"Whoooosh!"
The torrential wave roared across the field, swallowing Raichu whole. Water slammed into the Gym walls before slowly receding, leaving the battlefield drenched in spray.
Lt. Surge stood soaked on one side of his body, but he didn't care about the water. What really shook him was the question pounding in his head: 'How in the world does a Pikachu know Surf?!'
This was insane. Surf was a move most Water-types couldn't even master, how could an Electric-type summon such a massive tide? Did Pikachu really have that much Water-type energy inside its body?
And yet, as the water washed over him, Surge felt his skin prickle. A faint current buzzed in his legs like he'd touched a live wire. 'Wait… is this water infused with electricity?!'
His voice cracked. "Th-that's impossible! A Pikachu with Surf, and that much power?!"
His two assistants looked pale, their eyes bulging like they'd seen a ghost. "No way! I-it can't be! Pikachu doesn't learn Surf! That move was massive, it was like a tidal wave dozens of times its size!"
Even Brock and Misty, who traveled with Ash every day, were frozen in place.
'First the hat, then that mystery speed move as fast as Extreme Speed. And now Surf?' Misty's hands shook. "When did Pikachu even learn that?!"
She turned to Brock, who just shook his head blankly. "If I knew, I'd be just as shocked as you aren't right now…"
Both of them knew Ash trained with Pikachu every morning, waking two hours before them. Clearly, that was when Pikachu's arsenal of surprise moves had been forged. But come on, was it really possible to learn something new every single morning? Was there some kind of golden training window that let Pikachu pick up skills like candy?
And why did Ash never use them in daily battles, only saving them for Gym fights? Was he deliberately hiding things from them? Had Professor Oak taught him to hold moves in reserve like trump cards?
On the field, Ash smirked and called out, voice dripping with sarcasm. "So, how about it? Do you still think my Pikachu's just a baby?"
Lt. Surge twitched. 'If that's a baby, then my Raichu's at best a toddler, one who might not even beat this 'baby'.'
He had suspected something was off from Pikachu's first attack. That Pikachu felt like it had jumped from Advanced Level to Elite in the blink of an eye. But Surge had shrugged it off. Even if Pikachu was Elite, so what? Raichu was still a Professional-class Pokémon. The tier gap was huge, Elite versus Professional wasn't even close.
At least, that's what he'd thought.
But now, with Raichu flattened twice in a row and still struggling to stand after that wave, Surge's confidence wavered. That Surf hadn't been any weaker than a Water-type's own.
'What kind of monster is this Pikachu?!'
Lt. Surge clenched his fists, the joints cracking like gunshots as his grin finally dropped. His expression hardened into something deadly serious.
"Kid… I'll admit I underestimated you. But don't fool yourself, the difference in our levels can't be erased by party tricks. I slipped up once, but now," His eyes narrowed, flashing with a battle-hungry gleam. "Are you ready to face real defeat?"
It was clear now, Lt. Surge was finally getting serious. Raichu staggered back onto his feet, water dripping from his fur. The last wave had hurt, yes, but his bulky frame wasn't just for show.
"Go, Raichu! Let 'em see your true electricity, Thunderbolt!" Surge roared.
"Rai… RAI!!!"
Rage surged through Raichu as he obeyed, electricity flooding across his body, gathering into a deadly storm. His cheeks sparked violently, the air itself trembling with static.
Then suddenly, his movements faltered. The charge fizzled, his muscles stiffened, and his body froze with a harsh jolt.
"Raichu?!"
The larger Electric-type let out a strangled cry. His limbs locked up, and his whole frame twitched uncontrollably.
'Paralyzed? But… how?'
Raichu's eyes widened in disbelief. He was an Electric-type, how could he possibly be paralyzed? Electric Pokémon were supposed to be immune!
But this wasn't ordinary paralysis. The Soaring Surf Pikachu had unleashed carried water infused with electricity, and the current had shocked Raichu's body in a way no Electric-type immunity could protect against. Against that hybrid attack, paralysis could take hold, and it had struck at the worst possible moment.
Ash's eyes gleamed. "That's it! He's paralyzed! Pikachu, use Nasty Plot! Don't waste this chance!"
Originally, Ash had been ready to play evasive with Electric Acceleration again, but he recognized the golden opportunity.
Pikachu tilted his head, sparks crackling around him as his eyes narrowed. A faint golden aura shimmered across his body, his thoughts sharpened.
"Pika!"
Ash didn't let the momentum fade. "Now, Electric Acceleration!"
"Pika...CHUUU!!"
Pikachu blurred out of sight, reappearing right in Raichu's face with explosive speed. His body slammed into the paralyzed Raichu before the larger Pokémon could react.
"Raaaiii!!"
Raichu was sent flying again, tumbling across the battlefield in a shower of sparks. The direct tackle hit harder than expected, his paralyzed muscles unable to brace against the blow.
And Electric Acceleration carried its own quirk, on impact, it knocked the opponent off balance, forcing Raichu back to the ground.
Ash's eyes lit up. 'Perfect. He's still paralyzed, still struggling to get up. Time for the finishing blow.'
"Pikachu, press the advantage! Use Soaring Surf again!" Ash commanded with a sweeping gesture.
"Pika-chuuuu!!"
Pikachu stomped down hard, summoning the wave once more. Water gushed upward, electricity flooding it until the tide glowed golden-blue. The Gym shook as another massive surge rose behind Pikachu like a thunderous wall.
Lt. Surge's expression twisted. His Raichu hadn't landed a single hit. He was supposed to be the Professional-level Trainer, and yet here he was being toyed with, suppressed from start to finish.
"Damn it, what's going on here?!" he thought, teeth gritted.
The sheer absurdity of it all made his fists clench tighter. Raichu was the one meant to overwhelm challengers, but here he was, pushed into the dirt by a Pikachu.
"Raichu, Protect!!" Lt. Surge's voice cracked as he shouted, desperation breaking through his usual confidence. At this point, all he could hope for was that Raichu could block Pikachu's relentless assault and finally counterattack.
If this kept up, no matter how tough Raichu was, he would be crushed.
Raichu forced himself up, legs trembling, only for his vision to fill with another roaring wave. The deep blue tide bore down on him, winds whipping and water crashing. A chill ran down Raichu's spine, if he took this attack head-on, the damage would be brutal.
"Raiii...Rai!!"
With a roar, Raichu forced the electricity in his body into shape. A glowing green barrier sprang up in front of him.
The wave slammed down, smashing into the shield, but it held.
Protect. One of the strongest defensive techniques. Even in paralysis, as long as the body didn't lock up, it activated instantly.
The first failed attempt had been because Surge called it too late and Raichu had been caught off guard. After all, who in the world expected a Pikachu to summon a Water-type attack powerful enough to swallow an arena whole?
'No…' Surge's fists clenched. 'Not just a Pikachu. This one's different. A freak. An anomaly.'
But the damage was already done. The last Soaring Surf hadn't only struck Raichu, it had paralyzed him with the electricity woven into the current. That paralysis had opened the door for Pikachu to power up, and from that moment, the tide had turned.
Now Surge and Raichu were clinging to Protect, waiting for a chance to fight back.
The wave slowly drained off the field. The green barrier faded. And when the water was gone, so was Pikachu.
"What?! Where is he?!" Surge's eyes darted wildly across the battlefield. Pikachu had ridden the wave, but after it crashed down, his figure had vanished.
The arena floor was slick with shallow water, draining away through the pipes beneath the Gym. A tiny trickle pulled at the puddle's center, spiraling downward.
Surge froze. 'Wait… draining water?'
His pupils shrank. His gaze snapped to a spot just in front of Raichu, and his heart lurched.
"Raichu, jump, NOW!!"
"Rai?!" Raichu blinked in confusion, but obeyed, trying to leap. With paralysis slowing his body, though, he had barely bent his knees when;
CRACK!!
The ground split apart, and Pikachu exploded upward in a shower of dirt and sparks.
"Pika...CHUUU!!"
A tiny golden fist, glowing with Ground-type energy, rocketed into Raichu's chin.
The blow connected with explosive force. Raichu's head snapped back, and ironically, the upward punch helped him complete his jump, launching him into the air!
Surge's face darkened, realization slamming into him like the wave had. "Damn it, he burrowed underground!"
The Vermilion Gym had a drainage system built beneath the arena floor, but Pikachu's two consecutive Soaring Surfs had overwhelmed it. For a short time, the battlefield had become a shallow pool. When the water began draining, Pikachu had slipped into the current and tunneled below.
But Raichu's reaction was still a beat too slow.
BOOM!
Pikachu burst up from beneath the ground, his fist glowing with earthy energy, and smashed Raichu square on the chin. The impact sent the larger Electric-type spinning through the air, sparks flying from his cheeks as the blow rattled his whole body.
It was Dig, a Ground-type move with a natural advantage over Electric-types!
"What kind of monster is this Pikachu?!" Surge's eyes bulged. "First Surf, now Dig, how many moves does he know?!"
Surf. Dig. None of this should've been possible. And yet Pikachu was wielding them like weapons forged for him.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!!" Ash roared.
Raichu was still airborne, unable to brace himself. That meant Ash's Thunderbolt would strike without fail!
"Raichu, use Thunderbolt too!!" Surge barked, his instincts kicking in this time.
"Raiiii...CHU!!"
Two golden lances of electricity burst forth almost simultaneously. Pikachu's Thunderbolt streaked upward, Raichu's downward, the beams colliding mid-air.
The clash erupted in a blinding explosion of light, sparks scattering like fireworks. Shockwaves rippled through the Gym, blasting the last puddles of water from the floor.
Misty and Brock shielded their faces from the spray, but neither could tear their eyes away.
A Professional-class Pokémon. An evolved form. Against a Pikachu. Logic said Raichu's Thunderbolt should be superior. Even with the Special Attack boost, Pikachu should have been outmatched.
And yet;
"Pikaaaa...CHUUUUU!!!"
Ash's Pikachu snarled, pushing forward. Slowly, Raichu's lightning was forced back, his aura dimming under the relentless golden flood.
Surge's pupils shrank, disbelief twisting his face. "What?! Impossible! Why?!"
How could an unevolved Pikachu overpower his Raichu, an evolved, higher-tier Pokémon with the same move? It defied reason. It defied rules.
"Press him, Pikachu!" Ash shouted, his voice shaking the rafters.
"Pika...CHUUUUUU!!!"
Pikachu's Thunderbolt flared brighter, searing the air itself. Raichu's attack shattered under the pressure, and the full force of Pikachu's electricity engulfed him.
"Raaaiii!!"
Raichu's scream echoed as his body lit up, arcs of golden lightning racing across his frame. His silhouette flickered in the blazing light before finally crashing to the arena floor with a heavy thud.
The sparks faded. The Gym went silent.
Raichu lay motionless on the scorched battlefield.
...
Stones Plzz
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