[Lance: Wow, this looks a bit miserable!]
[Drake: Eh… Sorry to everyone in the Orange Islands.]
[Lorelei: Hehe, I can't say that. This is Black Ash, who after half a year of journeying can go toe-to-toe with me! Even if it's just with Pikachu, the fact that it is Pikachu makes it all the more outrageous!]
[Misty: Although our Ash had a relatively easy time against a few of Mr. Drake's Pokémon at first, defeating five of them with only two of his own, Black Ash is even more extreme…]
[Brock: In terms of the Trainer's insight, tactics, Pokémon choices, and even the Pokémon's strength, Black Ash surpasses our Ash in every aspect.]
[Brock: But to be honest, this is to be expected! With the same talent, it's normal for Black Ash, who works so much harder, to be stronger, right?]
[Ash: Hmm... 'Stronger' is an understatement. It was exaggerated to the point where I doubted if I could ever reach Black Ash's level. But after Misty's encouragement, I understand!]
[Ash: Before doing something, if you don't even believe it's possible, then you definitely can't do it! Not to mention… that's another me!]
Now, Ash will not feel disheartened!! No matter what heights the other Ash reaches, he still believes in himself!
...
In a Black World —
Because Drake lost three Pokémon, the two sides took an intermission, and the battlefield was changed.
Drake sat on the rest bench, looking solemnly at the Poké Ball hanging around his neck. Previous challengers couldn't even force out his Dragonite, but this time, he felt that even if he used Dragonite, he might not win.
Not only had Ash defeated three of his Pokémon without a single loss, but more importantly, Drake still hadn't grasped Ash's true strength. The latter was like a black hole—unfathomable.
Ash, on the other hand, was more relaxed. He turned to Misty and the others with a smile. He had thought this would be a tough battle against the so-called strongest, undefeated Head Trainer. Ash figured Drake had to be at least Elite Four–level, right? Turns out, his Pokémon… probably weren't even comparable to the main forces of an ordinary Gym Leader. The only thing that could get Ash's blood pumping now was Drake's Dragonite.
During the break, Ash also shared some intel with Sabrina—like Ditto's weakness, Drake's general battle style, and so on. After three battles, Ash had pretty much figured out his opponent's patterns, so he told Sabrina in advance to prepare for her challenge tomorrow.
Sabrina just sat on the chair, showed a soft smile, and nodded. When facing Ash, she shed all her cold exterior and showed her gentlest side.
The break ended quickly, and the second half began. The battlefield was also replaced. The original potholed field was swapped for a soft silt field—a sand arena!
The two sides stood on opposite platforms. Drake still sent out his Pokémon first. This time, he used Victreebel!
"Victreebel… My Ivysaur usually gets pretty competitive with other Victreebel. I hope it doesn't start off too ruthless this time…"
Ash murmured and threw the Poké Ball in his hand.
"It's up to you, Charizard!!"
"Roar!!"
The orange-red Charizard landed heavily on the mud and sand, roared skyward, and spat flames—majestic and mighty. Unfortunately, due to excessive force, its feet got stuck in the muck, ruining the grand entrance and making it look a bit awkward…
"A Fire-type Charizard… Ash, you really came prepared!"
"Hehe, of course! After all, my opponent is the strongest Head Trainer in Orange Archipelago history!"
"Hehe, don't mention 'strongest.' I'm being completely outclassed by you right now."
"Even if you say that, I won't let my guard down!"
"You saw through me… Victreebel, Razor Leaf!"
After a brief exchange, Drake realized he couldn't rattle Ash, so he began his offense instantly! Countless spinning sharp leaves flew from the sides of the huge calyx.
"Use Flamethrower to burn them all!!"
"Roar!"
Facing the sky-full of razor-sharp leaves, Charizard spat flames. The blazing fire incinerated every leaf instantly. After burning them, Charizard even made a disdainful gesture. Ash covered his face in slight embarrassment.
"That's not our Ivysaur's rival over there. Be polite, Charizard!"
"Grrr…"
Hearing this, Charizard toned it down a little, snorting a small stream of flame from its nostrils.
"Another Flamethrower!"
"Sludge Bomb!"
Facing a Fire-type move, Drake chose to counter with a Poison-type move! If it were a Grass-type move, even the most powerful Frenzy Plant would probably be burned up instantly! More importantly… Charizard has a 4x resistance to Grass! The earlier Razor Leaf was just to test the opponent's firepower.
The crimson flames collided with the filthy sludge, causing a huge explosion in the middle of the field! Smoke billowed, and dirt scattered from the blast.
A draw…?
Just as Drake thought so, an incredibly hot flame pierced through the smoke, striking Victreebel directly! The power of the flames made Victreebel howl in pain!
"Victreebel!!"
"It's over. Fire Spin!"
With Ash's command, the smoke slowly cleared, revealing a Charizard gathering flames. Immediately after, a spiral of raging fire engulfed Victreebel! When the flames dissipated, a charred Victreebel lay on the mud and sand, fainted.
"Such powerful flames… My Victreebel usually does fire-resistance training, but I never expected… to be defeated in two moves!"
Saying this, Drake recalled his Victreebel. Now he only had two Pokémon left…
"Fifth, go! Electabuzz!"
"Buzz!"
"Electabuzz… Charizard, return!"
Charizard, a Flying-type, is obviously at a disadvantage against Electric-types, but that wasn't the main reason Ash recalled it.
"This is a full six-on-six. Everyone should get a chance to play…"
"It's up to you, Pikachu!"
"Pika—"
Pikachu jumped onto the field excitedly. It hadn't battled in a while, aside from the previous fight with Lorelei. While not obsessed with fighting, it didn't want to train constantly with no practice.
Misty and the others watching from the sidelines involuntarily covered their eyes. Sending out Pikachu now meant the next scene… would be extremely brutal!
"Pikachu… It seems a bit different from those powerful-looking Pokémon earlier. And sending out an Electric-type Pikachu against an Electric-type… Is this about upholding the honor of Electric-type Pokémon in battle?"
"Hehe, yeah. My Pikachu watched the fierce battle earlier and got a little excited!"
Drake: …
You call that one-sided beating just now a 'fierce battle,' right?
"Don't hold back! Electabuzz, the opponent looks frail. Use Thunder Punch!"
Ash: Huh??
Frail? Head-on? Do you have some misunderstanding about my Pikachu?
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
A metallic silver glow covered Pikachu's lightning-bolt tail. Immediately, Pikachu shot out like an arrow! When Drake heard "Iron Tail," he already had a bad feeling.
Pikachu raced across the muddy sand field. If not for the weights on its body and the cushioning effect of the mud, it would have already whipped its tail at the opponent. But because of these factors, it took a few seconds to meet Electabuzz head-on.
Then, Thunder Punch and Iron Tail collided. The close match, thunderous clash, fierce battle the audience expected—none of it happened! The moment Thunder Punch touched Iron Tail, it was like an egg hitting a rock, defeated without the slightest resistance! Immediately, Electabuzz flew backward, soaring past Drake, and slammed into the arena wall with a loud crash!
Even the audience could feel the vibration. Electabuzz had created a Pokémon-shaped crater in the wall! It didn't look like it could keep fighting.
Drake: …
Did it… not even shine? Electabuzz… collided with that petite-looking Pikachu… and was instantly defeated?? And defeated in a contest of pure strength! How is that possible?!
...
[Lance: Here it comes! Pikachu's classic act of playing possum and eating a tiger!]
[Elesa: That said, it is a mouse… But it really shines, Black Ash's Pikachu!! I really want one!]
[Professor Oak: Normally, ordinary people would underestimate Pikachu, right? Pikachu is a Pokémon that isn't considered weak in Kanto, but its cute appearance leads to it being looked down upon.]
Pokémon in this world do have inherent talents. As mentioned before, the stronger a Pokémon's racial talent, the harder it is to breed. And Pikachu… is undoubtedly one of the most abundant Pokémon in the world! It's also widely considered one of those cute but weak Pokémon. Training a Pikachu to Gym Leader level requires an immense, often unknown, amount of effort! As for Champion-level… no one in the world has ever done it! If you're going to train one, you'd evolve it into Raichu. But training a Pikachu to Champion level? Ash did it! Whether Black Ash or White Ash, their Pikachu is extraordinary! Maybe their Pikachu does have talent ordinary ones don't, but more importantly…
[Professor Oak: The reason Pikachu is so strong is the bond between Ash and Pikachu. Bonds have always been an ineffable thing.]
[Professor Oak: But one thing I know for sure is that Ash and Pikachu have already surpassed Pikachu's racial limits because of their bond! It's the same for both Black and White Ash!]
[Professor Oak: Therefore, Ash's Pikachu's growth and ceiling are so terrifying. They seem like a destined pair!]
A Pokémon's talent is always a very important part of its growth, but it's not indispensable! In this world, there is a power called a bond! This power allows Pokémon to break the upper limits of their talent and improve together with their Trainers! This is one reason why Pokémon need Trainers. The bond between Pokémon and Trainer is a power called miracles! Of course, this ethereal concept has always been something few believe in, but now… Black and White Ash have proven that bonds—they truly exist!
[Ash: Yeah! My Pikachu is awesome!]
[Misty: Eh… Professor Oak, phrasing it as a 'destined pair' is a bit… not quite appropriate, is it?]
[Melody: Crying No wonder Ash has no feelings for me. It turns out he likes Pikachu!]
[Caitlin: Huh? Ash x Pikachu? That seems good!]
[Cynthia: What nonsense are you all talking about?! Especially you, Caitlin! Stop reading those weird books!]
[Caitlin: Hahaha, Cynthia, you don't understand I didn't say anything specific. You're the one who reacted—you're not pure]
[Cynthia: …]
Forget it. Caitlin is beyond saving. She chooses not to talk to the fujoshi.
...
In a Black World —
With Electabuzz's defeat, Drake was in dire straits. The last Pokémon he had left was naturally Dragonite. But facing the unfathomable Pikachu, Drake couldn't help but feel doubtful. Can he really win? No… it's not about can he win… he must win! Drake's confused eyes turned firm. When a Trainer thinks they can't win, even if miracles happen afterward, they won't bloom for him!
"Return, Electabuzz!" Drake recalled Electabuzz and took the Poké Ball from around his neck. "My last partner, and my strongest partner. It's all up to you, Dragonite!"
White light flashed, and a delicately featured, orange Western-style dragon appeared on the field. Big eyes, small wings, a kind expression on its face. It was hard to imagine this was a Pokémon known as a pseudo-Legendary! So-called pseudo-Legendaries are Pokémon whose abilities at the same level are almost on par with Legendaries! After all, there's a gap at the same level! While Ash wasn't entirely sure of this Dragonite's level, one thing was certain… This Dragonite should be stronger than Drake's other five Pokémon combined!
"Return for now, Pikachu."
Pikachu's previously enthusiastic expression instantly froze, then it shrugged and hopped back to Ash's side. I knew I should have held back a little and fought longer!
"Hehe, don't worry. There will be plenty of battles in the future. The world has so many strong opponents—missing this one won't matter. For this last match, let your partner handle it."
"Pikapi~"
"It's up to you, Dragonair!"
Ash also sent out his sixth Pokémon—Dragonair! Dragonair is the pre-evolved form of Dragonite. Honestly, in terms of appearance, Dragonair is much more elegant than Dragonite! Dragonite gives a sense of cuteness, while Dragonair, while also cute, feels more handsome and divine—like a true mystical Pokémon! Many people wonder how Dragonair grows into Dragonite. To put it bluntly… it grows crooked! But one thing is undeniable: generally… Dragonite is stronger than Dragonair!
"I never expected you to have a member of the Dragonite family, Ash. They're extremely rare even worldwide."
"Hehe, just a coincidence."
"However, sending out its pre-evolved form against Dragonite… you're somewhat looking down on it!"
Drake said, his eyes sharpening as he shouted to Dragonite.
"Dragonite, use Twister!"
"I don't mean to look down on Dragonite in the slightest. I just have complete confidence in my Dragonair! Dragonair, use Rain Dance!"
Both sides chose very different moves. A terrifying silver tornado swept up the mud and sand from the ground, barreling toward Dragonair! Dragonair whispered to the sky, and the previously clear sky instantly clouded over! At that moment, the tornado hit, directly engulfing the unresisting Dragonair!
Drake's face lit up. Twister is a Dragon-type move, plus the sediment rolled up from the ground—it should deal significant damage to Dragonair!
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