"How can such a heavy Snorlax run so fast? It's defying logic!" Serena exclaimed incredulously, gently covering her red lips.
Serena wasn't entirely ignorant of Pokemon; she recognized Snorlax, one of the more famous Pokemon, given its kind appearance that makes it perfect for plush toys and other merchandise.
Knowing Snorlax, Serena was shocked by its speed. Could Snorlax really move this fast? It was unbelievably swift!
It was like a nimble fat man, even Pokemon smaller than Snorlax might not match this level of agility.
If Snorlax were battling a different Pokemon other than Pikachu, it might have taken the opponent by surprise with its unexpected speed.
But unfortunately, Snorlax was battling Pikachu. With Pikachu's speed and reaction time, even when faced with sudden changes, it could react and even counter the opponent.
Ash, though he already anticipated this Snorlax would be fast, given its S-Class speed, still couldn't entirely believe it—after all, it was just a Snorlax!
With its weight and size as limitations, how fast could it possibly be?
It nearly caught Ash off guard with its attack just now. That burst of speed didn't look like Elite Level attack speed; if Pikachu's reaction were slightly slower, it would have been hit by Snorlax's Body Slam.
"Pikachu, maintain this stance and use Thunderbolt!" Ash loudly commanded Pikachu, who was in mid-air.
"Pika—Chu!!" Pikachu steadied itself in the air, then its body surged with a golden current, the golden lightning striking the Snorlax lying on the ground like an arrow.
"Boom!!" Thunderbolt hit its mark precisely!
"Snorlax!!" Snorlax cried out in pain from the ground; this Thunderbolt inflicted considerable damage, and even though Snorlax had excellent Special Defense Species Value, the level gap between them was substantial.
As a Gym Beginner Level, Pikachu nearly overwhelmed Snorlax by two major levels, and although Snorlax's ability values were already top-notch for its current level, Pikachu was no less impressive.
It was Ash's strongest and most trusted ace!
Thunderbolt dealt massive damage to Snorlax, but it still couldn't take Snorlax down; Snorlax's high Physical Strength Species Value wasn't a joke. With its innate ability to enhance physical strength by consuming food, Snorlax's physical strength might surpass even Pikachu's by quite a margin.
As levels increase, the limit of physical strength also rises, making the difference between Elite Level and Gym Level's physical strength quite absurd. But with Snorlax, this situation was indeed happening.
"Pikachu, seize the victory, use Iron Tail!!" Ash commanded as Pikachu paused momentarily due to Thunderbolt. Following that, Ash instructed Pikachu to use Iron Tail from high altitude. Pikachu spun 720 degrees in the air, and its tail glowed with a metallic sheen, delivering a fierce hit down!
"Boom!!" The Iron Tail struck Snorlax's broad back with deafening impact!
This sound resonated even louder than when Snorlax fell to the ground earlier, and the minor cracks in the ground formed from Snorlax's Body Slam became a massive crater under Pikachu's Iron Tail!
Snorlax was hit and plunged into the crater, seemingly lifeless.
Pikachu utilized the rebound from Iron Tail to leap to Ash's side, quietly watching Snorlax within the crater, its electric sacs on its cheek still sparking, ready to continue battling at any moment.
"Sno..." Just as Ash was about to throw a Pokeball, Snorlax emitted a faint sound from the crater, slowly pushing itself up with its arms.
Neither Misty, Serena, nor the staff could believe it, and even Ash was shocked.
Seriously, you're an Elite Level Snorlax, having taken Pikachu's Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, all three skills from a Gym Level Pikachu, and you can still stand up? It's outrageous!
Not only had Pikachu reached its second evolution, but it was also equipped with a Light Ball; as a Gym Beginner Level, it could even exhibit Gym Advanced Level strength, or higher!
With such a disparity in strength, Snorlax still standing after enduring repeated attacks—did it take medicine or something!
"Ash, it's the Sitrus Berry! Snorlax ate many Sitrus Berries before; those might have converted into physical strength stored in Snorlax's reserve energy, allowing Snorlax to keep standing!" Serena shouted to Ash, forming a megaphone shape with her hands.
Ash was momentarily stunned; his first reaction was disbelief. The Sitrus Berries could restore physical strength, but only if carried; eating them when at full physical strength doesn't work much, at most providing a bit of mental clarity.
Moreover, the physical strength regained from directly eating Sitrus Berries isn't the same as when carrying them. Generally speaking, a Pokemon consuming many Sitrus Berries at full physical strength will have minimal effect; surpassing the limits of physical strength is even more impossible.