The Pikachu on the field, upon receiving the command, once again turned into a flash of electricity, ruthlessly tackling Arbok.
But the already prepared Arbok took the hit, its body flickering with an uncertain light.
Power-up successful.
Just as Ash had thought, the special effect of a critical hit from Zippy Zap allows Pikachu to completely ignore the opponent's defense.
However, if you don't know about this critical hit effect, it's hard to notice.
Only through the extensive experience of a Trainer in calculating damage, will they realize something is off with the damage their Pokemon has taken.
Ash wouldn't be so kind as to tell Koga about Pikachu's special effect of Zippy Zap; since Koga insists on boosting defense for a war of attrition, Ash would just keep using Zippy Zap to the end!
"Arbok, Swallow." Koga's next command made Ash pause, and then his expression changed instantly.
Swallow can eliminate the defense boost from power-up, instead restoring nearly a quarter of its physical strength.
"Pikachu, stop it, Zippy Zap!!"
The best way to prevent the opponent from recovering HP is to interrupt it, so Ash had Pikachu use Zippy Zap to attack once again.
If a move is effective, there's no fear in using it often.
Every time Pikachu used Zippy Zap to tackle the opponent, it would immediately distance itself from Arbok using the recoil.
After all, it's quite fragile; if Arbok accidentally brushes or touches it, it could result in a serious injury or even losing the ability to fight.
Taking on a higher-level challenge is like walking a tightrope, one wrong move and it's all over.
Therefore, both Pikachu and Ash's thinking was to immediately distance themselves after attacking Arbok, reducing the chance of mistakes.
But their caution also gave Arbok an opportunity to recover.
Upon receiving Ash's command, Pikachu used Zippy Zap at once, but Arbok's body was already glowing with the white light of recovery.
As the golden Pikachu appeared in front of Arbok, it slammed into it fiercely.
If it weren't for the recovery just now, this Zippy Zap should have decided the outcome.
But after recovering, Arbok could withstand it again, and not only that, Koga had anticipated Pikachu would use Zippy Zap to attack.
Moreover, he was ready to withstand this move and then counterattack!
"Arbok, Poison Tail."
Arbok instantly lashed out its tail, which shone with a ghostly purple light.
After Pikachu hit with Zippy Zap, it, as usual, bounced away with the recoil, but in mid-air, Arbok's Poison Tail was already chasing!
Previously, Arbok had failed to counterattack after Pikachu used Zippy Zap, partly because Koga, as a Trainer, had been shocked by Pikachu multiple times.
On the other hand, after being hit by Zippy Zap, Arbok was just too paralyzed.
Each time it was hit so hard it was paralyzed, how could it counterattack?
But after enduring multiple attacks and being prepared, Arbok could now defend and counter!
This time, Pikachu won't escape!
'Thunderbolt!'
The Poison Tail struck on Pikachu's retreat path, and using Floaty Fall wouldn't be in time now, so it had to forcefully use Thunderbolt to block.
At this moment, Ash didn't even have the time to speak, directly using Aura to transmit his command to Pikachu.
In mid-air, Pikachu burst forth with brilliant golden lightning, colliding with Poison Tail.
"Boom!!"
An ear-splitting sound exploded on the field, with a terrifying shockwave spreading visibly, black smoke spreading in the sky.
The next second, a golden silhouette shot out from the smoke, flipping several times in mid-air before landing steadily on the ground.
In that critical moment, Thunderbolt fended off Poison Tail, but this also made Pikachu's already poor physical strength even worse.
Even though Arbok's attacks hadn't hit Pikachu once, Pikachu was already panting heavily.
Ash sighed lightly in his heart, taking on a higher-level battle really is tough; even though Pikachu's attacks hit the opponent many times, with two hits landing while Electric Terrain was active.
Yet Arbok still stood strong, and its physical strength was only slightly worse than Pikachu's.
This clear contrast is the difference brought by levels.
"Your reflexes are truly quick, if not for your special ability's reflex, Pikachu would have probably been down by now." Koga couldn't help but praise.
A Trainer with special abilities does arouse envy.
Such a large level gap was forcibly narrowed by the Trainer's ability. If Ash's Pokemon were at the same level as his, the battle would've ended long ago.
"If it weren't for Aura Power, I wouldn't even have the qualifications to stand in front of you now, Mr. Koga. Let's decide it with the next move." Ash said in a low voice.
It's not that the next move will decide the outcome, it's that the next move will indeed decide the outcome!
If this move doesn't defeat Arbok, then it would be Pikachu who loses, as it no longer has the strength to keep tangling with Arbok.