"REGICE! Can you HOLD THE LINE?!"
"If you can't—then get the hell off the field and let another Legendary take your place!"
"Holy damn! With such a massive advantage—
this ridiculously ordinary yellow electric mouse—"
"It actually dared to climb onto the head of a legendary ice giant?!
What kind of absurd horror story is this supposed to be?!"
The top-tier Trainers were practically popping their eyeballs out of their sockets.
Their brains had completely crashed, utterly unable to comprehend how the battle had collapsed into this impossible state!
Lance: This Pikachu… it's a monster!
The combat power it's showing has long surpassed the limits of any normal Pikachu!
I've traveled the Pokémon League for decades—and I've never seen such a savage "electric rat"!
Alder: That Thunderbolt and that Iron Tail—
they absolutely contain something abnormal!
A standard Thunderbolt paralyzing a Pokémon with Legendary-level power?
Are you sure this isn't some Mythical Pokémon disguised in a Pikachu's skin?!
Ash: Pikachu is Pikachu!
It's not some weird thing you're imagining! Stop saying nonsense!
Ash—the audacious, fearless boy—stood as the very definition of backbone at this moment.
As for the other Trainers watching?
When Champions and Elite Four members were speaking, they didn't even dare to breathe.
After all, when facing Brandon—the undisputed tyrant of the Battle Frontier—
crushing defeat was the norm.
Who were they to join the discussion?
But Ash was different.
What do you mean "no confidence"?
Aren't we all just standing here watching the same livestream?!
What's the difference?!
Brock: Bro! Quiet!
They're praising Pikachu's insane strength—there's no ill intent!
Brock elbowed Ash helplessly, whispering urgently.
Ash scratched his head awkwardly.
"Okay… maybe I got a little too excited."
"But still! Pikachu is my Pikachu!
That's the only truth that matters!"
On that point, Ash's stance was firmer than bedrock.
Brock and Misty exchanged a glance and sighed.
They could control themselves and stay muted when giants spoke—
But they had zero control over this hot-blooded idiot named Ash.
Let him be.
Diantha: Haha, alright everyone, calm down.
We really don't mean any harm.
It's just that this Pikachu's battle power defies all logic—it's genuinely shocking.
Steven Stone: Still, the overall momentum remains on Regice's side.
For Pikachu to achieve final victory… the probability is extremely low.
At best, it may only manage an honorable defeat.
Brandon: That's correct.
Every battle I fight is done at full strength, without reservation.
To steal victory from me—
from Regice?
That is nothing but wishful thinking.
After sending that message, Brandon refocused his gaze on the radiant screen.
Even though the Regice on screen wasn't his—
He could almost perfectly predict what his counterpart would do next.
Tempo.
Advantage.
Control.
All firmly in his grasp.
Battle Footage
Pikachu's relentless assaults had already inflicted visible damage on Regice—twice.
Yet Brandon's expression remained relaxed, composed, utterly in control.
"Regice—use Ice Beam."
A familiar command.
A terrifying surge of cold.
The audience's hearts clenched violently.
"This time… can it still dodge?!"
"Pikachu! Dodge—NOW!"
Relying on reaction speed that outright ignored the laws of physics, Pikachu barely evaded the deadly beam.
But then—
A chilling scene unfolded.
The Ice Beam didn't dissipate upon hitting the ground.
Instead, the extreme cold rapidly spread, freezing instantly—
Towering, thick ice crystal walls erupted around Pikachu!
An icy prison formed, sealing Pikachu completely inside!
Even worse—
The frozen ground locked Pikachu's limbs in place.
It couldn't move.
Not even an inch.
Brandon finally revealed a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
"Now—use Rest."
"Regice—"
The ice giant let out a deep, rumbling cry as white frost spiraled around it—
And it fell into deep sleep on the spot.
Professor Oak: I see! It's the move Rest!
Regice has entered sleep, allowing it to fully recover all damage and paralysis!
Steven Stone: This tactic… is downright sinister.
As expected of Brandon!
First, he uses Ice Beam to restrict Pikachu's movement—preventing attacks—
then immediately activates Rest to fully recover right on the battlefield!
Lance: Now it all comes down to one question—
does this Pikachu possess absolute destructive power?
If it can't break out of the ice prison, everything it did before—every advantage—will vanish instantly!
Diantha: Honestly… Ash facing Brandon is a complete disaster.
Every step he takes lands perfectly inside Brandon's calculations.
There's no room to resist at all.
What a Brandon!
His tactical thinking operated in a dimension far beyond normal imagination!
Freezing the battlefield.
Immobilizing the opponent.
Then calmly healing in the center of the arena.
Is this something a normal human even thinks of?!
The answer was obvious—
No.
Brandon truly deserved his title as the undisputed strongest Battle Frontier Brain.
Even ignoring his three Legendary Pokémon—
His sheer strategic foresight alone was enough to crush everyone present.
Losing to Brandon…
Was simply destiny.
Veilstone City
Reggie watched the Champions' despair-filled analysis scroll by and let out a long breath.
"Brandon…
He's overwhelmingly strong."
"For Ash to defeat him…"
Reggie stopped mid-sentence and slowly shook his head.
It was an impossible task.
"I only hope Ash doesn't end up like me…"
He prayed that Ash wouldn't have his spirit completely shattered by Brandon's crushing power—
That he wouldn't lose heart and abandon the path of a Trainer.
To reach this point already placed Ash above 80% of all Trainers.
Destiny Isn't Finished Yet
On screen—
"Not happening!"
Ash instantly saw through Brandon's intent!
He knew that if Regice fully recovered—
It would all be over.
He refused to give up!
"Pikachu!
Hit the ice pillar—Iron Tail at full power!"
Ash roared with everything he had!
Trapped within the prison, Pikachu's eyes hardened.
Its tail flashed with blinding silver light—
BOOM!
Iron Tail smashed down violently, cracking the ice wall open!
Pikachu burst free!
Its speed skyrocketed to the limit—
A golden lightning bolt racing straight toward the sleeping ice god!
Ash screamed:
"NOW! GO!
It hasn't regained consciousness yet!"
Every viewer instinctively leaned forward.
Regice was in a completely defenseless state.
If—
If Pikachu's attack landed—
They might truly witness an ordinary "electric mouse" accomplishing the impossible—
Slaying a god.
Greed for betting points and the thrill of witnessing history tore violently at the hearts of the Trainers.
Their emotions were impossibly tangled.
But time on screen suddenly accelerated—
At the final 0.1 second—
Just as Pikachu closed in for the killing blow—
The ice giant awakened.
"Ice Beam!"
"PIKA—!!"
At full sprint, Pikachu had no time to dodge.
BOOM!
The Ice Beam struck head-on!
Pikachu let out a heart-wrenching scream!
"PIKACHU—!"
Ash's pupils shrank in horror as he cried out.
In an instant—
Pikachu and the ground beneath it were completely sealed inside a massive ice crystal sculpture.
A lifelike statue.
Frozen forever at the center of the battlefield.
…Was the outcome finally sealed?
The audience stared blankly, still trapped in the whiplash of the battle's rapid twists—
Unable to pull themselves back to reality.
~~--------------------------
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