Although his Raichu's electricity consumption was high, Pikachu's stamina was also being drained significantly.
Did he really think that constant high-speed movement consumed no stamina at all?
Lt. Surge believed that as an evolved form, Raichu would clearly have superior stamina.
So what if your Pikachu had a better energy exchange ratio?
My Raichu's stamina exchange ratio is greater than your Pikachu's.
Once Pikachu's stamina is depleted, getting caught by Raichu would mean a definite loss.
[You've lost, boy.]
[Looks like I overestimated you.]
[But this performance isn't too bad, after all, you're just a rookie.]
Lt. Surge thought to himself.
The distance was closing.
An even more terrifying current began to surge around Raichu, the golden electrical light almost completely enveloping it, clearly accumulating even greater power.
The Electroweb was about to form, and the fatal Thunderbolt was brewing!
This was like a boxing match.
A lightweight fighter could land ten punches on a heavyweight with agility and speed, but as long as they didn't hit a vital spot, the heavyweight would just tank the blows.
On the other hand.
The lightweight's margin for error was extremely low. Once caught by the heavyweight, it was a guaranteed loss.
"It's over, boy!"
"Your Pikachu is agile, but the field has its limits!" Lt. Surge continued to taunt Ash.
He just had a nasty mouth~~~
Pokémon [Lt. Surge] used [Taunt].
Amusing.
"Now!" Ash's voice was calm.
As Pikachu was about to land, it showed no hesitation. Its small paws glowed with a brown light, and with lightning speed, it clawed at the ground.
Rip—
The hard field was torn open as easily as tofu, and Pikachu's figure plunged into the opening, disappearing from sight.
It left behind only an inconspicuous hole and a small cloud of dust.
During its high-speed movements earlier, Pikachu had been secretly loosening the soil and rock with the Ground-type move [Dig].
It was a move it had been taught only after Brock joined them.
Although Brock was a Rock-type Gym Leader, Rock-types and Ground-types have a very high degree of overlap.
Why hadn't he used it before? Because he was waiting for this exact moment.
Raichu had wanted to trap Pikachu's movements with Electroweb, so it had tanked many Swift stars.
Instead of detonating them early with an electric shock.
This had allowed a certain amount of damage to accumulate on Raichu.
To put it bluntly, it was about giving Raichu the illusion that it could win, making it choose to take damage in exchange for a finishing blow.
That was the tactic.
The expanding [Electroweb] enveloped the area where Pikachu had been.
At the same time, Raichu began to release its Thunderbolt.
But its fully charged, powerful current suddenly lost its target. The violent electric snakes writhed aimlessly in the air for a moment before dissipating helplessly.
—Damn it!
—The ultimate missed!
Raichu froze on the spot, looking somewhat bewildered as it stared down at the small hole that had suddenly appeared.
There is a pause when linking Pokémon moves, and a prepared move cannot be held for too long.
A high-level Pokémon can shorten or lengthen this time.
But the Raichu Lt. Surge was using was clearly not of a high enough level.
Being able to consecutively use Electroweb and Thunderbolt for a burst of damage was already impressive... now it had entered a state of exhaustion.
"What?!" Lt. Surge realized something unexpected had indeed happened.
"Dig?!"
"Are you kidding me!"
"What kind of Trainer teaches a Pikachu Dig in the early stages?"
Improving a Pokémon's all-around adaptability is something usually done in the later stages.
It's just like playing a video game.
In the early game, you generally don't build a jack-of-all-trades; you focus on a specialty, stacking one stat first.
This Pikachu's move pool was completely beyond his, Lt. Surge's, expectations!
Normally, he would only guard against Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon using a Dig strategy.
And this Pikachu's performance earlier clearly indicated a high-speed Lightning Rod tactic.
He, Lt. Surge, had been tactically deceived!
The entire arena instantly fell into a strange silence. Everyone was stunned by this unexpected turn of events.
A Dig strategy?
From a Pikachu?
The corner of Ash's mouth finally curved into a 'just as planned' smile.
The formula for victory had long been written.
And now, it was his turn to control the tempo.
On the field, Raichu was in a brief state of paralysis from its missed move, looking around blankly for its vanished opponent.
The violent arcs of electricity flickered feebly around its body a few times before finally dying out completely.
The expression on Lt. Surge's face completely froze, replaced by a trace of incredulous astonishment.
In the midst of this silence.
Ash's calm voice rang out.
It spread clearly throughout the entire arena.
Carrying a composure that seemed to see through everything:
"You seem surprised, Mr. Surge."
"When did you fall under the illusion that you had seen through my tactics?"
"When did you mistakenly believe that my 'Lightning Rod' tactic, a mere feint, was just the outermost layer of a disguise?"
"Why would you think I was fighting a battle of attrition I was doomed to lose?"
Ash lifted his head slightly, looking at the tall Gym Leader on the opposite side.
"Its purpose was never about that pitiful energy exchange ratio, or even about wearing down your Raichu's stamina."
"That was just an added bonus, a bait to make you step into the trap with peace of mind."
Ash's tone was steady, as if he had already placed his opponent's every reaction on a chessboard.
"The outcome of this match was decided before it even began."
"You firmly believed that the physical advantage brought by evolution was unshakable."
"You firmly believed that as long as you compressed the space, you could crush all techniques with absolute power."
"Then you would inevitably step into the trap I misled you into."
"That arrogance is the very root of your defeat."
"You ordered Raichu to tank 'Swift' in exchange for the chance to close in and deliver a finishing blow... That decisiveness is commendable."
"Unfortunately, that is precisely what I was hoping for."
Ash's voice rose slightly:
"What I was waiting for was that inevitable... period of power depletion after your Raichu unleashed its full-strength, high-power move!"
The execution of a Pokémon's move generally has phases like wind-up, recovery, cooldown, and stun lock.
"As for 'Dig'?"
"Hah, who decreed that a Pikachu cannot master a Ground-type move?"
"Fixed mindsets are the greatest cage for a Trainer."
"Now..."
Ash's gaze fell on the inconspicuous hole in the center of the field:
"It's over. Pikachu!"
Boom!
Almost at the instant Ash's voice fell, the ground beneath Raichu's feet exploded violently.
A golden figure shot up like a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss, wrapped in shattered rocks carried up from below, rocketing skyward at an incredible speed.
It was Pikachu.
Its small paws were now exerting the full force of its body, and were also flashing with a dazzling electric light.
It was [Volt Tackle]!
"Pika—chu!!!"
Accompanied by an unprecedentedly sharp cry, Pikachu became a golden spear of lightning, striking upwards with pinpoint accuracy at the jaw of the defenseless Raichu, which was still in its post-move recovery.
—Time for a concussion!
—Little buddy!
Smash!
A heavy, muffled sound echoed throughout the arena.
Raichu's round body was sent flying a short distance upwards by the immense impact, its eyes instantly rolling back into its head as the residual electricity around its body completely dissipated.
It couldn't even let out a cry of pain before it fell heavily to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, kicking up a cloud of dust, completely losing its ability to battle.
The entire Vermilion Gym fell into a dead silence.
The dust slowly settled.
Pikachu landed lightly beside the fallen Raichu, panting slightly but standing tall, the electricity in its cheeks crackling with the sparks of victory.
"Pika-pi! (Checkmate)" It looked back at its Trainer.
"Well done, partner!" Ash stood in the command area, giving Pikachu a thumbs-up.
Then he looked towards the still-shocked Lt. Surge on the other side and spoke calmly:
"Mr. Surge, what's the result of this 'weighing'?"
____
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