After Pikachu took the field, Eevee was jumping excitedly by Delia's feet.
"Bui! Bui bui!"
Eevee wagged its tail, barking and jumping at the Pikachu on the field, cheering for it.
Wiggling its little butt, its tail shook like a rattle.
Delia smiled with her lips pursed and reached out to pet Eevee's head.
Eevee's fur was very soft and felt particularly good to the touch.
...
Pikachu landed on the ground on all fours, its body slightly lowered.
The red electric sacs on its cheeks were flashing with electricity, crackling and popping.
"Pika! Pika pika!"
It barked twice at the Golbat, its voice filled with provocation.
Koga looked at that small Pikachu, then at Roy, who was putting away his poké ball, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Roy, your Pidgeot still has more than half its stamina."
"It can definitely still fight."
There was confusion in Koga's tone.
"Why did you switch in this little fellow?"
When he said "little fellow," his gaze fell upon Pikachu.
It was indeed a little fellow.
Standing less than half a meter tall, the contrast was even stronger in front of Golbat.
Golbat's wingspan alone was two meters, and its open mouth could swallow Pikachu whole.
Koga really couldn't understand.
Why would he set aside a Pidgeot that was in good condition and insist on switching in a Pikachu?
Isn't this just making things harder for himself?
Roy heard Koga's words, and the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.
"Gym Leader Koga is a powerful Trainer."
"I have to use more tactics."
He paused and looked at Koga, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"And didn't you just say it yourself?"
"Battle isn't about who's bigger."
Koga was stunned for a moment.
Then he laughed.
"Yes, yes, yes, I was slighting you."
Koga stopped smiling, and his gaze became serious.
"Then..."
"Little fellow, let me see what power you have."
He raised his hand and pointed at the Golbat on the field.
"Golbat!"
"Air Slash!"
Receiving the command, Golbat flapped its wings violently.
Several transparent wind blades flew from its wings, slicing toward Pikachu's direction.
The wind blades were very fast.
They carved several arcs in the air, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound.
This was a Flying-type skill, fast and with a high accuracy rate.
Koga wanted to strike first and test this Pikachu's strength.
Roy's expression was calm.
"Pikachu, Agility."
Pikachu's body instantly turned into a yellow shadow.
With a powerful kick from its four legs, its entire body launched forward.
The speed was astonishing.
The Air Slash sliced through the spot where Pikachu had just been standing, missing completely.
Pikachu ran across the field at high speed, trailing a yellow afterimage behind it.
It wasn't running in a straight line, but in a Z-shape.
Flashing left and darting right.
It gave Golbat no chance to aim at all.
Koga's brow furrowed even tighter.
This Pikachu's speed...
It was much faster than an ordinary Pikachu.
Not only was its speed fast, but its reaction speed was also fast.
As soon as Golbat's Air Slash was launched, Pikachu had already judged the wind blades' trajectory and dodged in advance.
This kind of reaction ability was not something an ordinary Pokemon could have.
"Golbat! Continue with Air Slash!"
"Don't stop!"
Golbat flapped its wings continuously.
One wind blade after another flew out.
But Pikachu was running too fast.
Every wind blade grazed its body and flew past, unable to hit.
Pikachu was still accelerating as it ran.
Several afterimages had already appeared on the field.
Golbat's eyes were starting to fall behind.
Its Compound Eyes kept spinning, attempting to Lock-On to Pikachu's position.
But with more and more afterimages of Pikachu, it couldn't tell which one was real.
Misty sat in the audience, her eyes lighting up as she watched.
"So fast!"
"Pikachu's speed is even faster than before!"
Usually, when grinding in the wild, the levels weren't high, so Pikachu didn't use its full strength.
Now, at full speed, it gave Misty and Delia a sense of sudden progress.
Beside them, Eevee grew even more excited.
"Bui! Bui bui!"
It jumped higher, wiggling its little butt even more joyfully.
Its tail was wagging so fast it left an afterimage.
...
Koga could also see that relying on Air Slash alone would not hit this Pikachu.
Fast speed, quick reactions, and the ability to use afterimages to interfere with vision.
This Pikachu was much harder to deal with than it looked.
Koga took a deep breath and made a decision.
"Golbat!"
"Use Haze!"
Golbat opened its large mouth and aimed at the center of the field.
A thick cloud of Haze erupted from its mouth.
The Haze spread rapidly, covering the entire field in the blink of an eye.
Pikachu's afterimages dissipated within the Haze.
Its speed was affected within the Haze.
The effect of Haze is to clear all stat changes of the Pokemon on the field.
The speed Pikachu had gained using Agility was cleared by the Haze.
Now Pikachu's speed had returned to normal.
Koga saw Pikachu's speed slow down, and his eyes lit up.
This was a good opportunity!
Haze wouldn't last long; he had to seize this window of opportunity.
"Golbat!"
"Bite!"
Receiving the command, Golbat flapped its wings and charged into the Haze.
It opened its large mouth, revealing the sharp teeth inside.
A fierce light flashed in its blood-red eyes.
The target was Pikachu!
Golbat was very fast, and the Haze blurred the vision.
It was difficult for Pikachu to judge which direction Golbat would attack from.
The corner of Koga's mouth curled up slightly.
He had used this move many times.
Clearing the opponent's buffs with Haze and then launching an attack while their vision was obscured.
Combined with Golbat's speed, the accuracy was very high.
As long as it could Bite Pikachu, it could deal significant damage.
Moreover, Bite also has a chance to make the opponent fall into a flinching state, making them unable to act.
At that point, he could launch continuous attacks and take down Pikachu in one go.
Koga's thinking was very clear.
He stared at the Haze on the field, waiting for Golbat's attack to land.
...
Roy watched Golbat charge into the Haze, a smile appearing on his face.
He had been waiting for this moment.
He had been dodging without attacking earlier just to let Golbat get close.
With the Haze blurring vision and removing buffs, Koga couldn't possibly pass up this chance to deal damage.
An experienced Trainer, facing this situation, would definitely choose to press the advantage.
This was a Trainer's instinct.
And once Golbat got close, the outcome would be decided.
Roy raised his hand, his voice calm.
"Pikachu."
"Thunderbolt."
Pikachu stood in the Haze, and the electric sacs on its cheeks suddenly erupted.
Golden electric light surged out from the electric sacs, instantly spreading.
"Pika----chu!!!"
Thunderbolt!
Electric light erupted from Pikachu's body, spreading in all directions.
But because of the Haze, the way the electric light propagated within it changed.
When the electric light encountered the Haze, it didn't penetrate directly but instead spread out within it.
The golden electric light spread through the Haze like an electric net being cast.
The entire Haze was illuminated by the electric light.
From the outside, it looked as if a cloud of Haze had suddenly turned into a golden ball of light.
Koga saw this scene, and his expression changed instantly.
"Not good!"
"Golbat! Get out of there!"
He wanted Golbat to retreat, but it was already too late.
Golbat had already charged into the Haze and was very close to Pikachu.
The electric light spread through the Haze faster than usual.
Because the Haze itself consisted of fine particles, the electricity conducted along the particles, creating a chain reaction.
The entire Haze turned into a massive electric field.
Golbat was trapped in the Haze with nowhere to hide.
Electric light surged in from all directions, all of it hitting Golbat.
"Zhi----!!!"
Golbat let out a miserable cry.
Electric light crackled and exploded all over its body.
Its body convulsed in the electric light, its wings unable to move.
Thunderbolt, a direct hit!
Moreover, because of the Haze's diffusion effect, the attack range of this Thunderbolt became larger, and the damage was more even.
Golbat's entire body was enveloped in electric light; not a single part of it escaped.
Pikachu was already very familiar with this combo skill.
On that rainy night when they caught Zapdos, Pikachu and the Thousand-Year Gastly had performed a combo skill.
It was Haze plus Thunderbolt.
The scene back then was even more spectacular than this.
Therefore, Pikachu's mastery of this move was already very proficient.
It knew how to spread electric light in the Haze, how to let the current conduct along the Haze particles, and how to maximize the damage range.
Golbat was electrocuted until it was smoking all over, its body swaying in the air.
Then it plummeted headfirst.
Thud!
Golbat crashed to the ground, its body still twitching slightly.
Its eyes had already turned into swirly eyes.
Unable to battle.
The Haze slowly dissipated, revealing the situation on the field.
Pikachu stood in place, the electric sacs on its cheeks still flashing with residual electric light.
It took a breath, then looked up at Koga.
"Pika."
There was a hint of pride in its voice.
Meanwhile, Golbat lay on the ground, smoke rising from its body, completely unconscious.
Level suppression.
The boost from the Light Ball.
Plus the electricity special training in Pewter City.
This Thunderbolt was very painful.
So painful that Golbat couldn't even withstand a single hit.
...
The entire hall fell silent for a second.
Aya stood in the referee's position, looking at the Haze and electric light on the field, her mouth wide open.
Her eyes were wide, her pupils slightly constricted.
This scene...
This color of electric light...
This way the Haze spread...
Why was it so familiar?
Aya's heart skipped a beat.
An image suddenly surfaced in her mind.
That rainy night.
Haze.
Electric light.
Electric light spreading within the Haze.
It was exactly the same as that night!
Aya's gaze turned toward Roy, then toward Pikachu.
Her lips trembled slightly.
"This electricity... this power..."
"Why... why is it so much like that night!"
Aya's voice was very soft, so soft that only she could hear it.
Her heart was pounding rapidly.
Her mind was in a mess.
Could it be...
Could it be that that night, it was Roy?
...
The Haze cleared completely.
The situation on the field was clear at a glance.
Golbat lay on the ground, unable to battle.
Pikachu stood in the center of the field with its hands on its hips, looking quite proud.
Koga looked down at Golbat and remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he took out a poké ball and recalled Golbat.
Koga looked up at Roy, a bitter smile appearing on his face.
"I lose."
"I'm completely convinced."
His tone was very sincere, without the slightest bit of resentment.
Koga looked at the Pikachu on the field, his eyes filled with admiration.
"This Pikachu is not simple."
"Its speed, reactions, and skill power are all first-rate."
"And the coordination between you two is incredibly seamless."
Koga paused and added.
"What I admire most is your tactic."
"Purposely having Pikachu use only Agility to dodge without attacking."
"Just to make me think I had an 'opportunity.'"
"Then letting Golbat get close for a one-hit kill."
Koga shook his head, his tone full of respect.
"This kind of grasp on a Trainer's psychology isn't something an ordinary person can do."
"Roy, you really are impressive."
Roy heard this and nodded slightly.
"Gym Leader Koga flatters me."
"I just have a bit of good luck."
Koga waved his hand.
"Luck is also a part of strength."
"A loss is a loss, I admit it."
...
Seeing that Pikachu had won, Eevee was incredibly excited.
It jumped out from by Delia's feet and sprinted into the field with its four short legs.
"Bui! Bui bui! Bui!"
Eevee barked as it ran, its tail wagging rapidly.
Its little butt wiggled, and its fur shimmered under the lights.
It ran very fast, not paying any attention to the floor beneath its feet.
Pikachu was standing in the center of the field with its hands on its hips when it heard Eevee's voice and turned around.
It still had a proud expression on its face.
"Pika pika!"
It barked at Eevee, meaning "See that? Took it down easily."
As a result, Eevee was running too fast.
It tried to brake, but its four short legs slipped on the floor.
It couldn't stop in time.
"Bui?!"
Eevee crashed into Pikachu.
Pikachu was busy posing with its hands on its hips and was completely off guard.
Hit by Eevee like that, its entire body fell backward.
"Pika?"
Pikachu fell on the floor with Eevee pressing down on it.
The two little fellows rolled together.
Eevee's tail was still wagging rapidly.
The fluffy tail brushed against Pikachu's face, making Pikachu sneeze.
"Pika... Pika-chu!"
Pikachu tried to push Eevee away, but Eevee was too excited and kept nuzzling against Pikachu.
"Bui bui!"
Eevee stuck out its little tongue and licked Pikachu's cheek.
Pikachu's cheeks reddened slightly.
"Pika pika!"
The two little fellows rolled around on the floor, their fur getting all messy as they started playing around.
...
Koga walked up to Roy, holding a small badge in his hand.
The badge was pink and heart-shaped, but with two arcs on the edges, making it look like a heart shape divided into two halves.
This was the soul badge of the Fuchsia Gym.
Koga handed the badge to Roy, his tone solemn.
"Roy, this is the soul badge."
"You've earned it."
Roy took the badge, his fingers touching its surface and feeling a slight coolness.
The badge shimmered faintly under the lights.
[Ding! soul badge obtained!]
[Gym Sprint — Fuchsia Gym Mission Complete!]
[Please select a Poison-type related Pokémon for a level up.]
The system notification tone sounded in Roy's mind.
He held the badge, his mind quickly considering who to give this level-up opportunity to.
There were only two Poison-type related Pokémon being trained in the team.
Bulbasaur and Gastly.
Bulbasaur was currently level 42, and Gastly's level was a bit lower.
The level-up reward is naturally more worthwhile when given to the one with a higher level.
The reasoning was simple.
The higher the level, the more experience is needed to level up, so the value of directly adding levels becomes greater.
So Roy did not hesitate and chose Bulbasaur directly.
[Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Level: lv42→lv47]
...