"Bam!!"
"Pidgeot...."
After making one final desperate charge at Aegislash only to be knocked back, Mega Pidgeot finally gave up on continuing its assault. It opened its beak and panted for breath as it hovered in midair above the battlefield.
"Pidgeot, quickly adjust your condition. You've witnessed the defense of Elite Four member Wikstrom's Aegislash. Now, take a good look at its attacks." Seeing Pidgeot stop attacking, Ash reminded it, knowing that the Pokémon under his command were all extremely proud and unwilling to admit defeat.
"Pidgeot~" Pidgeot nodded, its expression becoming extremely solemn.
"Elite Four Wikstrom, I'll leave the rest to you. Just let Pidgeot experience it at close range." After reminding Pidgeot, Ash raised his head and looked toward Wikstrom.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing—" Wikstrom grinned, revealing a row of bright white teeth, and replied with his usual hearty smile.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he turned toward Aegislash on the battlefield and issued his command:
"Aegislash—use Sacred Sword!!"
As Wikstrom gave the command, he also inconspicuously made a vulgar 'pinching' gesture toward Aegislash, apparently signaling it to hold back.
"Clang~" Aegislash nodded, instantly understanding what he meant.
Aegislash did not hesitate either. With a sharp metallic "clang," its blade was drawn from its sheath. Accompanied by sword energy that surged into the heavens and seemed capable of slicing apart the clouds directly above the battlefield, a gigantic holy sword of light more than ten meters long instantly took shape.
"Clang~"
The holy sword, raised high above Aegislash's head and pointing straight toward the sky, suddenly came slashing down toward Pidgeot.
Because Pidgeot wanted to experience the might of Aegislash's Sacred Sword as clearly as possible, it did not dodge this time. It simply remained motionless in place, like a target waiting to be struck.
"BOOM—!"
The Sacred Sword descended, but in the end, the blade stopped only one centimeter from the center of Pidgeot's forehead. Pidgeot had come within the narrowest margin of being decapitated by a single sword strike.
At the very center of the vortex of sword energy, Pidgeot was completely dumbfounded. Its entire body had stiffened, while the feathers around its neck stood straight up as though they had been shocked by some tremendous stimulus.
Even after Aegislash withdrew the sword and returned it to its sheath, Pidgeot remained rigid in midair, motionless except for unconsciously flapping its wings to keep itself from falling.
"Pidgeot, come back. You worked hard in this battle~"
"Whoosh——!"
After recalling Pidgeot into its Poké Ball, Ash looked toward Wikstrom and admitted defeat.
"Elite Four Wikstrom's Aegislash is simply too powerful. My Pidgeot isn't its opponent. I admit defeat in this battle."
At this point, there was no need to continue the match. Ash and Pidgeot had already gained a clear understanding of Wikstrom's 'Way of the Knight.'
After breaking through into the Elite-level realm in the future, Ash already had some ideas and the beginnings of an understanding regarding the comprehension of spiritual will.
Although he had no absolute confidence that he could help his Pokémon comprehend a top-level spiritual will that would grant a total six-stat amplification ratio of ≥100%, along with a special-effect enhancement buff, at least after attending Wikstrom's lecture on the spirit of knighthood today and fighting this exhibition match against him, Ash would no longer be wandering around like a headless fly when it came to comprehending spiritual will.
"Contestant Ash has chosen to surrender! I hereby announce that this match is won by Kalos League Elite Four member Wikstrom!" After Ash recalled his Pokémon and voluntarily admitted defeat, the referee outside the battlefield loudly announced the final result.
"Wikstrom.... Wikstrom....!!"
"Wikstrom.... Wikstrom....!!"
"Wikstrom.... Wikstrom....!!"
"...."
"..."
"Thank you, everyone. And please give the same enthusiastic applause and cheers to our three trainers—Grant, Clemont, and Ash—for bringing us such spectacular battles today." Wikstrom spoke with his trademark hearty smile.
"Ash.... Ash....!!"
"...."
As soon as Wikstrom finished speaking, another tremendous wave of cheers erupted from the spectators.
Although Ash had lost this match, his opponent had been Elite Four member Wikstrom. Losing to such a powerful trainer was nothing to be ashamed of.
Moreover, Ash and Pidgeot had displayed extraordinarily powerful combat ability during the battle, and Pidgeot had even revealed that it possessed the ability to Mega Evolve. It could be said that they had gained countless new fans.
Even those who did not become Ash fans because of the match would certainly remember him because of this spectacular, intense, and unforgettable battle. This time, Ash had truly made a name for himself in Kalos.
Especially because Pidgeot had become the first known non-Kalos Pokémon discovered to possess the potential for Mega Evolution.
It was destined to be recorded in the academic history of Mega Evolution research in the Kalos region, and Ash, as Pidgeot's trainer, would likewise be remembered by countless people.
Compared with ordinary popularity or simply becoming famous, this particular way of becoming famous would bring Ash a reputation that would be far harder to forget.
Wikstrom's lecture tour on the "Spirit of Knighthood, Way of the Knight, and Will to Protect" had begun at nine in the morning and ended at eleven.
The three exhibition matches had originally been entertainment programs following the lecture. Now that all three battles had concluded, this morning's lecture event had officially come to an end.
The spectators left the venue in an orderly fashion, while Ash and Clemont were invited by Wikstrom to have lunch together. Thanks to Ash and Clemont, Serena, Bonnie, and the others also followed along, and the entire group went to a restaurant in the city center for lunch.
As an Elite-level powerhouse, Wikstrom was someone Ash was very willing to interact and exchange ideas with. Aside from the tremendous benefits he had gained from witnessing the "Way of the Knight" during the morning's exhibition match, Ash was also extremely interested in the "Extendable Horn" technique used by Escavalier and the "Sacred Sword" technique used by Aegislash.
Sacred Sword, as a Fighting-type move, possessed an inherent effect that could make a weapon grow larger and longer. The Extendable Horn technique worked in much the same way.
Whether it was empowering a weapon, strengthening it, or manipulating its length and size through a secondary transformation—these were all techniques Ash wanted to learn and master.
This particular technique was especially important for Ash's Fearow. Fearow possessed high speed and powerful offensive ability, but it was also a relatively fragile Pokémon. Its fighting style was practically like dancing on the edge of a blade—dangerous in the extreme.
As for how to reduce the risk of Fearow being injured during battle, Ash had adopted two approaches: strengthening himself and weakening the enemy.
Now, after seeing Escavalier use "Extendable Horn" to lengthen its weapon and increase its attack range, Ash immediately thought of his own Fearow.
If his Fearow could master this technique, Ash believed that in future battles, Fearow would become even more powerful and ferocious while simultaneously gaining a much greater degree of safety.
....
When Wikstrom invited everyone to lunch, Ash took the initiative to humbly ask him about this technique. Wikstrom did not keep the knowledge to himself.
Whether out of appreciation and affection for a talented junior, or because he wanted to build a good relationship with a genius trainer whose future prospects were limitless, Wikstrom ultimately told Ash the secrets behind the technique openly and generously.