"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…"
The blades of light raining down from the sky crashed onto the sword-aura barrier constructed by Aegislash.
At first, because Aegislash was in its high-Attack Blade Forme, and because the rapid rotation produced by "Swords Dance" was incredibly fast, the blades of light did not immediately break through the sword-aura barrier.
However, Mega Pidgeot was also in its Mega-Evolved state, and its damage output was on an entirely different level from its normal form. The dense barrage of blades repeatedly hacked into the sword-aura barrier, pushing the barrier backward again and again.
As the fierce clash between both sides remained locked in a tense stalemate, the two rapidly spinning gears finally revealed the point where they did not quite mesh.
Aegislash's seemingly impenetrable sword-aura barrier was ultimately unable to stop every single one of Pidgeot's densely packed blades. The first blade slipped through a gap and struck Aegislash directly.
Very quickly, that opening was torn wider and wider by Pidgeot's attacks. More and more blades fell through, striking Aegislash's body and forcing it to retreat again and again.
Aegislash's attacks could not hit Ash's Pidgeot, while Aegislash was also unable to completely defend against Pidgeot's attacks, which came down like a violent storm.
The two sides had launched several waves of attacks and carried out several rounds of defensive countermeasures. Yet regardless of which exchange it was, whether offense or defense, the overall situation clearly favored Ash's Pidgeot.
At this point in the battle, the difference between the two sides at the same level had become obvious.
At the same level of strength, Wikstrom and his Aegislash were simply not Ash and Pidgeot's opponents.
However, this was ultimately an exhibition match.
Wikstrom had deliberately suppressed Aegislash's strength, making this a match that was both fair and unfair at the same time.
For Ash, it was unfair if Wikstrom did not suppress his strength. Yet even after suppressing his strength, the physical attributes brought about by reaching a higher tier could not simply be erased. The "hardware" of a higher-level Pokémon was still there, so it remained somewhat unfair to Ash.
But from Wikstrom's perspective, having a Champion-level veteran suppress his strength to battle a rookie was itself an unfair situation.
Even so, Wikstrom had suppressed Aegislash's strength, while he himself possessed the battle experience of a Champion-level trainer, and Aegislash likewise possessed the experience and physical foundation of a Champion-level Pokémon.
Yet even under those circumstances, they still had not gained the slightest advantage against Ash's Pidgeot.
To a certain extent, this had already proven that Ash had earned the victory in this battle.
Of course, in the current state of the battle, even if Wikstrom did not remove Aegislash's strength restriction, it would still take Ash and Pidgeot quite some effort to actually defeat it.
After all, Aegislash's Champion-level physical foundation was still there.
Moreover, this was merely an exhibition match, and one in which Wikstrom had deliberately suppressed his strength.
Forget about winning—even if Ash merely wanted to force a draw and end the match that way, Wikstrom would probably regard it as somewhat disrespectful.
Fortunately, Ash had never intended to defeat Wikstrom in an "unfair" manner from the very beginning.
After several rounds of fierce exchanges, all Ash had wanted was to experience Wikstrom's way of the knight.
And now, after all those offensive and defensive exchanges, Ash had clearly witnessed and experienced the knightly path that Wikstrom followed.
It was time to end the battle.
"Snap!"
Seeing that Wikstrom and Aegislash were already struggling considerably under their current strength restrictions, Ash felt that continuing any further would be somewhat embarrassing. He had already made his decision.
"Pidgeot, stop attacking."
Ash snapped his fingers and called off Pidgeot, which was still preparing to continue its assault.
"Caw~"
"Wikstrom, your Aegislash is simply too strong. My Pidgeot is no match for it."
"You have to remember that this is with you having Aegislash suppress its strength. If it were displaying its true Champion-level strength, I estimate that my battle would not even last three rounds before I was completely crushed."
After calling a halt to the battle, Ash noticed the slightly puzzled expression on Wikstrom's face as he looked toward him.
Ash immediately spoke with a modest and courteous tone, generously praising his opponent.
"Not at all, not at all. Your Pidgeot is extremely powerful, Ash. After today's battle, you have truly shown me what it means to be a genius Pokémon Trainer."
"As they say, the waves behind push forward the waves ahead. You haven't even officially debuted yet, and already you possess this level of strength. Once you officially make your debut three years from now, I believe you will already have reached the Champion level just like me."
"By that time, I'm afraid that even I and Aegislash won't be able to gain much of an advantage against you."
Wikstrom wore a hearty smile as he looked at Ash with undisguised appreciation.
"You flatter this junior far too much, Wikstrom."
"As for the future, this junior wouldn't dare to boast about things I haven't achieved yet. But as for today, being able to battle and spar with a Champion-level senior Trainer like you, Wikstrom, and personally experience your knightly path has already been an enormous honor."
"There's really no need to continue this battle any further. Otherwise, if Wikstrom gets serious in a little while and brings out his true strength, I'm afraid Pidgeot and I are going to suffer quite badly and get thoroughly beaten up."
"However, I wonder if you could fulfill one small request of mine, Wikstrom?"
Ash asked politely.
"Oh? Let's hear it."
Wikstrom gave him a look that seemed to say, You really are quite a slippery little fellow.
"The knightly path of Wikstrom is truly something that inspires admiration."
"I wonder if you could have Aegislash unleash its full strength—using its strongest offense, Sacred Sword, and its strongest defense, King's Shield—so that Pidgeot and I can experience and understand your knightly path even more directly?"
Ash made his request.
"Oh!"
"You want to see and experience my knightly path? You want to witness Aegislash's true Sword and Shield?"
"Very well. That's not difficult at all. I agree."
Upon hearing Ash's request, Wikstrom readily accepted.
At this stage of the match, Wikstrom had actually been wondering how he could end the battle with some dignity.
Ash's little request gave him a perfect way out.
It allowed Wikstrom to use his true strength without making it seem as though he had simply broken the rules of the exhibition match.
Furthermore, the entire reason Wikstrom had organized this knightly-path lecture tour was to allow more Trainers to witness and understand the knightly way.
Since Ash himself had made such a request, Wikstrom naturally had no reason to refuse.
"Aegislash, you heard him."
"Remove the strength restriction and show him your true power."
"Clang~"
Aegislash nodded.
Its body suddenly trembled, and accompanied by a resounding sword cry, a soaring sword intent erupted from its body.
The sharp sword intent shot straight into the sky.
Even the clouds directly above the battle stadium were pierced apart and scattered by the terrifying pressure. In the blink of an eye, the clouds disappeared completely.
Only now did Ash on the opposite side of the battlefield—and the spectators outside the arena—truly witness the strength of Wikstrom and Aegislash.
Their hearts were filled with shock.
"Aegislash, use King's Shield!"
After releasing Aegislash's full strength, Wikstrom swept his hand forward and issued his command.
"Clang!"
On the battlefield, Aegislash's blade instantly returned to its sheath with a metallic clang.
Its Blade Forme switched into Shield Forme.
At the exact same moment, King's Shield was unleashed.