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"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting!"
"The fifth match of the Indigo Plateau Conference's Top 32 is about to begin. Please remain seated in the spectator stands and refrain from moving around, which might obstruct the view of those behind you. Thank you for your cooperation!"
"The opponent in the fifth match is the familiar and highly anticipated Ash, and his opponent, Ritchie, is also a well-known Trainer in Kanto!"
"Ritchie has only been active for a year and a half, yet he is already a true Professional Level Trainer. And his most famous Pokémon is none other than Pikachu. That's right, it's the same signature Pokémon as Ash's!!"
"Trainers who use Pikachu are few and far between, and those who can train a Pikachu to such a level are even rarer. But today, at this Indigo Plateau Conference, two of them have coincidentally appeared, and they are even opponents in this match. Does this incredible coincidence foretell something?"
"Ash's strength is evident to all, and Ritchie may not have used his full power in previous battles. Will Ash defeat Ritchie and officially advance to the Top 16 in this battle, or will Ritchie turn the tables, show his dark horse potential, and overcome Ash?!"
The host began to stir up the atmosphere and announced the entrance of Ash and Ritchie. In his words, he had already expressed his skepticism about Ritchie's chances. This was, in fact, common knowledge.
After all, the strength gap between the two sides was simply too great. If Ritchie could win, that would be a true miracle.
Both were Trainers who used Pikachu, but there was a difference in their skill levels. Ash's Pikachu was a super Pikachu that had even defeated an Elite, while Ritchie's Pikachu... Professional Level was already very impressive, but it was still not enough.
So, for Ritchie to win, there were only two words: a miracle.
Miracles usually happen to the protagonist of a story. Unfortunately, Ritchie was not the protagonist of this world. The protagonist of this world... was on the other side!
Ash and Ritchie stepped into the Indigo Stadium. The battleground was similar to a Gym battleground, a large arena with a Poké Ball drawn in the center.
However, this arena was more than twice as large as a typical Gym. The preliminary round venues couldn't even compare. To command a Pokémon here, you had to shout; if you weren't loud enough, you might not even get your Pokémon's attention.
"I'm so glad to be standing here and battling you! I'll give it my all in this fight!" Ritchie said, clenching his fists, full of fighting spirit.
As Ash's friend and fan, he didn't want to have any regrets in this battle. As fellow Pikachu users, this made him even more determined not to lose, even if his chances of winning were slim.
Ash also smiled and nodded excitedly, saying, "Of course! I'll give it my all too. Let's have a battle with no regrets!"
Upon hearing this, Ritchie's expression became incredibly serious. When Ash's full power was mentioned, he naturally thought of the video of Ash battling Elite Koga a few months ago, and the match against Lorelei two months ago.
A full-power Ash possessed Elite Four Class combat strength. While he might not have a full team of Elite Four Class Pokémon, at least two of his Pokémon had reached Elite Four Class combat strength. This was already a confirmed fact.
In previous matches, the most powerful Pokémon Ash had shown was the Gengar whose true strength was unclear, and Gengar had only been casually playing around. Adding to that, the Aerodactyl that had never appeared before also possessed Elite Four Class strength.
However, those two Pokémon had never appeared in Ash's previous usage records. When talking about full power, everyone's first thought was still Ash's Pikachu and Charizard, his two iconic Pokémon.
So, would Ash bring out his Charizard this time?
As the referee waved the flag, both sides brought out their first Pokémon.
"Then my first Pokémon is... Go, Pikachu!"
Ritchie threw a Poké Ball, and with a flash of light, a Pikachu with slightly spiky fur appeared on the field!
At the same time, Ash looked down at his Pikachu, who responded with a cry and leaped onto the field!
Both sides, by prior agreement, sent out Pikachu!
"Who would have thought that the first showdown would be Pikachu versus Pikachu!"
"Ritchie is indeed a Trainer known for his Pikachu, but when it comes to Ash, the first thing people think of is his unconventional Pikachu!"
"Ash's Pikachu not only breaks conventions, possessing power beyond its level, but what's most striking is its peculiar battle stance. It seems that in important battles, Ash has his Pikachu wear his cap, but this time, Ash doesn't seem to have chosen to do so!"
"But it's undeniable that even in its normal state, Ash's Pikachu possesses incredibly terrifying power. And Ritchie's Pikachu also has a unique appearance. Let's see what kind of sparks these two Pikachu will generate!"
The host shouted loudly, looking even more excited than the surrounding audience!
Such a scene was rare in his long hosting career, as only a handful of people could bring out a Pikachu and stand on the stage of the Indigo Plateau Conference's Top 32.
Let alone two at once.
"It's truly an honor to battle your Pikachu, Ash. Pikachu, we need to work hard and not let Ash and Pikachu look down on us!"
"Pika Pika!!"
Pikachu landed on all fours, the red electric sacs on its cheeks flickering with electricity, its expression full of fighting spirit.
From the Pikachu opposite, he felt an aura of strength. That was definitely not a simple Pikachu. His Trainer had also said that the opponent was very strong.
It was perfect; he hadn't encountered a strong opponent of the same species in a long time. What didn't defeat him would only make him stronger!!
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
"Pika!!"
At Ritchie's command, Pikachu moved its four limbs, its figure flashing, its body constantly darting across the field, even leaving faint afterimages!
The dazzling yellow rat's figure flashed continuously on the field, making it impossible to track its movements.
However, that speed, in Ash's and Pikachu's eyes, was only average. Ash's Eye of Insight had already seen through the opponent's data: Professional Intermediate, with most ability values above B, and Speed at A.
These ability values and level were already quite good for a Pikachu, but compared to his Pikachu, it was still a bit lacking.
Even some knowledgeable people in the audience couldn't help but nod in agreement when they saw Pikachu's movements. This speed was considered top-notch among Professional Intermediate Pokémon, even comparable to Professional Advanced speed-type Pokémon.
However, facing the opponent's rapidly approaching offensive, Ash showed no inclination to have Pikachu defend.
"No action? Don't underestimate my Pikachu too much! Pikachu, use Take Down with this speed!"
Upon hearing this, Pikachu's speed increased by another third. At the same time, a surge of power condensed on its small body, and the surrounding air let out sharp whistling sounds!
With the two skills stacked, Pikachu on the field was so fast that even its shadow was barely visible. The next instant, Pikachu appeared behind Pikachu, its small body erupting with unparalleled power as it slammed into Pikachu.
"Bang!" A dull thud echoed on the field. Ash's Pikachu was not knocked away but stood firm, its tail behind it already turned metallic in color, blocking the attack.
All of Pikachu's power slammed into Pikachu's Iron Tail, not moving Pikachu an inch.
Pikachu, who had initiated the attack, was instead sent flying by its own immense force, retreating over ten meters.
Ritchie's eyes widened, seemingly finding the scene before him hard to believe. Such a fierce attack not only failed to harm the opponent in the slightest but even caused recoil damage to his own Pikachu. Was this reasonable?
And how did the opponent manage to perfectly predict Pikachu would appear behind him without even looking? Did he have eyes on his back?
Also, was that metallic-colored tail an Iron Tail? He didn't even see how it was used!
Although there was only one collision, the shock Ash's Pikachu caused Ritchie was beyond words.
"Pikachu, we'll use Quick Attack too!" Ash's voice rang out at this moment. The instant his words fell, Pikachu on the field instantly vanished.
Before Pikachu could react, he felt an incredibly terrifying impact on his body, and his entire body was sent flying like a meteor!
Ritchie only felt a gust of wind blow past, followed by a roar behind him! When he turned to look, his Pikachu was already embedded in the wall as if hammered into it, completely stuck!
In a flash, the offense completely reversed. Pikachu, who had originally launched the attack, was now blasted against the wall outside the field.
There's a rule in the Indigo Plateau Conference that leaving the field counts as a loss, but that only applies to voluntarily leaving. If a Pokémon is knocked out of the field by the opponent, then as long as it returns to the field within ten seconds, it will not be considered unable to battle.
But looking at Pikachu's current state, it seemed unlikely he would be able to return to the battleground within ten seconds, or even wake up in a short time.
"Hi-Ritchie's Pikachu is unable to battle! Ash's Pikachu wins!"
After being frozen for a few seconds, the referee suddenly snapped awake, waved the flag, and announced the match result.
He possessed the professional conduct of a referee and would not be dazed under any circumstances, unless the situation was truly outrageous!
He had been wondering how intense this battle would be, but the fight ended in mere seconds. Was this still a Top 32 match at the Indigo Plateau Conference? It felt like an Elite Four battling an ordinary Trainer; Ritchie was beaten with absolutely no strength to retaliate!
With the referee's announcement, Ritchie and the surrounding audience also snapped out of their shock.
"Holy crap! What was that?!"
"Did any of you see that Pikachu's movements?"
"No, absolutely not!"
"Was that Quick Attack? Isn't that Extreme Speed?! Whose Quick Attack has that kind of speed!"
"How much did Pikachu hold back in its previous appearances? That wasn't holding back; that was holding back an entire ocean!"
"This is Ash's true strength; Pikachu's power really isn't just a rumor."
"No, how exactly do you train a Pikachu to this extent? Is he cheating?!"
"Instantly defeating a Professional Level in the blink of an eye, is this Ash's true strength?"
"Who saw that Pikachu's level?"
"Didn't see it, too fast... Could it actually be Elite Four Class?! Ash doesn't seem to have used any kind of amplification methods either. Can a normal state Pikachu be Elite Four Class? You must be joking!"
"..."
Noisy sounds echoed throughout the entire venue. Some people were screaming Ash's name, some were incredulously shouting about what had happened, and others were asking if anyone had seen Pikachu's movements and what Pikachu's level was.
Countless questions, cheers, and exclamations continuously surged across the entire arena, while Ritchie silently recalled his Pikachu.
The gap between them was even greater than he had imagined. He had originally thought Pikachu could at least contend with Ash's Pikachu for a while, but he was instantly killed in one encounter. He didn't even see the opponent's shadow.
If comparing the speed of their Quick Attacks, then his Quick Attack was like a snail's crawl, while the opponent's Quick Attack was truly like lightning streaking through.
This was Ash's true strength; the previous matches were like child's play.
Ash saying he would use his true power this time was clearly not just a polite remark. His chances of winning were probably harder than ascending to heaven, but... having come this far, how could he give up?!
Ritchie's initially disheartened gaze met Ash's burning intensity, and once again, his fighting spirit ignited. He couldn't disappoint Ash!
"You're really amazing, Ash. Perhaps the gap between us is already so vast it's invisible, but I still don't want to give up. No matter how big the gap between us, I will believe in my Pokémon!"
Upon hearing this, Ash also nodded excitedly: "That's right, Ritchie, let's both enjoy the battle!"
"Mhm! Next up is my second one, I'm counting on you, Zane!" With a flash of light, a sturdy Charizard appeared on the field!
This Pokémon was Ritchie's starter, and one of his two ace Pokémon, on par with Pikachu!