Only after Rhyperior completed Rock Tomb—causing four massive stone slabs, each as large as a door panel, to crash down around its body—did Ash deliberately finish issuing his command a moment later.
"Pikachu, use Thunder!!"
"Not good!!"
The moment Ash finished his command, Mr. Morkel's expression changed dramatically. Only then did he realize he had fallen into another one of Ash's traps.
He immediately prepared to order Rhyperior to change its move.
However, Rock Tomb had already been activated, and the stone slabs had already slammed into the ground. At this point, whether he wanted Rhyperior to temporarily alter the positioning of the stones to defend overhead or use another Rock Tomb entirely, it was already too late.
"Pika~!"
?
~~~
KRAAAK-BOOM!!!
Receiving Ash's command, Pikachu unleashed a golden bolt of lightning toward the rain clouds above. In the next instant, it was as if ten thousand war drums thundered in unison throughout the heavens.
A dazzling azure heavenly thunderbolt tore through the skies and came crashing down upon the battlefield.
Under Rain Dance, Rhyperior's body had been thoroughly soaked. Although it was ordinarily immune to Electric-type attacks thanks to its Ground typing, its drenched body had now entered a conductive state.
Moreover, Rock Tomb only protected the space around its body. Against heavenly thunder descending from directly above, its defenses were completely exposed.
KABOOOOOM!!!
→
?
The heavenly lightning struck instantly.
With its defenses wide open, Rhyperior took the full force of Thunder head-on.
Furthermore, Rhyperior didn't possess the common ability Lightning Rod. Instead, its ability was Reckless.
Soaked from head to toe and now in a conductive state, it was immediately scorched black by the thunderbolt, leaving it thoroughly fried inside and out.
"Pikachu, use—"
Having successfully landed Thunder, Ash immediately issued another command, causing Mr. Morkel's complexion to turn deathly pale.
"Rhyperior, quickly use Rock Tomb overhead for defense!!"
Mr. Morkel hurriedly ordered Rhyperior to defend itself once more.
However, Ash once again employed his signature tactic of striking second to gain the advantage.
Only after Rhyperior had hurriedly used Rock Tomb above its head did Ash calmly finish issuing his command.
"Pikachu, use Parabolic Charge!!"
"->V"
"PIKAAAAAA~~~~~~!!!"
Receiving its Trainer's order, Pikachu lightly leapt into the air as crackling golden lightning burst from the electric sacs upon its cheeks.
Unlike Thunder, Thunderbolt, or Charge Beam—which unleashed focused and concentrated attacks—Parabolic Charge was far more chaotic in appearance.
It resembled a massive bolt of lightning exploding outward from its very center, countless electric currents scattering in all directions like threads of silk before rushing toward the flustered Rhyperior.
The scattered lightning bolts had no single point of impact. Instead, they slipped through every opening, invading every possible gap.
Rhyperior simply had no way of defending against such an attack.
BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT!
Mr. Morkel had assumed Ash intended for Pikachu to use Thunder once again. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Parabolic Charge instead.
With Rock Tomb positioned overhead, it couldn't defend against the frontal assault of the scattered electrical currents whatsoever.
At this moment, Rhyperior's body was thoroughly soaked from the rain. The instant the electricity made contact, its entire body convulsed violently.
...
By this point in the battle, although everyone had known from the very beginning that Mr. Morkel would likely have difficulty gaining any advantage against Ash, no one had expected things to unfold in such an overwhelming fashion.
Watching Rhyperior—a Pokémon completely immune to Electric-type attacks and possessing an overwhelming type advantage—being utterly suppressed by an Electric-type Pikachu left both the live audience and countless viewers watching the livestream speechless with amazement.
Throughout the battle, Rhyperior had continuously suffered damage while remaining under the rain. Furthermore, being four times weak to Water-type attacks meant that it was losing stamina and health at an alarming rate.
Coupled with Pikachu's occasional Aura Sphere and Iron Tail landing double-effective damage, as well as Electric-type attacks dealing 1.3 to 1.5 times their normal effectiveness once Rhyperior entered a conductive state...
And then there was the difference in their physiques.
Rhyperior was enormous and cumbersome, whereas Pikachu was small, agile, and incomparably nimble.
Against an opponent like Pikachu, Rhyperior possessed virtually no advantages whatsoever. The only thing it could do was helplessly endure being kited and toyed with throughout the battle.
Several more minutes passed.
Faced with the flawless combination that was Ash and Pikachu, Mr. Morkel and Rhyperior finally experienced what true, all-encompassing battlefield suppression felt like.
At last—
"Pikachu, finish it! Use Aura Sphere!!"
Seeing that Rhyperior was breathing heavily yet still stubbornly refusing to fall, Ash decided to bring the battle to an end.
"PIKAAAAAA—!!"
BOOOOM!!
Receiving Ash's command, Pikachu transformed into a streak of yellow light as it rapidly dashed across the battlefield. After slipping into Rhyperior's blind spot from behind before it could react, Pikachu raised its forepaw and instantly launched an Aura Sphere directly at its opponent.
The attack struck Rhyperior squarely in the back.
"ROOOOARRR!!"
Rhyperior let out one final sorrowful cry.
Its physical condition had finally exceeded even the limits of its indomitable willpower.
Its eyes rolled back before its enormous body helplessly collapsed onto the battlefield with a tremendous crash.
"Rhyperior is unable to battle! Pikachu of the Blue Corner is the winner of this round!"
Seeing Rhyperior collapse unconscious, the referee immediately announced the result of the match.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Defeated LV.55 Rhyperior. Experience Points gained: +2,317!]
[Ding! Pikachu has met the level-up requirements. Level Up Successful... Current Level: LV.59!]
However, compared to the referee's announcement of victory, it was the timely notification from the Ascension Trainer System that captured Ash's attention the most.
As Pikachu's opponent, Rhyperior's level was by no means low. Like Pikachu, it was a Gym-level Pokémon, and defeating it provided a substantial amount of experience points.
Combined with the experience Pikachu had accumulated through previous battles and daily training, it had finally advanced another level, reaching LV.59.
While Trainers throughout the outside world were still marveling at the fact that Ash's Pokémon had reached the Gym-level, Pikachu's true strength had already climbed to the very peak of that realm.
It now stood merely a single step away from reaching the Pseudo-Elite Four level.
However, Ash had always preferred to conceal his true capabilities.
He had never publicly revealed the exact levels of his Pokémon. Even when registering their strength during battles at the City Arena, only their major battle tier was recorded.
Thus, aside from Ash himself, everyone only knew that Pikachu was a Gym-level Pokémon (≥LV.50).
No one knew that Pikachu had already reached LV.59—the very pinnacle of the Gym-level realm and merely a single step away from breaking through into the Pseudo-Elite Four level.