Terrifying electricity gathered on Pikachu's body, golden lightning bloomed on the field, Pikachu gathered all its strength, preparing for a final clash with Slaking.
The battle ended much faster than everyone expected. If Slaking won this clash, then Norman still had a chance to win.
Even though Ash still had the powerful Charizard, Slaking could find other ways to recover its stamina.
As long as it didn't lose its ability to battle, anything was possible.
On Ash's side, all it needed to do was defeat Slaking, and the battle would be decided.
"Go, Pikachu!" Facing the terrifying Slaking, Ash showed no fear. From the moment he had Pikachu face Slaking head-on, he was ready.
It wasn't about winning or losing; it was simply about giving it your all. Even if Pikachu could dodge Slaking's attack before striking again, Ash didn't make that choice. To dodge in this kind of battle would be an insult to himself and Pikachu.
Two terrifying pressures raged across the field. The spectators held their breath, afraid to utter a single breath, lest they miss the most crucial moment of the battle.
The next instant, two figures moved without warning. Their movements were lightning fast; even though Misty and the others were watching intently, they still couldn't catch a glimpse of the two Pokémon.
In an instant, they collided. Sparks flew across the field, golden arcs of electricity and white energy shooting out, the explosive shockwaves spreading outwards, constantly crashing against the barrier and creating ripples.
Max clenched his fists, his expression tense, cheering Slaking on relentlessly. But things didn't go as planned; Slaking was being steadily suppressed, its energy rapidly dwindling.
Electric Shock had been superior from the start, and its power steadily increased throughout the battle. This was Pikachu's all-out attack, unreserved and without regard for stamina.
This attack might exhaust Pikachu even without further attacks, but it would be stronger than all of Pikachu's previous attacks!
Slaking had previously used Mega Kick, only to be sent flying by Pikachu's Iron Tail. Although that was an uncharged attack, Pikachu's situation was more unfavorable.
Iron Tail wasn't Pikachu's STAB move, and its power was weaker than Electric Shock. If Pikachu could still send Slaking flying under those circumstances, it would be even more effective now.
However, Pikachu's goal wasn't to overwhelm Slaking, but to deliver a fatal blow! This level of difficulty is on a completely different level from simply knocking Slaking away. Therefore, Slaking's real challenge isn't winning this clash, but rather maintaining its battle ability.
If it can do that, the scales of victory will tip in Slaking's favor.
As an excellent trainer, Norman is well aware of this. If he can get Slaking to retract its energy, there's a good chance of blocking Pikachu's attack.
But why would Norman make this choice?
He knows perfectly well that Ash's trainer level is nearly equal to his own, and the best way he can think of for Pikachu is definitely not a direct confrontation. Yet Ash still made this choice.
If he backs down here, he would be betraying the honor between trainers!
So…
"Go, Slaking! Hold nothing back! Give it your all!" Norman's shout reached Slaking's ears. Slaking, who had been holding back some strength for defense, tensed up and unleashed his remaining power without hesitation!
"Neta!" With a roar, Slaking's white light surged, instantly suppressing Pikachu's electricity.
This reversal of fortune caused Masaru to shout with delight, but the sound lasted less than a second.
The power that suppressed Pikachu vanished like a shooting star; the electricity on Pikachu surged again after only a moment!
With the boost from Light Ball and Partner Form, even Slaking, known for his physical attacks, was no match for him.
If the bond between Slaking and Norman increased Slaking's power, then the bond between him and Ash amplified it even more! If we're simply comparing bonds, Pikachu believes its bond with Ash is the strongest in the world!
"Pika! Pika! Pika! Pika! Pikachu!!!" Pikachu's face, engulfed in lightning, grew increasingly ferocious, the massive bolts of electricity spreading across the entire arena.
With Pikachu's shout, golden lightning completely suppressed Slaking, the light so intense that those around couldn't see what was happening inside.
Deafening explosions echoed throughout the arena, the spreading shockwaves relentlessly battering the barrier.
As time passed, the flickering lightning began to dissipate, and everyone lowered their hands to look inside.
The gigantic Slaking and Pikachu were now locked in combat, back to back. Pikachu stood there, panting heavily, its body trembling.
Slaking, on the other hand, remained motionless. Less than a second later, Slaking let out a wail and collapsed to the ground.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment; the outcome of the battle was finally decided.
"Slaking is unable to battle, Pikachu wins. The ultimate victor is Ash from Pallet Town!!" After a brief moment of astonishment, Sayuri resolutely announced the result.
Sayuri's voice was like a switch, igniting a cacophony of voices throughout the previously silent arena.
The children were all amazed by the duel. May felt a pang of regret for her father's defeat, but this thrilling battle had also been incredibly beneficial to her.
May felt that her father, though defeated, was still honorable. It wasn't that her father wasn't strong enough, but rather that Ash was simply too strong; that monstrous Pikachu was absolutely unique in the world.
Leaving aside Pikachu's special abilities, just the fact that it could contend with Slaking in terms of strength was already absurd.
With that size clashing with Slaking, who could have imagined that Pikachu would be the ultimate winner?
This is enough to demonstrate just how monstrous Ash's Pikachu was. So even though her father lost, May only felt a slight pang of regret, not overwhelming disappointment.
This was entirely expected, even logical. From the moment Pikachu used Iron Tail to knock Slaking away, the situation on the field was already quite clear.
A direct confrontation with Slaking was no match for Pikachu, especially since in the final clash, Pikachu used the Electric-type Thunderbolt, which was not only more powerful than Iron Tail but also a STAB move.
If nothing unexpected happened, Slaking's defeat was practically inevitable.
Therefore, while May felt a little regret for her father, she wasn't overly concerned.
However, Max was different.
He stared blankly at Slaking's fallen figure, his face filled with disbelief. Max couldn't believe his father had lost so easily.
"How could... How could Daddy lose... No way! How could Daddy lose!" Max shouted, completely losing control.
Norman, who was about to recall Slaking and shake hands with Ash on the field, turned to Max.
Max's emotional outburst drew everyone's attention. May frowned slightly, her small hand resting on Max's head as she said, "Victory and defeat are common in war. No one can never lose. Even if Father loses this time, it doesn't mean he can never get back up."
"Failure is not shameful; what's truly shameful is not being able to get back up after a defeat. If you don't even understand this, how can you become a trainer who surpasses Father, the strongest trainer?"
Norman, who had been about to go over, smiled upon hearing May's words. It seemed he no longer needed to worry about educating his son.
His daughter was already a mature trainer.
Afterwards, Norman recalled Slaking, walked onto the field, and shook hands with Ash: "It was a wonderful battle. I hope we can have another chance to fight in the future."
"Yes, Mr. Norman, we'll fight again sometime," Ash replied with a serious smile.
This seemingly uneventful battle actually brought him considerable benefits. If given the opportunity, he would like to fight Norman again.
Pikachu has reached the intermediate Elite Four level thanks to this battle, Lucario has reached the Elite Four level, and Charizard's level is about to rise.
The experience gained from battling powerful Trainers is far superior to what can be achieved by battling countless random Trainers.
For Norman, this evenly matched duel also added a lot of experience. He had never experienced a battle of this level back in Petalburg City.
Becoming the Gym Leader of the Johto region is truly wonderful.
"This is proof of defeating the Petalburg Gym, the Libra Badge. Take it, Ash." Norman pulled a badge with an inverted eight from his clothes—the Libra Badge, proof of their victory.
"I got the Libra Badge!"
"Pikachu!!" Ash and Pikachu celebrated together, striking their signature victory pose.
Not far away, Max looked somewhat dejected, but with May's encouragement, he accepted the fact. He knew his father wasn't invincible, but what he couldn't accept was that his father had been defeated by someone his sister's age.
Even if someone had defeated his father, it should have been a Champion or Elite Four member, someone close to or older than his father.
But now, his father had been defeated by someone so much younger than him; the humiliation was indescribable.
But with May's encouragement, Max also found his way out of this dead end. Although Ash was the same age as May, his strength was on a completely different level. While Ash and May's ace Blaziken had fought fiercely, Ash hadn't actually unleashed his full power.
Moreover, the battle was only close in appearance; it was a battle where Ash's Venusaur completely overwhelmed him due to its type disadvantage.
And at that time, Ash hadn't even used his true power yet, so you can imagine how vast the gap was between them.
"When I become a Trainer, I will definitely avenge my father!" Max declared as he walked up to Ash.
Ash simply smiled noncommittally and replied, "Okay, I'll be waiting."
He had always been the pursuer and challenger, and now, in just half a year, he had become the challenged and pursued—a rather strange feeling.
The challenge to the Petalburg Gym ended with Ash defeating Norman 3-0. Only a few students knew about the battle, ensuring it wouldn't be publicized.
Otherwise, if the outside world knew that a Pikachu had actually managed to go toe-to-toe with Slaking in a direct power match, and even defeat it, it would likely cause a huge uproar.
After obtaining the Petalburg Gym badge, Ash and his friends were to accompany Serena to get the badge from the local Violet Gym.
Serena only had one Pokémon, and it was unclear whether the Violet Gym would be willing to challenge her one-on-one.
Upon hearing that Ash and his friends were going to challenge the Violet Gym, May and Max also expressed their curiosity and wanted to go watch.
Although they lived in the same city, they had never witnessed a battle at the Violet Gym. They had only greeted the Gym Leader upon arriving in the city and hadn't had any further interaction since.
With more people, there would be more fun, so Ash readily agreed to let the two join them. Thus, the group of four became a group of six, and they set off in a grand procession for the Violet Gym.
Anyone who didn't know better would think they were going to cause trouble.