Chapter 103: Team Rocket bursts in to stir trouble—does Kenan reserve a spot for Black Ash?

Bang!

A deafening boom echoed across the battlefield, Pikachu's yellow form darting like lightning, relentlessly launching fierce attacks on Dragonite.

In speed, Dragonite couldn't match Pikachu, so it could only defend passively, using Reflect to block Pikachu, then seizing the chance to fire Ice Beam.

"Volt Attack!"

A blue light flashed past Ash's eye.

The yellow current on Pikachu also showed a blue glow; facing Dragonite's ice beam, it shot forward at extreme speed, dodging the beam without pause.

Its current grew ever more violent, like a charged cannonball, it surged toward Dragonite again. This time it wasn't just dodging and attacking; it pushed speed and power to the limit, trying to break through Dragonite's defenses in one strike.

While charging and dodging, that ice beam, upon hitting the ground, instantly froze an area into ice.

"Dragon Pulse!"

Kenan's Dragonite knows many moves, which can increase its striking surface.

As Pikachu was about to rush forward, it suddenly opened its mouth, gathering a massive dragon-type energy from its mouth; as this energy kept condensing, it became a surging wave that swept toward Pikachu.

Bang!

Pikachu's Volt Attack and Dragonite's Dragon Pulse collided head‑on, producing a blinding flash and a deafening explosion. The Reflect that had been set up shattered instantly under Pikachu's impact, and Pikachu was swallowed by that tremendous force, its form vanishing in the smoke and dust.

Instantly, the entire battlefield was engulfed by that powerful energy, shockwaves rolling and debris flying, as if even the air trembled.

"What tremendous power!"

Xiao Jian narrowed his eyes with difficulty, trying to see through the thick smoke to make out the battlefield's condition.

This was the first time he had witnessed such a fierce battle at such close range; shocked, he couldn't help worrying about the field's capacity. Seeing the smoke‑filled, rubble‑strewn battlefield, he feared it could no longer endure more fighting, and after this match it would likely need major repairs.

As the thick smoke gradually cleared, the traces of the close‑quarters combat became plainly visible, and a huge black crater appeared on the ground.

Pikachu and Dragonite each suffered varying degrees of damage in that clash; Pikachu retained several visible wounds, while Dragonite, despite its large size, was not spared, bearing scorch marks from Pikachu's electric attacks.

Xiaoxia looked worriedly at Ash; she knew his current state, fighting heart‑to‑heart with Pikachu.

Having seen Ash fight like this before, the injury the Poké Ball suffers on the field is what he feels as well.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jian took notes on the side, staring at Ash in astonishment, as if witnessing some unfathomable phenomenon, feeling that Ash's condition matched that of the battling Pikachu.

Kenan gazed grimly at the pained Ash and the still‑steaming Pikachu, as if she had discovered the secret between them.

That is, when Pikachu is hurt, Ash also feels pain; of course this only happens when both Ash and Pikachu show a blue aura at the same time, but then Pikachu's abilities surge greatly, even enough to suppress his own Dragonite.

That must be the effect of Wave Guide Power—it can boost a Poké Ball's strength, but it also places a heavy burden on the trainer.

Just look at Ash now and you'll know.

Lost in thought, Kenan heard a strange sound and saw a mechanical hand suddenly appear from above, grabbing Pikachu.

Looking up, it was a Meowth hot‑air balloon, with two people and a cat aboard.

Afterward they launched into a string of lines.

"Since you asked sincerely, we'll graciously tell you!"

Team Rocket again.

"Team Rocket, let go of Pikachu quickly!"

Ash looked at the Team Rocket trio and shouted loudly.

"Heh heh, we've followed you this long, finally found a chance to snatch Pikachu—how could we let go?"

Musashi laughed loudly; at last they finally caught Pikachu.

"Pika‑chu!"

Pikachu kept discharging electricity, but there was no response.

"Our gear is shock‑proof, Pikachu—just come along with us nicely, Meow!"

Meowth grinned.

【Musashi: Oh wow, finally caught Pikachu!!!】

【Kojiro: Not easy at all, the Black World Team Rocket after all this time finally managed to catch a Pikachu!】

【Ash: Another sneak attack—if you've got the guts, come out and fight openly.】

【Meowth: We're the bad guys, and bad guys do sneak attacks.】

Black World—

Focused solely on battling Kenan, they'd forgotten the Team Rocket trio—such a huge oversight.

Ash pulled out Charizard's Poké Ball.

"Psychic!"

Kenan sent out Lickilicky, which restrained Team Rocket and helped Pikachu break free.

In the end, the finishing move was still Pikachu's 100,000 Volts.

After Team Rocket's mischief, Kenan gazed at the nearly ruined battlefield and fell into thought.

"Ash, I…"

Kenan turned to Ash, "The field's ruined like this—it's unusable now."

"So let's battle again next time!"

Seeing a crater like a meteorite impact appear in the middle of the battlefield, Ash also felt embarrassed, never imagining Pikachu and Dragonite could be this destructive.

"All right!"

"Don't be discouraged—this one's a draw!"

A flicker of strange emotion crossed Kenan's eyes—"Who knows, maybe next time I won't be your opponent!"

She spoke from the heart; just now, when Pikachu battled her Dragonite, she actually felt pressure from Ash—and it wasn't small.

If Ash were given a bit more power, from now on I truly couldn't beat him.

"I'll do my best!"

Ash also didn't expect Kenan to give such a high rating.

"You're already strong!"

Kenan said softly: "If you train a few more regions, I'm afraid the position of the Elite Four in the Kanto region might change—maybe this position will be yours!"

【Xiba: You think highly of Black Satoshi? I think Kenan wants to step down, using Black Satoshi to speak his mind.】

【Kenan: Hmph, otherwise you step down!】

【Xiba: I've stepped down as the Elite Four of the Kanto region, but I'm still the Elite Four of the Johto region, and now there's no one to take over!】

【Juzi: Let Old Man Da Mu take over!】

【Ash: Is Doctor Da Mu coming out of retirement?】

【Doctor Da Mu: Forget this old bone of mine; let the young people take over.】