From the sidelines, Misty couldn't help parting her lips in surprise. Geodude lay bound in silky threads, breathing softly in sleep, and for the first time she understood why Ash had been so insistent on catching a Caterpie.
She had always dismissed Butterfree as fragile, too frail, too little stamina, and hardly any defense. Sure, its Special Attack was respectable, but what good was that if one solid Rock-type hit could send it crashing down?
But Ash's battle showed her something else entirely. Butterfree wasn't meant to be a bruiser. It was a tactician's Pokémon, a disruptor that could cripple foes with status conditions and open paths for its teammates.
'So that's why…' Misty thought, eyes narrowing. 'This isn't about raw power. This is about strategy.'
On the field, Ash raised his Poké Ball. "Nice work, Butterfree, come back and rest!"
With a flutter of wings, Butterfree vanished in a flash of red light.
Ash's gaze dropped to the yellow mouse waiting at his feet. Pikachu crouched low, sparks flickering across his cheeks, then dashed forward with a cry.
"Pikachu, I choose you!"
"Pika...chu!!"
Brock blinked, taken aback. "Butterfree, then Pikachu? Bug, Flying, Electric… Ash, are you trying to lose on type matchups, or do you really not understand the basics?"
He almost laughed. First a Bug/Flying Pokémon with a quadruple Rock weakness, and now an Electric-type that couldn't even scratch Geodude's Ground typing? This boy had talent, sure, but his choices looked like madness.
Ash just grinned, thumping a fist against his chest. "Of course I know Electric moves won't work on Geodude. But Pikachu doesn't only rely on electricity. Watch closely, this is the secret technique we've been training for days!"
"Pika!" Pikachu straightened proudly, planting his tiny hands on his hips. Then, to everyone's shock, he closed his eyes.
Ash mirrored him exactly, hands on his hips, eyes shut, posture calm and steady. Man and Pokémon stood side by side in perfect sync.
"What are they doing…?" Misty muttered, sweat beading on her forehead. She'd traveled with Ash these past days, watched every bit of training, and she had never seen this before.
The only thing that came close was those odd moments after dinner, Ash sitting cross-legged with eyes closed as if meditating, Pikachu snoozing peacefully on his shoulder. She'd brushed it off as resting. But now…
'Could that have been training all along?'
Seconds ticked by. The opening created by Butterfree's Hypnosis was being wasted by Ash and Pikachu, but Brock didn't interrupt Ash.
He didn't know if Ash was bluffing or truly had some astonishing trump card, but if the time dragged on, it would definitely be to his advantage, as Geodude was currently asleep and could only be targeted.
As a beginner starting Pokemon, besides Electric-type moves, it should only be able to use Normal-type moves. Although those wouldn't cause much damage to Geodude, if accumulated, they shouldn't be underestimated.
Brock's heart leapt when Geodude stirred, its rocky arms flexing against the silk that bound it.
"Geodude, wake up, use Rollout! "
"Geo…dude!" With a sudden jerk, the Rock Pokémon snapped the sticky threads like brittle twigs. A few strands still clung to its body, but against a Pokémon already so slow, the drag meant nothing. Geodude curled into a ball and began to spin, its momentum building into a dangerous roll.
Ash's eyes snapped open. "Now, Pikachu, Aura Sphere! "
"Pika…PIKA!!"
In that instant, Pikachu's dark pupils flared into a luminous blue. Between his tiny paws, light gathered, swirling faster and faster until a radiant orb of pure energy blazed into existence, so large it dwarfed Pikachu himself.
Misty's breath caught in her throat. 'That's… Aura Sphere?!'
Before Geodude could charge forward, Pikachu thrust out his paws, and the glowing sphere shot like a comet across the battlefield.
"Geo!" Geodude panicked, accelerating his Rollout to swerve away from the incoming attack. But to Brock's horror, the sphere curved midair, pursuing Geodude like it had a will of its own.
"BOOOOM!"
The Aura Sphere struck true, detonating in a thunderous blast. Smoke and dust billowed across the rocky field, rattling the stone pillars.
Pikachu stood with arms lowered, chest heaving as he exhaled sharply. His blue eyes dimmed back to black. Behind him, the explosion raged, casting his silhouette in golden firelight.
He didn't even glance back.
Misty and Brock gaped, jaws slack.
What the hell was that just now? Aura Sphere? Never heard of such a move! Is that a move Pikachu can learn? Brock expressed his incomprehension and was greatly shocked.
Misty's thoughts whirled. She knew exactly what Aura Sphere was, it was the attack Ash had awakened through his Aura training. But why could Pikachu able to use it?
Moments ago, Ash and Pikachu had moved as one, eyes shut, bodies aligned. The technique hadn't just looked synchronized. It was as though Trainer and Pokémon had fused their will, channeling the same Aura into a single strike.
But that's impossible… isn't it?
...
Bonus @150 PS
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