Ash, with his invincible physical body, wants to become a Pokémon Master...

(Hoenn Guild Master: Daigo, you should be worried!!!)

Dispelling the old man's voice that had inexplicably popped into his mind, Daigo stared intently at Ash.

"Actually, I've been watching you for a long time, Ash. I've wanted to battle you for ages."

"Since it wasn't an official championship match, I only used one Pokémon, which was my Metagross and Pikachu."

"The location is the open space in front of the underground waterfall. That area is quite secure, and that's where my temporary outpost is located. I can fight freely there."

"Let me see your full power. If you defeat my Metagross, I'll give you a gift."

This was a battle between the two aces, but after saying those words, Daigo inadvertently revealed a playful expression.

"Of course, I'll need your help with a small thing afterward, really just a tiny little thing."

"No problem, let's have a battle, Daigo!"

The opportunity to battle the champion is extremely rare, and Ash would never refuse it even without any prizes.

Both sides quickly took their positions by the waterfall. May and Max obediently became cheerleaders, while Ash even released all his Pokémon to watch the battle from the sidelines.

"Wow, it's a match against the champion! It's so moving to see it in person."

Xiao Sheng took out the Navigator and turned on the recording mode. He was going to go back and watch this match ten times.

At this moment, Xiaoyao suddenly produced two cheerleading pom-poms from somewhere and enthusiastically cheered for Xiaozhi.

"Ash, Pikachu, it's good that you did your best. Your opponent is Steven, the Hoenn Champion. It's okay if you lose. Good luck!"

"I won't lose!"

Saying discouraging things before the game has even started, I really don't know who Xiaoyao is cheering for.

On the battlefield, Ash crossed his arms, and Pikachu stood in front of him in the same pose, both the trainer and the Pokémon displaying the demeanor of experts.

Of course, they were still a little nervous, after all, it was their first time facing a champion-level powerhouse who was going all out.

Shiny Metagross is still Steven's ace, so this battle is definitely going to be tough.

"Let me make it clear first, I am the most powerful trainer, so I will not hold back. I will be the one to win in the end."

Although he is elegant and easy-going in his daily life, Steven is never modest when it comes to Pokémon battles.

"We couldn't be happier, bring it on, Mr. Daigo!" Ash and Pikachu were also ready.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have triggered a new epic quest, "Challenge the Hoenn Champion (Roadside Battle)": Defeat Steven in a one-on-one battle!]

【奖励：联盟币+4000；攻击+3；防御+3；自由属性点+4；金色王冠+1；技能“钢翼”+1】

On the battlefield, both Pokémon revealed sharp eyes and confronted each other with their strongest aura.

"Very good, let the competition begin!"

"Pikachu, unleash Thunderbolt!"

Since it was going all out, Pikachu unleashed its full power without reservation.

It instantly unleashed an electric current attack that was more than ten times stronger than usual.

This startled everyone around.

"Is Pikachu really that strong?" Xiaosheng was shocked. This was the first time he had ever seen Pikachu unleash its full power.

Although I knew Pikachu was strong when I saw it training with Ash by lifting those exaggerated boulders, I never imagined it could be this strong.

"No wonder Ash doesn't usually use Pikachu in battles."

The forest lizards' gazes towards Pikachu changed even more dramatically; they never expected their usually gentle elder brother to be so terrifying when he unleashed his fury.

"What powerful strength! It's truly excellent!"

The impact of 100,000 volts created huge waves that made Daigo's hair flutter everywhere, and his heart was instantly excited.

"Metamorphoses, Psychic! Throw a 100,000 Volt into the sky!"

Pikachu's Thunderbolt struck Metagross with overwhelming force, an attack that Metagross could not dodge.

Of course, it didn't intend to hide at first; as the champion's ace, its strength was formidable.

With a roar, the enormous thunder dragon monster was covered with colorful light.

The powerful electric current surged and crashed, yet it failed to actually touch Metagross's body at the last second.

With a powerful upward thrust of its two white, metallic claws, the thunder dragon abruptly veered and crashed straight into the cave ceiling.

"what!"

This was the first time Ash had seen Pikachu's full-power Thunderbolt attack be directly countered.

"But that's precisely what makes it interesting!"

Although the current was absorbed by the soil, the impact still created a large hole above, and small clods of soil fell down.

It temporarily blocked Metagross's view.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

"Metroidvania, use Earthquake!"

"Roar--!!"

While everyone else was stunned by the power of Pikachu's Thunderbolt, Metagross did not hesitate at all and slammed its large claws into the ground.

The earthquake attack struck instantly, interrupting Pikachu's charge forward.

This trick is extremely effective.

"Pikachu uses its tail as a spring and jumps up!"

As a muscular monster, Pikachu has muscles all over its tail.

The lightning bolt-shaped tail instantly acted like a super-powered spring, launching Pikachu's entire body high into the air, escaping the earthquake's damage.

Pikachu's figure kept spinning vertically in the air.

"Now! Iron Tail, Pikachu!"

"Making good use of Pokémon's own physical characteristics? That's a great command."

"But we won't lose, Metagross Comet Punch!"

Without holding back at all, Pikachu's Iron Tail made a sound like an explosion as it sliced ​​through the air—this was a genuine Beast Slash!

Steven's Shiny Metagross was not to be outdone; its body was quickly enveloped in a blue energy, and its figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

All that remains on the field are four huge claw-shaped craters created when it jumped.

Comet Fist and Iron Tail collided in mid-air with a loud thud.

Two powerful forces were locked in a fierce struggle, finally exploding in mid-air in a violent explosion.

"Wow, this is incredibly powerful! Both sides are amazing."

The violent shockwave made it impossible for Xiao Sheng to open his eyes. He could only hide behind his sister and cling tightly to a nearby rock to avoid being blown away.

"But is it really okay for the whole cave to be shaking like this?"

Daigo initially said this place was quite sturdy, but now it clearly looks like it's about to collapse.

Xiaoyao and Xiaosheng watched from the sidelines, trembling with fear.

Pebbles kept falling from above, and it was only thanks to the forest lizards that she was there that the girl was safe, otherwise she would have been covered in bumps.

"Hahaha, I'm finally completely excited!"

At this moment, Steven was extremely excited. Besides digging for rocks, his favorite thing was Pokémon battles.

Being able to fight against a powerful opponent is as exhilarating for Daigo as finding the precious stone he's always longed for during the New Year.

It is precisely because of this that Daigo was able to defeat one formidable enemy after another through continuous efforts.

Become the strongest in Hoenn, become the League Champion!

Originally, this was just a small battle he used to casually test Ash and Pikachu's strength, but now Steven has gotten carried away with the battle.

They didn't care about any testing or verification; enjoying the battle was the most important thing.

Ash on the other side was also bursting with excitement, unconsciously entering a super rookie mode and resonating with Pikachu.

Amidst the smoke of the explosion, the two Pokémon retreated swiftly like bullets, returning to their respective halves of the field.

"Are you alright, Pikachu?"

"Pickup!"

At this moment, Pikachu stood on the battlefield, its muscles bulging to their maximum.

Feeling that it was in the same state as Ash, it excitedly pounded its chest, making a thumping sound, and its fur stood on end like steel needles, sweeping away all the fatigue and dust on its body.

"Very good, Pikachu, use Iron Tail once again!"

"Metamorphosis, Bullet Punch!"

Pikachu's speed was even faster than before; it was so fast that Ash could barely keep up with it.

Thanks to its attributes and its tough body, Metagross takes less damage than Pikachu.

Seeing Pikachu disappear, it immediately readjusted its posture, and its four sharp metal claws instantly emitted a terrifying metallic luster once again.

Its terrifying brain, like a supercomputer, worked frantically, instantly calculating Pikachu's most likely attack location and successfully defending against the initial Iron Tail attack.

But then it was hit by Pikachu's rapid attacks again.

"Get used to Metagross, you can do it!"

"Roar~!"

The shiny Metagross's giant claws spun rapidly on both sides of its body, its brain potential being pushed to the limit during the battle.

Finally, Metagross figured out Pikachu's movement trajectory.

"Hoohoho!"

"Metamorphosis, follow up! Bullet Punch!"

Two flashes of light, one yellow and one white, flickered wildly on the open ground in front of the waterfall, making it impossible to see May and Max, who were now two Pokémon, clearly.

All that could be heard was the constant clanging of metal and the large craters that appeared on the ground from time to time, signaling the intensity of the battle between the two Pokémon.