Pokémon: Multiverse Chat Group

After making full preparations, Ash finally let Pikachu leap onto the field to face off against Raikou. Before it unleashed its power, neither Raikou nor Morty could tell what Pikachu’s exact strength was. Perhaps Raikou could vaguely sense it, but that was all.

“Are you finally sending out Pikachu? Let me see just how powerful the Pikachu that defeated Lorelei’s ace Pokémon really is.” Seeing Pikachu enter the field, Morty’s expression turned serious.

Those who didn’t know the details might find it laughable for a Pokémon like Pikachu to face Raikou. But Morty knew Pikachu’s background very well. It had defeated Lorelei’s ace Pokémon once, and that was already several months ago.

No one except Ash probably knew how strong the current Pikachu was. The fact that he dared to send out Pikachu at this time showed he had sufficient confidence.

“Pikachu, Thunderbolt.” Ash took the initiative, his voice calm yet carrying an unquestionable fighting spirit.

“Pika-chuuuu!”

Pikachu’s limbs slammed onto the ground, and the lightning wrapped around its body completely erupted. A golden pillar of lightning, as thick as a giant python, shot out from its body. Carrying an unstoppable momentum, it crashed down toward Raikou. Everywhere it passed, the air was ionized into mist, and the ground was scorched into a charred trench. The lights of the entire Gym paled in comparison to this thunderous glow.

“Raikou, Thunderbolt!” Morty issued the same command almost at the exact same time.

Raikou let out a sky-shaking roar, thunderclouds churning in its crimson vertical pupils. Its limbs slammed onto the ground, and countless golden bolts of lightning gushed out from its cloud-like mane, converging overhead into a pillar of lightning that was not at all inferior to Pikachu’s, intercepting Pikachu’s Thunderbolt.

The two golden pillars of lightning collided violently in mid-air.

A deafening rumble of thunder exploded in the Gym, and the entire venue shook violently. The brilliant golden thunder light reflected a pale white on everyone’s faces, and the violent shockwave spread in all directions, kicking up a sky full of gravel and dust. The transparent barrier provided by the League shook violently, rippling with layers of waves, almost torn apart by this terrifying energy.

Inside its Poké Ball, Mewtwo frowned slightly, then silently released its power to stabilize the crumbling barrier once more. The collision of these two thunderous forces had already faintly touched the threshold of Champion Peak.

The deadlock lasted for less than a second.

Pikachu’s golden pillar of lightning erupted with an even more brilliant light, tearing Raikou’s Thunderbolt right down the middle with unstoppable force. Raikou’s pillar of lightning was like a bamboo pole split by a sharp blade, dividing into two and turning into countless tiny electric arcs scattering in all directions.

Meanwhile, Pikachu’s Thunderbolt did not pause at all. It tore through the remnants of the lightning and slammed squarely into Raikou.

The golden thunder light completely engulfed Raikou’s massive body, blasting a charred deep crater into the ground, scattering gravel everywhere. Raikou let out a low, muffled groan, its limbs digging firmly into the ground to withstand the strike. However, its body was pushed backward by the terrifying force, carving four deep claw marks into the ground.

As the dust slowly cleared, Raikou was still standing in the center of the field. Several charred marks appeared on its golden fur, and its cloud-like mane was slightly disheveled, but its crimson vertical pupils still burned with a wild fighting spirit. Although its breathing was slightly ragged, its aura had not weakened in the slightest. The physical toughness of a Legendary Pokémon was truly terrifying.

Morty’s pupils contracted slightly. Looking at the small yellow figure on the field, an indescribable shock surged in his heart.

Elite Four High. He finally saw clearly the true level of Ash’s Pikachu. But how could an Elite Four High Pikachu unleash such a terrifying aura? Judging by its presence, that Pikachu’s power should have already reached Champion High.

Furthermore, in the clash of Thunderbolts just now, Raikou’s lightning was easily torn apart in front of Pikachu, as if it were made of paper. This was Raikou. The controller of thunder and lightning. One of the Legendary Beasts. In a head-on confrontation using the same Electric-type move, Raikou actually lost to a Pikachu?

Raikou’s level was Champion High. Even if the opponent were also Champion High, it shouldn’t have been able to crush Raikou’s lightning so effortlessly in a direct clash. The only explanation was that Pikachu’s true power was even more formidable than its level and the aura it displayed.

“This Pikachu. What kind of monster is it?” Morty muttered to himself, his voice carrying unmistakable shock.

In the spectator stands, Misty and Serena let out a sigh of relief at the same time, their clenched fists loosening slightly.

“Pikachu, Zippy Zap!” Ash’s voice rang out again. He didn’t give Morty any room to breathe.

“Pika!” Pikachu’s limbs slammed onto the ground, causing the ground beneath it to instantly crack. Its body turned into a golden bolt of lightning, moving so fast that it didn’t even leave an afterimage, only a blinding electric arc in the air.

Morty’s pupils contracted sharply. He was completely unable to track Pikachu’s figure.

A heavy impact sound exploded in the Gym. Pikachu’s small body, carrying the force of ten thousand thunders, slammed squarely into Raikou’s flank. Raikou’s massive body was knocked sideways by this strike, its limbs carving four deep ruts into the ground. But in the end, it still couldn’t withstand Pikachu’s immense power and was sent flying.

However, at the exact moment it was sent flying, a sharp glint flashed through Raikou’s crimson vertical pupils. Its body twisted violently in mid-air, adjusting its posture at an angle that defied common sense.

“Well done, Raikou! Thunderbolt again!” Morty quickly ordered the counterattack.

“Pikachu, Iron Tail!” Ash’s voice rang out at the exact same moment.

Pikachu leaped up, its body spinning in mid-air. The tail on its back, gleaming with a metallic luster, was raised high like a giant axe, hacking down viciously toward Raikou.

The Iron Tail smacked squarely onto Raikou, sending its massive body flying directly. Yet even as Raikou was sent flying, a brilliant golden thunder light burst from its massive body. Even in that posture, Raikou was actually able to use a move.

Caught off guard, Pikachu was hit by Raikou’s Thunderbolt.

“Pika!”

Pikachu let out a cry of pain. Its small body was engulfed by the golden thunder light as it fell from mid-air and slammed heavily onto the ground. It struggled to stand up. Several obvious scorch marks appeared on its body, and its breathing became a bit rushed.

Under the effect of Aura fusion, Pikachu’s offensive power was matchless, but its defense was ultimately its shortcoming. Raikou’s counterattack had dealt considerable damage.

Because Aura fusion could only transmit Ash’s Aura Power into Pikachu’s body to increase its energy output, Pikachu’s stamina would not increase. This was also the fatal weakness of Aura fusion. Once activated, the battle had to be decided quickly.

“As expected of the Legendary Pokemon.” Ash said with a solemn gaze, looking at the golden thunder tiger that had been sent flying but still landed steadily. “To be able to adjust its posture and counterattack while being sent flying. This kind of battle instinct and body control is simply impossible for ordinary Pokémon.”

Morty also looked shocked. “I’m the one who should be amazed. That Pikachu’s speed and attack power are simply unbelievable. That move called Zippy Zap is already comparable to Extreme Speed, isn’t it? I’ve never even heard of it.”

Ash’s Pikachu not only had bizarre strength, but also strange moves. Morty finally understood why Ash’s Pikachu was so famous. Before facing it, even though he was prepared, he had still been misled by Pikachu’s species. Who could have thought that Ash’s Pikachu would be so ridiculously un-mouse-like?

“Raikou, Calm Mind.” Morty quickly suppressed the shock in his heart and ordered in a deep voice.

Since they couldn’t beat that Pikachu in a direct clash, they would use a boosting move to increase Raikou’s special attack and special defense. As long as they could withstand Pikachu’s offensive, they could rely on Raikou’s stamina advantage as a Legendary Pokémon to drag it into a war of attrition, and the scales of victory would tilt toward him.

Raikou’s limbs planted firmly on the ground as its crimson vertical pupils slowly closed. A mysterious energy surged from its body, turning into a light purple aura that enveloped its entire form. Calm Mind, beginning to charge.

“Pikachu, Volt Tackle!”

Ash had absolutely no intention of letting Raikou boost its stats peacefully.

“Pika! Pika! Pika! Chu-pika!”

Pikachu’s limbs slammed onto the ground, causing the ground beneath it to instantly shatter. Its body was completely enveloped in a layer of golden lightning so dense it was almost tangible, turning into a brilliant thunder meteor that crashed violently toward Raikou. That speed was suffocatingly fast. Morty didn’t even have time to issue an evasion command.

The Volt Tackle slammed squarely into Raikou, its entire body engulfed by golden thunder light. Raikou let out a muffled groan, its massive body pushed backward by this terrifying force. Its limbs clawed desperately at the ground, but it still couldn’t escape the fate of being blasted backward.

However, even as it was being sent flying, the light purple aura on Raikou’s body did not dissipate. Instead, it became increasingly dense. When Raikou’s back crashed heavily into the transparent barrier at the edge of the Gym with a dull, loud thud, that layer of aura also reached its peak, then slowly receded, merging into its body.

Calm Mind was completed. At this moment, Raikou’s special attack and special defense were both raised by one stage.

Ash’s brow furrowed slightly. He could see that no matter what move this Raikou used, it could manage to avoid being interrupted. No matter what its posture was, or whether it was taking an attack, it could fully unleash the move it wanted to use.

With the boost from the Light Ball and partner form, Pikachu’s attack power had already surpassed Champion Peak. Although it hadn’t reached god level yet, it wasn’t something a normal Champion Peak could compare to.

Even if Electric-type moves only dealt minor damage to Raikou, this extraordinary attack power should have been able to interrupt the opponent’s moves anyway. But things didn’t go as wished. Legendary Pokémon were indeed troublesome and abnormal.

If it were his Pikachu or Charizard without their unique abilities, they might not necessarily be able to pull this off either.

“Raikou, Extreme Speed!” A gleam flashed in Morty’s eyes as he seized the brief lag after Pikachu used Volt Tackle.

Raikou’s limbs slammed onto the ground, the ground beneath its feet cracking into a spiderweb pattern under the powerful force. That golden body turned into a silver-white stream of light, moving so fast that even its outline was blurred, charging straight toward Pikachu.

“Pikachu, Zippy Zap!”

Ash’s voice rang out at the exact same moment.

Pikachu also turned into a golden flash of lightning, meeting it head-on without any fear. The two streams of light collided violently in the center of the field.

Hearing Ash’s command, Morty couldn’t help but clench his fists. From this command alone, it was clear that Ash’s adaptability and reaction speed were far faster than his. Whether it was the Volt Tackle just now or Zippy Zap, Morty hadn’t been able to react in time.

In contrast, Ash had reacted the very instant Morty ordered Raikou to use Extreme Speed, immediately having Pikachu use the corresponding speed move. In terms of Trainer skill, Ash was far stronger than him.

With the first collision, the two figures bounced back simultaneously, then immediately rushed at each other again.

In several successive collisions, the golden and silver-white streams of light intertwined frantically in mid-air. Each collision erupted with a deafening roll of thunder, and the violent shockwaves spread in all directions, blowing up gravel from the ground and sending it crashing into the barrier, stirring up layers of ripples.

However, on the fourth collision, the silver-white stream of light clearly dimmed quite a bit and was forcefully blasted away from the clash by the golden lightning. Raikou’s body rolled twice in mid-air, its limbs landing heavily on the ground, carving out two deep tracks before it barely managed to stabilize its stance.

A trace of disbelief flashed through its crimson vertical pupils. Morty was equally filled with shock.

Why? Raikou was clearly a Legendary Pokémon, and its stats were top-tier within the same level. Furthermore, its level was Champion High, while Pikachu was only Elite Four High. Even in a clash at the same level, Raikou should have held the upper hand. Why, under the current level advantage, did it repeatedly lose to Pikachu in head-on collisions?

This didn’t make any sense at all.

Morty knew that Ash possessed a technique that could boost a Pokémon’s strength in a short period, but could it actually achieve this much? This was the gap between Elite Four High and Champion High.

No, it was even larger than that. Because Raikou was Champion High, and the fact that Pikachu could suppress Raikou in a head-on clash meant that the opponent’s leap in strength was not as simple as going from Elite Four High to Champion High.

“Why? Why can that Pikachu do this much? No matter how special it is, achieving such a massive leap in strength is just too exaggerated!” Morty finally couldn’t help but ask, even though they were still in the middle of battle.

Just who was the controller of thunder and lightning here? Was Pikachu a thunder god too?

“Why can that Pikachu reach this extent? No matter how special it is, being able to achieve such a massive leap in strength is just too exaggerated!”

Facing Morty’s doubt, Ash was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “The bond between Pikachu and me is unmatched by anyone. This is the power of our bond.”

Partner form. Aura fusion. Summing up this power in two words: bond. An ethereal bond could be transformed into substantial power in their hands.

Hearing this, Morty showed a dumbfounded expression on his face. Bond. How was he supposed to be convinced by a reason like that?

“Pikachu, Zippy Zap!” Ash didn’t give him time to think and ordered again. This was still a battle. Being distracted could only mean the Trainer’s skill was not up to par.

Pikachu once again turned into golden lightning, instantly closing in on Raikou. Morty subconsciously wanted to command it to dodge, but Pikachu’s speed was simply too fast. Ash was able to react to Raikou’s speed by reading what Morty wanted Raikou to do first, but Morty couldn’t understand Ash’s instructions at all, let alone the effects brought by this so-called “bond” power he’d just been thinking about.

“Focus Punch!” Ash’s voice rang out the moment Pikachu reached Raikou.

Pikachu’s right fist suddenly clenched, and a majestic Fighting-type energy frantically condensed on its small fist. Without any charging action or any wind-up, Focus Punch erupted just like that without any warning.

The white-glowing fist solidly smashed into Raikou’s lower jaw, directly blasting its massive body into mid-air.

“How is it possible to burst out Focus Punch without even charging?” Morty’s mood could be described as one wave not settling before another arose. Having not yet recovered from Zippy Zap, he was startled once again by this uncharged Focus Punch.

Focus Punch was a high-power Fighting-type move. The principle of this move was to condense the strength of the whole body into a single point. The longer it charged, the stronger the power. Even a Champion-level Fighting-type Pokémon required at least half a second of charging time to condense enough energy on its fist to release Focus Punch.

But what did that Pikachu do? Just as Ash’s command fell, the full light of Focus Punch had already erupted on Pikachu’s fist. No charging, no wind-up, no preparation action whatsoever. The moment the command dropped, the move was already released. This was as absurd as having a Pokémon use Hyper Beam while completely skipping the charging and recovery lag.

In the spectator stands, the trainees opened their mouths wide, their jaws almost dropping to the ground.

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” Marcus rubbed his eyes, thinking he saw wrong. “That’s Focus Punch! Not Mach Punch! How can it be released without charging?”

“I couldn’t even see how it threw that punch.” Another trainee muttered, their face filled with the expression of a collapsed worldview.

As the referee, Lily stared intently at the small yellow figure in the middle of the field, her mouth open wide enough to fit a Poké Ball.

“Gym Leader Morty clearly said during class that Focus Punch is a move that must be charged. Did the Gym Leader teach it wrong?”

Morty twitched the corner of his mouth. Of course he didn’t teach it wrong. Focus Punch was a move that required charging. This was common knowledge recognized by all Trainers in the entire Pokémon world. But that Pikachu happened to shatter this common knowledge.

“Now, Volt Tackle!” Ash’s offensive did not stop. He once again commanded Pikachu to use the ultimate Electric-type move, which was also Pikachu’s signature move: Volt Tackle.

Pikachu’s four limbs slammed onto the ground, and the ground beneath its feet instantly exploded. Its body was once again enveloped by golden lightning, like a shooting star flying backward, soaring straight up and fiercely crashing toward Raikou in mid-air.

“Raikou, Thunder!”

Morty finally reacted, and his command rang out at this critical juncture.

Raikou in mid-air forcefully stabilized its figure, thunderclouds surging within its crimson vertical pupils. It let out a heaven-shaking roar toward the sky, and the thundercloud-like mane wrapped around its body suddenly burst out with blinding golden lightning.

A golden pillar of Thunder as thick as a towering pillar burst out from within its body, carrying the might to destroy everything, crashing down fiercely toward Pikachu charging from below. The might of that Thunder pillar was more terrifying than any previous attack.

Even with the protection of the barrier, the surrounding trainees couldn’t help but move backward, and Lily was so scared that her legs felt a bit weak. Because she was the closest to the field.

“Pika! Pika! Pika! Chu-pika!”

Pikachu didn’t dodge or evade, its eyes fixed only on that golden thunder tiger. It clenched its teeth, its expression turning ferocious from enduring the bombardment of lightning, but amidst its own lightning eruption, it forcefully cut through that terrifying Thunder pillar.

The golden lightning of Volt Tackle and the golden Thunder pillar frantically intertwined in mid-air, making a harsh crackling sound. Pikachu’s body trembled constantly in the lightning, but the momentum of its charge did not slow down in the slightest.

Just like that, pushing against the terrifyingly powerful Thunder, Pikachu went against the current and forcefully rushed right in front of Raikou.

Volt Tackle solidly crashed into Raikou. A blinding golden ball of light exploded in mid-air, and a violent shockwave spread in all directions, causing the Gym’s transparent barrier to vibrate violently and ripple layer upon layer.

Raikou’s massive body fell from the ball of light like a meteorite, heavily smashing into the ground and creating a charred deep crater. As for Pikachu, relying on the reaction force, it did a backflip and landed steadily on the ground.

Its body was covered with burn marks scorched by lightning, and its breathing had become rapid, but it still exuded a terrifying momentum, without weakening in the slightest due to injuries.

That Thunder just now had caused considerable damage to the defense-weak Pikachu. It did not have the extraordinary stamina of a Legendary Pokémon, and it was fighting above its level through special means. If it clashed with the opponent’s moves a couple more times like this, even though Pikachu had attack power far exceeding the opponent’s, it wouldn’t be able to hold up.

Raikou struggled to stand up from the crater, its body similarly scarred, and its aura had weakened a bit compared to before. Morty’s expression turned exceptionally solemn. He could see that although this Pikachu didn’t have much stamina left, Raikou’s condition was no better. If they kept wearing each other down like this, the outcome would be unpredictable.

“Pikachu, let’s decide the winner with this move!” Ash’s voice suddenly rose, his gaze incomparably firm as he wanted to settle the match in one blow. “Use 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt!”

10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt, one of partner Pikachu’s signature moves. The power of this move depended on the depth of the bond between Pikachu and its Trainer. The stronger the bond, the stronger the power.

And with the bond between Ash and Pikachu, the power of this move far surpassed even Hyper Beam. It was the most powerful move in Pikachu’s arsenal.

“Pika… Pika… Pika-pika-pikapika!”

Pikachu let out a passionate shout toward the sky, and the lightning wrapped around its body completely erupted. Countless golden electric arcs gushed out from its small body, enveloping it entirely.

The density of that lightning was astonishingly large, almost condensing into substance, turning Pikachu into a dazzling golden sun. A world-destroying pressure poured out from its body, and the entire Gym trembled violently.

Mewtwo’s expression inside the Poké Ball changed slightly, and without hesitation, it reached out its power from the Poké Ball, pouring all of its Psychic energy without reservation into the transparent barrier.

The barrier issued by the League shattered with a roar at the same moment, turning into flying spots of light and dissipating. The instant it shattered, an even denser and deeper azure blue barrier re-condensed around the field, firmly sealing the entire battle arena.

Mewtwo quietly breathed a sigh of relief. This kid was still so reckless. If it hadn’t intervened, the entire Gym probably would have been reduced to ashes under this move. And the power of this move brought some memories to mind.

Back when Mewtwo was still an adversary, it had once faced this move from Ash and Pikachu directly. Clearly, Pikachu had still been very weak at that time, but this move had still caused it considerable damage. This was an ultimate move capable of far surpassing the power Pikachu’s current level could normally produce.

Ash rarely used this move with Pikachu, but generally, as long as this move was used, it could achieve a decisive effect.

Pikachu leaped into the air, and a golden thunder pillar as thick as a dragon burst out from within Pikachu’s body, carrying world-destroying might as it chopped down fiercely toward Raikou below. Wherever the lightning passed, space distorted and warped.

Morty’s pupils shrank to pinpoints, feeling the destructive power contained within that lightning. It could not be taken head-on.

“Raikou, Protect!” Morty’s voice carried unprecedented anxiety.

Raikou let out a roar toward the sky, stepping heavily on the ground with its limbs, and an emerald-green barrier suddenly condensed in front of it. That barrier was thicker than any previous time. This was Raikou’s all-out defense with every last ounce of its power poured into it.

The golden thunder pillar and the emerald-green barrier collided fiercely in mid-air.

In merely one second, cobweb-like cracks appeared on that emerald-green barrier. In less than two seconds, the cracks spread frantically from the center to the edges, almost covering the entire wall.

The Protect barrier shattered completely like glass, turning into flying emerald-green spots of light scattered everywhere. The residual golden lightning solidly smashed onto Raikou, directly blasting its massive body flying, crashing heavily into the azure blue barrier set up by Mewtwo, and bouncing back down to the ground.

That powerful reaction force caused the already shattered floor to collapse with a roar. A large crater appeared directly in the arena, with Raikou lying inside the pit.

If it weren’t for Mewtwo’s barrier tightly containing all the aftermath, it wouldn’t just be the Gym’s floor that was shattered. The entire Gym would have been destroyed.

Raikou’s body was covered with shocking burn marks, but it still struggled to stand up. Even though its aura was incomparably weak, it still hadn’t fallen. It was a Legendary Pokémon that controlled lightning. Now it had actually been injured into this miserable state by lightning. If word got out, people would probably laugh at it.

Just as Raikou was still trying to struggle and stand up, a golden figure descended from the sky.

“Pikachu, final blow. Iron Tail!”

Pikachu’s tail shone with metallic luster, drawing a sharp arc in the air, carrying its final strength, and solidly chopping down on the top of Raikou’s head.

Iron Tail, hit.

The already huge crater became even deeper and larger. Raikou, which bore all of Pikachu’s remaining power, instantly stiffened inside the pit. After Pikachu spun and bounced away, Raikou fell straight down and stopped moving entirely.

The audience was dead silent.

For a long time, Lily recovered from the shock, then hurriedly raised her hand and announced with a trembling voice. “Rai… Raikou is unable to battle! Pikachu wins! The winner of this match is Trainer Ash!”

Those trainees sat dazedly in the spectator stands, mouths open wide enough to fit a Poké Ball, eyes staring blankly at the huge crater in the middle of the field and the panting yellow figure at the edge of the crater.

Won? That boy named Ash, with a single Pikachu, had defeated Raikou, one of the Legendary Beasts? And that was under the personal command of Gym Leader Morty? How could this be possible?

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Marcus muttered, his voice filled with the bewilderment of a completely collapsed worldview. “That’s Raikou. One of the three emissaries under Ho-Oh. The Legendary Pokémon that controls lightning. How could it lose to a single Pikachu?”

He suddenly turned his head, looking at the equally dazed companions beside him, as if wanting to find a trace of evidence from their faces that this was just a dream. However, what he saw were only equally bewildered and helpless gazes.

“That Pikachu. What on earth is its background?” Another trainee swallowed hard, their voice dry. “Its attack power, speed, and those moves you’ve never even heard of. Is this really a Pikachu? Isn’t it some Legendary Pokémon wearing a Pikachu skin?”

“Even a Legendary Pokémon couldn’t beat Raikou like this.” As the person closest to the field, Lily had seen every single detail of the battle just now clearly. The one who was most scared during the battle was her, and the one whose eyes widened the most was also her.

As a child who hadn’t gone out on a journey yet, being able to observe such a battle up close would definitely be of huge help to her future. The experience of acting as referee this time would probably be remembered in her heart for a lifetime.

And at this moment, Morty had recovered from his daze.

He didn’t speak, but instead directly jumped down into the huge charred crater in the center of the field. At the bottom of the crater, Raikou was lying sideways among a pile of rubble.

Its golden fur was now covered with shocking burn marks, its originally majestic thundercloud-like mane was dim and devoid of light, its limbs were sprawled powerlessly, its eyes were tightly closed, and the weak rise and fall of its chest proved it was still alive, but that was all.

Raikou, the legendary controller of lightning, had actually been injured by lightning into this state.

Morty squatted down, his hand trembling as he reached toward Raikou’s breath. Feeling that weak yet steady airflow, the heart that had been hanging in his throat finally dropped back into his chest.

Fortunately, it had only fainted. If Raikou had really suffered any serious harm in this trial, he, its temporary partner, would probably have to make amends with his life.