"Pikachu, I choose you!"
Ash's second ace was none other than Pikachu—the one that so often pulled him out of the fire.
"Pika!"
Pikachu rose up on two feet and swaggered out from Ash's side onto the field.
It crooked a paw at Machoke, tail swishing through the air.
[Pokémon: Pikachu]
[Type: Electric]
[Level: 30]
[Ability: Static]
[Moves: omitted]
As Ash's trump card, Pikachu was naturally stronger than Charmeleon—already at level thirty!
[Whoa, Pikachu too? Lt. Surge, how did you even lose?]
[I was on site that day—this kid lugged a whole crate of Moomoo Milk into the Vermilion Gym.]
[This kid's built different.]
[Yeah yeah, Pikachu beating Raichu—real different.]
[F**k, I'm telling the truth here, why won't you believe me?!]
[User "Unova Retired Colonel" (IP: Vermilion City) has received three warnings from a super mod for inappropriate remarks and is now muted in this stream. Mute duration: "23:59:59."]
[hhhhc, Lao Ma! What would we do without you?]
[Lao Ma, they're making fun of you, but you really are hilarious!]
Poor Lt. Surge—muted for a whole day by the arriving super mod.
Back on the field—
"Pikachu, long time no see! How about lunch with me later? I've got ketchup ready for you~"
Grey smiled at the corner of his eyes and waved to Pikachu.
"Pika~" (Sure~)
Pikachu flashed an OK sign and beamed at Grey.
Then it dropped to all fours, taking a fighting stance to meet Machoke! Ketchup might be delicious, but you can't hold back in a battle for ketchup's sake. Come at me!
"The second bout begins now!"
Silver announced it.
No sooner had the words fallen than Ash thrust out his hand and shouted, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Pi-ka… CHUU!!"
The electric sacs in Pikachu's cheeks flared with a blinding gold. Arcs of lightning crazed wildly over its body.
A lance of lightning blasted forth, crackling as it raked the dojo floor and set it popping and snapping.
Seeing this, Grey raised a hand and barked, "Machoke, close in with Bullet Punch!"
"Hou—!"
Machoke's arm came up as a silvery metallic sheen burst from its fists.
It hammered the ground and blurred forward in a streak of silver, brushing past the oncoming thunder!
KR-RAK!!!
Thunderbolt scorched a wide swath of the floor black, arcs spidering outward across the tiles.
But Machoke had already pierced the curtain of lightning; its iron fists became a flurry of afterimages that closed over Pikachu!
"Pika!"
Pikachu kicked hard to the side, narrowly slipping past the barrage of Bullet Punches that fell like a downpour.
Yet Machoke stuck to it like a shadow, showing agility that belied its bulk; every step landed exactly where Pikachu was going to be.
The distance didn't widen—if anything, it shrank with every breath!
"So fast!"
Ash couldn't help but gasp at Machoke's speed.
But in the next instant, Grey's lessons flashed through his mind.
"A speed battle, huh…"
Watching Pikachu give ground, Ash snapped his thumb in a cutting gesture, a sharp crack splitting the air: "Pikachu, counter with Quick Attack!"
"Pika!!"
Pikachu coiled and sprang, white light cloaking its body as it haunted Machoke's flanks like a wraith.
"Hou…"
Machoke rumbled low—this kind of situation really threw it off. Knowing Bullet Punch didn't make it truly nimble; in truth, Machoke was built for toe-to-toe slugfests.
Ash had picked the right approach: if he could keep draining Machoke's stamina, he just might take down Grey's first Pokémon!
Hope flashed in the spectators' eyes, and the cheers rose.
"Ash! You got this!"
"Ash, do your best!"
"Ash, take down the Gym Leader!"
"?"
Grey shot a sidelong look at the "defecting" Bumiao. The latter gave him an awkward grin, turned its head aside, and scratched the back of its own head.
Oops—accidentally said the quiet part out loud. Hee-hee~
"Machoke is indeed a bit lacking in speed. But, Ash, there's one thing you missed," Grey lifted a hand and said softly. "Right now, Machoke's power is enough to affect the environment."
"Machoke, use Brick Break—on the ground!"
At Grey's command, Machoke's arm, crammed with terrifying power, chopped down hard!
RUMBLE!
In an instant, the whole arena heaved like a stormy sea.
Sprinting full tilt, Pikachu lost its footing, all four paws thrown clear as the shock lifted it several meters into the air—the white glow of Quick Attack snuffed out mid-air!
"Machoke, jump up—Brick Break!"
"Hou!"
Machoke exploded off the floor, webbing cracks across the tiles with the recoil.
It shot skyward like a shell and, in a blink, was above Pikachu!
A brownish radiance surged up and sheathed its arm.
Machoke raised its arm high; the earthen glow washed over Pikachu's face.
Whoosh!
Pikachu forced its eyes open—only for the scream of cleaving air to tear past its ear.
Then pain bloomed across its face!
BOOM!!
The Brick Break slammed Pikachu hard; its small body plummeted, denting the dojo floor with the impact.
Dust billowed as Machoke crashed down, kicking up a rolling ring of air.
"Pika…"
Pikachu rubbed its cheek and struggled to its feet.
Teeth bared at the culprit, Machoke, its cheek sacs crackled with sizzling current.
You don't hit a mouse in the face. That one really hurt!
"Hou…"
Having just fired off two Brick Breaks, Machoke was panting too, the fiery glow on its body growing thicker. The burn would keep chipping away at its stamina, and after those heavy hits from Charmeleon earlier, it didn't have much left. A few more ticks of burn and it would collapse from sheer exhaustion.
"Pika!"
Pikachu shook the dust from its fur. Its trademark speed, for once, was hard to use freely. Machoke's power was overwhelming—one Brick Break was enough to shake the entire arena. Even its go-to engagement, Quick Attack, was being shut down, leaving it unsure what would even stick.
[No wonder he opens with Bullet Punch so often—he's got a real knack for handling agile Pokémon.]
[Noted. I'm trying that next time I challenge a gym.]
[Better not. If Gym Leader Grey has a counter, he'll have a counter to your counter to his counter.]
[My head's spinning. What layer is the streamer playing on now?]
[At least five!]
"Pikachu! That last setback doesn't mean anything!"
Seeing Pikachu holding back, Ash cupped his hands like a megaphone and roared, "Keep it up—and fire your strongest Thunderbolt!"
//Check out my P@tre0n for 20 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810