"Let's go, Pikachu!"
With Ash's shout, Pikachu in midair raised a paw to catch the baseball cap he threw over, then grinned as it put it on.
"Pika—"
"Extreme Speed!"
Cynthia suddenly spoke. Mega Lucario Z shot forward like lightning, Aura coursing through the muscles in its legs as it burst forward at full speed!
Whoosh!
A blinding white flash streaked through the air, abruptly leaping from the uneven ground into the sky. It traced a straight path to Pikachu and threw a punch at a speed that gave Pikachu no time to react!
Even exhausted in both body and mind, Mega Lucario Z could still unleash such terrifying explosive power. It truly shocked Ash.
But Pikachu's reaction was not slow either. After its brief shock, it grabbed its baseball cap with both paws, twisted its body, and used its tail to block Mega Lucario Z's punch.
Bang!
The fist grazed its fur and struck its tail with a dull impact. Pikachu was forced to crash to the ground, its small body leaving a shallow pit in the sand.
The commentator cried out, "Contestant Cynthia interrupted Contestant Ash's Z-Move!"
Actively interrupting an opponent's move sequence was relatively rare in battle, though it also had something to do with Ash being too slow.
Ash-Pikachu Z had too much startup time. Pikachu had to put on its cap and bump fists. As long as the opponent was fast enough, they could interrupt it directly.
Unfortunately, those prerequisites were difficult to omit.
Z-Moves placed great importance on the Trainer and Pokémon working as one and communicating with nature. The associated motions were equivalent to a necessary procedure.
Considering the immense power of Ash-Pikachu Z, a little startup time was perfectly normal.
"Pika!"
Pikachu winced in pain after hitting the ground, but quickly got