Chapter 214: Wow, Blaine
"Roar!"
As soon as Pikachu stepped onto the battlefield, Arcanine's ability, Intimidate, activated. A thunderous roar echoed through the arena, sending visible shockwaves across the field. Pikachu's ears twitched slightly, but the small Electric-type Pokémon stood its ground.
A faint blue aura briefly surrounded Pikachu—the effect of Intimidate reducing its Attack stat by one level. However, this was of little consequence. After all, Pikachu relied on Special Attack, not physical moves!
Ash clenched his fist. His voice rang out with determination.
"Let's go, Pikachu! Let Blaine see your real strength! Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu's cheeks sparked with intense electric energy, the yellow fur bristling as a violent arc of lightning crackled in the air. In the next instant, a blinding bolt of electricity shot forward at incredible speed, heading straight for Arcanine!
Blaine's eyes widened slightly. "Fast!"
"Arcanine, Extreme Speed! Dodge it!"
Blaine's command came without hesitation. He knew that Arcanine's normal speed wouldn't be enough to evade the oncoming attack. However, Extreme Speed would not only avoid the Thunderbolt but also allow Arcanine to counterattack immediately—a move that would turn the tide in his favor.
"Wind—!"
Arcanine let out a deep growl, its body glowing with Normal-type energy. In a blink, its form blurred, disappearing from its spot before the Thunderbolt could strike.
A split second later, the Thunderbolt struck the ground instead, sending electric sparks scattering in all directions. The sheer power of the attack was enough to blast a small crater into the hardened battlefield.
Blaine's eyes narrowed as he observed the damage done to the field. Pikachu's power exceeded his expectations. Despite being only Elite-level, Pikachu's strength was almost at Gym Leader level—perhaps even beyond that!
---
Arcanine's Counterattack
As Thunderbolt faded, Arcanine closed the distance with terrifying speed. Covering nearly 60 meters in an instant, it suddenly reappeared behind Pikachu, ready to slam into it with all its force!
Ash's eyes sharpened—he had seen this move before!
"Pikachu, behind you! Dodge it!"
Pikachu's ears twitched, reacting in perfect sync with Ash's command.
"Pika!"
With flawless agility, Pikachu performed a quick side-jump, narrowly avoiding Arcanine's powerful charge!
Blaine's eyes widened in shock.
"What?!"
He had expected Pikachu to be fast, but this level of reaction was unbelievable. Pikachu had just finished launching Thunderbolt, and yet, it recovered and dodged in a fraction of a second!
"How short is Pikachu's recovery time?" Blaine thought. "One second? Half a second?!"
There was no time to dwell on it. Ash saw an opening and took it.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
Arcanine was now too close to dodge. Even with Extreme Speed, there was no way to outrun electricity.
"Pickup—!"
A second Thunderbolt erupted from Pikachu's body, filling the stadium with blinding golden light.
The electricity wrapped around Arcanine, sending crackling sparks dancing across its flame-colored fur.
"Wind speed—!"
Arcanine howled in pain, its body convulsing as the powerful electric current surged through it.
When the lightning finally faded, Arcanine stood there panting heavily, its legs trembling from the damage. Its breath was weak.
---
Blaine's Shock
Blaine's expression turned serious.
"Just one Thunderbolt… and Arcanine's HP dropped by half?!"
He knew the gap in rank between Arcanine and Pikachu should have given his Pokémon the advantage. Yet here Pikachu was—not just holding its own, but completely overwhelming Arcanine!
"If Pikachu and Arcanine were at the same level…" Blaine thought grimly, "Arcanine might have been KO'd in one hit!"
Misty, Brock, and Mei watched from the sidelines, stunned.
"That was incredible!" Misty gasped. "Pikachu dodged Extreme Speed and countered with Thunderbolt immediately!"
Brock nodded in agreement. "Ash's Pikachu is something else. No wonder it's his ace."
Mei smiled. "Pikachu's power feels… almost legendary."
Even the crowd was buzzing with excitement.
But Blaine wasn't ready to give up just yet.
---
The Final Clash
"Arcanine! Use Extreme Speed again!"
Blaine knew that none of Arcanine's other moves could match Pikachu's speed and power. Extreme Speed was his best bet.
Arcanine gritted its teeth and forced itself to move. Its legs tensed, and with a deep growl, it charged forward once more!
But Ash was ready.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack! Dodge and counter!"
Pikachu's tiny body tensed, and in a flash of white light, it vanished from view. The crowd gasped—both Pokémon had disappeared!
The battlefield was silent for a moment… and then—
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted as two blurs clashed in midair!
When the dust cleared, only one Pokémon remained standing.
Arcanine collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
"Arcanine is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Pikachu wins!"
---
Victory!
The stadium erupted in cheers!
Ash grinned, pumping his fist in triumph. "Great job, Pikachu!"
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu chirped happily, leaping onto Ash's shoulder.
Blaine shook his head with a small chuckle.
"Wow, Ash… That Pikachu of yours is something else. I've battled trainers from all over the world, but your Pikachu… It's on another level."
Ash scratched the back of his head, laughing. "Heh, yeah… but we're not done yet!"
Blaine smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
The battle wasn't over yet, and both trainers knew it.
One thing was clear—this was a match to remember.