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As Starmie fell, the victory of this battle was declared for Ash.
Despite having the advantage of the field, level, and Trainer experience, Misty still lost to Ash.
This left Misty still unable to react, her pupils unfocused.
Forget about a three-on-one numerical advantage; two Normal Level and one Advanced Level—what good is a numerical advantage then?
The higher the level difference, the greater the gap. Starmie, being at the peak of Superior, could theoretically defeat six Pokémon like Pikachu with a perfect victory.
This was a difference of one major level plus two minor levels, and it wasn't from Novice to Normal, but from Advanced to Elite Level!
With such a level difference, the opponent managed to defeat her without losing a single Pokémon, which naturally left Misty's mind in turmoil.
Even after Pikachu hit her twice consecutively with that skill called Electric Terrain, Misty still felt she had a chance to turn the tide, as long as she could control Pikachu with Psychic and then defeat Pikachu with skills like Water Gun. Then, Ash's remaining two Pokémon would certainly be no match for Starmie.
However, the idea was beautiful, but reality was cruel. In her haste, she didn't pay attention to the field. Pikachu using Thunderbolt not only launched lightning into the air but also spread the lightning across the ground using the principle of water conductivity.
Ultimately, Starmie, with only a sliver of stamina left, collapsed under the Thunderbolt that spread through the water and could not get up.
After an unknown amount of time, Misty's pupils finally refocused. Coming back to her senses, she only saw Ash and Pikachu happily hugging and spinning in circles. Ralts, at their feet, also happily spun along with them.
The little one didn't know why Ash was so happy, but if Ash was happy, she was happy, so she danced and celebrated with them.
Seeing this, Misty recalled Starmie, then jumped into the water pool below and walked up to the joyful Ash.
"Congratulations, Ash, on defeating Cerulean Gym. I underestimated you; I didn't expect you to have hidden moves."
Ash rubbed his nose and chuckled, "Hehe, that's a secret move Pikachu and I accidentally discovered. Even we were startled back then."
"Pika Pika~" Pikachu, standing on Ash's shoulder, nodded in agreement, and at the same time, returned Ash's hat to him.
On that day, when he suddenly used that skill, Pikachu himself was startled. He didn't even know he could use such a move.
It was breakfast at Mt. Moon. Ash and he had both woken up early for training. Misty and Brock were still sound asleep. Since Ash was doing physical training with him, Ash took off his hat, drenched in sweat.
Pikachu looked at Ash's hat with some curiosity and tried it on. Who knew, after putting on the hat, he felt an endless surge of power welling up within him.
Pikachu told Ash about this situation, and Ash, using his Insight Eye, discovered that Pikachu, originally at an [Advanced Mid-Level], had actually become an [Advanced High-Level] after putting on the hat.
Not only that, but Pikachu's various stats did not decrease due to the level increase; instead, they improved by one tier.
CB became BA, and DB became CA.
This all-around improvement, merely by wearing a hat, made Ash feel incredibly bewildered.
Besides the level and stats, Pikachu also felt he had learned a new move, so Ash asked him to demonstrate it—this was the origin of Pikachu's first use of Electric Terrain.
Afterward, Ash immediately went to the group chat to ask what was going on, but this time, something unexpected happened.
The seniors in the group had never seen or heard of such a situation. After learning about Ash's situation, they also tried putting their hats on Pikachu's head, but nothing happened.
There were indeed moves that could only be performed while wearing a hat, and it was an exclusive move that only they and Pikachu could use, with terrifying power.
However, that move was completely different from the move Ash described, and their Pikachu's stats or level did not increase when wearing a hat.
Therefore, it could be concluded that it was an exclusive form belonging to Ash's Pikachu in this time-space.
The idea of changing forms just by wearing a hat was somewhat unfathomable, even from the perspective of the group's seniors.
The seniors in the group even gave a name to Ash's Pikachu's form—Partner Form.
As for the skill name Electric Terrain, Pikachu came up with it himself because when using this skill, he could feel his entire body filled with electricity, and he moved rapidly driven by lightning. The speed boost of this move was a tier faster than Quick Attack!
Hence the vivid and descriptive name, Electric Terrain.
The above is the complete origin of Electric Terrain.
It was precisely because of this skill, the boost from wearing the hat, and the Aura fusion buff—this triple enhancement—that Ash decided to employ this battle strategy.
Clearing the water from the field, then, with Pikachu's mobility and the numerous buffs, directly confronting Starmie!
Facts proved that with multiple buffs, Pikachu's speed was already on par with Elite Level speed. Coupled with Electric Terrain's even faster priority than Quick Attack, in terms of speed, Starmie simply couldn't keep up with Pikachu.
Ultimately, Ash won this battle without a hitch, legitimately earning the water drop badge.
Ash took the water drop badge from Misty's hand, then struck a classic pose: "I got the water drop badge!"
"Pika Pikachu!"
"La Lu La Lu~~" Ralts, who hadn't been in the battle, also cheered from the side. Her small hand reaching out to pose with Ash made Misty's somewhat gloomy mood from losing the match brighten up a bit.
This little one was not only adorable in appearance but also incredibly likable in personality. Looking at her seemed to dispel the gloom in one's heart.
Brock also walked over to Ash, applauding, his words full of admiration for Ash's battle. "Congratulations, Ash, on getting your second badge, and you fought a very beautiful battle. Your wild and imaginative fighting style is probably unexpected by many Gym Leaders. It's truly hard to imagine you're a rookie Trainer."
Initially, he was more focused on the older sisters around him, but later, he almost entirely focused his attention on Ash and Misty's battle.
Ash's battle strategy, in his opinion, was somewhat rough and quite wild and imaginative in its execution. At least, Brock thought such tactics were something no normal person would ever think of, yet Ash thought of them and made them a reality.
If it weren't for Ash's usual display of limited knowledge, Brock would truly suspect whether he had been training in Pokémon battles since childhood, just like them, the Gym heirs.
If Ash could expand and enrich his knowledge, he truly could be a Champion in the future.