In the Black World —
The smile on Ash's face slowly faded.
In its place appeared an incomparably solemn expression.
The Elite Four truly lived up to their reputation.
Although he had paid a heavy price, he had almost completely forced out all of his opponent's hidden cards.
Sure enough—against a true master, tricks like this could only be used once at most.
And Lorelei would definitely inform the other Elite Four and Champions about his abilities afterward.
Surprising them again in the future would be far more difficult.
Of course, Ash was never someone who relied on tricks alone to achieve victory.
"This match isn't over yet, Elite Four Lorelei.You don't really think I'd reveal everything during the battle, do you?"
Ash pressed down the brim of his hat, a smile returning to his face.
Battle was about smiling.
Weather Reversal
"Pikachu—use Thunder! Clear the weather!!"
Lorelei: ?
What… was that supposed to mean?
Since fighting Ash, nearly every command he gave shattered Lorelei's understanding of battle.
Ash wasn't a conventional Trainer.
His sudden inspirations were terrifying.
Just like now—
"Pika—CHU!!"
Golden lightning surged into the sky.
Thunder tore through the heavens!
The rolling clouds above were instantly dispersed, blown apart by the overwhelming electrical force.
The hailstorm on the battlefield dissipated completely.
At the same time, Jynx lost both Hail support and her Reflect barrier.
Coupled with the earlier heavy electrical damage, she was now at a total disadvantage.
Lorelei adjusted her posture, the sunlight reflecting sharply off her glasses.
"Jynx—Psychic!"
Close-Quarters Clash
Pikachu vanished in a flash of Quick Attack, slipping free from Psychic's lock.
His tail glowed with a metallic sheen.
Iron Tail.
A blur of yellow crossed the field.
Leap—spin—downward strike!
"Teleport."
Lorelei's calm, icy voice rang out.
Jynx's eyes flashed.
In an instant, Pikachu and Jynx swapped positions.
Pikachu smashed straight into the arena floor.
BOOM!
The stadium shook violently, as if struck by a falling meteor.
The audience froze in shock.
Was that… an earthquake?!
Even Lorelei felt cold sweat form on her brow.
Confidence was confidence—but she was thankful that attack hadn't landed directly.
"Psychic—grab him!"
Jynx extended her hands.
Pikachu, momentarily embedded in the crater from his own momentum, was finally caught.
"Good. Slam him!"
Pikachu was violently tossed back and forth in the air.
Ash felt his stomach churn just watching it.
…That was disgusting.
Then—
Jynx hurled Pikachu downward like a meteor.
CRASH!
Ash groaned, his knees bending slightly.
Lorelei frowned.
Something felt off.
"Jynx—use Ice Shard."
She needed confirmation.
Dozens of ice shards formed and fired in rapid succession.
Each one struck Pikachu squarely.
Ash staggered back several steps, damage feedback forcing a sharp gasp from his lips.
"Ash… you—"
"Elite Four Lorelei… don't worry about me.This battle isn't over yet."
The pain was worse than when Giovanni's Beedrill had wounded him.
It hurt.
But he could endure.
"Pika… CHU!!"
Pikachu stood again, electricity erupting violently around him.
Lorelei's expression hardened.
This was the decisive exchange.
"Jynx—Ice Beam!"
"Pikachu—Thunderbolt!!"
Ash shouted this time.
Golden lightning split the sky.
An icy-blue beam froze the air itself.
The collision unleashed a catastrophic shockwave.
The stadium was engulfed in roaring wind.
For the first time, the audience felt genuine fear—
This wasn't just a battle.
It felt life-threatening.
And yet, no one ran.
Such a battle might only be seen once in a century.
The Limit
The explosion thundered across the arena.
Smoke filled the field.
Ash and Lorelei both raised their arms to shield their faces.
When the smoke cleared—
Pikachu and Jynx still stood.
Pikachu bore no visible wounds, but Ash could feel it clearly.
That Thunderbolt had drained more than half of Pikachu's remaining stamina.
The battle was unresolved.
But Pikachu was already at his limit.
Aura Fusion allowed an Elite-level Pokémon to temporarily reach Champion-tier power.
But the backlash was severe.
Damage sharing was only part of it.
The real cost was stamina.
Borrowing Champion-level power with an Elite Four body had limits.
One more Thunderbolt.
That was the gamble.
Match Halted
"That's enough. This match ends here."
Lance stepped forward.
Ash froze.
"Why?! It's not over yet!"
Lorelei recalled Jynx and smiled faintly.
"If we continue, this arena won't survive.One-on-one battles are boring anyway."
She turned, heels clicking against the floor.
"You know the Silver Conference, Ash.Win it—and you earn the right to challenge the Elite Four."
"Johto and Kanto share borders.The Silver Conference Champion may challenge Kanto's Elite Four as well."
"I'll be waiting—for a six-on-six."
And with that, she left.
Aftermath
The blue Aura around Ash faded.
Pikachu collapsed.
Ash caught him instantly.
"Pikachu… you okay?"
"Pika…"
"We would've lost eventually, huh…Guess I really did pick up another life."
Ash looked toward Lorelei's departing figure.
"Next time… six versus six.We'll win."
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