pikachu, who had returned to his side.
"If you're not willing to truly see what's actually happening in front of you, no matter how many times you battle—ten times, a hundred times—the result wouldn't be any different."
Melli's face immediately darkened further.
"Stop acting like you understand everything!"
"Treat Pokémon sincerely? Is it like you Team Galactic folks, putting Pokémon into those narrow balls? Is that really treating Pokémon sincerely?"
"I train with Crobat and the others every day, eat together, rest together; what do you, a little kid, know about genuinely caring for Pokémon!"
Melli grew more indignant as he spoke.
"And winning those two rounds was just because your Pikachu was much stronger than my Pokémon; it has nothing to do with whether I sincerely care for my Pokémon."
"It's not that I lost; it's merely that you won, that's all!"
After hearing this, Ash didn't continue to get angry; he just sighed somewhat helplessly.
"I've heard many people talk about Pokeballs since coming to Hisui."
"Pokeballs are not a tool to bind or enslave Pokémon; they're just to allow Trainers to travel more conveniently with their partners."
"If a Pokémon doesn't like being inside, just let it stay outside and roam—Pikachu does this regularly."
"As for strength, you're right; my Pikachu is now indeed much stronger than your Pokémon, but Pikachu wasn't always like this from the start."
"Pikachu and I have gone through many battles and lost many times; each training, each battle, we've both tried to grow stronger, step by step, to get here."
Ash extended his hand, and Pikachu naturally jumped back onto his shoulder.
"Many things can continuously strengthen Pokémon—training, experience, battles; they're all crucial."
"But the bond between Trainer and Pokémon is equally important. Only by truly viewing each other as partners, willing to understand what Pokémon genuinely want, can both continue moving forward together."
"So, Melli, if you genuinely care about Electrode, you shouldn't just watch how strong his power has become; you should see whether he wants to continue enduring this current state."
Melli didn't speak for a moment.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Suddenly, applause came from nearby.
Ingo, who hadn't intervened in the argument, walked over slowly.
"Ash is right, Melli. You've always thought Electrode gaining more powerful strength is a good thing for the King, but have you really observed the King's appearance when he goes berserk?"
"Unable to control his own body, constantly attacking everything around him, unable even to calm down."
"If one day you suddenly gain power vastly beyond your control and your body uncontrollably damages everything around you, would you honestly think that's a blessing?"
Melli fell silent.
Ingo did not continue, because the person who should truly understand these things is none other than Melli himself.
Some people aren't unable to understand what others say, but rather unwilling to admit that what they've stubbornly insisted upon might be wrong.
Now, after two consecutive, undeniably defeat, alongside Ash and Ingo putting previously ignored issues in front of him, Melli's stubborn thinking finally began to waver.
He had seen Electrode's pain during its rampages, and he knew that in the Coronet Highlands, more Pokémon and humans were being affected.
But he always thought these issues were merely the King not yet fully adapting to the Venerable Sinnoh's gift.
If such power is truly a blessing, then why is Electrode's condition worsening over time?
Melli sat for a long time in silence before slowly standing up, and the apparent hostility had significantly diminished.
"I understand now. You want to go to Moonview Arena, right? I'll take you there!"
Upon hearing this, Ash's serious demeanor finally eased a bit.
Getting through to this guy sure isn't easy.
After Skuntank and Crobat were treated with healing spray, they were fine.
Melli checked the condition of the two Pokémon once more, and then, along with Ingo and Ash, formally departed for Moonview Arena.
Coronet Highlands are extremely rugged, with cliffs and ledges almost everywhere.
Moonview Arena is located closer to Mount Coronet, so traveling from Heights Camp requires traversing a quite long mountain road.
With only Ash and Cynthia, Sneasler would be the fastest choice.
But with Melli and Ingo in the team, the basket behind Sneasler could only hold two people max, so it was clearly unsuitable for directly taking everyone to Moonview Arena.
Therefore, they opted for the regular route that reached Moonview Arena without needing to climb mountain walls, although the pathway was notably longer and involved passing through several dimly lit caves.
Once they began their journey, Ash truly grasped what Ingo meant by describing the terrain of the Coronet Highlands as complex.
Many places allowed them to see their target peaks from afar.
But upon approaching, they'd be suddenly blocked by a ravine or wall and have to reroute through another valley.
They traveled a whole day, yet even as night fell, they had not reached Moonview Arena.
They had to rest in a relatively safe area for the night and set off again at dawn.
Not until the morning of the second day did the area encircled by towering walls finally appear in their view.
"Crack——!!"
"Sizzle——!!"
"Boom!!!"
Even before reaching Moonview Arena's entrance, waves of thunder and explosions echoed continuously from the valley, even causing subtle tremors beneath everyone's feet.
On Ash's shoulder, Pikachu perked up instantly, its long ears raised high.
"Pika!"
Intense golden electric flashes flickered continuously over the valley ahead, and despite the distance, one could feel the astonishing electric attribute energy within.