Chapter 291: Ash vs. Gary!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
The two figures rapidly closed in on each other. When they were less than a meter apart, they both leaped high, lowered their heads, and smashed into one another.
"Clang!!"
A resonant sound of collision rang out as the force of the impact spread outwards in ripples of energy. Both Pikachu and Eevee were knocked back from mid-air, each stumbling back several steps.
Eevee retreated four steps, but Pikachu retreated five, falling just slightly short.
Unlike Gary's smug satisfaction, Ash's expression changed on the spot.
"How is that possible!?"
Although Pikachu's power was merely unremarkable, it should never have been at a disadvantage against another Pokemon of such a small build.
Does this Eevee have the Huge Power (Ability)?
"Eevee!"
Eevee cried out victoriously, baring its white teeth, while the opposing Pikachu frowned.
"Witness my strength now? This is the difference between a Veteran Trainer and a Fodder Trainer." Gary wagged a finger before ordering his next attack:
"Eevee, use Swift!"
"Eevee!"
Eevee bounced on the spot, spun around in the air, and instantly gathered dozens of pale yellow energy stars on its large tail. As it landed, it gave a sharp flick, sending all the stars from Swift flying out.
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!!"
The stars of Swift shot forward at incredible speed, their sound piercing the air.
Having lost the initiative at the start, Ash didn't dare be careless now. He quickly commanded:
"Pikachu, dodge them all!"
"Pika!!"
Pikachu immediately dropped to its forelimbs and began sprinting across the grassland, darting to the side to evade the incoming Swift.
Unexpectedly, the energy stars seemed to possess their own intelligence. After missing their target, they turned back and once again shot toward Pikachu.
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!!"
The Swift stars left trails of yellow afterimages in mid-air as they chased Pikachu, starting a high-speed pursuit across the grassland.
It was a move that was guaranteed to hit, complete with its own guidance system.
"Damn it."
Seeing that Pikachu was about to be overtaken by the energy stars, and that continuing to dodge would be a futile waste of stamina, Ash immediately changed his strategy and yelled:
"Pikachu, then use Iron Tail to destroy them all!!"
"Pika!!"
Pikachu's eyes flashed with light. It hated dodging; what it wanted was this kind of domineering power to crush everything!
The Swift stars were already closing in. While running, Pikachu's body suddenly veered in a sharp turn, its limbs carving a long, dark trench in the grassland. During this drift, its lightning bolt-shaped tail became coated in a brilliant metallic light. Riding the momentum of the drift, its tail swept out!
Iron Tail!!
"Clang!! Clang!! Clang!!"
The continuous sound of shattering metal came from its tail as it intercepted and collided with every single star. The stars shattered completely against the steel, leaving only a faint shower of light.
The reactive force also pushed Pikachu back several meters, causing it to land in front of a fence at the edge of the grassland. A large bead of sweat trickled down its forehead; it had clearly exerted a great deal of effort.
"So strong."
Ash watched the Eevee, which was poised and ready, from a distance, his brows furrowed deeply.
The power of that Quick Attack was already absurd, but how is the power of this Swift also so ridiculous?
"Pokedex Beep. Eevee's Ability: Adaptability. When using a Move that matches its own Type, its power is greatly increased."
The Pokedex at his waist chimed in helpfully.
In other words, when Eevee uses a Normal-type Move, its power gets a boost.
Of course, this boost varies between individuals, but the boost on this particular Eevee was certainly not weak.
"How about that~? My Eevee is amazing, right? With a godly Ability like this, it deserves to be a protagonist Pokemon. Now look at your Pikachu's ability. Is it Thick Fat? Or Truant? Hahaha!! Even ranking it third would be a compliment, wouldn't it?! It's all flash and no substance. Be careful it doesn't just faint one of these days~"
Gary relentlessly continued his verbal assault, trying to shatter Ash's mental fortitude.
These words left Ash speechless. His Pikachu's ability truly was a matter of metaphysics; it was too much of an enigma.
You could call it Static, but it had never once activated.
You could call it Lightning Rod, but it had only ever worked by lifting its feet off the ground and using its tail as a bootleg Lightning Rod; it had never truly nullified an Electric-type Move.
However, this interruption also allowed Ash to collect himself. A strong opponent wasn't scary; what was scary was not knowing *why* they were strong.
*Now that I know...*
Ash adjusted his hat, his eyes once again flashing with proud battle intent. With a grand sweep of his arm, he gave his most familiar command.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!!"
"Pika!!"
That's right! In the face of Pikachu's signature move, all that flashy nonsense was useless!
Having been repeatedly suppressed, Pikachu was already quite annoyed. It immediately clenched its small fists in front of it to gather power. An electric current burst from its cheeks and enveloped its entire body, before this violent electrical pulse transformed into an incredibly powerful electric snake and shot forward.
"Rumble!!"
The power of the Thunderbolt was terrifying. As it flew through the mid-air, its sheer force tore a long trench into the grassland on the ground below.
"What a powerful Thunderbolt..."
The electric light illuminated Gary's handsome face. Even he couldn't help but be stunned by this powerful electrical pulse.
But soon, he lowered his head slightly, the corners of his mouth curving up once more. His eyes half-closed, he watched the approaching electric current as if it were prey, even licking his lips.
"But now, it's mine... Eevee, use Copycat!!"
As he spoke, Eevee had already raised its head high. Its face was cunning, and its purplish-black pupils rapidly scanned and memorized everything—from Pikachu's movements to the trajectory of the electric current.
"Eevee!!"
In the next instant, with a loud cry from Eevee, a familiar electric light exploded from its body!
A flash of electric sparks suddenly erupted from its brownish-yellow body, transforming into an equally fierce electrical pulse that shot forward.
Copycat—Thunderbolt!!
Gary's eyes were fierce. This signature attack from Pikachu was exactly what he had been waiting for!
"Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzzt!!"
This time, the ferocious glow of the electric current likewise illuminated Ash's face, making him pause for a moment, but he quickly calmed down.
Hmph, he certainly had some tricks, but it was just an instantaneous copy. A Thunderbolt of that level could never block his Pikachu's Divine Thunder of the Nine Heavens!
Adaptability doesn't give a boost to a copied Thunderbolt!
But in the next second, his expression froze.
"Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzzt!!"
The two Thunderbolts, from opposing sources, crashed into each other without any resistance. They pushed back and forth in a stalemate, completely evenly matched!!
"How is that possible!?"
Ash's eyes widened as he blurted it out.
This is impossible! How could a freshly copied Thunderbolt possibly block his Pikachu's!?
"BOOM!!"
Thunderbolt was never an energy-stable Move to begin with. The stalemate lasted less than a few seconds before it detonated violently. At the point of impact, energy erupted and scattered. The grassland ground below, in a three-meter radius, was blasted apart, and a thick cloud of black smoke billowed up, engulfing everyone.
"My grandson, Gary, has truly grown so much..."
After that sequence of skilled plays, even the worldly Professor Oak couldn't help but praise him repeatedly, finally remembering his grandson's name.
"Professor Oak, why was that Eevee's Thunderbolt able to match Pikachu's?"
Taking advantage of this opening, Brock, who was watching from the sidelines, quickly asked.
Even someone as sharp as him couldn't figure out what level Gary was operating on.
"Hehe, I'm not entirely certain myself," Professor Oak said with a smile, waving away the black smoke in front of him.
"But for a Pokemon like Eevee, which naturally carries the genes for multiple Types, anything is possible."
"Generally speaking, a copied Thunderbolt is just a singular Electric-type Move and wouldn't interact with Adaptability."
"But for a uniquely gifted Eevee, is it possible that a copied Thunderbolt could also trigger its Adaptability? Perhaps..."
Professor Oak looked toward one side of the black smoke, at Gary's high-spirited face, and a gratified smile touched his lips.
*It seems it wasn't a fluke, but something he had prepared for.*
Then, Professor Oak turned to the other side of the smoke, another smile forming as his gaze filled with anticipation.
"So then, how will you counter this, Ash?"
(end of chapter)I think people don't understand it. I have a personal website where I post advanced free chapters — there are 10 new chapters per day, so you can check it out here: soollhooaf.com