If given a choice between the two, he would certainly choose the stronger side.
This is how Ash Ketchum operates and what he is accustomed to.
"Zera!"
Having his thoughts uncovered by Ash, Zeraora tilted its head 45° toward the sky.
However, Diya, who knew Zeraora well, understood that this was a disguised form of acknowledgment.
Diya looked at Natsuhiko, who had been calm and composed from start to finish, and expressed curiosity about his strength.
"Mr. Natsuhiko, please battle with me!" Ash insisted.
"Pika Pika!"
Pikachu was equally eager for battle.
Natsuhiko couldn't help but chuckle and pressed down on his hat with a laugh.
"It's not impossible."
He slowly stood up and brushed off the dust on his pants.
Looking towards Ash, he cheerfully said, "If you lose, don't cry."
"Definitely not!"
Very soon.
The place, which was just a ruin, quickly found an open space.
Natsuhiko and Ash stood on opposite sides, while Diya and Zeraora stood in the middle, temporarily acting as referees.
"Go, Pikachu!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu ran from Ash's shoulder to the front, slightly bending its limbs, with electric arcs jumping on the red sacs on its face.
Seeing Ash's serious demeanor, Natsuhiko also put away his joking manner.
He threw out a Pokeball.
In the red light.
"Kuro!"
The flame-like hair swayed freely in the wind.
The dark red fur seemed to contain surging fire energy.
"Infernape!"
Seeing the Pokémon Natsuhiko summoned, Ash immediately called out its name.
Because Ash also once had an Infernape.
Just because of the "Super True Newbie" "rules," he had to start over in every new place.
So now Infernape is left at Professor Oak's lab, gathering dust.
Ash thought Natsuhiko would send out Beedrill.
Send out Beedrill?
Natsuhiko thought even if he wanted to bully, he couldn't bully like this.
Ash's Pikachu, without exploding, has approximately Gym Leader level strength under normal circumstances. Sending out an Elite Candidate level Pokémon would be too much bullying.
Initially, he thought of sending Eevee.
But considering respect, he sent out Infernape instead.
Ash couldn't see it, but Diya and Zeraora beside him saw Infernape's excellence.
This was evident from Zeraora's body suddenly tensing up almost instantly.
This Infernape is definitely not simple.
"Ash! Focus! I told you not to treat it like child's play!" Diya couldn't help but remind.
"I understand!"
His attitude towards the battle was still quite good, putting away a hint of disappointment, he took the lead to command:
"Pikachu, use Electric Flash!"
They saw Pikachu's limbs move, body wrapped in white light, instantly leap out.
The speed advantage was impressive, rapidly closing in on Infernape.
But...
Playing close combat with Infernape?
Natsuhiko helplessly twitched the corner of his mouth.
"Clap Attack."
Smack——!!
Just a crisp sound could be heard.
Infernape's figure appeared to the side of Pikachu, a palm struck in the air, but the sound spread instantly.
And Pikachu, who was running rapidly, immediately froze on the spot.
"Enhanced Fist."
Infernape used its left foot as a pivot, right hand clenched tightly, performing a pivot punch that sent Pikachu flying.
Boom!!
Fortunately, the power of "Enhanced Fist" wasn't very strong, Pikachu shook its head and returned to normal.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
"Close Combat."
Pikachu leaped, its tail emitting a metallic sheen, carrying the inertia of its descent from top to bottom.
Infernape, without flinching, punched to intercept.
Clang——!!
The metallic sound spread.
The initial collision was evenly matched.
However, "Close Combat" is more than just one punch.
Infernape's eyes flashed with fire, punching, like raindrops, all landing on Pikachu's small body.
Once again knocked into the air.
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted excitedly.
The landed Pikachu clearly suffered significant damage.
But in Ash's shouting, it still stood up.
"Good! Don't give up, Pikachu use Power Grid!"
"Pika!!"
Pikachu gritted its teeth, gathered all its electricity on its tail, and a giant web of electricity formed instantly.
"Hmm?" Natsuhiko raised his head, somewhat surprised.
Infernape too.
Surprise flashed through the eyes of Diya and Zeraora beside them as well.
Just in that moment, if they didn't feel wrong, Pikachu's strength increased?
The most evident was the fluctuation of energy.
Natsuhiko twitched the corner of his mouth.
Is this the Pikagod?
It fluctuates with Master Ash's emotional swings?
However, this change wasn't very significant.
Seizing Natsuhiko and Infernape's brief astonishment, the Power Grid enveloped Infernape.
"Great opportunity! Pikachu, 100,000 Volts!"
"Flame Fist."
Infernape and Natsuhiko reacted simultaneously.
The flames emerging from its clenched fist broke through the web instantly.
At the same time, Infernape's fist met Pikachu's "100,000 Volts" head-on.
Amidst the roar.
Infernape's eyes blazed with fire, another hand also ignited in flames.
Moreover, these flames seemed to possess extremely strong cohesiveness, enduring the baptism of thunder, without any sign of extinguishing.
Confronting Pikachu's "100,000 Volts," it forcibly smashed through.
Flare——!
In the very last moment.
The flame on the fist dissipated.
Infernape's fist was only two to three centimeters away from Pikachu's soft face.
However, the fist never fell.
Infernape nodded at Pikachu, and retreated slowly.
Thus ending the battle.
"Pika..."
Pikachu let out a big sigh.
"So strong..." Ash couldn't help but murmur again.
——————
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