Roars echoed across the lake as the massive Pokémon glared down from above.
"Roar!!!"
The Rhydon was far larger than others of its kind. Its fierce eyes were locked on Pikachu, and with a thunderous roar, a violent shockwave burst from its mouth. The air rippled outward, forming a powerful pressure wave.
"It's strong. A wild Pokémon reaching the peak of the King tier… and it's not even afraid of water. Its size is also much larger than normal ones."
Emiya Shirō frowned slightly as he raised his right hand, shielding himself from the incoming shockwave.
Standing in front of the raging Pokémon, Ash Ketchum remained calm.
"If you win, become my partner. If you lose, I'll help you evolve and grow stronger."
Ash smiled slightly.
"How about it? Fight."
"What?!"
Shirō stared in disbelief.
"Isn't the Rhydon already the final evolution? How can it evolve further?"
Before Ash could respond, Sabrina spoke calmly from the side.
"Don't underestimate your master. He's memorized almost all the Pokémon data that exists in this world."
"Memorized… everything?!"
Shirō was stunned.
The number of Pokémon species and recorded data in the world was enormous. Even studying it for an entire lifetime wouldn't guarantee full comprehension. Yet Ash had memorized it all. Just imagining it was terrifying.
Ash looked at the raging Pokémon and continued.
"Your strength keeps increasing, but you feel like you can't fully use it… right?"
The Rhydon paused slightly, clearly surprised.
"Want to bet on a battle with me?"
The wild Pokémon hesitated. After all, it had never seen another of its kind evolve further.
But Ash knew the truth.
The Rhydon could still evolve into Rhyperior, a powerful evolution discovered in the Sinnoh region.
Its strength rivaled the terrifying Tyranitar from Johto.
However, the evolution required a very rare item: the Protector.
Because the item was extremely scarce, Rhyperior itself was rarely seen in the world. But with Ash's resources, obtaining such an item was completely possible.
"Roar!"
Sensing the powerful aura radiating from Ash, the Rhydon finally nodded in agreement.
Since evolving from Rhyhorn, it had undergone a strange mutation. It could now swim freely in water without fear of Water-type Pokémon.
This mutation allowed it to dominate the entire lake and become its ruler.
Its strength continued to grow steadily.
But there was a problem.
Even though its power increased, it could never fully release that strength. At most, it could only display the strength of a King-tier Pokémon.
This was the limitation of wild Pokémon.
It had evolved too early—before fully developing its potential. Because of that, its growth had become restricted.
If its potential had been completely unlocked before evolving, it might already have reached the quasi-Champion or even Champion level.
But in Ash's eyes, it wasn't too late.
The Rhydon still had another evolution waiting for it. That meant its potential had not been fully exhausted yet.
If it had already been the final form, even Ash could only increase its raw strength—not its level ceiling.
But now?
There was still room to grow.
"Roar!!!"
After reaching an agreement, the Rhydon roared again. It lifted its massive foot and slammed it down.
The ground trembled violently.
The Ground-type move Earthquake erupted.
Because of its Ground typing, Electric attacks from Pikachu would normally have little effect.
Even with a level advantage, Electric-type attacks were resisted. However, that didn't mean they were completely useless.
Ash remained calm.
"Stabilize yourself."
"Use Chidori."
"Pika!"
Ash's Pikachu was far from ordinary.
The techniques Ash had created were far more powerful than standard moves—many of them even incorporating physical combat elements.
As the ground shook violently, Pikachu thrust its tail into the earth, stabilizing its body against the tremors.
Then lightning gathered in its right paw.
Golden electricity crackled wildly, accompanied by the sharp cry of a thousand birds.
"That technique…!"
Shirō immediately recognized it.
During past training battles with Ash, his Pokémon had suffered quite a lot against this terrifying technique.
"The cells are activating."
Ash's eyes narrowed slightly.
"High-speed charge!"
As Chidori formed, Pikachu's body burst with energy. Electrical power stimulated its cells, combining with Agility and Volt Tackle.
In an instant—
Pikachu's speed exploded to an astonishing level.
Lightning flashed across the battlefield as the tiny figure shot forward like a golden thunderbolt.
"Pika!"
Whoosh!!!
It happened almost instantly.
In the blink of an eye, Pikachu vanished from its original position. A golden flash of lightning streaked across the battlefield.
The next moment—
Pikachu appeared directly in front of Rhydon.
The ground-shaking effects of Earthquake stopped abruptly as Pikachu's attack connected.
For a moment…
Time itself seemed to freeze.
Boom!
"Roar—!"
Three seconds later, Rhydon's eyes suddenly contracted.
A spiderweb of cracks spread across the armor on its left chest.
Then—
The massive Pokémon collapsed heavily onto the ground.
The battle was over.
One strike.
That single attack had instantly defeated Rhydon.
"Pika."
As Rhydon lost consciousness, the faint lightning leaking from Pikachu's body flickered once before disappearing.
This was the aftereffect of Cell Activation, the temporary surge that pushed Pikachu's speed and power to extraordinary levels.
Seeing that Rhydon had completely lost its ability to fight, Ash Ketchum calmly took out a Poké Ball and threw it.
The Poké Ball struck Rhydon and opened.
A red beam of light enveloped the massive Pokémon and pulled it inside.
The capture process was incredibly smooth.
There was almost no resistance at all.
(End of Chapter)
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