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Thunder Wave dealt no damage, but it had a 100% chance of inflicting paralysis on the target, though its accuracy was relatively low.
Although Cloyster wasn't particularly fast to begin with, it could have blocked the move with defensive attacks. After all, reality wasn't like turn-based battles in games—opponents could use attacks to intercept incoming moves.
But now Cloyster couldn't move at all. Thunder Wave struck instantly. Pete's frown deepened as he witnessed the scene unfold.
He tried to command Cloyster to evade, but it was impossible. He could only watch helplessly as Pikachu's Thunder Wave connected.
"Oh no! Cloyster has been hit by Thunder Wave! Now Cloyster will be afflicted with paralysis!"
As the electrical sparks faded, Cloyster's shell visibly crackled with intermittent bursts of electricity. Its body trembled slightly, clearly in pain.
"It's our turn now! Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"
"Pika pika!"
After hearing the command, Pikachu immediately took aim at Cloyster's position and swung his tail. The Energy Ball condensed rapidly on his tail, and the golden Electro Ball launched toward its target.
Boom!
When the Electro Ball struck Cloyster, it triggered an explosive impact. Cloyster was blown free from the ice crevice, sent airborne, and crashed heavily to the ground when it fell.
The next moment, it hastily opened its shell, finally able to breathe freely. Although Cloyster didn't actually need air inside its shell, remaining sealed while enduring continuous attacks certainly took its toll.
"Now we can counterattack! Cloyster, use Aurora Beam!"
Seeing Cloyster successfully freed, Pete quickly launched his offense. After so many defensive boosts from Withdraw, the previous Electro Ball hadn't dealt significant damage, allowing Cloyster to continue fighting.
Under Pete's command, Cloyster's Aurora Beam activated, releasing prismatic energy toward Pikachu.
"Quick Attack!"
Ash immediately responded. Pikachu's body shimmered with silver light as he used Quick Attack's speed to smoothly dodge the incoming beam.
Cloyster was paralyzed, and its already sluggish speed had become even slower. Its attack speed had decreased substantially as well.
"Pikachu, build up more speed!"
Ash issued another command. While maintaining Quick Attack, Pikachu continued accelerating without stopping, charging straight toward Cloyster as electrical arcs erupted across his body once more.
His speed climbed to an even higher level, and the momentum on the icy surface seemed to amplify further, increasing Zippy Zap's power even more.
"Cloyster, use Withdraw!" Seeing this, Pete could only resort to his defensive technique again.
Crackle!
However, at that moment, something Pete hadn't anticipated occurred—a sudden burst of electricity sparked across Cloyster's body. Cloyster grimaced in pain, instinctively closing its eyes.
In that instant, its body became completely immobilized. It didn't even have time to seal its shell.
"What?!"
Pete's eyes widened at the sight. Although the paralysis condition persisted constantly, it didn't always trigger. But when it did activate, the victim became unable to move for a brief period.
"This is the moment I've been waiting for! Finish it!" Ash declared.
"Pika... chu!"
By now, Pikachu had closed the distance to Cloyster completely, golden electrical arcs crackling across his body as he crashed forward.
Cloyster had no time to close its shell and took a direct hit to its most vulnerable spot—the soft body inside. Massive amounts of electricity burst forth, spreading instantly throughout Cloyster's entire form.
With an astonishing explosion of power, Cloyster let out a pained cry. The tremendous force sent its body flying backward, crashing continuously into the protruding ice formations across the field.
Ice and rock shattered one after another. Cloyster demolished several ice structures before finally coming to a stop amid billowing smoke.
After a long moment, the smoke gradually cleared. Everyone could see Cloyster's body still wrapped in electrical arcs. The sinister smirk had vanished from its face—it was completely unconscious.
"Cloyster is unable to battle! Ash's Pikachu has won two consecutive victories! Ash now has an overwhelming lead!"
The announcer observed the field. Truthfully, he wondered whether Ash would achieve another one-versus-three sweep.
But as a professional commentator, such speculation wasn't appropriate to voice—for either Ash or his opponent.
Saying so would embarrass Ash if he lost, and if it did happen, it could easily damage Pete's confidence and morale.
Such behavior would be unprofessional for commentary. Still, deep down, he found himself hoping events would unfold exactly as he imagined.
"He's so strong!"
Pete recalled Cloyster and looked across at Ash. Cold sweat had formed on his forehead without him realizing it. His opponent's expression remained as calm as a still lake, giving an unfathomable impression.
Even on this ice field, Pete felt his shirt dampening with nervous perspiration, while his opponent hadn't even broken into heavy breathing.
Looking at the battlefield, Ash's Pikachu was panting slightly now, clearly having expended considerable energy. However, he hadn't taken any serious hits and appeared capable of continuing.
"It's all up to you now!" Pete retrieved his Poké Ball and stared at it in his hand.
Although he knew the odds were slim—just like Mandi before him—he couldn't simply give up. That would be too humiliating. He had to at least try.
Even knowing the gap between himself and Ash, he had to make an attempt. Even defeating just one Pokémon would be better than a complete shutout.
"Contestant Pete has only one Pokémon remaining. Based on the Pokémon he's used so far, his final choice should be either Water or Ice-type."
The announcer glanced at the current score and spoke again, making predictions based on Pete's previous two Pokémon.
"Go, Arcanine!"
Pete threw his Poké Ball and sent out his last Pokémon. To everyone's surprise, his final choice was neither Water nor Ice-type—it was actually the Fire-type Arcanine!
"Pete's last Pokémon is Arcanine! Even though it's neither Ice nor Water-type, he's chosen the Fire-type Arcanine!"
The announcer's voice carried genuine shock. This was completely unexpected—bringing a Fire-type to an ice battlefield seemed counterintuitive, but perhaps Pete had a strategy in mind that defied conventional wisdom. The crowd murmured with curiosity.