"Ah?? Ash uses Pikachu??" Seeing Ash send out Pikachu, not only the three people at Vermilion City Gym were stunned, but Misty and Brock were also dumbfounded.
"What's wrong with Ash? Doesn't he know that Raichu is Pikachu's evolved form?" Misty said, looking at Pikachu, who had already jumped onto the field, worriedly.
Even if its appearance didn't give it away, its name should have. Raichu is the evolved form of Pikachu.
For most trainers, an evolved form always has a natural suppression over its unevolved form.
Perhaps it's debatable for different species, but for Pokémon of the same species, it's generally believed that the evolved form is stronger than the unevolved one.
So, almost no one would use an unevolved Pokémon to battle an evolved one, as that would be a significant disadvantage.
Don't look at Pikachu and Raichu both being Electric-type Pokémon; Raichu's inherent power is several levels stronger than Pikachu's. Not only that, but Raichu's electrical output alone is several times stronger than Pikachu's.
Brock still kept his eyes squinted, unchanged for years, and remained silent, but his tightly furrowed brows showed that he was also a bit worried.
"Hmm? You actually want to use that Pikachu to fight Raichu?" Lt. Surge asked after he reacted.
"Is there a problem?" Ash remained unmoved.
"Don't you know that Raichu is Pikachu's evolved form? Making Pikachu fight Raichu is just seeking death." Lt. Surge had been impressed by Ash in the first match, but now he was once again showing contempt.
He seemed to think that Ash had just been lucky in the previous match.
"You've been talking non-stop from the beginning. Why don't you lecture me after you've won!" Ash responded indifferently.
"Hmph! So arrogant just because you coincidentally won one match. I'll teach you that a real trainer, after catching a Pokémon, should quickly evolve it to unleash its maximum power!"
Lt. Surge also felt a bit annoyed by Ash's words. He was an impulsive person, and naturally liked powerful Pokémon.
Pikachu is different from other Pokémon. Other Pokémon need continuous training to evolve, but Pikachu is different; Pikachu only needs a Thunder Stone to evolve.
So, for him, getting a Pikachu meant he should immediately find a Thunder Stone to evolve it. In his opinion, it was foolish not to evolve a Pokémon that didn't require training to evolve.
The previous match had ended, and Lt. Surge, intending to teach Ash a lesson, launched the first attack this time.
"Raichu, show him what a real Electric-type Pokémon is! Use Thunderbolt!!"
"Rai!"
At Lt. Surge's command, he started with a powerful move. Hearing this, Raichu clenched its hands. Electrical sacks on both sides of its cheeks instantly released a powerful electrical current. Its whole body was enveloped in golden lightning, and a power stronger than Discharge or Thunder Shock erupted.
Boom!!!
A roaring thunderclap, like lightning and thunder, sounded. It was called Thunderbolt, but Raichu's ordinary electric attacks could already release over a hundred thousand volts of electricity.
Thunderbolt's power already far exceeded a hundred thousand volts of power. The electricity transformed into a golden, shimmering whip, striking the ground. The already shattered ground was instantly swept by this powerful electricity.
The shattered rocks, upon contact with the current's power, were instantly pulverized. Misty and Brock behind Ash watched the dazzling electric light, unconsciously worrying about Ash and Pikachu.
"Such powerful destructive force!"
"I knew Raichu's electricity was strong, but I didn't expect it to be capable of this."
Brock couldn't help but speak. Looking at this power, the ground couldn't even withstand it. A simple Rock-type Pokémon probably couldn't endure it either.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!!"
Ash didn't panic when he saw Raichu attack. He immediately took action. Hearing this, Pikachu reacted instantly, crouching on the ground. Silver flashes appeared on its body, and then it quickly dashed forward.
Its entire body transformed into a silver flash. Raichu's lightning power was very strong, sweeping across the field, but Pikachu's speed was even faster than Eevee's.
So, although Thunderbolt's power was strong, it hit behind Pikachu every time.
"Pika Pika~~"
Pikachu continuously sped up, closing the distance to Raichu. In a blink of an eye, it rushed in front of Raichu. Pikachu leaped, charging towards Raichu.
Bang!!!
Pikachu, with extreme speed, crashed into Raichu's body. Quick Attack struck first, hitting Raichu. Before the observing Misty and Brock could celebrate, Lt. Surge said with a cold laugh.
"Useless. This kind of weak attack has no effect on my Raichu."
Although Raichu's body wasn't huge, it was already a behemoth compared to Pikachu. Raichu resisted Pikachu's impact with its protruding belly, a smug smile appearing on its face.
"Rai!!!"
Raichu pushed with all its might, a huge force directly sending Pikachu flying. Pikachu's body was knocked away, flying backward, flipping in the air, landing on the ground, and sliding some distance before stopping.
"See that? This is power only an evolved Raichu possesses. Raichu, use Body Slam!" After blocking Pikachu's Quick Attack, Lt. Surge took the opportunity to launch another attack.
"Rai!!!"
Hearing this, Raichu immediately charged forward, then leaped up, spreading its body, gathering all its strength, and falling from the sky.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack to dodge!!"
Looking at Raichu's Body Slam attack, its movements indeed seemed a bit clumsy. The disadvantage of hurriedly evolving with a Thunder Stone was beginning to show.
PS: Speaking of which, in terms of base stats, if it's not Partner Pikachu, a normal Pikachu's speed isn't actually faster than Raichu's.
However, the anime and games do differ. For example, Scizor is actually very slow in the games, but in the anime, it's always portrayed as a speed representative.
This can be understood as: game data is fixed, but in the anime, like reality, even with inherent shortcomings, they can be compensated through training.
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