All the other Dragonair glided freely through the skies.
Only this one walked along the ground, as if flight had nothing to do with it.
Even when the Dragonite went out to help humans, it was left alone on Dragonite's Island.
The poor Pokémon looked so desolate.
"Ash, let's help it."
Seeing the Dragonair's sadness at being unable to fly, Koharu's gentle heart overflowed.
"Of course! Dragonair, come with me—we'll train together. I promise I'll get you flying!"
Even without Koharu's request, Ash would have helped.
After all, in this world, there was no such thing as a Pokémon that couldn't fly.
If Ash himself could stay suspended in midair through sheer stamina, then surely a Dragonair born with wings should be able to soar.
Something was wrong somewhere.
As long as Dragonair overcame its hurdle, everything would work out.
That was what Ash thought at first.
But after rounds of guidance and encouragement, Dragonair still couldn't take off.
Repeated failures left even the Pokémon doubting itself. Maybe it really just couldn't fly.
"Don't give up. With me here, you'll definitely learn."
Ash pounded his chest with confidence, making his vow in front of Dragonair.
At present, Dragonair could hover for a few seconds, but not sustain flight.
That meant its body was perfectly fine.
So the problem lay in the method.
Ash wracked his brain, recalling everything he'd seen on Dragonite's Island.
Suddenly, an image of three Dragonair spiraling together through the sky came to mind.
He had it!
"Dragon Dance! That's it! Before they took off, they used Dragon Dance to strengthen themselves—that's how they managed to fly!"
The logic was sound, with a clear example to follow.
Ash silently gave himself a thumbs-up for being such a genius.
Dragonair, however, still looked unenthusiastic.
It couldn't use Dragon Dance at all.
Ash read its heart and rubbed its head gently.
"Leave it to me. You might not believe this, but… I can do a little Dragon Dance myself."
Dragonair's eyes lit up instantly.
Koharu, on the other hand, froze in disbelief.
Ash—do you even hear yourself?
That was Dragon Dance! A move only powerful Dragon-types could master.
And here he was claiming a human could use it?
That was like saying a Snorlax could do the butterfly stroke!!
No—even more ridiculous!
[Cynthia: Are you serious? Ash can use Dragon Dance? And even teach others?]
[Ash: Champion Cynthia, maybe I can't right now. But since the me in the vision can, then someday I should be able to as well!]
[Professor Oak: Listen to me, Ash—you're human, not a Pokémon. Do something human! Teaching Dragon Dance is not something humans are supposed to do!]
[Steven: Agreed. Leave professional things to the professionals. If everyone were like Ash, Devon Corp's TMs wouldn't sell anymore!]
[Wallace: …Shameless profiteer!]
[Cynthia: Ash, if you really master Dragon Dance, you must come to Sinnoh! If you can teach my Garchomp to use it, I'll buy you the best Swiss roll in the world!]
[Ash: …How good is it?]
[Cynthia: The best I've ever tasted!]
[Ash: Then it's a deal!]
In Celestic Town, Sinnoh, Cynthia's smile curved like a crescent moon.
If Ash really could teach her Garchomp Dragon Dance, its strength would soar even higher.
For a battle enthusiast, that was an irresistible temptation.
Who could turn down a Garchomp with Dragon Dance?
Certainly not Cynthia.
[Alain: Wait… has anyone told him Garchomp can't learn Dragon Dance?]
The not-yet-Trainer Alain was bewildered.
If even he knew this, how could Champion Cynthia not?
Unless… Cynthia believed Ash had some hidden method to make it possible?
The thought made his scalp tingle. His brain was overheating!
On screen—
Ash was brimming with excitement, and so was Dragonair.
"Watch closely, Dragonair. I'll show you first!"
Dragon Dance. A Pokémon move.
And Ash was about to demonstrate it?!
Koharu still couldn't accept what was about to happen.
Before she could process it, Ash was already moving.
When they'd first arrived at the beach, Ash had scoped out the terrain.
He pointed to some nearby rocks and turned to Pikachu.
"Pikachu, use Electroweb on those rocks."
Even Pikachu couldn't follow his train of thought this time.
"Pikachu?"
Seeing its tilted head, Ash quickly explained his idea.
But when he finished, all he got were blank stares from Koharu, Pikachu, and Dragonair alike.
"You mean… you'll use Pikachu's Electroweb like a trampoline, bounce into the air, and perform Dragon Dance?" Koharu repeated, stunned.
"Exactly! Didn't you see those Dragonair? Once they performed Dragon Dance in midair, they could fly!" Ash declared proudly.
Now it was Koharu's turn to doubt herself.
Could this really work?
Never mind executing Dragon Dance midair—this was an Electroweb! Not a trampoline!
And Pikachu's Electroweb wasn't just any web—it needed immense electrical power to hold its form.
No human could endure touching it.
Not even Ash… right?
Koharu instantly rejected the idea.
She knew Pikachu's strength—strong enough to beat a Gyarados or even a Tyranitar with ease.
An Electroweb from that Pikachu? Any ordinary Pokémon would faint on contact.
But Ash just grinned.
"Don't worry. I'm Ash!"
He never considered giving up.
Since he had promised Dragonair, he'd make sure it learned to fly—no matter what.
Then he began his breathtaking stunt.
First, Pikachu's Electroweb spread between the rocks, forming a taut trampoline of lightning.
Ash leapt high into the air—
—and landed squarely on it.
"Dragonair, pay close attention to my movements!" Even then, he didn't forget to remind his students.
But what followed was… less inspiring.
Ash did land on the web.
He just didn't bounce.
Instead, his whole body convulsed in an electric shock, his skeleton flashing visibly through his skin.
When the web finally dissipated, Ash collapsed to the ground, charred black, smoke puffing from his mouth.
The sight was so ridiculous that even Gary, who had been holding back, couldn't resist.
[Gary: Didn't I say it was impossible? A human using Dragon Dance—hah! Turns out you were just here to make me laugh!]
Watching the scene unfold, Gary finally exhaled in relief.
He drained his lemonade in one gulp, smiling radiantly.
After being suppressed for so long, he finally had his chance to fire back!
Ash, this time you're done for.
The advantage is mine! There's no way I can lose now!
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