Ash stiffened his neck, his face full of unwillingness, his mind completely occupied with the thought of having a battle.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up. His gaze swept over the two little foxes in Theo's arms, then glanced at the Larvitar sitting on his own shoulder. He clapped his hands excitedly.
"Theo, your Alolan Vulpix, Fire-type Vulpix, and Larvitar are all small in size. They definitely meet the rules, right?"
Then Ash pointed at Pikachu on his shoulder, his face filled with anticipation.
"I will just use Pikachu. I will not use any powerful destructive moves. Since we are already here, let's have a battle!"
Theo had been pestered to the point of helplessness. In the end, he could only nod.
"Alright, alright. We will do as you say. Pick one of the three to be your opponent."
Max immediately leaned toward Brock, tugging at his arm as he whispered,
"Brock, can you get Ash to pick the Alolan Vulpix? I have never seen it battle before. I really want to see how it fights!"
Brock shrugged helplessly and spread his hands toward Max.
"How could I decide that? It depends on what Ash wants. And besides…"
He did not finish his sentence, but the look in his eyes clearly carried a sense of "just as expected."
Sure enough, after letting his gaze circle around the two Vulpix in Theo's arms, Ash's attention finally settled on Larvitar on his own shoulder.
The way he stared at Larvitar became brighter and brighter, gradually turning into something a bit strange.
Pikachu, on the other shoulder, hopped excitedly, calling out repeatedly,
"Pika, pika!"
"Pikachu, you are thinking the same thing as me, right? Then it is decided. Larvitar, I choose you!"
Ash slapped his thigh and pointed at Larvitar as he announced his choice.
Larvitar, who had been completely focused on studying Ash's backside, suddenly heard its name and snapped back to attention, staring blankly at him.
Brock sighed and held his forehead.
"Of course it turned out like this. Ash, Larvitar is a Rock and Ground type Pokémon. Pikachu's Electric type moves will not affect it at all."
"I know that, Brock. Do you think I am still the same as before? I understand type matchups, of course I do."
Ash placed his hands on his hips, his tone proud and confident.
"That is exactly why I chose Larvitar. This is what a real battle is. Even if the type matchup is unfavorable, you still have to find a way to win!"
"So you deliberately chose Larvitar even knowing the disadvantage?"
May could not help but cover her face as she asked helplessly.
"Of course!"
Ash lifted his chin without hesitation.
"That way, winning will be even more impressive. Right, Pikachu?"
"Pika! Pikachu!"
Pikachu waved its little paws energetically, its tail standing straight up, full of fighting spirit.
May and Brock exchanged a glance, both seeing the same familiar helplessness in each other's eyes.
Max slumped his shoulders and muttered softly,
"I really wanted to see the Alolan Vulpix battle… I did not expect Ash to still be exactly the same after all this time."
Meanwhile, Ash had already excitedly lifted Larvitar off his shoulder and placed it onto the battlefield.
But the moment Larvitar landed, it shook its head like a rattle drum, waving its little claws as it took two steps back, clearly unwilling to fight.
It was not stupid.
Just now, Ash had lifted it effortlessly, exactly like how its mother Tyranitar used to pick it up every day.
If it had to battle a "humanoid monster" like Ash, would it not just get flattened?
Larvitar had no intention of getting beaten up for nothing.
Theo found the situation between Ash and Larvitar both amusing and exasperating. He crouched down and gently rubbed Larvitar's head, patiently explaining,
"Do not worry. Your opponent is Pikachu, not Ash. Trainers do not fight personally. Your opponent is that yellow mouse beside him, not the human himself. There is nothing to be afraid of."
After hearing Theo's explanation, Larvitar tilted its head slightly, finally understanding.
So it was not going to fight that "humanoid monster" who could lift it with one hand, but just that small yellow mouse?
That was nothing to worry about.
Immediately, Larvitar straightened its round body, patted the red armor on its belly, and called out at Pikachu as if saying, come at me.
It just so happened that it could vent the frustration from earlier, when it had been mocked for its short tail, on this long tailed yellow mouse.
"Great!"
Seeing that Larvitar had agreed to fight, Ash immediately placed it properly at the center of the battlefield.
"Pikachu, are you ready?"
"Pika, pika!"
Pikachu leaped down from his shoulder and landed steadily, its tail raised high. Its yellow fur gleamed under the sunlight, and its eyes were filled with battle intent.
May and Max quickly ran to the edge of the field to find a good spot to watch, while Brock walked to the center with a sigh, temporarily acting as the referee.
"Alright, let me clarify the rules. No powerful finishing moves, keep it controlled, and do not go overboard. Got it?"
"Got it!" Ash and Theo replied in unison.
"Then," Brock took a deep breath and raised his hand, "Pikachu versus Larvitar. The battle begins!"
"Pikachu, start with Agility!"
Ash gave the first command, swinging his arm with great momentum.
Pikachu's figure blurred, turning into a streak of yellow lightning as it darted around the battlefield, leaving behind multiple afterimages. Its speed was so fast that it was nearly impossible to track.
It jumped left, then flashed right, almost as if it were deliberately provoking Larvitar.
"Larvitar, use Rock Throw to test it!"
Theo called out.
The small blunt horn on Larvitar's head glowed faintly as several fist sized stones materialized out of thin air and were hurled toward Pikachu's afterimages.
But Pikachu was far too fast. By the time the stones hit the ground, it had already leaped to the other side, even playfully flicking its tail at Larvitar.
"Lar!"
Larvitar grew slightly irritated, stomping its little feet on the ground in frustration at missing its target.
"Now, Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"
Seizing the moment, Ash immediately issued his next command.
Pikachu's tail gleamed with a silvery white light. Using the momentum from its speed, it spun sharply and shot toward Larvitar like a streak of light, its tail cutting through the air as it struck.
"Watch out!"
Theo warned.
Larvitar tried to dodge, but Pikachu was simply too fast. There was no time to react.
With a sharp smack, Iron Tail landed solidly on its body.
Larvitar staggered from the impact, sliding forward two steps as it cried out in pain.
"Nice one, Pikachu!"
Ash clapped excitedly.
Theo watched Larvitar's slightly heaving chest, already beginning to calculate quietly in his mind.
(End of Chapter)