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After Blaine recalled Ninetales, he didn't use Ninetales for his next battle. Instead, he brought out his second Pokémon, Arcanine.
Arcanine are extremely rare in the wild, and within the League, Growlithe and Arcanine are mostly assigned to security personnel. They are even rarer Pokémon than the Starter Pokémon.
Furthermore, the cost of raising an Arcanine is extremely high. Growlithe requires a Fire Stone to evolve, and the quality of the Fire Stone determines the improvements after evolution, as well as whether there's a possibility of increasing its ability limit.
To raise a top-tier Arcanine, the expense is much higher than for ordinary Pokémon.
However, as the saying goes, high input, high return. While Arcanine consumes a lot, its rewards are also significant. It only needs one Fire Stone to evolve directly, without the arduous training required by other Pokémon.
Moreover, the extent to which its stats can increase after evolution also depends on the Fire Stone. Most importantly, its single evolution can be equivalent to two evolutions of the Starter Pokémon, making it a rare and highly sought-after Pokémon.
It's not surprising for an Elite Trainer like Blaine to own an Arcanine. However, Blaine's Arcanine is at the Elite Four Class!
This level already surpasses what Gardevoir can handle right now.
Don't be fooled by Gardevoir's ability to suppress Ninetales head-on. That was because Blaine mistakenly had Ninetales use Extrasensory to resist Gardevoir's Psychic. If Ninetales had used its native Fire-type moves, with the added effects of Flash Fire and the terrain, Psychic would likely have been completely burned away.
Intangible forces can still be resisted by tangible forces; otherwise, wouldn't Psychic-types be invincible?
Blaine simply believed that Ninetales' Elite Middle-level power was enough to use non-native moves to break through Gardevoir's attacks, which is why he was overconfident and used Extrasensory.
If it had used Fire-type moves, Gardevoir would have found it difficult to break through the opponent's moves with its Psychic, just as it did initially against the Inferno.
Now that an Elite Four Class Arcanine has been sent out, it's even harder to fight... "Gardevoir, come back first!" Ash chose to recall Gardevoir.
If you continue to clash head-on with an irresistible enemy, that's pure recklessness.
There's no need to let Gardevoir waste its stamina here for free against Arcanine. MEGA Evolution and Aura Fusion have a similar effect: all aspects of power increase, but stamina does not.
Therefore, Gardevoir is also very afraid of prolonged battles. With no increase in stamina but an increase in power, each move used becomes a significant burden for Gardevoir, whose stamina remains unchanged.
After recalling Gardevoir, Ash squatted down and placed his hat over the Pikachu at his feet: "It's up to you next, Pikachu."
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu nodded, then leaped from Ash's feet onto the field. However, as soon as he reached the field, he frantically crossed his feet back and forth, making excited noises.
Because the field was simply too hot!
It was much hotter than where he had been standing just now. After all, this was directly above a volcano; standing on it was like entering a steamer.
After a long while, Pikachu finally adapted to the temperature of the field and stood steadily... Ash switched to Pikachu. Is he using his ace so quickly?" Gary was also a bit confused when he saw Pikachu enter the field. If Pikachu is on the field now, what will Ash use later? Does he have any Pokémon stronger than Pikachu?
"Didn't you hear Ash say earlier? This three-on-three battle includes him. So, the one closing the show must be Ash," Misty said matter-of-factly.
However, this single sentence made Gary's expression turn as if he had seen a ghost.
"No, is he serious? Was that really not a joke? I know he has some special abilities, but to clash head-on with an Elite-level Pokémon? He must be kidding!"
When Ash said he was going to fight, Gary was listening nearby, but Gary didn't take Ash's words seriously. After all, fighting an Elite-level Pokémon with one's bare body, no matter how you think about it, just doesn't make sense!
No matter how strong a human is, being able to wrestle with a regular Pokémon is already absurd. Fighting an Elite-level Pokémon? What kind of thing is that!
Brock shook his head, his eyes under his squinted lids filled with pity as he looked at Gary: "Gary, you still haven't seen enough of the world; your thinking is a bit too naive. Only when you've seen the vastness of the world can you truly grow into a Trainer who can stand on his own!"
"Jiaoji Dui~" Togepi in Misty's arms also spoke up, making its presence known.
Gary: ...Do you even hear what nonsense you're saying?
Is my thinking too naive? This is what you call normal human thinking, okay! The mindset that a human can fight an Elite Pokémon is what you call having a problem with your brain!
However, since Misty and Brock both said so, Gary couldn't help but feel a little anticipation.
Could it be... is Ash really that strong? Is he really the strongest combat force in the team, as he said?
...In the battle arena, Blaine's expression also became slightly serious when he saw Pikachu enter the field.
Ash's Pikachu was a key subject of his observation in the video recordings. However, no matter how many times he repeatedly analyzed the footage of Pikachu battling Arbok, he couldn't figure out what moves Pikachu had used.
What was certain was that all the moves Pikachu used were currently undiscovered moves.
Two Electric-type moves, one fast and one powerful; one move seemed to be a Flying-type move that allowed Pikachu to briefly float and fly in the air. These three moves were what made this Pikachu most unique.
As for its strength... "Hmm? Gym Level????"
Blaine's eyes behind his sunglasses almost popped out when he clearly saw the level displayed by his opponent!
Is this level too low? No, it's too high!
Before, when he watched Pikachu battle Arbok, its level was only around Professional Initial to Professional Middle. How did it jump directly to Gym Level now?!
Wait, no, this level isn't Gym, it's Professional Peak, but its Aura is in no way weaker than a Gym Level.
This is also absurd! How long has it been since then? How can a mere Pikachu's level increase so quickly!
It's extremely difficult to advance even one level within the Professional Level. Now, only a month has passed, and Pikachu has already reached the peak of the Professional Level. It probably won't take long for him to reach the Gym Level.
Is this still Pikachu? Is it not a Legendary Pokémon species?
However, what Blaine didn't know was that Pikachu had already reached Professional Peak half a month ago.
He had been stuck at Professional Peak for a full half-month. For other Pokémon, it's normal not to break through from Professional Peak to Gym Level in half a month, but for Pikachu, it was very abnormal.
Compared to his previous speed, Pikachu's current rate of improvement was like a snail's crawl. Ash also felt that Pikachu must have encountered a bottleneck. For some time, he and Pikachu had tried various methods to break through the bottleneck, but all were in vain.
Now, they could try. If they defeated this Elite Four Class Arcanine, could it break through Pikachu's current bottleneck!
"Let's begin, Blaine, Round Two!" Ash said as his Aura fused into Pikachu's body. Pikachu's body instantly vibrated with circles of Aura shockwaves, and Arcanine's fur was blown back.
Compared to Gardevoir earlier, Pikachu's body was much smaller, but the Aura he unleashed was even stronger than Gardevoir's!
"Indeed, very strong, but still a bit inferior compared to my Arcanine." Blaine was shocked by the Aura emanating from Pikachu, but he was very confident in his Arcanine.
Even if Pikachu relied on Ash's power to boost his strength to Elite level, judging from his Aura, he was probably somewhere between Elite Initial and Middle, not exceeding Middle.
This level of power against Arcanine would be easily defeated, as long as they were careful of Pikachu's special moves.
"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!" Arcanine's paws hit the ground, and he instantly vanished from his spot!
Extreme Speed is a move faster than Quick Attack, and coupled with Arcanine's own extraordinary speed, Arcanine's shadow couldn't even be seen on the field.
"Pikachu!" Ash didn't give a command, merely shouted Pikachu's name, but Pikachu instantly understood and leaped into the air.
The next moment, Arcanine's figure appeared below Pikachu and charged out extremely quickly, stirring up terrifying shockwaves.
The sheer impact force from the speed alone was enough to make the shockwaves materialize and strike the inner walls of the volcano, directly shattering them. If hit directly, even with Pikachu's current strength, he would likely lose half his life.
"soaring surf!" Ash's voice rang out again.
Pikachu in the air unleashed the power within him without hesitation, and a towering tidal wave suddenly formed in the sky!
To be able to create this level of Water-type attack in a place without water, one might mistakenly think Pikachu was a Water-type Pokémon.
The giant wave almost covered the entire field. Although Arcanine's figure couldn't be seen with the naked eye, as long as the entire field was covered, Arcanine would have nowhere to hide!
"What is this?! How can Pikachu use Surf?! Arcanine, Flamethrower!" Blaine didn't even have time to be shocked; instead, he immediately commanded Arcanine to use Flamethrower to resist.
Above a volcano, with abundant fire elements, to be able to unleash such a powerful Water-type move, and the user being a Pikachu at that—Blaine truly couldn't wrap his head around such a situation!
Besides the three moves revealed during the battle against Koga, this Pikachu actually had hidden moves. Is he cheating or something?!
The towering tidal wave covered the area below from the sky. Arcanine slammed on the brakes, letting out a screeching sound, then opened its massive maw and fiercely spewed out a stream of flames.
"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!"
The scorching flames struck the tidal wave, causing a large amount of steam to evaporate, and the field was instantly covered by a Mist.
But soon, Arcanine's wails came from within the Mist.
Between a hastily used Fire-type move and a pre-prepared Water-type move, the stronger and weaker side was naturally self-evident.
Although the fire elements here were dense, which would reduce the power of Water-type moves, water still ultimately countered fire. Furthermore, Pikachu's attack power also far exceeded his own level, because he had a Light Ball!
"Floating Drop." Within the Mist, Blaine found it difficult to locate Pikachu's figure, but under the influence of Aura, Arcanine's figure had nowhere to hide.
As Ash's command fell, Pikachu had already descended from the sky, slamming onto the just-standing Arcanine. Arcanine wailed again, being blasted out of the Mist!
"Arcanine, stabilize yourself, regroup, and cover yourself with Fire Spin!" Blaine finally understood why Koga's Arbok was beaten like a dog.
This special ability was truly incredibly tricky; not only could it predict Extreme Speed, but it could also accurately locate the opponent in a field with obscured vision. Pure cheating!
However, if Arcanine used Fire Spin to wrap himself in defense, that could temporarily halt the opponent's offensive, allowing Arcanine to regain his footing slightly before counterattacking.
"Roar!"
Arcanine, who had just managed to get back on his feet, immediately let out an angry roar, and then heavy flames instantly enveloped him, forming a fiery protective shield.
He desperately needed to catch his breath. Although Pikachu's Floating Drop didn't cause particularly high damage due to Intimidate, the special intimidation carried by Floating Drop made it almost impossible for him to unleash moves.
This Fire Spin was barely released by him, desperately squeezing his power. Now, he truly had no way to release any more moves; he absolutely needed to catch his breath.
"soaring surf!"
Ash had no intention of letting his opponent rest; striking when your enemy is down is the best strategy.
Pikachu leaped again, and a tidal wave formed from beneath his feet, surging towards Arcanine!
The Mist on the field was instantly dispersed by the waves of the tidal surge. Pikachu, wearing his red and white hat, rode the wave, full of spirit, even with an excited smile on his face.
In the blink of an eye, the tidal wave reached the Fire Spin and directly covered it. The barely used Fire Spin clashed with the tidal wave, emitting a harsh sound.
The tidal wave was being evaporated, but the flames were consumed even more rapidly.
Soon, the fiery barrier was broken by the tidal wave, and it was only then that Blaine's voice came belatedly: "Arcanine, use Extreme Speed!"
Arcanine received the command and tried to move his four limbs to accelerate and dodge, but the side effects of having just endured the flinching effect of Floating Drop to use Fire Spin had not yet dissipated. Now, he was unable to use Extreme Speed again!
So, in Arcanine's wide eyes, the tidal wave completely engulfed him!
"Boom!!"
A deafening sound echoed in the battle arena. The remaining water flowed into the lava below, while Pikachu gracefully performed several flips in the air, landing back in front of Ash at the battle arena position.
Gary, who was watching Pikachu battle live for the first time, was completely stunned.
This... is this Pikachu?! What the heck is this Pika-thing?!