LightReader

Chapter 437 - 437. Rhydon vs Pikachu

Join my p@treon for more chapters

[email protected]/Tempest_29

With Blaine having secured the first victory, the pressure now rested entirely on Ash's shoulders. Moving forward, Ash would need to win both remaining battles consecutively to claim overall victory. If he lost even one more round, the entire match would be concluded.

Under these specific rules, there would be no point in proceeding to a third battle if Ash suffered another defeat.

Blaine had made brilliant use of the volcanic arena's environmental conditions. Magmortar had absorbed energy from the flowing magma early in the battle to dramatically increase its combat effectiveness.

This three-on-three format with individual battle rules meant the match could be resolved just as the temporary enhancement from magma energy absorption began to fade. Magmortar could retire from the field having achieved its purpose perfectly.

It could be said that Blaine had calculated every strategic element meticulously.

"Ash, in high-level battles—especially if you plan to challenge Elite Agatha and Lance in the future—you absolutely cannot rely solely on type advantages!"

Blaine looked directly at Ash while speaking. Rather than simply continuing the gym challenge, he was teaching valuable lessons like an experienced mentor. In elite-level competitions, depending exclusively on type matchups would inevitably result in devastating losses.

"Thank you for that wisdom!" After hearing Blaine's advice, Ash appeared momentarily thoughtful, then a trace of amusement flashed in his eyes.

"Then let's continue our battle! This is the partner I'm sending next!" Blaine assumed Ash had absorbed the lesson, nodded with satisfaction, and threw his second Poké Ball.

BOOM!!!

The Poké Ball opened with a flash, and a massive figure landed heavily with a thunderous roar. Before them appeared an imposing form wrapped in silver-gray armor plating, with a distinctive conical spiral horn above its head gleaming with cold menace.

It was Rhydon, the evolved form of Rhyhorn—a choice that seemed somewhat surprising since everyone associated the Cinnabar Gym exclusively with Fire-type specialists.

Green had never encountered this particular Rhydon during her own gym challenge, so she felt genuinely surprised witnessing this unexpected selection. Elite Agatha glanced at Green's reaction and spoke with subtle amusement.

"You didn't actually think he could only use Fire-type Pokémon, did you?"

"Uh..." Green scratched her head with embarrassment. She had indeed made that assumption previously.

Conversely, Ash showed no surprise whatsoever. Not only did he know that Blaine possessed a Rhydon, but he also understood that while many gym leaders and Elite Four members were masters of specific types, focusing on reaching the pinnacle didn't mean they wouldn't utilize other type combinations. In fact, at this level of expertise, elite trainers could effectively command Pokémon of types outside their specialization.

"Pikachu, you're up!" Ash observed Rhydon carefully, considered his options for a moment, then addressed his most trusted partner.

"Pika pika!"

Pikachu responded with obvious excitement after hearing the call, then leaped gracefully onto one of the stone pillars. Witnessing this selection, Blaine and the three observers were visibly stunned.

"Wait... Ash is sending... Pikachu?!"

Green clearly couldn't believe that Ash had actually chosen Pikachu for this matchup.

"How fascinating!" Elite Agatha observed this development with narrowed eyes and an unreadable smile.

"Ash, are you certain about sending Pikachu into this battle?" Blaine asked after recovering from his initial shock.

"That's correct!"

"You do understand that Rhydon is a Ground-type Pokémon, don't you?" After hearing Ash's confirmation, Blaine felt compelled to clarify the obvious type disadvantage.

"I'm well aware. Didn't you just tell me not to be restricted by type advantages?" Ash responded with a confident chuckle.

"Well..." Blaine found himself momentarily speechless. Was Ash actually applying the lesson immediately after learning it? When he had spoken about not being restricted by types, he meant for future battles when Ash became much stronger—not for immediate implementation!

"Actually, my purpose in sending Pikachu is to demonstrate that type advantages don't determine everything. I've understood this principle since my very first day of traveling!"

While Blaine remained stunned by this bold declaration, Ash smiled and raised his head to look directly ahead with unwavering confidence. Blaine felt genuinely surprised by Ash's profound words.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

"Rhydon, counter with Stone Edge!"

Blaine reacted swiftly and launched his own offensive simultaneously. Numerous sharp stone blades materialized around Rhydon's massive form, creating two intersecting circles that rotated around its armored body.

As Rhydon thrust both hands forward, all the stone projectiles flew directly toward Pikachu's position.

"Pika!"

However, Pikachu relied on Quick Attack's incredible speed to leap rapidly between the surrounding stone pillars, effortlessly avoiding the Stone Edge assault while swiftly approaching Rhydon's location.

"Iron Tail!"

Rushing directly toward Rhydon, Ash launched his attack strategy. Pikachu used its forward momentum to maximum advantage as metallic luster gleamed along its tail, then swung the appendage forcefully toward the Ground/Rock-type.

BOOM!!!

Blaine had personally chosen this volcanic arena, which certainly favored his Fire-types, but using Rhydon here seemed like a miscalculation on his part.

Rhydon's entire body was encased in heavy armor plating, making its movements extremely slow and cumbersome. However, in an environment with only narrow stone pillars for footing, Rhydon had no effective means of evasion and could only rely on its exceptional defensive capabilities to absorb damage.

Moreover, Rhydon was a dual Ground and Rock-type Pokémon. The Rock typing was vulnerable to Steel-type moves like Iron Tail, creating a significant type disadvantage.

After being struck by the Iron Tail, Rhydon staggered backward slightly but still managed to maintain its balance on the stone pillar. Otherwise, this single blow might have sent it tumbling into the molten magma below.

As the dust settled, Pikachu landed gracefully on the opposite side of the battlefield.

"Excellent! Iron Tail was super effective!"

Witnessing this successful exchange, Green felt genuinely excited. While Electric-type moves were useless, as long as Pikachu could utilize Iron Tail effectively, there remained a legitimate chance for victory.

"Iron Tail? Now I understand why you sent Pikachu so confidently. With such incredible speed and agility, my Rhydon is at a severe disadvantage!" Blaine looked at Ash with newfound comprehension.

Ash was definitely not the type of trainer who remained restricted by type limitations—just as Blaine had taught his Magmortar Thunder Punch to handle type disadvantages, Ash had clearly trained his Pikachu to learn Iron Tail for dealing with unfavorable matchups.

"I'm genuinely getting excited now! Rhydon, use Rock Tomb!"

Although struck by Pikachu's Iron Tail, Rhydon's defensive prowess was far too substantial to be defeated by a single attack. This time, Blaine took the initiative in launching his offensive.

Rhydon roared powerfully after hearing the command, then its body began emanating bright light. High above in the sky, countless massive boulders materialized within the luminous energy and began crashing down from overhead like a devastating avalanche.

"Agility!"

More Chapters