Chapter 182: You Haven't Fallen, I Won't Fall Either
Clang—clash!
The two Pikachu crossed and clashed in the arena, the sound like blades striking rang out nonstop.
"Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch!"
Center-parted screamed the whole time until it collapsed and couldn't get back up.
Center-parted fainted!
Pikachu held on so its Trainer wouldn't be sad!
As the broadcast voice sounded, Natsume silently recalled Center-parted. It was obvious that Center-parted's will needed even harsher tempering.
"Pika!"
Pikachu braced itself on one hand and, panting, looked toward Natsume.
"Pikachu, are you okay!"
Ash Ketchum looked at Pikachu, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.
"Pika."
Pikachu turned back and gave Ash a thumbs-up. Vaguely visible, Natsume felt the HP bar above the Pikachu god's head recover a little.
Pikachu was inspired, its momentum surged again, and its HP recovered!
The broadcast line sounded again, and Natsume's eyes widened as he stared, dumbfounded, at the half-full HP bar over the Pikachu god's head. He made up his mind that he couldn't give Ash only an Honorary Dean title; whatever happened, the Vice Director's seat at Sunshine Academy would have to be his too!
In that moment, Natsume felt a bit of pressure. Diglett's level was too low, and while Dragonite was hard for Pikachu to defeat, it couldn't fully control its own power. As long as Ash commanded Pikachu to keep dodging, Dragonite wouldn't be able to beat it either. And if Ash kept stacking momentum like this, who knew what would be waiting for Natsume next.
"Go, Big Egg!"
With a flash of red light, a Pokémon Egg traced with flame-like patterns appeared on the battlefield.
"Flamethrower!"
Natsume struck first. In an instant, a thick jet of fire roared out, electric arcs flickering within as if magma were flowing inside it.
"Quick, dodge!" Ash shouted.
Even a regulation battlefield couldn't restrain the miraculous Pikachu; with a single leap, it dodged the Zapdos egg's flames.
However—
Lightning surged out from within the fire, and the moment it touched air it split and multiplied madly, thinning as it spread like a web in all directions, with a small portion clinging to Pikachu. The Flamethrower that should have missed then seemed to gain guidance like a homing missile, swerved sharply, and slammed squarely into Pikachu.
Zapdos's Flamethrower hit Pikachu!
"Pika!"
Pikachu crashed to the ground in pain, its HP bar instantly bottoming out.
Pikachu held on so its Trainer wouldn't be sad!
Natsume: "???"
Still holding on!
"Quick Attack!"
Fortunately, Natsume had prepared for this. The Zapdos egg flashed to Pikachu's face and slammed into it hard.
"Pika!"
Pikachu cried out and, like a ragged sack, was flung back and crashed heavily to the ground.
"Oh my, that could be the finishing blow!"
The live feed zoomed in. Yet Pikachu, swaying, once more pushed itself up from the ground.
Pikachu held on so its Trainer wouldn't be sad!
Natsume: "???"
Hey—wait a second.
"Great chance! Pikachu, use Magnetic Storm Sword Tail!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu blurred and in an instant arrived above the Zapdos egg. Natsume's face changed. Zapdos's level wasn't high—only LV32—so the egg's level was the same. Ash's Pikachu, after these months of traveling, had already reached LV48. This attack was absolutely something the Zapdos egg couldn't take.
Boom!
A raging pressure wave leaked out, and under countless black magnetically levitating particles, a massive sword-like tail struck the shell. Like a slime in the shape of an egg, the point of contact caved inward, and the impact rippled outward across the whole shell.
The Zapdos egg's durability was impressive, but even so, its HP bar emptied under that blow.
"Tsk—"
Natsume was stunned. He felt that today, even if a Wooloo wandered in, it would have to take a beating.
Just as Natsume was about to send out Dragonite for a desperate gamble, a surge of exceedingly intense emotion erupted from the Zapdos egg—hostility, anger, and unwillingness all mixed together, finally sharpening into a battle will rising without end!
Zapdos's Competitive Spirit activated!
Zapdos regarded Pikachu as a rival that must be defeated; Zapdos refused to fall and held on!
As the broadcast line sounded, Natsume paused in surprise. The image of Zapdos charging forward surfaced in his mind unbidden. Competitive Spirit. There are many reasons one refuses to fall, and they aren't only for one's Trainer!
"Gah-na—"
Faintly, Natsume seemed to hear a peal of thunder from within the shell. In the next second, the entire Zapdos egg burst into blazing flames.
"Pika!"
Wild lightning flared, tongues of fire spilling off it, startling Pikachu into an involuntary step back.
"Pikachu, you can do it!"
Behind him, Ash's encouragement rang out.
"Pika!"
Resolve flashed in Pikachu's eyes.
"Flamethrower!"
Pikachu held on so its Trainer wouldn't be sad!
"Magnetic Storm Sword Tail!"
The opponent hasn't fallen, so I can't fall! Zapdos held on to the attack!
"Flamethrower!"
Pikachu held on so its Trainer wouldn't be sad!
"Magnetic Storm Sword Tail!"
The opponent hasn't fallen, so I can't fall! Zapdos held on to the attack!
Up above, the announcer was dumbstruck. He stood there atop Magnezone, microphone in hand, Adam's apple bobbing, forgetting how to comment for a moment.
Th-these two Pokémon?
The announcer was baffled. He wasn't a professional commentator, but he'd seen no fewer than a hundred events of all sizes. He could tell at a glance whether a Pokémon could keep battling. Down below, Pikachu and that strange egg—either one looked like it could collapse at any second, both seemingly at the end of their rope!
He had already prepared two scripts in his head—one for Ash's win and one for Natsume's win. Yet after four rounds of trading blows, there was still no winner. More absurdly, the two Pokémon could still meet each other's moves head-on every single time!
Outside the field, the audience was stunned as well, but that didn't stop the cheers.
"Let's go, Pikachu!"
"Let's go, Big Egg!"
"Too scary, meow. If it were me out there—meow—"
Amid the cheering stands, Meowth watched Pikachu and the Zapdos egg down on the field and shuddered hard, sending several of the badges hanging from its neck tumbling.
"Granny Agatha, should we look into this?"
In the stands, Officer Jenny stepped to Granny Agatha's side and spoke in a low voice.
"Look into what?"
Granny Agatha lifted her cane and rapped twice into a shadow. The drifting smoke lost its source, and the air around them cleared at once.
"Uh, like a drug test or something?"
Officer Jenny glanced up at the two Pokémon on the field. Honestly, she was starting to suspect that Ash and Natsume had given their Pokémon stimulants.
"Hahaha, you can relax—definitely not."
Granny Agatha shook her head and looked down at Ash with approval. She hadn't expected anyone's bond with their Pokémon to reach this level. Suddenly, Granny Agatha's eyes slid to the pensive Natsume, and she was surprised.
If Ash could do it, that might count as pure childlike sincerity and getting along well with Pikachu. But this kid Natsume—he could do it too?
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