Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

"Is Xiao Mao overconfident?"

Almost at the same instant Pikachu generated electricity, Blastoise suddenly retracted its limbs and head into its shell.

Then, the shell began to rotate.

The two water cannons simultaneously sprayed high-pressure water jets, which spiraled around the surface of the carapace, forming a constantly flowing water shield.

High-speed rotation! Water flow defense!

It was as fast as a spinning top, and the airflow it generated made the surrounding dust whirl around.

The water flow, as it spun, transformed into a curtain of water, completely enveloping the Blastoise's shell.

It's sizzling!

A hundred thousand volts of lightning struck the curtain of water—

The current screamed, trying to travel along the water flow.

But the high-speed rotating water flow didn't give it a chance at all.

The water curtain acts like a living shield, throwing off, dispersing, and refracting the energy of the thunder layer by layer.

Golden arcs of electricity scattered like torn fireworks, crackling and striking the ground around the arena, leaving behind small, charred craters.

Under Xiao Mao's deliberate guidance, several arcs of electricity were even precisely flung into the audience seats, landing among a group of dumbfounded researchers.

"Wow!"

"It's so numb!"

"Xiao Mao, you did this on purpose, didn't you!"

The researchers were in a flurry of activity.

The lightning dissipated.

Blastoise's spinning gradually came to a stop.

Its four claws extended again and gripped the ground firmly.

Its body was completely unharmed.

The yellow eyes blinked, revealing a hint of "That's all?"

"They actually blocked it!" "Pikachu?!"

Ash and Pikachu both widened their eyes at the same time.

This was the first time they had ever seen such a move.

It was copied!

"How about it?"

Xiao Mao clapped his hands triumphantly.

"You think you can easily defeat me just because electric-type has the advantage over water-type?"

He glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the dumbfounded researchers, over Xiaoxia and Xiaogang who were frowning, and finally back to Xiaozhi, raising his chin even higher.

"How naive! You're so innocent!"

"High-speed rotation combined with water flow protection can greatly reduce the risk of electric shock!"

"The weakness of attribute advantage... I have completely overcome it!"

216. The power of science!

As he was feeling smug, tears started streaming down Xiao Mao's face.

Without him.

In order to deal with Ash and his damn Pikachu, he and Blastoise... it was truly a tearful and miserable experience!

Take the move Blastoise is using right now, for example.

With its high-speed rotation and water curtain coverage, it combines offense and defense, making it a veritable tortoise-shell version of a mobile fortress.

This wasn't an inspiration that fell from the sky.

Instead, it was a solution he painstakingly devised from the very marrow of his bones after he and Blastoise were locked in a fierce battle at the Electric-type Gym, getting electrocuted until his body was practically burning!

After all, it's for a well-known reason.

It's really hard to find a trainer who has Pikachu and is also very strong.

After searching the entire Kanto region, only Lt. Surge, the Electric-type Gym Leader of Vermilion City, can be considered somewhat relevant.

But the nightmare began from there.

Every gain has its loss. Raichu, the evolved form of Pikachu, has given up its good looks, but its strength is completely different from Pikachu's.

Combined with Lt. Surge's already considerable strength, he directly electrocuted him and Blastoise repeatedly.

But that's not the worst part!

The worst one was Lt. Surge, who, for some reason, had a particular fondness for the trash cans in front of the dojo.

Each time you go to take on the challenge, you have to rummage through the trash cans first.

Yes, it's going through the trash cans.

No reason, no exceptions, whether you're a new trainer or a veteran who's been here many times, want a challenge?

Let's flip through it first!

When he recalled those days, Xiao Mao's eyes became empty.

He and Blastoise were truly steeped in the smell of the trash can.

Even after showering, there's still a lingering sour, rotten smell on my body, and I dream about garbage cans growing legs and chasing after them!

In my dream, the trash can even talk, grinning as it says, "You can only wake up after you've rummaged through it all."

"Click..."

A low, resonant sob came from beside me.

Shigeru glanced to the side and saw Blastoise also with tears streaming down its face.

Their eyes met, and the man and the tortoise nodded simultaneously.

No language is required.

That's the tacit understanding that only comrades-in-arms who have rummaged through trash cans together, been electrocuted together, and been pickled together can have!

"Blastoise, keep going!"

With an advantage, we must now break into the fray!

Xiao Mao took a deep breath, shook his head vigorously, and shook those suffocating memories out of his mind.

"Use high-speed rotation! Just charge straight through!"

"Crack!!"

With a low growl, Blastoise retracted its limbs and head back into its shell and began to spin rapidly.

A flash of blue light appeared at the muzzle, and water gushed out, rapidly spreading across the surface of the cannon shell to form a continuously flowing curtain of water.

Then it went straight for Pikachu and crushed it!

As Blastoise continued to accelerate, it plowed grooves into the ground.

Mud and water splashed everywhere.

The air in the entire battle arena was stirred up, causing the researchers watching to involuntarily take a large step back.

"Such a dirty playing style..."

Someone muttered to themselves.

"Literally dirty."

"...Indeed, it still has mud on it."

Xiao Mao's lips twitched.

Damn it!

Can you guys please focus on his tactics themselves?!

.......

"Pikachu, Pikachu!"

On the other side, Pikachu let out a wary cry as it watched Blastoise speeding towards it.

The instinctive reaction was to release an electric shock.

But the golden electric current crackled and popped as it struck the rapidly spinning water curtain, only to be completely deflected.

It didn't hurt the opponent in the slightest.

"I see. By rotating at high speed and then covering the surface with water, the impact force is increased, while a large amount of damage is blocked..."

After taking another look, Ash already understood the principle behind this move.

"...It was truly a perfect maneuver, a brilliant idea that seamlessly integrates offense and defense!"

He sighed twice.

Seeing that Pikachu was about to be run over by the truck, Ash's expression turned serious.

"In that case—Pikachu, let's show them our will!"

Ash suddenly pointed his right hand forward.

"Stop it! Iron Tail!"

"Pikachu—!"

With Ash by his side, Pikachu felt like it had found its backbone.

The little paws gripped the ground sharply, then he took a deep breath, his whole body tense like a fully drawn bow.