As the world questioned what they had just witnessed,
Professor Oak finally spoke up.
[Professor Oak]: This is only my theory, but… Ash and Pikachu may possess a special ability.
When their hearts synchronize, they can unleash power far beyond their usual limits.
You could call it… an Awakening.
[Professor Oak]: Think back to the very first footage the Heavenly Tally showed us.
The world remembered instantly.
In the first video, Pikachu's electricity could barely handle a single Spearow.
But afterward—
even though it borrowed the power of the storm—
The fact that it could withstand such divine lightning already proved how unusual it was.
Originally, the Champions and Elite Four believed that the event was a miracle of coincidence.
But now…
It seemed far more likely that it was an inevitable result
of Ash and Pikachu's hearts resonating.
This…It
was the power of Ash and Pikachu.
[Professor Oak]: Surely all of you have experienced this, yes?
When you give your all for your Pokémon—
In a crucial moment, your Pokémon respond with power beyond their limits.
[Professor Oak]: Ash and Pikachu simply share a bond…
stronger by a few billion times.
Uh… Professor Oak…
That "billion" wasn't a typo, right?
Honestly… it wasn't.
Many trainers had experienced temporary surges of power with their Pokémon—
But those were within reasonable limits.
A Pokémon with power level "1" might awaken to "1.3" or even "1.5" for a moment.
That was already considered incredible.
But the Pikachu in the footage?
Its power had increased threefold, fivefold—
maybe more—
within a matter of minutes.
This wasn't a normal awakening.
This was something else entirely.
[Lance]: Brandon, you're blameless! Losing to a cheat code doesn't count!
[Diantha]: Agreed. Sometimes it's not that our side is weak—
It's that the enemy brought a whole cheat engine.
[Leon]: I disagree. Pikachu only surpassed Regice in the final instant.
Before that, Regice was stronger.
And Ash's commands were excellent—
almost unrecognizable from how he acted in the first video.
His growth in such a short time is astonishing.
Leon didn't like how everyone belittled Ash and Pikachu's effort.
Yes, Pikachu's power surged unnaturally—but…
Their tactic, their bond, their trust—
That was real.
And syncing with a Pokémon to such a degree—
That was Ash's own strength.
[Brandon]: Enough, enough. Stop poking fun.
They're teasing me—
You're the only one who didn't notice, Leon.
Leon blinked.
He glanced at the other Champions—
And saw Cynthia, Diantha, Steven, and even Alder
all covering their mouths trying not to laugh.
Yes… They were definitely teasing Brandon.
Leon was simply too sincere to realize it.
Viridian Gym
Giovanni stared at the screen, expression unreadable.
Pikachu…
had defeated a Titan of Ice.
In a single blow.
He slowly lifted a Poké Ball.
Few people knew his ace wasn't Persian—
but a Beedrill,
terrifyingly powerful.
A simple Pokémon—
yet monstrously strong.
And that boy in the footage…
in some ways felt similar to him—
And in other ways, opposite.
Because Giovanni was Team Rocket's leader.
To him, most Pokémon were tools.
He had planned to leave Viridian Gym today.
But the Heavenly Tally made him stay.
And in staying—
He saw something exciting.
"A mortal… standing equal to gods?"
"My Beedrill…"
His ironclad obsession with Mewtwo
shook for the first time.
"…Enough for now. I'll return to headquarters first."
Faraway Island (Purity Canyon)
On a remote cliff where no humans lived,
yet even here the Heavenly Tally screen appeared—
A humanoid cat-like figure stood silently watching.
Silver fur.
Violet tail.
If Giovanni were here, he would recognize it instantly—
Mewtwo.
Its expression was complicated.
Not long ago, Mewtwo had rebelled—
declaring it would surpass humans
and become the greatest Pokémon Trainer.
But a certain reckless boy…
smashed that dream—
Ash.
After that battle, Mewtwo erased Ash's memories
and fled with the cloned Pokémon to this secluded island.
It had believed it would never see Ash again.
But now…
This strange broadcast showed him clearly.
This Ash—
more mature, more seasoned—
whose Pikachu could now stand against gods.
'Ash… you will become the greatest Trainer.'
Even Mewtwo—aloof, proud Mewtwo—
had recognized him.
Because Ash had shown him
the true possibility
of the bond between Pokémon and humans.
Veilstone City
"He… he actually won…"
Reggie stood up abruptly,
staring blankly at the victorious Pikachu.
A boy barely ten—
defeated Brandon's Regice with a Pikachu.
Reggie, who once failed as a Trainer,
couldn't help but feel both crushed
and deeply moved.
His younger brother—Paul—
stood behind him, eyes locked on the screen.
He had witnessed it.
Ash had defeated the trainerthat
even his brother couldn't overcome.
One day…
Paul would defeat Brandon—
and defeat Ash as well.
The Results
The battle footage ended.
On the massive screen, text appeared:
[Pikachu vs. Regice — Winner: Pikachu]
[All who bet on Regice lose their points]
In an instant,
99% of the world
turned pale.
Oh no…
They bet on Regice.
And they had just lost—
EVERYTHING.
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