Chapter 60: Confident, But Unnecessary

"Can't use Electric-type moves anymore..."

Watching the Electabuzz hop around nimbly in place, Ash couldn't help but let a few beads of heavy sweat roll down his forehead.

Whether it was Flash Fire or Motor Drive, participating in a mirror-match against the same typing was always profoundly annoying.

"In that case, Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Never mind whether you have a Focus Sash or not, I'm going to break your first-time streak!

"Pika!"

Pikachu was enveloped in a layer of white light, its little paws scrambling at lightning speed. A white shadow flickered, and in the blink of an eye, it closed the distance to Electabuzz, intending to deliver a headbutt straight to its chin.

"Elec!"

Just as Pikachu drew near, Electabuzz's mouth suddenly split into a grin. Its body, coated in a yellow glow, shifted slightly to the side, causing Pikachu to brush past just ahead of its stomach.

At the same time, white light flared on one of Electabuzz's arms, descending with immense, overwhelming force.

Brick Break!

"Clang!"

Caught off guard, Pikachu was struck square by the attack and sent flying far away.

"Pika..."

Feeling a dull ache radiating from its back, Pikachu quickly scrambled to scratch its spine after regaining some distance.

Unfortunately, its little chubby arms were far too short to even reach the spot where it had been hit.

Damn it, did it just break my back?!

A fierce glint flashed in Pikachu's eyes as it bared its tiny teeth.

However, with Electric-type moves completely sealed off for now, the only viable option left was to constantly chip away at the opponent's health using Quick Attack.

Ash suddenly recalled the "Toxic" move that Professor Brock had used earlier. It seemed that Red's retired veteran Pikachu knew that move as well; perhaps he could have Pikachu secretly copy it.

In the future, maybe he could inflict Toxic and then kite opponents with Quick Attack—that sounded like a flawless strategy, didn't it?

"Pika!"

While Ash was still lost in his wild daydreams, Pikachu let out a low cry, once again cloaked in white light as it charged forward.

Seeing that this Electric rodent actually dared to repeat the same trick, the Electabuzz executed a demonic footwork routine before charging right back to meet it, leaving a trail of yellow afterimages in its wake, as gaudy as someone who had paid-to-win.

On the other side, Pikachu's approach was far more unpretentious, flashing only the standard white afterimage provided free by the system.

The two Electric-type Pokémon began a contest of pure speed, yellow and white lights weaving back and forth inside the abandoned power plant.

"Pikachu, don't lose to it!"

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!"

Two shadows continuously appeared in every corner of the power plant.

However, the artificial speed gained from Motor Drive ultimately could not compare to speed honed through self-cultivation. The first few exchanges were evenly matched, but after a few minutes, Electabuzz began to show fatigue, and its speed slowed down.

"Pika!!"

Pikachu seized the opportunity, its body glowing with white light as it surged forward. Its speed suddenly burst to a whole new level, successfully bypassing Electabuzz's perimeter to deliver a Quick Attack directly to its chin.

Not a single soul noticed that intertwined within that streak of white light was a faint, eerie hint of cyan.

Though the glow was pitifully weak, it was undeniably there.

"Clang!!"

The impact forced Electabuzz into a tactical lean backward.

Leveraging the momentum of the spring-like rebound, Pikachu's petite frame shot straight up into the air. Harnessing Newton's second law of motion, its body spun continuously in mid-air, rapidly accumulating power!

At this moment, Ash's eyes lit up brightly. He recognized this opening move of Pikachu's—it was the super ultimate signature technique he had taught it aboard the S.A. Anne.

"Pika pika..."

As Pikachu's figure descended, a sharp white light lit up at the tip of its tail, revealing an edge so keen it seemed capable of cleaving anything in two!

Ash roared at the top of his lungs:

"Right now, Pikachu, use Cut!"

Electabuzz was so terrified by this world-shaking sword aura plunging from the heavens that it instinctively raised both arms in front of its head to block.

In a flash, Cut descended, landing heavily on Electabuzz's arms!

A bizarre sound rang out.

"Thud!"

No formidable offense manifested; instead, Pikachu's tail acted like a limp spring—floppy, completely devoid of offensive power, and actually bouncing back with enough force to send it flying far away.

That world-shaking sword aura had done little more than give Electabuzz a slight tickle.

Pikachu, Ash: "?"

Wasn't that supposed to be a supreme ultimate move? Why was it so limp?

Could that Hidden Machine disc have been a pirated copy?

Electabuzz: "?"

Is this... is this a scam?!

Brock, Misty: "?"

Thank goodness Blue wasn't here; otherwise, seeing this spectacle, she would probably have been shaking with rage and burst into tears with a loud "Waa."

Did you ever file an application with her to use Cut?!

Using it this poorly is something you need to apologize to her for!

"Elec elec!!"

After a delay of several seconds, Electabuzz's face flushed as red as an Infernape's bottom. Brilliant white light flared on both of its arms simultaneously as it launched an angry charge.

Dammit, was this Electric rodent mocking it?!

Seeing that Pikachu was still standing there cluelessly patting its own tail, Ash hurriedly shouted a reminder:

"Pikachu, danger! Danger! Use Iron Tail!"

Hearing this, Pikachu's expression shifted instantly. Its body executed a breakdance sweep across the ground in a 360-degree windmill motion, its tail already cloaked in a dull, heavy metallic luster.

"Chu pika!!"

Iron Tail and Brick Break collided with zero obstruction. A blinding white light surged skyward with the two of them at the center, and an invisible shockwave rippled outward, its sheer force causing everyone present to instinctively steady their stances.

"Clang!"

The force of the blow was so great that even the ground beneath their feet collapsed into a massive crater, the concussive sounds of electricity and explosions echoing throughout the entire abandoned power plant.

...

"Rumble rumble!!"

The surrounding machinery suddenly flickered to life, gears grinding and rotating.

This intense battle seemed to have triggered the surrounding machinery that had lain dormant for years, causing them to roar to life with a chorus of mechanical noise.

The next second, an incomparably powerful pressure blanketed the entire area, sending a chill down everyone's spine and making it difficult even to breathe.

What kind of feeling was this?

It felt as though they had just awakened a slumbering behemoth, biting cold and freezing.

"Chirp chirp!!"

A high-pitched cry echoed from a corner of the abandoned power plant, drawing everyone's gaze instantly. Even Pikachu and Electabuzz, locked in combat at the center of the battlefield, stopped fighting and stared blankly in that direction.

Especially Electabuzz, whose face suddenly turned pale green.

It knew a monster lived in this place!

"Chirp chirp!!"

The screech grew louder and louder, and even the surrounding machinery emitted a dazzling glow as visible currents of electricity surged directly toward the source of the sound.

A giant yellow bird spread its wings and suddenly appeared before them—bearing the face of Zapdos, a slender beak, and an expression that clearly signaled it was not to be trifled with.

Its entire body was covered in sharp, spiked feathers. Despite being confined beneath the ceiling of the power plant, it carried its own entourage of several dark storm clouds where lightning crackled relentlessly.

An overwhelming aura of oppression enveloped the entire venue.

"Zap... Zapdos?!"

Misty and Brock were terrified out of their wits, the latter's eyes popping wide open in disbelief.

A legendary bird of the Kanto region was hiding inside a dilapidated factory?

This was a Legendary Pokémon; some people wouldn't even see one in a lifetime!

"Beep beep. Zapdos, the Electric Pokémon. Its body is covered in spiked feathers that generate thunder and lightning. Revered in some regions as the God of Thunder, it is actually just a glorified utility bird."

The Pokédex automatically broadcasted its entry.

The sheer aura of a powerhouse blasted Ash right in the face. He swallowed hard and asked inwardly:

"Red, bro... this isn't what you meant by 'trash,' is it...?"

"Hmm..."

Red within the depths of his soul nodded. In another world, he had encountered Zapdos at the abandoned power plant, and apparently, one was hiding here in this world as well.

It seemed the two worlds were indeed intertwined in countless ways; he would definitely be able to take Ash to see the world in many places from now on.

Ash: "..."

Please use me as the benchmark for comparison from now on!

Taking a closer look, however, this Zapdos actually bore a striking resemblance to Gary—they both had spiky hair.

Especially the dark rings around Zapdos's eyes, which looked precisely like the dark circles of a sleep-deprived, drained Gary.

The sight of the bird brought memories of his rival, and Ash couldn't help but feel a little tearful.

Yet he quickly wiped away his tears, took a sharp breath, stepped forward with a wide stride, and faced Zapdos with a solemn expression.

Since it had come to this, let's fight!

This battle was in tribute to Gary!

"Bulbasaur, Charmander, which of you wants to..."

Before he could finish his sentence, both Pokémon had already transformed into red beams of light and voluntarily retreated into their Poké Balls.

Let's do this another time.

Even that Electabuzz had vanished to goodness knows where.

Left entirely alone, Ash had no choice but to turn his gaze toward his own Pikachu.

Lowering his voice, he asked hesitantly:

"Pikachu, do you feel confident?"

"Pika!"

Pikachu nodded, indicating that its confidence was soaring and that it felt no fear whatsoever just because the opponent happened to be a Legendary Pokémon.

Another hundred Zapdoses wouldn't scare it in the slightest.

Hearing this, Ash was immensely reassured. As expected, his Pikachu was always dependable in critical moments!

"Then I choose you, go, Pikachu!"

With that, Pikachu suddenly bolted backward toward Ash, leaped up lightly, and patted the gaudy, ultra-luxurious golden Poké Ball hanging at his waist, grabbing it firmly in its paws.

Its residence had recently been upgraded to this ultra-luxurious golden Poké Ball, complete with a crooked lightning bolt symbol crudely carved onto it by Ash himself.

At this moment, Pikachu holding the golden Poké Ball against its stomach signified that it had officially "entered" the Poké Ball and was in a non-combat state.

It raised one tiny paw and signaled:

"Pika pika (I have confidence, but there's no need)."

Ash: "?"

"Chirp chirp!!"

Meanwhile, the Zapdos hovering in mid-air had long since grown impatient. With a grand sweep of its wings, the terrifying might of thunder and lightning slammed squarely into his face.

Ash swallowed hard, trembling slightly as he raised his head and scratched his scalp.

"Um, how about we 'let's do this another time' too...?"

Zapdos: "?"

Zapdos unleashes a discharge of electricity!

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