Chapter 85: Pikachu Suddenly Appears, Giant Beast Slash

Boom!

A deafening boom, like thunder, reverberated across the open battlefield, kicking up a cloud of dust. Dodrio, however, was suddenly blasted away by a powerful force and finally crashed heavily onto the ground not far away.

Struggling to its feet, its feathers slightly disheveled, its body trembling slightly, its eyes flashing with unyielding light, it had just blocked Squirtle's powerful Water Gun attack, already having expended a great deal of stamina.

On the ground, everywhere were traces left from its effort to resist the surging water flow. The soil had been gouged by the water into deep channels.

Dodrio shook its slightly dazed head, trying to clear its mind. It gazed fiercely at the Squirtle not far away, a Poké Ball whose body was covered in a hard shell yet could not get close.

The power of this Water Gun is huge, almost matching Water Cannon.

Xiaomao looked grimly at the Squirtle, fearing that the Water Gun unleashed by his own trained Squirtle wasn't this outrageous.

At this moment, the spectators beside the battlefield and the audience watching were also quite shocked—this is clearly Water Cannon, so why shout Water Gun? Could it be to confuse the opponent?

"Xiaomao, catch it!"

Ash smiled and immediately shouted, "Water Pulse!"

The water column on Squirtle's cannon quickly converged, forming a huge water ball suspended in midair, emanating a chilling dread, and in an instant it blasted out, completely engulfing Dodrio.

Boom!

Dodrio struggled inside the water ball to no avail, only stirring ripples within. Moments later, with a loud bang, the water ball suddenly burst. Water sprayed forth like fireworks, and Dodrio was struck by the powerful force, its body falling limp like a broken kite to the ground, unable to move.

"Aura?"

"Squirtle actually has Aura?"

Professor Oak noticed a clue, seeing how familiar Squirtle was with pulse-type moves, especially the Water Pulse it just used—the speed of condensation and its power were rarely seen by him.

He looked at Ash in amazement: "Ash himself possesses Aura power, and Squirtle does too; if their bond is deep enough, something unexpected will happen, and certainly the power of the moves Squirtle uses will be greatly enhanced."

"Indeed!"

Brock told Professor Oak about Squirtle's double evolution.

After hearing this, Professor Oak's eyes lit up; his gaze toward Xiaomao held some sympathy—poor kid, actually encountering a trainer like Ash as a tough rival.

【Xiaomao: Sympathize with me in the Black World, Black Ash is so competitive, his strength is still that strong. From a third-person perspective, I don't know how my Black World self could beat Black Ash!】

【Professor Oak: You should be glad that White Ash isn't like Black Ash, otherwise you'd definitely suffer; but I'm actually looking forward to this—my research would surely speed up, maybe even give me some inspiration.】

【Professor Yashiro: Ash, you need to work hard, like Black Ash; if you ever get the chance, come to my lab and we can chat about your encounter with the divine beast.】

【Cynthia: The professor is right; if you have free time, you can come play in the Sinnoh region, and I'll personally show you around.】

Slender, elongated fingers tapped on the tabletop; Cynthia gazed at the Black Light Screen, her eyes flickering slightly. The last time Ash came to the Sinnoh region on a trip, many things seemed to have happened, feeling connected to the ancient civilization of Sinnoh; if possible, please have Ash come help and see if there's any news there.

【Adel: Our Unova region is also fun; if you have time, you can come over, and Elise—you haven't seen her in a while, right!】

【Daito: If you're interested in stones, come to the Johto region!】

The bullet comments suddenly shifted tone, all inviting Ash to go hang out.

Ash looked at the situation before him and was also dumbfounded—why isn't anyone paying attention to the battle?

They don't pay attention, but I can!

Black World—

"Player Xiaomao sent out Arcanine, while Player Ash sent out Pikachu!"

The commentator shouted, "Now Ash has the upper hand; Xiaomao still has two Poké Balls left—will Xiaomao sweep away the slump and reverse the disadvantage, or will Ash maintain his advantage until the match ends? Let's wait and see!"

"After fighting so many Gym battles, none compare to a showdown with you!"

Xiaomao is under immense pressure; he now has only two Poké Balls left, while Ash still has five. Although both have suffered some consumption, it doesn't matter much—the advantage lies entirely with Ash.

He has fought over ten Gym battles, none as tense as a showdown with Ash; perhaps it's because he constantly thinks of Ash, wondering how far Ash will improve.

"Same, it's been a long time since I've fought this smoothly."

Ash exhaled; after using Aura power in several consecutive matches, he felt somewhat fatigued.

He thought Xiaomao would be tougher to beat than imagined.

"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!"

"Pikachu, Flash!"

On the battlefield, two agile figures like lightning swiftly crossed paths, followed immediately by a deafening roar.

After the collision, both figures staggered slightly, each stepping back a few steps; the ground beneath them sank slightly from their force, dust flying up, making the silhouettes somewhat blurry.

"Pikachu's speed is so fast I can barely see its outline."

"Arcanine uses Extreme Speed, so its speed being this high is understandable, but Pikachu's speed not losing to Arcanine, even surpassing it, is just outrageous!"

Hearing the audience's discussion, Professor Oak wasn't particularly surprised by Pikachu's performance.

It seems Ash cares a lot about Pikachu!

"Flamethrower!"

"100,000 Volts!"

A scorching flame and a fierce bolt of lightning collided violently in midair, a strong surge of air bursting from the point of impact, ruffling the challengers' clothes and hair.

Under this impact, even the distant audience felt a strong shock; the air reeked of burnt scent and electric sparks—the traces left after the clash of flame and lightning.

After several rounds of fighting Pikachu, Arcanine bore many wounds, breathing heavily.

"Flame Charge!"

"Iron Tail!"

Arcanine let out a howl, its body instantly engulfed in fierce flames, charging straight at Pikachu.

Pikachu's tail blazed with dazzling white light, emitting a chilling energy, and began to extend outward, instantly becoming several times thicker than before.

As the tail extended, the stored-up power finally burst forth. Pikachu leapt up, swung its tail, and slammed it hard into the Arcanine fully wreathed in flames.

But this Iron Tail seems a bit odd!

Could this be "Giant Beast Slash"?