"Didn't expect that Pikachu could withstand a Blizzard!"
"Don't be ridiculous. Brandon held back so he wouldn't freeze the kid standing behind Pikachu!"
"Exactly! Look at that Ice Beam! It froze the field instantly—that's Regice's REAL power!"
[Lance: Such a powerful Ice Beam! If my Dragonite took that straight on… even if it survived, it'd be crippled!]
[Diantha: Please. Your Dragonite is four times weak to Ice. If it took that head-on, it would be on the floor and already scheduled for a trip to the Pokémon Center. One second slower, and it'd be sky-high.]
[Lance: ...]
He had to admit—he was bragging a bit.
Against a ×4 weakness, even a glancing blow would be catastrophic.
If anything, it just emphasized how terrifying Regice's power truly was.
Ash's Pikachu… had no chance.
The footage continued—
"So strong… One Ice Beam and it'd all be over if it hits!"
"Pika!!"
"But we're not losing! Pikachu—Quick Attack!"
"Pi—kaa!!"
Even on the slippery ice, Pikachu moved like a gust of wind.
In a flash, it was right in front of Regice.
"That's it! Iron Tail!!"
"Pika!!—CHU!!"
Pikachu's tail gleamed like polished steel—
and struck Regice squarely in the chest.
This time, Regice finally reacted.
There was no face to read,
but from its cry alone, the pain was unmistakable.
"It's not over! Keep it up—Thunderbolt!"
"PIKACHU!!"
Still pressing its tail against Regice,
Pikachu unleashed lightning point-blank,
gold light erupting across the entire arena.
Regice screamed again.
"Uh… this isn't right. Why isn't Brandon counterattacking?!"
"No way… no way a legendary Titan loses to a Pikachu right in front of us!"
"That's Regice! A Legendary Pokémon! And Pikachu is hurting it? How?!"
"I refuse! I absolutely refuse to accept this!"
[Lance: This Pikachu… something is strange about it.]
[Cynthia: At first, I thought that massive lightning strike from the earlier footage was just a coincidence—a lucky draw from the storm. But now… Pikachu might have been special from the very beginning.]
[Diantha: Even so, Pikachu can't beat the Ice Titan. Brandon hasn't even gotten serious yet.]
[Steven Stone: Correct. Regice won't fall so easily. It's a Legendary Pokémon.]
And indeed—
Even after taking two Thunderbolts and one Iron Tail,
Regice had only cried out in pain.
It hadn't budged. Not even one step.
"Testing ends here. Regice—Ice Beam!"
"Dodge it!"
Regice gathered icy power in its arms—
It's beam slicing across the field like a blade of winter.
Pikachu bent its tail, pushing off the ground,
barely dodging the attack.
But Ice Beam wasn't aimed at Pikachu, nor at Ash—
It was aimed at the ground.
The second Ice Beam sealed the entire arena in a sheet of glistening ice.
Even slicker, even more treacherous than before.
Pikachu landed—
And immediately slid, its paws unable to grip.
Brandon nodded.
"With the field prepared… how will you respond now, Ash?"
"Regice—Focus Punch!"
The ice field had become Regice's personal skating rink.
With a single glide, Regice shot forward at high speed—
Closing the distance instantly.
Ash's eyes widened.
"Iron Tail to block it!"
"Pika!!"
Pikachu planted a paw, spun,
its tail glowing metallic silver.
But Focus Punch had been fully charged—
Pikachu had no foothold on the ice.
The moment they clashed—
CRACK!
Pikachu was launched like a ragdoll,
slamming into the arena wall.
[Lance: Brandon is still Brandon. His battlefield control is exceptional!]
[Professor Oak: He allowed Pikachu to strike first—testing its power, speed, and moves—while buying time to reshape the entire field to his advantage. Brilliant strategy.]
[Leon: All of this is only possible because Regice's stamina far exceeds normal Pokémon. Pikachu's two Thunderbolts would've crippled any regular Pokémon.]
[Steven Stone: Was that really necessary against a kid, though?]
[Brandon: In every battle, I give 100%—no matter who my opponent is. I never hold back.]
[Brandon: That is the duty of a Frontier Brain.]
[Alder: Admirable! Much better than those Gym Leaders who hand out badges for free! I heard Kanto has several like that!]
Brock: "..."
Misty: "..."
Erika: "..."
You're killing the Gym Leaders here!
They weren't giving badges away for free!
They gave badges because the challengers EARNED recognition!
Totally different!
[Leon: With the entire field now under Brandon's control, and Regice being far stronger overall… Ash is finished.]
[Cynthia: Even so—being able to deal that much damage to Regice is already impressive.]
[Cynthia: Remember, Ash clearly hasn't traveled long in this footage—and that's a Pikachu. For it to fight Regice to this extent… he can stand proud even in defeat.]
The verdict was unanimous.
The Champions had already declared Pikachu's loss.
Brandon's advantage was overwhelming—
the field, the typing, the stats, the experience.
How could Pikachu win?