Slaking's species stats and innate abilities were built to surpass even standard Legendary Pokémon. Setting aside any special enhancements, even top-tier Legendaries couldn't quite match Slaking on overall species power. And of all Slaking's stats, its attack stat was the strongest.
At the same level, the number of Pokémon that could go toe-to-toe with a Slaking in a clash of raw strength could be counted on one hand. And now Ash was choosing to have Pikachu meet that head-on. How could he possibly mean that?
Even with Ash boosting Pikachu through Aura fusion, Pikachu's underlying species traits didn't change. To clash directly with Slaking, Pikachu would need to be at Champion Peak at minimum, and even then it wouldn't be a clean match. This came down to the disparity in raw species stats.
Pikachu, charming and beloved as it was, didn't only have a low ceiling. Its species stats were on the weaker side overall. Even if its level was a tier above another Pokémon's, its stats often still wouldn't compare. Even the best-trained Pikachu in the world had a real ceiling. That was why almost no one bothered raising a Pikachu seriously.
Ash's Pikachu was admittedly different, but at the upper bound he could only be a step or two stronger than the typical Pikachu. Going head-on against a Slaking was still a pipe dream.
Just as everyone settled into the expectation of Slaking flattening Pikachu, the unexpected happened.
Pikachu met Slaking's massive foot mid-air, leapt up, and his hardened steel tail came arcing down with a sharp, ringing sound. It slammed into the descending foot.
A deafening explosion rolled across the arena. A visible shockwave ran into the surrounding barrier, sending ripples across it. The image everyone had been bracing for, of Pikachu being crushed and flattened, didn't appear. Instead, the two were locked into a momentary stalemate in mid-air.
Slaking's Giga Impact drop was being held by the steel tail driving up into it. The descent was halted on impact.
The lazy look in Slaking's eyes flicked into sharp focus. It hadn't expected that this seemingly tiny little mouse would be able to outright block its strike. Their raw power shouldn't have been on the same line.
Slaking was attacking from above, with gravity. Pikachu was striking up from below. By every angle, Slaking should have had the complete advantage. Yet here was the result.
In its entire fighting career, Slaking had never experienced a clash of strength quite like this. Not even at the same level. The species power tilt should have made this impossible. And no, it wasn't an even match. Slaking could feel the tail force pressing into its foot continuing to grow stronger.
Pikachu didn't give Slaking the time to react. The power packed into his tail surged, the silver light intensified, and with one heave he lifted the towering Slaking's muscular body forward and flung it upward and outward.
Another deafening crash rolled out. Slaking's massive figure, like a leaf caught in a hurricane, lost all control and hurtled backward in a long arc, only a brown blur visible through the air. It crashed into the upper boundary of the barrier with another thunderous detonation.
Its body bounced off the barrier with a heavy thud and slammed into the ground, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. Limbs splayed. None of the menacing presence left.
In the middle of the field, only Pikachu remained, paws planted, the cap still neatly on his head.
The arena fell into stunned silence.
Max's mouth hung open, his eyes wide. The shock from earlier returned, even sharper this time than when he'd watched Blissey go down in a single blow. He muttered to himself.
"How. How did Dad's Slaking. Why did he lose a clash of strength to a Pikachu?"
Slaking was his father's ace. Slaking's combat ability had made even the bystanders feel that even if Hoenn's Champion himself came, he might still not be a match for it. If it weren't for Slaking's chronic laziness, his father would already have been Hoenn's number one Trainer.
Yet such a powerful Slaking, in a clash of strength, had just been overpowered by a Pikachu. And not even with Pikachu's signature Electric move either. With Iron Tail. That wasn't a STAB move for Pikachu.
Giga Impact, on the other hand, was a Normal-type move, perfectly aligned with Slaking. By tier, Slaking had the advantage. By move power, Giga Impact was stronger than Iron Tail by a wide margin. And Slaking's species attack stat was orders of magnitude above Pikachu's.
By every angle, Pikachu shouldn't have lost the clash, much less won it outright. Why?
Even the usually composed May was stunned, her red lips slightly parted. She understood her father's strength better than anyone. Max's adoration was the blind kind. May knew her father's real ceiling, and especially that Slaking, which could realistically hold its own against an undefeated ace and not necessarily come up short.
Don't underestimate Slaking just because it sat at Champion Mid. Its species power was extraordinary, and under her father's training, it had overcome many of the weaknesses other Trainers couldn't manage. Her father's Slaking was, without exaggeration, the strongest Slaking in the world. And what was she watching now?
An incomparably powerful Slaking, never beaten in a head-on test of strength before today, losing exactly that kind of test to a Pikachu. The joke wasn't funny in the slightest.
Misty and Brock were a little surprised, but they also felt the result was reasonable. If it had been any other Pikachu, this kind of thing happening would have been beyond explanation, barring a miracle. But if it was Ash's Pikachu, then a result like this didn't even feel impossible.
Serena didn't know that much about Pokémon, but her trust in Ash and Pikachu was absolute. She always felt that if it was the two of them, they wouldn't lose.
The children around them broke into a wave of shocked cries because the Pikachu had just sent Slaking flying.
On the field, Norman's composure flickered slightly. A moment ago he'd thought that Ash letting Pikachu clash with Slaking was Ash asking for trouble. As it turned out, the clown was him.
Ash hadn't blindly let Pikachu meet Slaking head-on. He'd had absolute confidence Pikachu wouldn't lose, and that was why he'd made the call. Norman, working from common sense and underestimating Pikachu, had ended up handing Slaking a serious blow in the very first clash.
He'd known all along that Ash was a powerful Trainer. How could a Trainer like that have made such a basic miscalculation? Norman should have known the answer. The most important factor was that Pikachu was deeply abnormal.
No matter how wild Norman's speculation got, he hadn't been able to imagine that Pikachu could overpower Slaking in a clash of pure strength.
"Slaking, don't panic. Pull back and regroup first."
Slaking's restriction was that after using a move, it couldn't immediately use another. Truant. Even Norman's deeply trained Slaking still had to live with that. So Norman shifted to defense, waiting for the opponent to come to them.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
Slaking couldn't use a move right now. Couldn't even start one. This was the best window to press.
At Ash's command, Pikachu's tail behind him lit up with a metallic sheen. A heartbeat later, his body shot forward like lightning and appeared in front of Slaking.
Norman didn't flinch. He calmly gave his next order, sending Slaking directly into the path of the incoming steel tail.
Ash's expression stiffened.
Logically, Slaking shouldn't be able to take another action right after using a move. That was the entire reason such a powerful species was rarely trained in the first place. Its pure species power was monstrous. Without Truant, even a pseudo-legendary would have to step aside. But going by Norman's tone just now, Norman's Slaking could still move after using a move?
A heavy crack rang out across the arena, shaking the entire field. Slaking's broad arms crossed in front of its chest, and the guard caught Pikachu's strongest attack cleanly.
The ground beneath them showed spider-web cracks from the force of the strike. Slaking's arms carried visible wounds where the steel tail had bitten in, but the damage wasn't significant. From the Aura reading off Slaking, it hadn't blocked Pikachu's hit on muscle alone. There was a layer of channeled energy reinforcing its arms. In effect, this Slaking could still take a defensive action even after burning its move slot.
"That's impressive, Mr. Norman. Training Slaking to this level is something else."
"I'm the one who should be saying that, Ash. Raising a Pikachu to this level, your Supernova title really is well-earned."
After a round of mutual respect, both Trainers gave their commands almost simultaneously.
"Pikachu, Zippy Zap!"
"Slaking, charge!"
Given Slaking's huge frame, charging at this distance was almost a guaranteed hit. But the instant Slaking pushed off in its leaping stance with both arms ready to break Pikachu's defense, Pikachu vanished from his spot in mid-air.
The only trace was a streak of golden electric arc cutting through the air. Before Slaking could react, a sharp pain bit into its side. Pikachu's small body had already collided with its hip. The immense kinetic force flung Slaking out, its massive body bouncing across the ground like a ball before slamming into the boundary barrier with a dull thud.
Norman's eyes locked onto the barrier, his mouth slightly open, but he said nothing.
Fast. Too fast.
Ash's Pikachu didn't only have absurd power. Its speed was on another level entirely. Don't be fooled by Slaking's bulky frame. Its actual movement was quick. Slaking belonged to the Normal type, and Normal-types were known for solid agility on top of all-around stats. Slaking had no shortage of either. Yet Pikachu's speed had outclassed Slaking's by a clear margin.
That so-called Zippy Zap was probably one of partner-form Pikachu's signature exclusives. Norman had heard the rumors. Seeing it in person felt unreal. A Pikachu with its own unique moves. Truly something else.
After three exchanges, Slaking was already on the back foot. If Norman didn't find a way to turn the tide, this Gym battle was effectively over.
"Pikachu, don't give him room to breathe. Thunderbolt!"
While Norman was running through possible plays in his head, Pikachu's attacks were rolling forward one after another. This was a Pokémon battle, not a friendly spar. Ash certainly wasn't going to wait out Slaking's recovery and let Slaking come back in. That would be asking for trouble.
With Slaking still locked up in its post-move window and unable to use a move, the right call was to layer in another injury. Thunderbolt straight into the spot it stood. Land it, and the match was essentially won.
A bolt of yellow lightning ripped down out of the air. Slaking, looking massive and immovable a moment ago, suddenly pushed off the ground with its hind legs and slid sideways out of the strike's path, smooth as an arrow off a bow. The movement was wholly out of step with its usual lazy bearing.
Clearly, under Norman's training, this Slaking had long since overcome the lethargy that normally pinned the species to the ground. It still couldn't string moves together back-to-back, but routine movement and positioning weren't blocked. At minimum it wasn't going to stand there as a target.
The dazzling Thunderbolt slammed into the spot Slaking had just vacated, blowing a deep, blackened crater into the ground. The crackling arc spread across the dirt, kicking up plumes of black smoke, displaying the terrifying force of a Thunderbolt at this output level.
"Slaking, now! Self Destruct!"
Self Destruct. A move that unleashes the user's full power by sacrificing its own HP and energy to deliver an impact far exceeding the user's normal output. Combined with Slaking's already terrifying attack stat, if it landed on Pikachu, the tide of this match could flip outright. This wasn't only a desperate gamble. It might be the move that decided the battle.
"Self Destruct? All right, Pikachu, 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt!"
Faced with Norman's all-in play, Ash didn't have Pikachu try to dodge. He intended this strike to settle the match too.
10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt was a finisher with raw output similar to Self Destruct. Like Self Destruct, it also carried backlash on the user. Whoever could overpower the other in this single clash, factoring in the recoil, would decide the battle.
Slaking was thick-skinned and built like a wall, and it had soaked plenty of Pikachu's strikes already. Pikachu was the opposite, sky-high offense paired with paper-thin defense. So whoever came out on top of this one exchange would also win the match.