Pikachu Obtains the Zacian Template!
Lines of system prompts appeared one after another across the light screen,
leaving viewers dizzy.
What kind of new gimmick was this now?!
And how were humans obtaining Pokémon moves—
Behemoth Blade and Behemoth Bash, no less?!
At this point, they might as well be human-shaped Pokémon!
Was this reward basically telling Ash,
"Not satisfied with beating gods using Pokémon? Fine—go fight them yourself!"
Come to think of it…
Ash wielding the Rusted Sword and flinging sword techniques at the sky
actually sounded kind of cool.
But still—what was with this sudden reward?
There hadn't been any questions.
No betting either.
This unexpected giveaway made a lot of people uncomfortable.
Ash getting rewarded was one thing—
he'd already received multiple rewards from the stream before.
But Gary getting one too?!
Unbelievable!
Did he really just tag along and make the list?!
At that very moment,
in Kanto—behind Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Gary's entire body trembled with excitement.
Sure enough—
the Creator God favored every lucky child.
He never imagined he'd get a reward just for appearing on the light screen.
And judging by the name alone—
Behemoth Bash.
That was Zamazenta's signature move—
a technique that could severely injure Eternatus!
This excitement came straight from the soul.
Ever since the Silver Conference—
when Ash's Pikachu swept his entire team one versus six—
Gary had, for the first time, felt like quitting as a Trainer.
That sense of helplessness cut deep.
He'd thought he and Ash would become
the next-generation Twin Prodigies of Pallet Town.
But before that even began,
the gap between them had already become so vast.
A single Pikachu. A full team sweep.
Gary not retiring on the spot was already proof of strong mental fortitude.
After so many rounds of the stream's rankings,
it was finally his turn to receive a second reward.
The first one—Focus Band—had been decent,
but it didn't directly boost combat power like Ash's rewards did.
After all, Focus Band relied heavily on external support—
something that became painfully obvious in real battles.
During the Silver Conference match,
even when the Focus Band's boost should've been at 100%—
Once Ash's Pikachu entered god mode,
almost the entire audience sided with Ash.
That support gap drained what little advantage Gary had left.
From that point on, Gary reached a conclusion:
Focus Band is only good for bullying weaker opponents.
In high-level battles, its uncertainty was too great.
But this reward—
This was different.
The instant the stream transmitted the reward's information,
Gary's entire body shook.
Strong—far too strong!
Just as Gary was drowning in excitement,
a large hand vigorously rubbed the top of his head.
"Gary, you lose yourself too easily."
The speaker was Blue.
Seeing his younger brother this excited over a reward,
Blue couldn't help but find it amusing.
Wasn't it just a reward?
Did it really warrant this much excitement?
That thought lasted—
right up until Gary sent out his Blastoise
and showed him the results.
Blue froze.
Before him, Blastoise looked unchanged at first glance.
But when Gary raised his hand—
A surge of crimson light poured into Blastoise's body.
Blue had watched the entire broadcast.
He knew exactly what that light was.
It was Zamazenta's power!
After absorbing it, Blastoise visibly changed—
Crimson patterns appeared on the shell over its chest.
Those markings formed the exact shield emblem
seen on Zamazenta's chest in its Shield King Form!
Then Gary declared:
"Secret Art—Behemoth Bash!"
Blastoise revealed the twin cannons on its back.
A violent torrent of water erupted forth!
Midair, the water condensed—
forming the phantom image of Zamazenta itself.
Just like the Shield King smashing into Eternatus,
the phantom charged straight through the backyard—
And slammed into a towering rock formation.
In an instant—
The rock was reduced to dust.
Now, destroying a rock wasn't particularly impressive.
But this wasn't an ordinary rock.
It was a training prop used daily by the Fighting-type Pokémon in the backyard—
a rock that had endured countless blows without ever cracking.
Yet now—
It was utterly annihilated by Blastoise's attack.
That power!
How could Blue not be amazed?!
This move had already surpassed the level
ordinary Pokémon could reach.
Even Hydro Cannon, the ultimate starter move,
couldn't compare to it.
"Big brother Blue! Let me tell you—this secret art isn't just that move! It also boosts Blastoise's Defense! And just now, it even gained a new Ability—Dauntless Shield! Defense increases immediately upon entry! And on top of that—it gained the Steel type!"
Gary excitedly showed off his reward.
This enhancement was absurd.
His ace Blastoise had ascended to a terrifying new tier.
Water/Steel typing had insanely strong resistances—
only three weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, and Electric.
In exchange?
One immunity.
Ten resistances.
And two types that only dealt quarter damage!
And because Blastoise didn't wield a physical shield,
its Behemoth Bash was fired through its cannons—
Which meant that after Mega Evolution,
its Ability Mega Launcher could further amplify the move!
This was—
An absolutely monstrous buff!
Ash—just wait.
Next battle, you're definitely not getting off easy!
After hearing the full explanation,
Blue fell silent.
Damn it.
I call hacks.
This wasn't about being strong anymore—
this was straight-up broken.
Ridiculous Water/Steel typing aside—
What was with these dual abilities?!
Defense boost on entry was one thing,
but amplifying a divine secret art through Mega Evolution?!
Did they really think ordinary Trainers wouldn't get mad?!
Was this even original Pokémon anymore?!
Are you sure you're not playing some knockoff mobile game?!
Blue screamed internally countless times.
If this were anyone else,
he'd already punched them.
But Gary was his brother.
Biological. Same bloodline.
What could he do?
"…Very nice. I'll be putting you through special training next."
With that, Blue vigorously rubbed Gary's head twice more before letting go.
Finally—satisfying.
Meanwhile, not far away under a corridor—
Ash and Red had also been drawn by the commotion.
Zamazenta's appearance was unforgettable.
"So Gary's already mastered the secret art,"
Red said with a faint smile.
He had always thought highly of Pallet Town's next generation.
Seeing them grow stronger was something to celebrate.
But Ash didn't feel the same way.
"That guy Gary is way too smug!"
Ash muttered.
Just like Gary,
the moment the stream announced the rewards,
all information about the secret art had flowed into Ash's mind.
Ash knew how to use it—
But he hadn't decided who should inherit it.
Charizard?
Or Pikachu?
Once a Pokémon inherited the secret art,
it couldn't be changed.
And inheriting it also granted the Fairy type.
If it went to Charizard,
it would become a triple-type Pokémon—
Which wasn't necessarily a good thing.
More types meant more weaknesses.
Only type combinations with strong synergy were truly valuable.
If it went to Pikachu—
It would become Electric/Fairy.
One additional weakness—Poison.
But resistances would jump from two to five.
No matter how you calculated it—
That was a win.
So—
Ash turned to the Pikachu on his shoulder.
"Pikachu, are you willing to inherit Zacian's power?"
At the question, Pikachu instantly raised its paw.
"Pika!"
Why would it refuse a power boost?!
With confirmation given,
Ash no longer hesitated.
He raised his hand—
Soft azure light flowed out from his body
and gently entered Pikachu.
Unlike Blastoise's shield markings—
Pikachu only gained a small streak of blue fur
at the tip of its tail.
Barely noticeable if you didn't look closely.
And after gaining the Fairy type—
Pikachu somehow became even cuter.
Perhaps due to Zacian's favor,
Pikachu could actually control when the Fairy typing manifested.
When needed, it could activate it.
Normally, it would still present as pure Electric.
This—
Pikachu scratched its head.
Was its Trainer secretly a succubus?!
Even rewards could be customized?!
By all logic, Ash's secret art should've been identical to Gary's.
The added type should've been Steel.
But in Ash's hands—
It became Fairy.
Pikachu even gained the ability to freely control it.
If Zacian's divine role hadn't been battle—
It might've given Pikachu Misty Surge while it was at it.
Naturally, Pikachu also gained a new Ability—
Intrepid Sword.
Attack rises by one stage upon entry!
After fully digesting its new power,
Pikachu eagerly leapt off Ash's shoulder.
"Pika pika!"
Compared to Ash,
Pikachu was clearly even more excited.
It had always loved testing new power.
Infected by Pikachu's enthusiasm,
Ash swung his arm decisively.
"Go, Pikachu!
Use Secret Art—Behemoth Blade!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu focused—
Lowered its stance—
Then sprang forward!
Midair, it spun a full three hundred and sixty degrees.
Blue light coated its tail.
Then—
With a powerful flick—
The vast starry galaxy gathered at that point.
Zacian's phantom appeared.
The King of the Sword, blade in its jaws,
swung its weapon—
A crescent-shaped slash tore through the heavens!
In an instant—
The cloud-covered sky was split clean in two.
As if someone had combed the clouds apart.
Strong.
Very strong.
Although Pikachu hadn't gained the Steel type—
meaning this Behemoth Blade wasn't STAB—
Its power was still astonishing.
While it couldn't compare to the true Sword King Zacian,
it already carried several shades of its majesty.
That said—
The attack consumed an enormous amount of Pikachu's stamina.
Which made sense.
Behemoth Blade was Zacian's exclusive move,
normally usable only in Sword King form.
That level of strain was only natural.
Still—
From that moment of insight,
Pikachu felt it would soon fully master the secret art.
Until then—
It could practice the attack pattern using Iron Tail.
Iron Tail?
A mini Behemoth Blade!
Seeing the secret art's power,
Red was extremely satisfied.
Only strength like this
was worthy of a livestream reward.
This was a genuine, unwatered boost in power.
At that moment,
Gary and Blue walked over as well.
Blue—who'd been smiling moments earlier—
instantly dropped his expression
after seeing Pikachu's Behemoth Blade split the clouds.
He'd thought Gary's Behemoth Bash was already ridiculous.
But compared to that sky-cleaving slash—
It didn't even register.
Was he destined
to be permanently crushed under Ash's heel?!
No.
Absolutely not!
Gary clenched his fist silently.
A real man is born between Heaven and Earth—
how could he live forever beneath another?!
Ash—just you wait.
Of course, he didn't show any of that on his face.
By now, Blue and Red were already chatting comfortably.
Ever since Red secluded himself on Mt. Silver,
they rarely met.
This reunion was pure coincidence.
Red and Blue.
Ash and Gary.
They were reflections of each other.
Even their strength mirrored one another.
Red was the man who'd created the Five-Minute Champion Miracle.
"Hey, Ash," Blue suddenly said,
"are you thinking something incredibly disrespectful right now?"
Noticing Ash's gaze,
Blue immediately sensed something was off.
"No, not at all. I just haven't seen you in a long time, Big Brother Blue. Feeling a bit nostalgic."
Blue gave him a really? look.
But remembering that Ash had never lied before,
he chose to believe him.
"Red, how about a bet?"
"Oh? What kind of bet?"
"Let's bet on who's stronger—Ash or Gary."
"Interesting. Go on."
"Starting from the next region, we each mentor one of these brats until the League ends. Whoever wins on the final stage is the victor."
Blue looked at Red with a this is already decided grin.
Honestly—
the smugness was identical to Gary's.
For Red, this was the first time
he'd ever seen such a request.
"Deal. The loser treats the winner to a full year of meals."
Red accepted immediately and even proposed the stakes.
Seeing Red's I've already won expression,
Blue was extremely displeased.
Especially since Gary already looked like he wanted to defect.
That made him even angrier!
"Fine! Don't regret it!"
With that,
Blue dragged away the still-struggling Gary.
Red chuckled softly.
From childhood until now,
every bet with Blue had ended the same way—
Red's victory.
This time would be no different.
"Ash, from now on, I'll guide your training
until you can truly stand on your own."
Red said excitedly.
He knew exactly why Blue proposed this bet.
Blue had a bad habit—
He never expressed concern verbally.
He'd seen Red isolated on Mt. Silver for so long
and feared he might grow detached from the world.
That was why he created this bet.
In that case—
Let me remind you of your old nightmares.
Just then—
The previously darkened light screen lit up once more.
A new line of text appeared.
[Ranking resumes]
Just those few words
sent waves of excitement through countless viewers.
Because rankings meant questions.
And correct answers meant rewards.
Ranking = Rewards.
The equation was complete!
How could they not be excited?!
[In the upcoming ranking segments, once Ash successfully advances to the Great Ball tier, the livestream will activate Rapid Betting Mode.]
[Before each match, 2–6 lucky viewers will be randomly selected to bet on the battle's outcome. Successful bets will receive livestream rewards.]
It's here.
…
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