At Oreburgh Gym, Ash Ketchum and Peter stood on opposite sides of the battlefield.
Between them, Pikachu and Buneary were already poised for action.
"Next up!" Roark announced loudly.
"A one-on-one battle between Ash from Pallet Town and Peter from Goldenrod City. 1v1 rules—battle begin!"
Both Trainers gave their orders at the same time.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Buneary, Agility!"
BOOM—!
A razor-sharp bolt of golden lightning tore through the air, slamming down right where Buneary had been a split second earlier. Though it had activated Agility in advance, the Black Iron Ball weighed it down—just enough that it couldn't fully evade the blast.
"Mi-chu…"
Buneary's eyes grew serious.
So Master was right…
That Pikachu really was strong.
Peter smiled faintly.
This was exactly why he'd gone through all that trouble "conditioning" the little bunny.
Breaking through a bottleneck required adversity—and by first planting the image of an overwhelmingly powerful opponent, Buneary wouldn't crumble when it took a hit.
More importantly, Buneary—having survived alone since childhood—possessed an exceptionally tough temperament. Give it a path to victory, and it would chase it without hesitation.
From the early days, when Norman had called him a "tactical prodigy," to forging bonds with his partners, to now—guiding battles through sound methodology—
Peter had completed his transformation from a past-life gamer into a true Pokémon Trainer.
"Good! That's it!" Peter ordered decisively, eyes fixed on Buneary's legs.
"Buneary—Agility again!"
There—
A faint glow was gathering around its limbs.
That was the Speed Boost Ability, still raw… but awakening.
"Competing in speed?" Ash laughed, pumping his fist.
"Pikachu, Agility to catch up—then Quick Attack!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu turned into a streak of white light, dragging a comet-like trail as it crossed half the field in an instant!
Feeling the pressure at its back, Buneary's heart tightened—and its feet moved faster.
A clear aura of acceleration enveloped it.
Peter grinned.
Under Pikachu's pressure, Speed Boost had finally triggered.
Seeing Buneary's speed spike, Ash waved his arm sharply.
"Full power! Pikachu—Quick Attack!"
"Pika!!"
Light flared around Pikachu as its speed surged yet another tier!
BANG—!
The hit landed cleanly.
Buneary stumbled, tumbling across the ground before finally stopping.
"Mi-chu…"
Shaking its head, it struggled back to its feet, clearly battered.
Doubt crept into its heart.
Didn't Master say… Pikachu wasn't that fast?
"Heh! See that?" Ash said proudly.
"When it comes to speed, my Pikachu's never lost!"
"Is that so…" Peter replied calmly.
"But what you just saw—was only Buneary warming up."
Simple words.
Unshakable confidence.
Buneary's breathing steadied.
It didn't turn around—because it knew its Trainer was watching. Trusting it.
Peter bared his teeth in a grin.
"No one gets to look down on us. Because Buneary—you are the strongest!"
As he spoke, he used the system to remove the Black Iron Ball from Buneary.
The moment the restraint vanished—
Its body was freed.
Brilliant light flashed through Buneary's jet-black eyes.
Its toes touched the ground—
And once again, the glow of acceleration ignited.
Peter's expression sharpened.
"Quick Attack!!!"
WHOOSH—BANG!!!
"Pika!!"
A blur too fast for the naked eye streaked past. Pikachu cried out as it was blasted backward!
Brock's jaw dropped.
"H-how is that possible?! What was that just now?!"
Roark narrowed his eyes.
"In that instant… Buneary's speed more than doubled. Unbelievable—this is still just a Buneary…"
Dawn hugged herself anxiously.
"Is Ash… going to lose?"
On the field, Ash stood stunned.
He hadn't even had time to react—Pikachu had already been sent flying.
As the smoke cleared, Pikachu pushed itself upright, battered but standing.
"Quick Attack!" Peter ordered again, giving Ash no room to breathe.
"I won't lose!" Ash shouted.
"Pikachu—use Iron Tail to block it!"
Ash reacted quickly. Steel-type Iron Tail was well-suited to counter Normal-type attacks.
But just as Pikachu's tail gleamed with metallic light—
Buneary leapt gracefully aside, its ears clenched like fists as it smashed down!
"Pika!"
Pikachu was knocked back again.
"Ash has lost," Roark said calmly.
"When Pikachu's greatest strength—speed—is suppressed, and it lacks tools to restrain the opponent, victory becomes impossible."
Brock shook his head.
"Not necessarily… If it's Ash, something unexpected usually happens."
Sure enough—
"Pikachu! Iron Tail—slam the ground!"
The arena cracked open. Chunks of stone were launched skyward.
"Now!" Ash shouted.
"Step on the rocks—jump into the air—and use Thunderbolt!!!"
"PI—KA—CHUUU!!!"
CRACK!!!
Lightning crashed down from above, engulfing the entire battlefield!
A tingling numbness spread through the air as blinding light forced everyone to squint.
Dawn gasped.
"That's incredible… attacking from the air like that—Buneary has no counter!"
"Heh!" Ash grinned.
"Peter, the win's mine!"
"Impressive," Peter said as Pikachu descended. His lips curled upward.
"A clever tactic. But unfortunately… it doesn't work on me."
He swung his arm down.
"Buneary—High Jump Kick!!!"
"WHAT?!"
Everyone froze.
That attack just now—did it really not take Buneary down?!
But… how was that possible?!
The answer came instantly.
The ground beneath Pikachu exploded open.
Buneary burst upward from below, fist wrapped in Ground-type energy—then followed through with a High Jump Kick, the gale-force impact smashing straight into Pikachu's chin!
"Pika!"
Pikachu screamed as it was launched skyward.
"Quick Attack—chase it! Again—High Jump Kick!!"
Peter clenched his fist, pressing the advantage.
Against an ordinary Pikachu, this combo would've ended it.
But this was Pika-god.
So Peter chose certainty.
"Tch—so it dodged underground with Dig…" Ash gritted his teeth.
"Don't lose, Pikachu! Show some backbone—Iron Tail!!!"
Ash began his sacred chanting.
From the brink of collapse, Pikachu forced itself awake—its fighting spirit mirroring Ash's own.
Its lightning-bolt tail gleamed with steel as it spun midair to meet Buneary's strike.
CLANG—!
A sharp, ringing impact echoed.
The two collided in midair—evenly matched—and were thrown apart!
THUD—!
Gravity claimed them both. They hit the ground simultaneously, dust billowing everywhere.
"Pika…"
"Mi…"
As the dust settled, both Pokémon were barely standing—panting violently.
One was battered and stubbornly enduring on sheer grit.
The other trembled, drenched in sweat.
The outcome now hinged on one final blow.
And between them—
The bond that would decide everything was already burning bright.
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