Faced with Pikachu's attack, Gyarados had absolutely no way to resist.
Firing a Hyper Beam placed a massive burden on its body.
Especially since he had only just evolved.
While the power of this Hyper Beam was lower than the standard level, the side effects were far greater than normal.
According to the game description—after using Hyper Beam, one cannot move during the next turn.
And the concrete manifestation of this right now was that Gyarados literally could not move at all.
It can only be said that the move Hyper Beam belongs to the category of 'finishing moves'; if you don't defeat the opponent, you're done for yourself.
There is a relatively long skill wind-up when charging.
And an extremely long skill recovery after firing.
Theoretically speaking, this should be a one-hit-kill execution technique used only when the enemy's movement is restricted.
What?
You say there are top-tier experts who can fire Hyper Beams in rapid succession?
If you've encountered that kind of expert, what is there left to say?
Either go die.
Or find a way to walk around them.
"Roar—!" Gyarados let out a roar mixed with pain and rage, snapping its eyelids shut.
The hard golden eyelids instantly turned scorched black as snakes of electricity danced wildly across them.
The terrifying sensation of paralysis and searing pain drove it even crazier.
Closing one's eyes does not stop the conductivity of lightning.
Especially since Gyarados has an extremely high water content in its body.
Its huge body slapped the water surface violently, stirring up layers of massive waves.
Currently, an attack of this degree wasn't enough to completely stop Gyarados.
With such a massive size, it naturally possessed a matching vitality.
"Now is the time!" Ash Ketchum's eyes burst with intense light, his voice like an unsheathed sword. "Volt Tackle—get him!!!"
"Pika—chu—!!!"
Pikachu ceased its high-speed U-turn movements. Its tiny body came to a sudden halt on the side of Gyarados, atop a giant rock that had been polished smooth by the crashing waves!
Pikachu began to charge power.
Volt Tackle is Pikachu's signature finishing move.
It has a charging wind-up time.
But coincidentally, the current Gyarados not only had no room to dodge, but it had also been blinded.
Time seemed to freeze for an instant.
All the golden lightning crazily collapsed and condensed toward it, covering the surface of Pikachu's body.
The flowing electric light seemed as if it were about to materialize into substance.
"Chuuuu—!!!"
A high-pitched shriek pierced through the clouds!
Pikachu turned into light!
It slammed toward Gyarados.
Transforming into a massive golden pillar of light purely composed of electrical energy, exceeding a meter in diameter, it ruthlessly bombarded the side of Gyarados's slightly open giant mouth—the vital point on the side of its neck covered only by relatively thin scales.
There was no sound.
Or rather, the sound was swallowed by that ultimate light and energy.
The field of vision was completely filled by blinding golden light.
"...This is!!!" Misty was deeply shaken.
Ash Ketchum, whom she considered a companion—is this really the level of a rookie Trainer?
Did this Pikachu seem this terrifying before?
Why is it so strong?
"Boom—!!!"
It was only in the next moment that the deafening detonation of energy violently exploded.
The Golden Gyarados's colossal body was hit head-on by this Volt Tackle, which condensed all of Pikachu's power and reached a terrifying amplification under the blessing of the Light Ball.
This was an outrageous scene, comparable to a compact car slamming a large truck to a halt.
Yet, that was the reality.
After being hit head-on by Pikachu, Gyarados's body began to tip backward.
It was critically injured!
Gyarados let out an unprecedented, tragic wail filled with severe pain and disbelief.
The entire massive dragon head, along with a small portion of its body, was smashed backward by this irresistible impact force.
The neck scales covered in heavy golden armor instantly blackened, shattered, and flew off.
Revealing the smoking, mangled flesh and wounds underneath.
The massive body lost its balance, and like a mountain peak struck by a giant god's club, it crashed thunderously into the turbulent stream.
"Crash—!!!"
The resulting giant waves swept toward both banks.
Turbid muddy water, mixed with fragments of golden scales and Gyarados's painful hissing, completely submerged the area.
A one-hit kill!
It was Pikachu who defeated Gyarados!
Pikachu obtained the victory!
Misty covered her ears tightly, squatting on the ground. In her eyes, only that destructive golden light and the fallen golden beast remained; her mind went blank.
Gyarados... was defeated!
The golden light slowly dissipated.
In the stream, the Golden Gyarados's massive body bobbed up and down. Its scarlet dragon eyes were still open, but the violence and madness within them retreated like the tide, leaving only deep exhaustion and confusion...
Was it beaten awake?
Actually, it was beaten into a daze.
Its consciousness was still at the Magikarp stage.
Its behavior just now was merely due to the restructuring of its brain after evolution, which led to a berserk state.
The wound on the side of its neck was hideous, blood mixing into the muddy water.
Yet its gaze pierced through the turbid current, firmly locking onto that tiny human figure on the shore.
—Human?
—What happened?
Gyarados discovered that its brain was much more agile.
Problems that were difficult to think about during its time as a Magikarp could now be pondered.
Memories of before began to gradually appear in Gyarados's mind.
It was just beaten senseless, not beaten stupid.
—I fought a human?
—And then I was defeated by an electric rat?
This realization gradually emerged in Gyarados's mind.
The gap in strength was enough to make it recognize exactly who the boss was.
Ash Ketchum tugged at his hat.
He stood on the messy shore. The fierce wind and muddy water had soaked his jacket and hair, but he stood ramrod straight, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, without the slightest waver.
He looked directly into Gyarados's eyes.
Now was the critical moment for him to catch Gyarados.
He absolutely could not show a weak or soft posture in front of the storm.
That's right!
Gyarados!
I defeated you!
So you have to listen to me!
Ash Ketchum slowly raised his hand, pointing at the giant beast in the water. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable majesty, piercing through the roar of the waves:
"Had enough?"
"Now, settle down!"
"And, remember—"
"Who your Trainer is!"
"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu crossed its arms, posing with the attitude of a powerhouse.
It was just a pity that behind it, its tail was stabbed into the ground to prevent itself from falling over.
It was just very... emm...
"Roar..." Gyarados let out a low, weak whimper that contained no trace of its former violence.
Its giant head slowly lowered, sinking into the turbid water. Its scarlet dragon eyes looked through the water surface with awe at the boy on the shore, and at the yellow-skinned rat at his feet that was panting slightly, electricity not yet fully dissipated from its body.
Gyarados's logic was very simple.
You are strong.
You can fight.
I can't beat you.
So you are the boss.
I listen to you.
"Submit to me—" Ash Ketchum saw that Gyarados had quieted down, so he took a Pokéblock from his person and threw it into Gyarados's mouth.
To awaken the memories of being fed, and simultaneously cultivate the habit of obedience in Gyarados.
"Roar~" Although it wasn't enough to fill the gaps between its teeth, Gyarados still chewed habitually, moving its huge head close to Ash Ketchum.
He seemed to still think he was in his Magikarp period, so he was asking for pets.
"Good boy~" Ash stroked the horn on Gyarados's head.
"♡♡♡" The Golden Gyarados's eyes narrowed.
Friendship: ↑↑↑
Misty sat paralyzed on the ground, looking at the Golden Giant Beast submitting in the water, then looking at Ash Ketchum and Pikachu on the shore, murmuring to herself: "You two... are simply like a god of war!"
_____
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