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The watery traces left by Vaporeon quickly vanished into the ice. Vaporeon possessed the natural ability to liquefy its body and fully integrate itself into water.
Using Acid Armor could improve Vaporeon's defense. Although this was an ice field, the ice itself was fundamentally composed of water.
"Vaporeon, use Aqua Tail!"
Moments after Vaporeon disappeared, Pete's voice rang out. Behind Pikachu, water began seeping through the ice surface.
Vaporeon's body gradually emerged from the liquid, and it swung its long tail. A spiraling vortex of water enveloped the tail as it swung down toward Pikachu's back.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"
Faced with Vaporeon's sneak attack, Ash reacted immediately. Pikachu turned his head slightly, spotted the incoming attack, and swung his own tail in response.
Clang!
Both tails collided with tremendous force, creating a loud metallic crash. The energy impact from both attacks caused shockwaves across the battlefield. Pikachu stood on the ice, gritting his teeth as he struggled to maintain his position.
Under the explosive force of Aqua Tail, Pikachu's body slid backward uncontrollably. Standing firm on such slippery terrain was no easy feat.
However, when Vaporeon fell from the air, it landed gracefully on the ice. This type of environment clearly didn't hinder it at all.
Pikachu slid quite a distance before finally stabilizing himself, looking up at his opponent. Pete watched the scene unfold and pressed his advantage.
"Vaporeon, use Icy Wind!"
Whoosh!
Upon hearing the command, the fins on Vaporeon's neck stood upright, emitting a burst of blue light. Vaporeon puffed up its cheeks and blew out a stream of white frigid air from its mouth, carrying fine ice crystals as it swept forward.
"Pika!"
The frost washed over Pikachu's body. He instinctively closed one eye, feeling the chill penetrate through him. In this kind of venue, Ice-type moves seemed even more powerful than usual.
Icy Wind wasn't particularly strong in terms of raw power. It relied on continuous cold air to assault opponents. As the target's body temperature dropped, their movements would become stiff, naturally decreasing their speed.
Pikachu stood on the ice, buffeted by the freezing wind, his body sliding backward uncontrollably. If he completely lost his balance, Vaporeon would surely launch a devastating follow-up attack.
"Pikachu's in trouble! He can't move properly under the pressure of Icy Wind. How will player Ash handle this situation?"
The announcer's voice echoed through the stadium as Misty and the others watched with worried expressions.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"
Seeing the predicament, Ash issued his command. Pikachu's eyes narrowed with determination. He dropped low against the ice, his raised tail suddenly gleaming with metallic luster before driving straight down into the frozen surface.
Crash!
Using Iron Tail's force, when the tail struck the ice, cracks spiderwebbed across the surface. The tail pressed firmly against the ice, and with that support, Pikachu successfully halted his backward slide.
"What?!" Pete's expression changed instantly at the sight.
"Incredible! Pikachu used Iron Tail to anchor himself to the ground and successfully stabilized his position on the slippery ice!"
The announcer's voice rang out with amazement. He hadn't expected Ash to come up with such a creative solution.
"You won't be able to move like that. Vaporeon, use Water Pulse!"
Seeing that Pikachu had weathered the Icy Wind assault, Pete gritted his teeth. He pointed forward and shouted to his Pokémon.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
While using his tail to anchor himself, Pikachu responded to Ash's command. Without moving from his position, Pikachu launched his attack. Thunderbolt erupted explosively from his body.
Violent electrical energy discharged in all directions, surging forward to collide with Vaporeon's Water Pulse.
Boom!
The two attacks met with a tremendous explosion. Simultaneously, Thunderbolt's electricity struck the surrounding area, and several protruding ice formations were shattered by the intense electrical discharge.
The ice rocks exploded, sending fragments scattering across the field. The ice chunks hit the ground and slid along the smooth surface.
"Hmm?" Ash's eyes flickered with interest as he watched the ice pieces gliding across the frozen battlefield.
"Pikachu blocked Vaporeon's attack, but on a field like this, Pikachu can't attack effectively! What should he do?"
"Pikachu, jump onto one of those ice chunks!" But while the announcer was still analyzing the situation, Ash had already given his next instruction.
"Pika!"
Pikachu heard Ash's command and didn't hesitate. Using his tail for support, he launched himself directly onto one of the sliding ice pieces.
Pikachu's small frame landed perfectly on an ice chunk. The moment Pikachu touched down, the ice block began sliding across the surface on its own. Pikachu's body swayed precariously, looking as though he might fall off at any moment.
"Pikachu, remember what you did when you faced those waves!" Ash called out encouragingly.
Hearing Ash's words, Pikachu's eyes lit up with recognition. This sensation was exactly like riding the waves back at Professor Bill's lighthouse.
Although skating was different from surfing, both were activities that tested one's sense of balance. Through his surfing practice, Pikachu had already developed exceptional balance skills.
He quickly steadied himself and began gliding across the ice like a professional skater.
Moreover, adapting instinctively, he used his tail like a ski pole. Whenever he approached an ice formation, he would tap his tail against it to change direction smoothly.
"This... what kind of strategy is this?!"
Pete stared at the field in astonishment. He had clearly never witnessed such an unorthodox battle tactic before.
"Player Ash's Pikachu has actually started skating across the field! Not only has he overcome the mobility disadvantage, but he's moving incredibly fast!"
The announcer was completely taken aback. After years of commentary, this was the first time he'd seen anyone utilize an ice field in such a manner.
"Vaporeon, use Water Gun!" Pete was thrown off by Ash's unconventional approach and quickly ordered a counterattack.
Upon hearing the command, Vaporeon fired repeated Water Gun attacks, but Pikachu used his tail to control his movements, dodging each shot with fluid grace.
At this speed, Pikachu was moving no slower than his normal running pace, and Vaporeon's Water Gun attacks consistently missed their mark.
Soon, Pikachu had glided significantly closer to Vaporeon. Watching the distance close, Ash issued his next command.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"
Pikachu shot forward on his ice block, tail gleaming with metallic energy as he rapidly approached his target.