Chapter 60: Ash vs Huo La (5)

Pikachu— the unmistakable "special protagonist" of the Pokemon World, calling it a "god among non‑gods" would not be an exaggeration.

Its strength has never had a fixed standard; when strong it can directly contend with legendary Pokemon such as Yveltal and Zeraora, and when weak even a Flying Mantis or a Miltank can't defeat it.

But anyone with eyes can tell that those "mistakes" are mostly staged to fit the battle's flow; when the moment truly matters, it always unleashes astonishing power.

Watching Pikachu stand steadily on the sand, its tail tip flickering with fine sparks, Huo La clenched his palm— he almost couldn't resist using the system to check Pikachu's real‑time status, but in the end he suppressed the thought.

He wants to win this match by his own judgment.

"Come back, Giant Needle Bee, thanks for your effort." After the Giant Needle Bee turned into Red Light and returned to its Pokeball, he hurled another Pokeball: "Your turn now, Flying Mantis!"

"Swish—!" Red Light flashed, and the Flying Mantis's figure instantly appeared in midair.

Its wings trembled slightly as it hovered a meter above the ground; its forelimbs, like steel blades, glimmered with a cold metallic sheen, reflecting a dazzling glare in the sun, its gaze so sharp it seemed to pierce the air, and its mere aura felt oppressively heavy.

"It's a Flying Mantis?" Xiao Xia immediately frowned, saying instinctively, "Flying + Bug Type, completely countered by Pikachu's Electric Type! How could Huo La pick it?"

Lilian shook her head, her eyes fixed on the Flying Mantis in the arena: "Not necessarily. Earlier, the Pidgey, also a Flying Type, countered the Giant Needle Bee, yet it still lost, didn't it? Xiao Gang Ge once said that the same type advantage can yield completely different outcomes in the hands of different Trainers and Pokemon. Huo La's tactics in the first three rounds were so solid; he certainly wouldn't expose a flaw so easily."

Xiao Gang gave a firm nod, his gaze focused as if observing a Rare Pokemon: "You haven't seen this Flying Mantis during training—its speed is thirty percent faster than a normal Flying Mantis, its forelimb hardness can slash rock, and it can dodge Electric Shock while moving at high speed. Huo La's choice is absolutely confident."

Ash naturally heard the others' conversation, yet he did not relax his guard at all; instead he clenched his fist, his eyes burning with even more battle intent: "No matter how strong it is, the fact remains that Electric Type counters Bug and Flying Types! Pikachu, let's go! First use Thunderbolt to probe!"

"Pika—chu!" Pikachu's hind legs pushed off the ground, its tail raised high, and a dazzling golden current burst from its body; the "crackle" of electricity echoed across the beach as a thick bolt surged straight toward the Flying Mantis in midair!

Huo La's gaze hardened, his command clear and decisive: "Flying Mantis, dodge with Electric Flash, then circle behind Pikachu and use Air Slash!"

"Swish!" The Flying Mantis's wings surged, its form instantly becoming a green after‑image, easily evading the Thunderbolt— the current struck the sand, leaving a charred mark, and the Flying Mantis had already moved behind Pikachu, its limbs crossed, drawing two sharp Air Blades that lunged at Pikachu's back!

"Pikachu, turn quickly and block with Iron Tail!" Ash's reaction was lightning‑fast, shouting the command almost the instant the Flying Mantis launched its attack.

Pikachu instantly turned, its tail instantly sheathed in a metallic sheen, "clang" a crisp sound, hard‑blocking the Air Slash. Yet the slash's impact forced it to stagger back two steps, its paws leaving two shallow marks in the sand.

"What speed!" Zheng Hui couldn't help exclaiming, his recorder scribbling furiously, "The Flying Mantis, borrowing the speed of Electric Flash to use Air Slash, is already a combo move! Pikachu's Iron Tail did block the attack, but it's already been suppressed!"

Huo La gave Ash no respite, continuing his order: "Flying Mantis, don't stop! Use Multi Slash!"

The Flying Mantis's limbs swung rapidly, a barrage of sharp slashes surged toward Pikachu, the attack frequency so fast it almost merged into a single wave, forcing Pikachu to constantly block with Iron Tail, gradually falling into a passive defensive stance.

Ash watched Pikachu retreating repeatedly, his heart sweating with anxiety, yet he forced himself to stay calm— he knew that in a raw contest of speed and offense, Pikachu wasn't a match for the Flying Mantis and he had to find a chance to counter.

"Pikachu, look for a chance to use Electric Flash to create distance!" Ash shouted loudly, "Then use Thunder!"

Pikachu instantly seized the gap in the Flying Mantis's assault, its form turning into a yellow flash, leaping backward to widen the distance from the Flying Mantis.

It tilted its head toward the sky, electricity surging around it instantly, the dark clouds seemed drawn in, a thick bolt of lightning coalesced above its head, ready to strike at any moment!

Huo La's pupils suddenly contracted— he never imagined that this Pikachu had already mastered Thunder!

As a high‑tier Electric Type skill, Thunder's power exceeds Thunderbolt by several times, and its dense area‑wide lightning makes it even trickier; once it strikes, a Flying Mantis of that size can hardly dodge it completely.

"No retreat!" Huo La's thoughts flashed rapidly; after a deep breath, he decisively issued a command that shocked everyone: "Flying Mantis, use Sword Dance to boost attack! Then charge forward into the Thunder and use Slash!"

"What?!" the onlookers shouted in unison.

"Charging straight into Thunder? Isn't that walking right into an electric trap?" Xiao Xia exclaimed, taking two steps forward in disbelief.

Lilian also furrowed her brows: "Even if Sword Dance raises its attack, getting hit by Thunder would probably overwhelm the Flying Mantis, right?"

Only Xiao Gang's gaze remained heavy, he said nothing.

The Flying Mantis on the field showed no hesitation; the instant it heard the command, its limbs spun like a windmill at rapid speed, its aura climbing at a visible rate, the sharp blade light nearly tearing the air.

Then its wings snapped powerfully, ignoring the thickening clouds overhead and the crackling electricity, it surged forward like a green lightning bolt straight at Pikachu!

"Pikachu, unleash Thunder now! Don't let it get close!" Ash, startled by Huo La's tactic, shouted urgently— he could not allow the Flying Mantis to charge at Pikachu.

"Pika—chu!" Pikachu lifted its head and let out a clear cry, electricity around it surged to the extreme, a bucket‑thick golden bolt of lightning thundered down from the clouds with world‑shattering force, slashing straight at the charging Flying Mantis!

At the instant the lightning was about to strike the Flying Mantis, Huo La's voice rang again, with precise foresight: "Now! Sidestep, aim for Pikachu's chest, and slash with all your might!"

The Flying Mantis seemed pre‑prepared, its body lunged sharply to the left, barely evading the lightning's core— though stray currents still brushed its wings, producing a brief hiss, its limbs had already gathered all their strength, a dazzling silver‑white blade flash tore through the air, slashing fiercely at the unprepared Pikachu!