"Keep it up—use Thunderbolt at full power!"
Ash's shout drove straight into Pikachu's ears.
At the command, the electric sacs on Pikachu's cheeks erupted with two torrents of raging lightning!
The currents braided together before it, forming a twisting, serpentine bolt of terror.
Where it passed, even the oxygen sizzled into a burnt smell.
"Hou—!" (Stronger than before? Interesting… but not enough!)
The advancing lightning filled Machoke's pupils, but its battle instincts had already kicked in.
A silvery sheen flashed over its right fist, and Machoke lunged forward at a sprint—
Bullet Punch!
Boom!
Machoke's powerful legs slammed the floor; the dust it kicked up rolled into a natural smokescreen.
In that muddled haze, the silver-glinting Machoke flitted like a phantom, here one instant and gone the next.
Thunderbolt pierced the smoke—only to blast a mere afterimage!
"So fast…"
Beads of sweat slid down Ash's brow as he grew anxious about Machoke's movement.
Power and speed—both.
In an instant, Pikachu was in deep trouble.
"Our strength should be about the same… so why is this even trickier than when we fought Gengar…?"
Ash flashed back to Pikachu's bout with Gengar under Grey's coaching.
It hadn't been a stomp, but with Ash's meticulous commands, they had traded evenly for a while—
Of course, only for a few turns before Gengar stopped pretending.
Gengar's strength was obvious—by any measure stronger than the Machoke in front of them.
Even so, Ash found himself worrying for Pikachu.
"Where exactly is my advantage…"
He wiped his sweat.
Pikachu was already breathing hard; with Machoke crashing in, it could only just barely slip away.
"Pika!"
That cry yanked Ash's thoughts back to the present.
He lifted his eyes and met the sidelong gleam of Pikachu's fighting spirit.
"…Haa."
Ash got it at once. He exhaled and shouted, "Pikachu—use Thunder on yourself!"
[Wait, using Thunder on itself?! Is this a Pikachu with Lightning Rod?]
[That's way too reckless! Even if it "works," can that little body take it?!]
[Ash, what are you thinking…]
Hearing Ash's call, almost everyone was baffled.
Casting Thunder on yourself sounded like pure self-harm—
Way too reckless!
Outside the arena—
"Brock, what do you think Ash is trying to do?"
Misty's hands clenched on her thighs as she stared at Pikachu, who was grinding out every last volt it could muster.
"My guess? Ash wants Pikachu to take Machoke down in one shot."
Brock rubbed his brow; with his eyes half-lidded, you couldn't read a thing on his face.
"After all, Pikachu's an Electric type—it has some resistance to Thunder's collateral.
But Machoke's different. Electric into Fighting is neutral; if it wants to press the attack, it has to eat that move clean."
On the field—
"Hang in there, Pikachu!"
Ash's body pitched forward without thinking, arms pumping with his breaths, worry plain in his eyes.
Suddenly, the currents around Pikachu went berserk!
A golden pillar of lightning punched into the sky and straight through the dojo's dome!
The blasted ceiling drew in heavy thunderclouds; within the churning black, electric serpents writhed and prowled—
The Electric-type big move—Thunder!
"Hou—!"
Machoke's iron fists were already ripping the air, the silver blurs pelting Pikachu in a hail like bullets.
Machoke's raw power, plus the effect of the Guts Ability—
even if Electric-type Pokémon have some resistance to the Steel-type move "Bullet Punch," the barrage still dealt heavy damage!
Pikachu was knocked flying!
And the instant Pikachu was sent skidding—
KRA-KOOM!!!
The long-charged storm finally broke; a thunderbolt as thick as a barrel crashed down from above, striking dead-center where Machoke stood!
"Pika…" (Did it… land?)
Spun through the air, Pikachu forced its eyes open, the tip of its tail still crackling with the threadlike arcs that had guided the bolt.
"Pikachu!"
Ash's pupils pin-pricked—his body moved before his thoughts.
He slid to his knees and caught Pikachu out of the air; the impact dragged the two of them several meters across the dojo floor.
In his arms, Pikachu panted fast, faint sparks leaping in its fur, tail hanging limp.
Across the way, the thunder slowly ebbed.
Kneeling on one knee, Machoke's silhouette emerged from the fading glare.
A thick arm braced against the floor; its chest heaved, but its eyes still burned like torches, locked on Pikachu in Ash's arms.
Scorch marks crawled over the skin that had taken the strike, yet the muscles were still coiled like iron.
Guts had carried it through.
[This Machoke is so cool—"Guts never falls."]
[…A pun? Fine. No demerits this time. It is pretty cool.]
[Also, that Thunder slapped—stronger than your average Raichu's, right?]
[Yeah, about on par with Lt. Surge's Raichu—maybe even chunkier.]
[Lt. Surge: Hand me the peanuts!]
"You did great, Pikachu."
Ash rubbed Pikachu's head—then a whistling sound cut the air.
He raised a hand and caught it clean: from the feel alone, he knew it was another Sitrus Berry.
"Thanks, Gym Leader Grey."
Ash fed the berry to Pikachu after thanking him.
"Pika…"
The Sitrus Berry made things much better. Regaining some stamina, Pikachu moved to Ash's side and settled into a crouch.
That battle was a loss; there was no need for it to keep fighting.
"This Machoke is too strong…"
Ash swallowed as he stared at Machoke ahead, then glanced at his own shadow.
"Oh? Is it time?"
On Grey's side, he pulled out a Poké Ball and recalled Machoke.
"Huh? Gym Leader Grey, you're…?"
Catching this in the corner of his eye, Ash couldn't help asking.
"Machoke can hardly go on either. Let's call this one a draw."
Grey twirled Machoke's ball with a smile. "That makes you the first Trainer to make me voluntarily recall a Pokémon."
He wasn't bluffing—it was true.
Up to now, he'd always relied on Baton Pass to switch.
"Hmm?!"
Ash's eyes lit up, and he felt a little floaty.
[Hiss—kid's got chops. I take back what I said.]
[...]
[What'd the guy above just post? Translator?!]
[He said: the sea level near the Seafoam Islands seems to be rising.]
[Meaning what?]
[The streamer's pouring on the "water" a bit thick.]
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