Chapter 0605: O Dragon, Devour My Foes!

"Pikachu—!"

Pikachu reared up on its hind legs before leaping skyward, electricity crackling across its cheeks before engulfing its entire body.

"Pikachu—!!"

Bathed in brilliant lightning, Pikachu unleashed its Thunderbolt straight at Blastoise, who stood with cannons at the ready!

A dazzling arc of electricity split the air.

"Blastoise."

Empowered by Torrent, Blastoise's eyes gleamed sharply as its twin cannons gathered a deep violet pulse.

BOOM!!

The two pulses merged into one, forming an emerald dragon with beating wings that roared as it dove toward the brilliant Thunderbolt!

CRASH!!

The Thunderbolt was instantly swallowed by the howling Dragon Pulse, sending shockwaves and smoke billowing outward.

Through the swirling dust, the Dragon Pulse surged onward—still raging toward Pikachu mid-air!

BAM!!

"Pikachu!"

The emerald dragon exploded on impact, sending Pikachu tumbling backward with no room to evade.

The livestream flooded with question marks.

"You call THAT a Dragon Pulse?!"

"Since when does Dragon Pulse block projectiles?!"

"Relax, it's just Blastoise's built-in buffs!"

Natsume wore a complicated expression.

Ah, this move... This is Hanzo's ultimate technique—

Dragon, devour my foe!

Seeing the overwhelming Dragon Pulse, Riley—an advanced aura wielder—looked on with mixed feelings.

Natsume-sensei's Blastoise undoubtedly possessed Champion-level strength.

Even an Infernape in 'Blaze' would struggle to so much as scratch it.

Perhaps... only that Lucario could stand against it!

As the smoke cleared, a battered Pikachu lay in the scorched earth.

"Pikachu..." Pikachu struggled to rise, sparks weakly flickering across its cheeks.

From the stands, Gold blurted out: "How the hell is Ash's Pikachu still standing?!"

Lt. Surge grimaced. "My Raichu... lost to it once. Don't ask."

Gold blinked. "Raichu... lost to Pikachu?"

Lt. Surge: "...Yeah."

Gold burst out laughing, slapping his knee: "o(*≧▽≦)ツ No way, Lt. Surge!"

Lt. Surge: "..."

"Pallet Town trainers specializing in Pikachu is practically tradition," Bruno rumbled, crossing his massive arms. "That Pikachu... is something else."

As smoke continued to rise, Pikachu collapsed again. Natsume glanced at the referee.

The referee hesitated.

Natsume sighed inwardly.

What are you waiting for? Call the match already!

"PIKACHU—!!" Ash bellowed.

"P-Pikachu..." Pikachu's eyes fluttered open. It staggered to its feet, then locked onto Blastoise with renewed intensity. "Pikachu!"

The referee glanced at Natsume before blowing his whistle and raising the flag. "The battle continues!"

Natsume: "..."

So Ash's 'Revival Shout' works fine—the problem is me not finishing the job!

"Blastoise," Natsume commanded. " Water Gun!"

"Blastoise." With a flash of determination, Blastoise aimed its twin cannons and unleashed a torrential water blast with a deafening BOOM!

The livestream flooded with "23333" spam.

"Calling Hydro Pump 'Water Gun'? Natsume-sensei is such a troll!"

"Is that Pikachu wearing a Focus Band? How is it still standing at 1 HP?"

"Fighting like a raging bear, fearless of death!"

Seeing the incoming "Water Gun," Ash had a sudden inspiration. "Pikachu, dodge with Quick Attack!"

"Pikachu!" Transforming into a streak of white light, Pikachu nimbly evaded the water blast and charged straight at Blastoise.

"Blastoise?" Blastoise looked momentarily surprised, raising its fist slightly before lowering it again.

Natsume's expression turned complicated.

If I let this punch connect, Ash's anime series might get canceled!

"Now!" Ash shouted. "Jump onto Blastoise's shell and hide between its cannons!"

"Pikachu!" With agile movements, Pikachu scrambled onto Blastoise's back. Blastoise turned its head slightly.

Natsume blinked in recognition.

Haven't I seen this before?

Pika God, didn't you use this exact move against Dragonite in the Orange Islands?!

"Contestant Ash's surprise strategy succeeds!" the commentator roared. "Pikachu has successfully mounted Blastoise's shoulders!"

"Great job, Pikachu! Now use Iron Tail!" Ash commanded.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu's tail gleamed with metallic sharpness as it came crashing down.

THUD!

The Iron Tail struck Blastoise's shell, leaving only a shallow scratch.

"Uh..." Even the commentator was stunned. "The results seem... underwhelming?"

Livestream viewers wept collectively.

"Stop scratching, Pika-master, just stop!"

"Is this a Blastoise shell exfoliation service?"

"Almost broke through its defense!"

"The level difference is too big... but gotta admire Pikachu's courage!"

Need to shake Pikachu off, Natsume thought. "Withdraw and spin!"

Both were Blastoise's natural abilities, unrelated to move-based defense boosts or hazard removal.

"Blastoise..." Blastoise withdrew into its shell and dropped to the ground.

Now standing on the smooth surface, Pikachu lost its footing immediately. "Pikachu?!"

"Hit the shell directly with Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

"Pikaaa—!" As Pikachu began charging, Blastoise started spinning rapidly, forcing Pikachu to desperately cling to the shell's edge.

"Aim at the ground and use Water Gun," Natsume ordered.

Blastoise's head emerged slightly as its twin cannons fired powerful jets downward.

BOOM!!

The dual water blasts propelled Blastoise turtle into the air, sending Pikachu tumbling to the ground below.

"Contestant Natsume's Blastoise..." The commentator gaped. "It's... it's flying?!"

The audience erupted as they watched the airborne Blastoise.

"That's Sister Green's signature move," Silver remarked.

"With Blastoise's Hydro Pump power... it might be even more suited for this than Squirtle," Green observed with a wry smile.

"Pikachu—!" Pikachu struggled to stand.

As Blastoise's Water Gun ceased, it fully withdrew into its shell. The massive turtle shell blocked out the sun as it came crashing down!

"Pikachu, dodge!" Ash cried.

"Pikachu?" Pikachu looked up blankly - too late to avoid the descending shell.

CRASH!!

Dust billowed as the shell impacted, cracking the battlefield. Beneath it, Pikachu's eyes swirled dizzily.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" The referee waved his flag.

The chat exploded with question marks.

"Natsume-sensei, since when could your Blastoise fly?!"

"Nonsense! That was clearly Flying Press!"

"If that landed on Gardevoir, the stream would get banned immediately!"

Blastoise shifted its massive shell and slowly rose to its feet. Ash rushed forward to gather his unconscious Pikachu in his arms.

"You did great, Pikachu~"

"Pikachu~" Pikachu weakly responded in its dazed state.

On the giant screen, four of Ash's Poké Balls had dimmed, while Natsume's four Pokémon remained undefeated.

Seeing Natsume-sensei choosing not to recall Blastoise, the viewers erupted in excitement.

"Blastoise, is this going to be a one-on-four?!"

"It's about to teach the rookie what real strength looks like!"

The commentator announced: "With two Pokémon remaining for Contestant Ash, Contestant Natsume chooses to continue with Blastoise!"

The display updated to show all four of Ash's Poké Balls - including Pikachu's - now darkened.

Natsume closed his eyes briefly, considering Ash's remaining team composition.

Based on his main roster, one should be Charizard...

Greninja hasn't joined yet in Kalos... so what's the other one?

Pidgeot? Muk?... Or maybe Krabby?

I'm pretty good at handling Krabby, Natsume thought to himself.

"Gengar~" Gengar suddenly emerged from the shadows, tugging at Natsume's pant leg to signal movement on Ash's side.

Natsume looked up, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"Lucario?"

Standing proudly before Ash was a majestic Lucario with blue-and-black markings. It opened its crimson eyes, looking at Natsume with an uncharacteristic smile.

"Lord Natsume... it's been too long," Lucario's telepathic voice echoed.

Natsume studied Lucario, then glanced at Ash's determined expression before realizing: "Ash invited you here?"

Lucario nodded solemnly. "Moreover... I wished to challenge you properly, Lord Natsume!"

Ash had formed a bond with the Lucario from Cameran Palace.

Just as Latios followed Tobias, Ash had invited this Lucario to join his team.

Natsume rubbed his chin.

Does this mean I could call in some old friends too?

...No. Natsume shook his head.

This is the Sinnoh League - a challenge I must overcome with my own strength.

"Contestant Ash has sent out Lucario!" the commentator announced. "This marks its first appearance in this year's Lily of the Valley Conference!"

The audience examined the Lucario with curiosity.

As the embodiment of loyalty and courage, Lucario had always been beloved by fans.

Cynthia, who also raised one, watched the silent Lucario with shining eyes.

"Ash... gained the recognition of such a powerful Pokémon?"

"Impressive aura... but it's not truly his own strength," Flint muttered, frowning. "I wonder if he can command it properly."

The livestream went wild.

Judging by Ash's previous performances, he already surpassed most competitors' levels.

Even against Tobias, with Lucario fighting alongside him, Ash might stand a chance!

"Go Ash~~!" Aunt Delia cheered from the stands.

Ash's aura synchronized perfectly with Lucario's. The Fighting-type's eyes burned with fighting spirit as it growled: "Lucario!"

Natsume's aura likewise resonated with Blastoise's.

The combined ripple of their auras made Lucario's pulse quicken slightly.

In just one year... their strength has grown tremendously!

"Let's do this... Lucario!" Ash shouted.

"Lucario!" Lucario affirmed.

"Blastoise..." Blastoise studied Lucario intently, recalling when they'd worked together to save the Tree of Beginning.

Back then, Lucario's strength had seemed unreachable.

Now—

A bead of sweat rolled down Blastoise's forehead. "Blastoise..."

Why does it feel even stronger now?

The more one learns, the more one realizes how much remains unknown. This was the philosophy behind Blastoise's cautious nature.

On the battlefield, Lucario and Blastoise stood facing each other, their gazes sharp.

The referee's flag came down sharply.

"Battle... BEGIN!"