"Nidorino, use Poison Sting!"
Koyan made the first move, launching a probing attack.
"Rooar!"
The purple Nidorino opened its jaws wide and fired several sharp, poisonous needles!
Ash froze for half a second, dazed by how slow the attack looked compared to the fights he'd seen in the Heavenly Tally.
Only when the Poison Sting was about to hit did he snap back to reality.
"Froakie, Bubble Shield, now!"
"Ki-no!"
Froakie swept both hands backward and gathered two puffs of milky-white foam,
then hurled them forward—
Psh!
The bubbles blocked every Poison Sting perfectly.
"Unknown Pokémon uses never-before-seen foam technique to block Poison Sting!"
"Breaking news! This frog-like Pokémon is called Froakie, the Kalos region's starter!"
"And its final evolution is none other than Greninja, who appeared in yesterday's Heavenly Tally montage!"
The commentators almost fell out of their seats.
How did Ash, who hadn't even started a Kalos journey, already obtain Froakie?!
Did he fall in love with Greninja after seeing the Tally and then forcefully get himself a Froakie?!
If so… could this Froakie still become that Greninja capable of Bond Phenomenon?
The audience also buzzed with confusion.
It was impossible… right?
This Froakie couldn't be the same one that would someday become the hero Greninja… could it?
But the Heavenly Tally never said where Greninja originally came from…
As the crowd whispered, the battle continued—
"Froakie, Water Gun!"
"Dodge it!"
Ash narrowed his eyes.
"Shoot it a little to Nidorino's LEFT!"
"Ki-no!"
Froakie obediently adjusted the angle—
Water Gun blasted slightly off-center…
Right where Nidorino had just started to move.
BAM!
The Water Gun struck Nidorino square in the side and sent it flying into the rocks!
"What just happened…?"
From the spectators' viewpoint, it looked like Nidorino had run into the attack.
If it hadn't moved, Water Gun wouldn't even have hit!
"Alder, did you catch that?" the League President asked.
"Obviously. Ash's predictive ability has increased by leaps and bounds."
"He fired where Nidorino was going to move, not where it was."
"That's something a beginner trainer—barely half a year into travel—shouldn't be able to do."
Alder wasn't wrong.
Ash's perception had skyrocketed thanks to watching his own high-level battles in the Heavenly Tally.
He thought only his Pokémon had improved…
But watching the future battles had sharpened his instincts and judgment dramatically.
That was why he froze earlier—
Poison Sting looked so slow to him.
Compared to champion-level attacks from the Tally, this was child's play.
Ash himself had evolved.
"Great job, Froakie! Follow up—Bubble Wrap, stick him down!"
"Ki-no!"
Froakie produced more bubbles and hurled them forward, coating the fallen Nidorino and gluing it to the ground.
Nidorino struggled, but couldn't free itself!
"Finish it—Quick Attack!"
Froakie blurred into a streak of blue light and slammed into Nidorino with explosive force—
Sending it crashing into the stadium wall before collapsing.
"Nidorino is unable to battle! Froakie wins!"
The little frog had dominated the first round.
Speed, power, precision—
nothing about him resembled a newborn Pokémon.
Only Misty, Brock, and the Champions knew the truth.
If the world learned Froakie had been born less than half a day ago and could already defeat a second-stage Pokémon…
Global temperatures might rise from the collective gasp.
"Ash's Froakie is another wall-hacker," Lance muttered darkly.
He now had a sixth sense for spotting overpowered monsters.
This frog was absolutely the same ridiculous Greninja from the Tally.
Not even grown yet, and already terrifying.
"What will it be when it DOES grow…?"
After recalling Nidorino, Koyan sent out his second Pokémon—
Onix!
"Onix, huh… Froakie, return!"
Ash recalled Froakie and threw another Poké Ball.
"Pikachu, I choose you!"
"Pika!!"
Finally!
Pika-God had been waiting for this moment.
He had powered up the most out of all of Ash's Pokémon—
and yet kept getting overshadowed!
Today—
He would prove he was the Lightning God,
facing a Ground-type head-on!
"Ash sends out his Pikachu against a Ground-type Onix?!"
"Does he LIKE countering his own weakness?!"
"The whole world knows Ash's Pikachu by now—let's see what happens!"
The match resumed.
"Onix, Rock Tomb!"
Koyan shouted in excitement—
He had spent all night thinking of how to counter Pikachu.
The only viable plan:
Slow Pikachu down.
Rock Tomb hits → Pikachu gets slower → Onix wins.
Simple.
"A bold plan," he thought.
"A hopeless plan," the universe whispered.
"Pikachu—Thunderbolt!"
Audience: ????
EXCUSE ME??????
Electric…
Against a Ground-type???
This wasn't "type disadvantage".
This was "type IMMUNITY".
Pikachu didn't hesitate.
Golden lightning surged across his body, then erupted forward in a raging bolt.
The lightning smashed through all the falling rocks and blasted straight at Onix—
And did… nothing.
The electricity dispersed harmlessly into the ground.
"Why would Ash use Thunderbolt on Onix?!" Misty yelled.
She knew Ash had grown a lot, but THIS—
Was he confusing childhood memories again?
Back at the Pewter Gym, Thunderbolt only worked because Onix got wet!
Brock, the resident Onix expert, remained calm.
"Ash wouldn't make that mistake now.
Watch closely—he's planning something."
And indeed—
Ash's next words shocked the entire world.
"Pikachu—use the lightning to LIFT Onix off the ground!"
"Pika!!"
In full view of the global audience—
Pikachu manipulated the Thunderbolt, wrapping Onix in arcs of electricity…
And levitating the giant rock serpent into the AIR.
"WOAHHHHHHHH!"
"WHAT?!"
"IMPOSSIBLE!!"
Even Lance, Champion of the skies, nearly cursed out loud.
He'd never seen a tactic like this!
Electric-type trainer Volkner, watching from Sunyshore, also yelled:
"What the—Thunderbolt can DO THAT?!"
Suspended in midair, Onix writhed helplessly, unable to ground the electricity.
And then Onix realized something—
The Thunderbolt…I
was starting to feel hot.
"Pikachu—increase the voltage!"
"Pikaaaaaaaaa—CHU!!"
Electricity intensified.
Onix's stone body began to smoke…
Then char…
Then BURN.
"…Is that Thunderbolt… cooking Onix…?"
The audience rubbed their eyes.
Wasn't Ground supposed to be immune?!
"Alder… is that what I think it is?" Steven asked.
"If I'm not mistaken—those are burn marks," Alder replied grimly.
"By lifting Onix," Cynthia explained, "Pikachu prevented the electricity from grounding out.
The charge built up inside the body, turning into heat energy."
"And from the way Onix is floating—Pikachu must be using Electromagnetic Levitation."
Cynthia paused.
"But why go through all this?
Pikachu knows Iron Tail. He could've just knocked Onix out."
Lorelei chuckled softly.
"He's still a kid."
Right.
Ash was still ten.
Even if the Heavenly Tally matured him slightly,
the heart of an excited child still wanted to test his new tricks.
He wanted to try out every new ability Pikachu acquired.
"Onix!! Break free!!"
Koyan shouted desperately.
But he didn't have Ash's supernatural encouragement shouts.
Within ten seconds, Onix was roasted black.
Pikachu cut the electricity—
And Onix crashed to the ground with spiraling eyes.
"Onix is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!"
Even the referee was stunned.
This was far beyond his textbook knowledge.
"Heh—nice job, Pikachu!"
"Pika pii~"
The boy and the mouse proudly rubbed their noses.
This flashy trick wasn't handy in real combat—
Strong Ground-types wouldn't be lifted so easily.
But it was fun.
And dramatic.
And Pikachu was absolutely glowing with pride.
"Last one… Go, Graveler!"
With Onix defeated by ELECTRICITY,
Koyan's willpower was in pieces.
Ash recalled Pikachu.
"Nice work. Go rest."
"Pika~"
My job here is done.
I have shown you peasants, the greatness of Pika-God.
"Alright… final round!
Charizard, I choose you!!"
"ROOOAR!!"
A blaze of red light—Charizard burst out, roaring skyward, flames surging from his mouth!
His eyes locked onto Graveler.
Even though Graveler heavily resisted his Fire-type—
Graveler trembled under Charizard's killing intent.
"D-Don't be scared! We have the type advantage!
Graveler, use Rock Slide!"
"Graaa!"
Graveler flung several boulders toward Charizard—
Only for Charizard to casually whip his tail and shatter them.
CRACK!
Easily. Effortlessly.
"…Huh?"
Four-times effective Rock… shattered like toys.
"Charizard—Flamethrower!"
"ROOOOAR!!"
A torrent of red flames surged forth—
The battle ended instantly.
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