"Gengar is unable to battle. The winner is contestant Ash's Gengar!" Lily, acting as the referee, froze for a good while before raising her hand and announcing loudly.
"Heh. If you want to fight me, go back and train for another eight hundred years, kid." Gengar crossed his arms over his chest, a smug smile plastered on his face. Just because he'd been a teacher at the research institute for a long time, did they really think he'd forgotten how to battle? Beating a junior like this was child's play.
Ash shook his head helplessly. "Alright, Gengar, stop showing off. You're two whole ranks higher than him, so winning easily is only natural. If you'd lost, then there'd really be something wrong with you."
Champion Mid versus Elite Four Peak was even more one-sided than a father beating his son. The two sides weren't even on the same level of existence. Unless the opponent had something extraordinary, like his Pikachu, possessing stats that exceeded their current level, or enhancing themselves with special systems like Mega Evolution.
Otherwise, the probability of an Elite Four Peak beating a Champion Mid was zero.
Morty remained silent for a moment, recalled Gengar into its Poké Ball, and looked down at the Poké Ball in his hand, a bitter smile gracing the corner of his lips.
"I understand now why Lord Ho-Oh chose you." He raised his head, and the scrutiny in his eyes as he looked at Ash was completely gone, replaced by a heartfelt recognition. "Your strength is worthy of the title of Rainbow Hero."
"Thanks for the compliment. Now for the final battle. Bring out your last Pokémon, Gym Leader Morty." Ash said to Morty with a smile.
Morty was definitely stronger than Whitney, but in this battle, Ash had also excluded two of his main forces: Venusaur and Gengar. These two Pokémon were top-six material on his team, and using them to battle Morty was enough to show how much he valued Morty. The last person who had made him take things this seriously was named Brandon. However, Morty's strength compared to Brandon's was still far off.
Morty remained silent for a moment, taking a deep breath. Instead of taking another Poké Ball from his waist, he reached into his jacket and pulled out an ancient-looking whistle.
The whistle was a deep, dark gold all over, its surface carved with fine lightning patterns that gleamed with a dim, chilling light under the Gym's illumination. An indescribable ancient aura radiated from the whistle, as if this tiny instrument carried centuries of time within it.
Misty, Serena, and Brock looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion.
'What was this?'
Ash was also taken aback. Before he could ask, Morty brought the whistle to his lips, puffed out his cheeks, and blew hard.
A strange sound wave rippled out from the whistle. The sound wasn't sharp or piercing, but rather carried a distant, ancient rhythm. The sound wave penetrated the walls of the Gym, passed through the vermilion torii gate, traversed the ancient bluestone streets of Ecruteak City, and spread out in all directions.
The entire Gym fell into a brief silence. Lily and the apprentices opened their eyes wide, completely unable to understand what their Gym Leader was doing.
Ten seconds. Just ten seconds later, a crack of thunder exploded outside the Gym. The thunder didn't come from the sky, but from the ground, approaching rapidly from afar at a jaw-dropping speed.
Immediately after, a golden figure, like a lightning bolt slicing through space, leapt through the Gym's main entrance with the momentum of ten thousand thunderbolts and landed firmly in the center of the battlefield.
As the thunderous light dissipated, the true form of the visitor was revealed before everyone.
It was a Pokémon resembling a saber-toothed tiger, a full size larger than typical feline Pokémon. It was covered in thick, golden fur that stood up slightly in the air. Its back was draped in a dark purple mane resembling thunderclouds, the edges of which flickered with tiny electric arcs like a flowing cloak of lightning. Four dark blue rings encircled its ankles, and every step it took on the ground sent out a faint ripple of electromagnetic energy.
Most frightening of all were its eyes. A pair of crimson vertical slits with tempestuous thunderclouds churning deep within the pupils, as if ready to tear any prying gaze to shreds.
A vast pressure poured forth from its body. A pure and overbearing Thunder Aura belonging to one of the Legendary Beasts. The air in the entire Gym seemed to freeze at this moment. The apprentices held their breath, not daring to even breathe loudly.
"Raikou?" Misty exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.
One of the Legendary Beasts, the controller of thunder and lightning, and one of the three emissaries under Ho-Oh. Raikou.
Why was it appearing here? And looking at it, it seemed to have some kind of connection with Morty.
Brock and Serena were equally shocked, their eyes darting back and forth between Raikou and Morty, temporarily speechless.
"This is my third Pokémon." Morty put down the whistle, his voice calm yet carrying an indisputable trace of excitement. "And it's my true trump card for battling you. Raikou."
The entire venue broke into an uproar. The apprentices were all flushed with excitement. They only knew that their Gym Leader was strong, but they had never known that Morty could actually summon one of the Legendary Beasts to fight for him.
Ash looked at the majestic golden thunder tiger, a flash of realization passing through his eyes. He finally understood why Morty had said something like "fifty-fifty," and how Morty knew that Ash had a connection with Ho-Oh.
"Not long ago, Raikou found me." Morty's voice echoed in the silent Gym as he looked at Ash with complex emotions. "He told me that Lord Ho-Oh chose a Rainbow Hero, and that Rainbow Hero was about to arrive at the Ecruteak Gym."
Ash didn't say anything, simply listening quietly.
"He said he would carry out a second trial for that Rainbow Hero." Morty continued. "Because he already knew that Suicune was defeated by your hands."
"Suicune lost?" Lily couldn't help but gasp in shock, and the other apprentices took in sharp breaths as well. One of the Legendary Beasts had actually been defeated by this boy in front of them who wasn't much older than them?
"Yes, Suicune was defeated." Morty nodded, a complex emotion similarly evident in his eyes. "But Raikou believes that battle did not represent Suicune's full capability, because Suicune fought on its own without relying on a Trainer. So this time, he decided to find a Trainer as a temporary partner to increase the difficulty of the trial. And the person he chose was me."
Morty's voice betrayed an excitement that was impossible to conceal. For their family, who had guarded the Bell Tower for generations, becoming a partner to one of the Legendary Beasts, even if only temporarily, was a supreme honor.
"Before you arrived, Raikou was resting near Ecruteak City. He gave me this whistle. As long as I blow it, no matter how far away he is, he will rush over." Morty gripped the dark golden whistle tightly, his gaze fixed straight on Ash. "All to carry out the second trial for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Morty's voice suddenly rose, carrying a trace of unwillingness mixed with relief.
"To be honest, when I learned from Raikou that the Rainbow Hero chosen by Lord Ho-Oh was actually a fifteen-year-old boy who debuted less than a year ago, I couldn't accept it."
His fist clenched tightly, his knuckles turning slightly pale from the pressure.
"Our family has guarded the Bell Tower for generations. Generation after generation, day after day, year after year, waiting for a whole thousand years. Yet Lord Ho-Oh never appeared, never responded to our prayers. Why? Why should a fifteen-year-old boy, an outsider with no connection to the Bell Tower, be chosen by Lord Ho-Oh to become the Rainbow Hero?"
Morty's voice echoed through the Gym, heavy with emotions he had suppressed for a long time. The apprentices fell dead silent, having never seen their Gym Leader lose his composure like this.
"But now, I understand."
Morty took a deep breath, slowly opening his clenched fist. He raised his head, looking at Ash. The resentment and doubt in his eyes had completely faded away, replaced by genuine recognition and even a hint of respect.
"Through those two battles just now, I completely understand. You are worthy of the title of Rainbow Hero. Your talent, your skill, the bond between you and your Pokémon, all of it is enough to prove that Lord Ho-Oh's judgment was not wrong."
He paused, his tone becoming serious.
"Next is the final trial. I will fight you as Raikou's Trainer!"
The entire venue fell into dead silence once more. The apprentices gawked with wide-open mouths, their eyes darting back and forth between their Gym Leader and that majestic golden thunder tiger, too shocked to speak.
Raikou, one of the Legendary Beasts, was actually going to be commanded by their Gym Leader in an official battle against that boy named Ash.
This was just too unreal. Being able to witness a battle of this level today was truly the blessing of three lifetimes.
In the stands, Misty held Togepi tightly, her eyes filled with worry.
"Ash." She whispered softly.
Although she had absolute confidence in Ash, the opponent this time was one of the Legendary Beasts after all. The last time Ash's Pikachu defeated Suicune, it was because Suicune had no Trainer commanding it and relied purely on instinct in battle. But this time was different. Raikou had an Elite Four-level Trainer like Morty as a partner. Its battle power was definitely not something a solitary Suicune could compare to.
Serena also clenched her fists, tension written all over her face. Although she believed in Ash, who could be completely unconcerned when facing a Legendary Pokémon?
"Don't worry." Brock's voice sounded in their ears, carrying a sense of certainty. "The last fight against Suicune was a one-on-one. Even though Pikachu won, it was a very tough battle. But this time, it's three-on-one."
He held up three fingers, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward.
Misty and Serena looked at each other, a hint of relief finally appearing in their eyes. That was true. Ash wasn't fighting alone. It wasn't a one-on-one this time, and they were playing by the rules.
Although Pikachu's condition had been a bit unusual recently and Charizard had been sent back to Charicific Valley, Ash still had Gardevoir in his hand.
Ash would definitely win.
Ash looked straight at the majestic golden thunder tiger, his eyes burning with intense fighting spirit. "Interesting. The second trial? I accept."
He pulled out a Poké Ball and recalled Gengar. "Thanks for your hard work, Gengar. Get a good rest. As for what comes next, leave it to your partner."
Then, he looked down at the small yellow figure by his feet.
"Pikachu, for the final battle, I choose you!"
"Pika pika!"
Pikachu nodded forcefully, golden sparks crackling from the pouches on his cheeks. There was no fear in his eyes, only an eager battle spirit. He was the one who fought Suicune last time, and it was still him this time. If he won this fight, he could practically crown himself with the title of Legendary Slayer.
Ash took off the red-and-white hat on his head, squatted down, and gently placed the hat onto Pikachu's head. The instant the hat settled in place, Pikachu's aura suddenly shifted. Golden electricity surged involuntarily through Pikachu's body, a phenomenon of surging power.
Partner form, activated.
Ash formed a stance in front of his chest. Deep blue Aura light surged out from his body, forming an invisible bridge that merged seamlessly with the Aura inside Pikachu.
Aura fusion, activated.
To deal with Raikou, Ash was going all out this time.
This Raikou's level was already clear the moment it appeared. Champion High. In terms of level, Raikou was equal to Brandon's Regis. However, Pikachu's current strength was far lower than when he'd fought Brandon's Regis.
Because of the third rebirth, Pikachu's level had dropped to Elite Four Low, and only the day before yesterday had he climbed back up to Elite Four Mid. Reaching Elite Four Peak was still far off. Trying to battle Raikou at this level was undoubtedly a pipe dream, even with the addition of partner form. Therefore, Ash decided to unleash his full power.
Although sending Gardevoir out would work too, Pikachu, being a fellow Electric-type Pokémon, undoubtedly wanted to fight this battle. So Ash ultimately let Pikachu take on this final match.
Species: Pikachu (3rd Rebirth) Partner Form
Gender: Male
Type: Electric
Level: Elite Four High (base: Elite Four Mid)
Ability: Static
Held Item: Light Ball
Moves: Thunderbolt, Volt Tackle, Thunder, Electric Terrain...
Stats: Attack SS(S+), Special Attack SS(S+), Defense S(A+), Special Defense S(A+), Stamina S+(S), Speed SS(S+)
Why was Pikachu's evolution ability said to be abnormal? Because his stats could break through the limits achievable by normal Pokémon thanks to evolution. And stacking an abnormal form on top of such abnormal stats made him a monster among monsters.
Double SS in both attack stats, double SS in speed, plus straight S or above in all other stats, combined with the Aura fusion Ash was currently undergoing with Pikachu.
Now, the one who should feel terror ought to be the Raikou on the opposite side.