"Ariados, use Poison Sting on Pikachu! Can Pikachu break free of the web in time?"
"No!"
"Poison Sting hits directly!"
Lee Jordan's voice boomed through the arena, his commentary igniting the crowd's tension. Every spectator's gaze was fixed on the massive screen. Most were cheering for Harry and Pikachu—after all, between the two opponents, the adorable Pikachu was far more lovable than that spider.
"I think he's done for," Igor Karkaroff said slyly, squirming in his seat. "What's that spider called again? A-something-dos? Not bad at all—it could give an Acromantula a run for its money."
"That's Ariados, my good man," said Dumbledore, who might not know every Pokémon by heart, but listened carefully enough to the commentary. He didn't seem the least bit anxious about the battle's outcome—whether Harry or Kelly won, both were Hogwarts students.
Though, truth be told, Harry was far exceeding expectations.
Despite taking a direct hit from Poison Sting, Pikachu wasn't nearly as badly off as Kelly had imagined. Pikachu's level was higher than Ariados's; one attack wouldn't be enough to knock it out.
"Ariados, again—use Poison Sting!"
Kelly commanded once more. The horn on Ariados's head glowed ominously as Pikachu remained trapped in the web, unable to move.
But at times like this, Harry's mind worked faster than ever.He quickly thought of a countermeasure—Bug-types like Ariados feared fire.
With that realization, Harry gripped his wand tightly. Though he couldn't aim it directly at Ariados while bound, he could point it toward the web itself.
"Incendio!"
Flames burst from his wand, racing along the sticky threads. The fire spread rapidly, scorching his own arm—but that pain was nothing compared to facing Voldemort.
The burning web snapped apart, freeing Harry. He immediately raised his wand and sent a blast of magic forward, striking the horn on Ariados's head mid-charge.
It didn't stop Poison Sting, but it did throw the aim slightly off. Thanks to Pikachu's small body, the redirected attack missed entirely—ironically slicing through one of the strands holding Pikachu up instead.
That gave Pikachu just enough freedom to act.
"Pikachu! Use Iron Tail to cut through the rest of the web!"
"Pika!"
With a fierce swing of its gleaming tail, Pikachu slashed the sticky strands apart, breaking free at last.
Harry smiled.Yet at that exact moment, his scar suddenly throbbed in pain when he'd commanded Iron Tail…
(Voldemort: Guess why?)
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Before Kelly could react, both Harry and Pikachu were free.
The pain in Harry's scar vanished as quickly as it came. He didn't dwell on it—now was the time to strike back.
"Quick Attack!"
Electricity crackled around Pikachu as it launched forward like a golden comet, slamming into Ariados's massive body and sending it hurtling through the air.
But the recoil sent Pikachu tumbling backward mid-air.Harry gave it no time to rest. "Now—Thunder Shock!"
"Did you forget about me?" Kelly snapped, thrusting his wand forward. "Stupefy!"
A scarlet beam shot from Kelly's wand, colliding head-on with Pikachu's lightning. The two forces clashed fiercely, locking in midair.
"Pika—!"
Pikachu clenched its teeth, sparks surging. If one looked closely, the lightning was slowly pushing the red beam back.
But then—Ariados vanished.
Neither Harry nor Pikachu noticed what had happened.
The audience, however, saw it clearly.
At that moment, a pair of crimson eyes lit up beneath Pikachu's shadow!
A dark phantom lunged upward—Ghost-type energy striking Pikachu from behind. The blast broke its lightning attack, flinging it helplessly toward Kelly's incoming spell.
"Pikaaa!"
Pikachu cried out in pain, crashing down through the treetops.
"Finish it! Poison Sting!"
Kelly ordered another strike.
"I think that's the end of the match," he said smugly, pretending to sound casual. "A Pokémon like Pikachu can't take that many hits."
He couldn't wait to brag about this—defeating Harry Potter, the famous Boy Who Lived!Once he returned to the Slytherin common room, he'd have all the reason in the world to boast that Harry Potter wasn't all that impressive.
And knowing his Head of House disliked Harry, Kelly was already imagining Snape's praise.Promoted to Prefect—what a wonderful feeling!
But his fantasies shattered with Harry's defiant voice.
"Don't underestimate me—and Pikachu!"
"What?"
Kelly looked down to see Harry's determined eyes locked onto him.Pikachu, battered and bruised, still stood firm, its round eyes burning with resolve.
"Pikachu—Thunder Shock!"
"Pika!"
Electricity surged wildly across Pikachu's body, far stronger than before. Sparks flared so intensely that they formed a shimmering armor of lightning, crackling and radiating outward.
The sheer voltage made Kelly's heart skip a beat. Pikachu no longer looked like a mouse—it looked like an electric hedgehog.
What the—?
Charizard has Blaze, and now Pikachu has… what, "Overcharge"?Kelly stood frozen.Is that thing even legal?
Harry: "Professor gave it to me, don't question it."Charles: "I didn't—wait, I'm not involved!"
In truth, Harry's Pikachu was perfectly legitimate.Charles immediately recognized it—this Pikachu had just learned a new move: Discharge.
Pikachu became a radiant beacon amid the darkness, electricity surging endlessly from its small frame like a living power core.
Then, as the energy peaked, Pikachu leapt forward, charging straight at Ariados and unleashing everything mid-air.
"Pikaaaaa—CHUUUU!"
BOOM!
A blinding golden flash exploded outward, shaking the entire forest.Even Harry and Kelly were nearly caught in the shockwave.
Lightning speared upward through the canopy, illuminating the arena from below.
BOOM!
The aftershocks were halted mid-flight by a protective barrier.Charles had already anticipated the danger and cast a defensive spell in advance.
Even so, many young witches and wizards flinched in fright.
"—Ariados is unable to battle!" Lee Jordan shouted, eyes wide as the smoke cleared. He immediately grabbed Fearow's reins and soared upward, cheering, "Harry Potter wins—woohoo!"
The stands erupted in a sea of red and gold. Gryffindor's cheers drowned everything else, and even Dumbledore rose to his feet, applauding warmly.
Just then, Karkaroff tilted his head slightly, as if hearing something distant. His face darkened.
"Yes… my Lord…"
(End of Chapter)