"Second round, winner Sam!"
Cynthia, acting as the referee, dutifully raised the flag to announce the result.
Ash, who had witnessed the entire sequence with his mouth open, finally found his voice.
"I finally understand why Miss Cynthia was so confident earlier," Ash exclaimed, turning to his friends.
"Darkrai can hide underground and attack from the opponent's own shadow. Plus, that move Dark Void that drags the enemy into a forced sleep... Darkrai's offensive methods are almost impossible to guard against!"
Brock nodded, his arms crossed.
"Ash is right. It's not just the unblockable attacks. When you couple that ability with an experienced trainer like Sam, it's basically a puzzle with no solution."
"Sam will win!" Dawn cheered, holding Piplup tight.
Dawn's unintentional words sent a thrill through Ash and Brock.
Without realizing it, they had already fought two rounds.
And in both rounds, Sam had easily dismantled Red's Tyranitar and Mega Blastoise.
Here, the Kanto champion was falling into a crushing disadvantage.
Is Red... actually going to get shut out?
Ash thought, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.
Will he lose without taking down a single one of Sam's Pokémon?
Red, however, didn't seem shaken. For him, the road to strength was bound to be bumpy.
Occasional failure wasn't unacceptable; what mattered was absorbing the lesson.
"I wasn't familiar with Darkrai's attacks," Red said, replaying the battle in his mind.
"That caused Blastoise to suffer. I forced Darkrai to surface, and then I used Rain Dance. But you didn't counter-attack immediately."
Red looked at Sam with genuine admiration.
"You waited. You waited for Blastoise to commit to a heavy attack, creating a split-second opening where he couldn't dodge. Then you used Dark Void and Dream Eater to end it. I feel like every time I act... you've already calculated the outcome."
"Hehe."
Facing Red's praise, Sam just smiled slightly and recalled Darkrai.
"Shall we continue?" Sam asked calmly.
Red nodded, his eyes burning with renewed fighting spirit.
"Continue!"
"Both sides, get ready!" Cynthia waved the flag.
"Choose your Pokémon for the third round!"
"I'm ready!"
Red gripped a Poké Ball. The fire in his eyes was as intense as the scorching sun.
Sam's gaze shifted to the ball in Red's hand.
He glanced at the battlefield, which was now a muddy pond due to the Hydro Pump and Rain Dance, and then at the sky, where the rain was still falling.
He had a pretty good guess which Pokémon was coming next.
Sam pulled out a Poké Ball and nodded to Cynthia.
"I'm ready too."
"Third Round! Begin!"
"My partner! It's all up to you!"
Red threw his ball with a shout.
Pop!
A flash of red light, and a small yellow mouse landed on the wet field.
Sparks flew from its cheeks.
It was Red's Ace. His Starter.
Pikachu.
Sam analyzed the data instantly.
[Pokémon: Pikachu]
[Type: Electric]
[Level: 70 (Low-Tier Tier 3 Legendary)]
[Ability: Static]
[Potential: Mid-Tier 3 Legendary]
[Condition: Excellent]
[Note: Blessed by the heavens. This Pokémon has broken the racial limits of its species. Its affinity for electric energy is monstrous.]
"Sure enough, it's Pikachu," Sam thought.
It made sense. Red had lost two rounds in a row.
The field was soaked, and it was raining.
The conditions were perfect for 100% accuracy, Thunder, and enhanced conductivity.
Just as Sam was about to release his own Pokémon, he heard a shout from the sidelines.
"Red's Pikachu... It's so strong!"
Ash swallowed hard, his eyes glued to the small yellow figure.
Ash's exclamation wasn't without reason.
Red's Pikachu was small, but the aura it exuded was terrifying.
It had broken the shackles of its race.
Arcs of electricity crackled around it, making the air hum with static.
It looked majestic.
"Pikachu, look at that!" Ash grabbed his own Pikachu and shook him excitedly.
"If we work hard, we can be that strong too! The Lily of the Valley Conference will be a breeze! In the future, you'll definitely reach that height!"
"Pika!" Ash's Pikachu clenched its tiny paw, looking motivated.
"Ash!"
Dawn bonked Ash on the head.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Now is not the time for your motivational speeches!" Dawn scolded angrily.
"Do you realize how loud you were yelling? You interrupted the battle!"
Ash froze. He looked around and realized everyone, including Sam, Red, and Cynthia, was looking at him.
He scratched his head, his face turning red.
"Sorry! I got a little excited! Sorry, sorry!"
Everyone smiled. Knowing Ash's reckless personality, no one took offense.
Cynthia waved the flag again.
"Third round, continue!"
Order was restored. It was Sam's turn.
Sam tossed his Poké Ball into the air.
"Go."
BOOM!
A red light expanded, and a colossal figure slammed onto the battlefield.
It was a giant Dragonite.
But not just any Dragonite. This one stood thirty meters tall.
"ROOOAAAR!!"
The Giant Dragonite threw its head back and roared.
The soundwave alone cleared the rain from the immediate area.
An aura of a Mid-Tier Legendary swept across the field, instantly suppressing the pressure coming from Red's Pikachu.
Everyone present, except Cynthia, who had seen this before, was shocked.
"Is... is that really a Dragonite?!" Brock's jaw dropped.
"It's enormous!"
"It's like a building!" Dawn gasped.
Ash stared up at the towering dragon, his emotions complicated.
A moment ago, he thought Red's Pikachu was the strongest thing he'd ever seen.
But now?
Sam's Giant Dragonite was physically crushing the opponent with sheer momentum.
In contrast to the titan looming over the field, Ash couldn't help but think:
Compared to that monster... Red's Pikachu looks kind of normal.
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