Pikachu's Thunderbolt Shows Its Might

"Got any ideas, Yan?" Zhu Zhuqing gasped as she crossed her claws to block another charge from a Giant-Toothed Hound, then fell to the ground.

"Su Yan, think of something!" Tang Chi's hands were already trembling. He dropped the Thunderclap Hammer, unable to swing it anymore.

Xue Ke had no ability to fight. Sitting on the floor in the middle, she clasped her hands to her chest and murmured to herself.

Su Yan had just shoved back two Giant-Toothed Hounds. In a panic, he took out the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card and poured Soul Power into it.

But ever since he'd summoned it, the card had never responded to any of his attempts to communicate. It hadn't even lit up once.

The first time he summoned it, he'd used up all the Soul Power inside the card, including the energy Lord Xiao had started pouring into it.

In their current condition, the three of them could forget about summoning the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. They'd probably struggle just to make the card light up again.

"Looks like we're out of ideas." Su Yan gritted his teeth. "Does calling our master count?"

"Saintess Instructor! If she can get here, we'll definitely be safe!" Tang Chi's eyes lit up with delight. "Su Yan, call her!"

Flames surged around Su Yan as he roared and collided with the Giant-Toothed Hound in front of him. Though reluctant, he still threw his head back and shouted, "Mas—"

"Pikachu!"

Before Su Yan could finish, a golden bolt of lightning struck. All six Giant-Toothed Hounds were caught in it, unable to move.

Thunderbolt!

It was Thunderbolt!

"Now!" Su Yan seized the chance and smashed open a path. The four of them rushed out one after another.

A golden figure dropped from the sky and landed on Zhu Zhuqing's head.

"Pika-God!" Su Yan cried.

"Pikachu!" Zhu Zhuqing cried.

"So this is Pikachu?" Tang Chi cried too.

"Pikachu?" Xue Ke echoed, puzzled.

"This isn't the place to talk. Let's go first," Su Yan reminded them.

Zhu Zhuqing carried Xue Ke on her back while Su Yan pulled Tang Chi along. The two cats raced away, and the Giant-Toothed Hounds behind them grew smaller and smaller until they disappeared from sight.

After running quite a distance, Su Yan and Zhu Zhuqing had nearly run out of Soul Power, so they had to stop.

"We should be safe here for now," Su Yan said. He went to check the surroundings, then returned after making sure they were clear.

"That was close. We almost bought it." Tang Chi slumped onto the ground, panting. He'd been badly shaken. "A whole pack of Soul Beasts is no joke."

Xue Ke, seated in her wheelchair, was also trying to calm her racing heart. Suddenly, she laughed, then tears rolled down her cheeks.

She laughed at the vibrant world outside, and the thrill of being caught between life and death.

She cried over her disabled legs and the frustration of being unable to fight for herself.

Compared to the two of them, the other two were grinning from ear to ear.

"Pika-God, are you back to join us?" Su Yan asked excitedly. It felt like a dream come true.

What could be better than having a yellow electric mouse?

There was.

Having two.

Zhu Zhuqing lifted Pikachu into her arms. "Pikachu, we're not bad people. We mean you no harm."

This time, Pikachu was much more docile. It even rubbed its cheek against Zhu Zhuqing's chest. "Pika, pika~"

Smiling, Zhu Zhuqing took out a wild fruit and offered it to Pikachu.

Su Yan seized the chance to take a wild fruit too and held it out to Pikachu. "Pika-God, here you go."

Pikachu glanced at it, turned away, and ate the fruit Zhu Zhuqing had given it.

Su Yan refused to give up. He reached out with his wicked hands and hugged Pikachu. Its fluffy body felt wonderful, though why did it feel kind of tingly?

"Pikachu!"

A bolt of golden lightning struck Su Yan with pinpoint accuracy. His hair, which had just settled back into place, turned into spikes again, and a faint smell of burning rose from him.

He raised a trembling hand, looking aggrieved. "Pika-God, why...?"

He didn't think he'd done anything to upset Pika-God.

He was the one who'd let Pika-God out of the net, after all.

The net...

Could Pika-God have thought he'd set the trap?

This...

Su Yan decided his chances of hugging Pika-God were practically zero.

Sob...

Even so, Pika-God's shock was much gentler now. After just a little while, Su Yan could move freely again. He shot Pikachu a resentful glare, then angrily unrolled the sheepskin scroll to check their location.

Su Yan wasn't the only one who failed to earn Pikachu's favor. Tang Chi and Xue Ke did too.

"Pika, pika~" Pikachu only snuggled up to Zhu Zhuqing.

The other three watched with envy written all over their faces.

From beginning to end, Pikachu had only bonded with one person: Zhu Zhuqing.

And the electric shocks were mostly reserved for one person too: Su Yan.

Xue Ke asked, "Brother Su Yan, you said Pikachu is a Pokémon. Is that the name of its species? Could there be lots of other Pokémon?"

"There are lots of Pokémon, but I can't say for sure whether we'll run into any more."

Seeing Pikachu on Douluo Continent was something Su Yan had never expected.

The fact that Pikachu even had a Soul Ring was even harder for him to imagine.

Xue Ke said, "If we run into any more, please make sure to bring me along."

"And me!" Tang Chi added hastily.

The group gradually grew. Over the next stretch of time, the four of them and one electric mouse raced across Soul Hunting Forest.

With Pikachu in the group, the power of Thunderbolt was impossible to underestimate. Its paralysis effect was even stronger than Tang Chi's Thunderquake Wave.

With both control skills working together, as long as they didn't run into a whole pack of Soul Beasts, they could take down even a hundred-year Soul Beast by working together.

Su Yan still took the lead and bore the brunt of the fighting.

Zhu Zhuqing remained their best finisher.

Pikachu and Tang Chi handled the chain-paralysis control.

As for Xue Ke, she was the team's one and only cheerleader.

Time flew by, and a year passed in the blink of an eye.

After a rough journey full of hardships, they'd nearly been eaten by Soul Beasts several times and had broken through encirclements of Soul Beast hordes more than once. At last, Su Yan and the others were nearing the destination marked on the sheepskin scroll: the final stage of Bi's Training Method, the Survival Training Method.

Once they made it through, they'd be one step closer to the Flame-Flame Fruit.

"A year already. We're finally here!" Tang Chi said with deep emotion. He'd grown much sturdier and no longer panicked at the sight of Soul Beasts the way he had at the start.

Zhu Zhuqing had grown a little taller and more slender. Pikachu sat on her shoulder as she pushed Xue Ke's wheelchair along behind them.

"Pika, pika~" Pikachu seemed excited too, waving its little paws in front of itself.

There was no obvious change in Xue Ke, seated in her wheelchair, aside from a little more color in her cheeks. She wore a smile as she panted. "Huff, huff, huff~"

Holding the sheepskin scroll, Su Yan checked it repeatedly, then pointed toward a cave. "It's in there."

They reached the cave entrance and couldn't help smiling.

A wooden sign stood by the entrance, pointing inside. It read, "This way."

"This must be a marker our master left behind."

"Then this is the place." Zhu Zhuqing peered inside with her catlike eyes. "It's bottomless."

Su Yan looked in as well. "Let's rest here and go in tomorrow."

A day later, with everyone in top condition, they entered the cave.

The cave was pitch-black, but luckily, Su Yan had Burning Blue Silver Grass. It spread through the cave, its flames lighting the whole place.

The cave was empty. They didn't even find any Soul Beast droppings. It was so clean that it didn't seem like a naturally formed cave.

"We don't know what might happen, so stay focused," Su Yan warned them, walking at the front.

"Don't worry. Ordinary Soul Beasts are no match for us." Tang Chi slung the hammer over his shoulder and strode forward.

They'd been walking for about half an hour when a white light appeared ahead. It turned out to be the cave's exit.

Su Yan stepped out first. Outside was a lush meadow, alive with birdsong and flowers, covered in Blue Silver Grass and surrounded by sheer cliffs that rose into the clouds. Climbing out would be nearly impossible.

The cave was the meadow's only entrance and exit.

The others filed out behind him. They couldn't help marveling at the beautiful scenery.

Suddenly, the ground shook, and the only exit was blocked by a boulder.

Su Yan looked around.

What had his master arranged as the final test?