"Pikachu, dodge quickly, then use Quick Attack right away!"
"Pika, pika!"
Hearing Ash's command, Pikachu nimbly sidestepped and successfully avoided the greatly weakened Shadow Ball.
Then, his swiftly running body seemed to transform into a streak of lightning as he charged at Seiya at astonishing speed.
But just as Pikachu rushed toward him, Seiya opened his mouth again and spat out one golden star after another.
"It's Swift! Pikachu, dodge!"
Swift was a Normal-type move, characterized by its high speed and guaranteed accuracy.
Faced with the barrage of star-shaped beams, Pikachu clearly could not evade the attack as easily as before.
As dust billowed across the ground, the yellow mouse Pokémon was sent flying backward out of the cloud.
"Pikachu, are you okay? Can you still fight?"
Seeing Pikachu covered in wounds yet stubbornly forcing himself back up, Ash asked worriedly.
"Pika, pika!"
In response to his Trainer's question, Pikachu cried out powerfully, proving his determination!
"Good. This is our first battle since coming to the Kalos Region. We can't lose just like this.
Show them our spirit, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"
As a thick golden bolt of lightning erupted from Pikachu and shot toward Seiya, a shimmering green barrier unfolded before Seiya once more.
When the golden lightning struck, it did not even touch Seiya's body before being blocked by the barrier formed by "Protect."
However, as Thunderbolt's output continued to intensify, Seiya's "Protect" began to ripple like water disturbed by a stone.
In the end, although Pikachu's Thunderbolt failed to break through Seiya's "Protect," its force still pushed Seiya back half a step.
"Good, Pikachu! Now's the time to press our advantage! Use Volt Tackle!"
Seeing Pikachu's performance, the many Trainers watching nearby revealed surprised expressions.
After all, this Pikachu could practically be said to have lasted the longest