Pikachu vs. Tang San
As Su Lin finished speaking, Tang San made the first move, flitting across the field like a phantom. A single change of direction produced three afterimages that were almost impossible to distinguish from his real body.
At the same time, the yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring on his body suddenly shone. More than ten slender yet tough vines shot from his hands, splitting into three routes at different heights as they swept toward Pikachu in the center of the field.
Infused with Soul Power, the supple grass was harder to deal with than steel cables. Once it wrapped around its target, the Mandala Snake's paralyzing toxin would seep through the fur, deciding the outcome at once.
Pikachu's amber eyes suddenly narrowed, and the muscles in all four limbs instantly tensed.
Just as the Blue Silver Grass was about to coil around its body, brilliant golden light blazed around the little creature!
"Squeak!"
With a piercing cry, its entire body turned into a dazzling bolt of golden lightning, abruptly shifting three feet sideways.
Lightning Sucker Punch activated, leaving behind only an afterimage gilded by lightning. Every strand of Blue Silver Grass missed, lashing the ground hard enough to send withered yellow grass clippings flying.
Almost the instant they passed each other, Pikachu flicked its tail, sending three concentrated golden arcs of electricity tearing through the air!
The arcs were as fine as hair but astonishingly fast, carrying a scorching heat as they shot straight toward Tang San's face.
Tang San's expression remained unchanged, but his footwork abruptly shifted.
Unleashing Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track at full strength, he moved like willow fluff borne on the wind. His feet traced an indescribably intricate path as he slid half a step left, then followed through with a half turn.
The three arcs skimmed past his clothes and burst against an old locust tree behind him with sharp crackles. Three small, charred pits instantly appeared in the bark, releasing faint wisps of white smoke.
"So fast."
Tang San was inwardly startled, but his hands did not slow in the slightest. Soul Power surged from his fingertips again, and more Blue Silver Grass burst from the ground, densely covering half the field. Like an enormous dark-blue net, it closed in on Pikachu from every direction.
Surrounded in the center, Pikachu showed no sign of panic. It abruptly stood upright, raising both forepaws high as golden arcs frantically gathered around it. Every strand of fur stood on end, making it look like a little sun charging up power. The next second, it slammed both paws into the ground.
Hum!
A dazzling ring of golden Electroweb erupted outward with it at the center!
Tang San's brows drew together slightly. Taking advantage of the gaps as the Electroweb spread, he moved again.
Pushing Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to its limits, he became several pale-gray afterimages, rapidly closing in through the gaps in the Electroweb. Three strands of Blue Silver Grass stretched taut at his fingertips like poisoned spikes, aimed straight at the back of Pikachu's neck. That was a common weak point among Soul Beasts; even a trace of toxin would immediately trigger paralysis.
Pikachu heard the rush of air behind it, yet neither dodged nor evaded.
Just as the Blue Silver Grass was about to touch its fur, the lightning around it abruptly contracted, then exploded backward!
Energy-Charging Thunder Shock!
The lightning power it had been gathering for so long erupted without reserve. A golden beam as thick as a wrist blasted out behind it, countless tiny lightning snakes coiling around its surface. Wherever it passed, the turf was ripped straight off the ground, exposing the scorched black soil beneath.
Tang San's pupils abruptly contracted. He had never imagined that such a little Lightning Rat could unleash such a concentrated lightning attack.
With no time to think, he kicked hard against the ground and flipped into the air, narrowly sweeping over the beam.
The beam skimmed past the soles of his shoes, its scorching blast slightly charring them. He staggered half a step upon landing, and stray sparks still grazed his arm, sending numbness through half of it in an instant.
"Impressive."
Tang San shook his numb arm, his gaze turning completely serious as he looked at Pikachu. He had originally thought a three-hundred-year-old Lightning Rat was nothing to fear. Only now did he realize that this mutant's lightning might well be no weaker than that of a five-hundred-year-old lightning-attribute Soul Beast.
He stopped recklessly approaching. Blue Silver Grass spread from his fingertips again, but this time, rather than launch a direct assault, it roamed around the field.
Tang San had tested it: within fifty meters, he could control Blue Silver Grass to attack from any position, making it all but impossible to guard against. In a forest thick with plants in particular, Blue Silver Grass had even better cover.
And at that moment, they were on the academy's densely vegetated back mountain.
Silver-blue blades of grass quietly spread along the ground and tree trunks like silent hunters, tightening the encirclement bit by bit. With Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track complementing the concealment of Blue Silver Grass, his figure flickered in and out among the tree shadows, now on the left, now on the right, making his true position impossible to pin down.
Pikachu stood in the center of the field, its little head turning rapidly. Its amber eyes tracked the afterimages closely, while the lightning around its body remained partially activated.
Suddenly, a figure flashed out from behind a tree on the left. Three pebbles shot toward Pikachu in a triangular formation, whistling sharply.
This was only a spar, after all, so it would hardly be appropriate to use his original lethal hidden weapons. Instead, he had casually picked up a few conveniently sized stones from the ground.
Even so, propelled by Tang San's throwing technique and the internal force of Mysterious Heaven Skill, the pebbles flew almost as fast as arrows loosed from a powerful bow, carrying considerable force.
"Squeak!"
Pikachu let out a shrill cry, kicked hard against the ground with all four limbs, and leaped high into the air.
Suspended in midair with nothing to push against, it seemed to have become a living target. Yet it abruptly curled into a ball, golden arcs spinning madly around it to form an impenetrable sphere of lightning. The sphere spun as it fell, and every pebble that struck it was instantly shattered by the electric current.
Bang-
The lightning sphere slammed into the ground, unleashing a golden ring of shock waves.
Dust mixed with charred grass clippings flew into the air, forming a small curtain of dust and smoke. Tang San frowned and instinctively retreated half a step, watching its center warily.
The instant the dust and smoke dispersed, a streak of golden light several times faster than before suddenly shot out!
Pikachu combined Lightning Sucker Punch with Energy-Charging Thunder Shock, its entire body wrapped in dense lightning. Like a golden cannonball fired from a barrel, it hurtled straight toward Tang San's chest.
Tang San's expression shifted slightly. Pushing Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to its limit, he abruptly bent backward at the waist.
The golden streak skimmed past his chest, the powerful rush of air leaving it tight and heavy. The arcs scorched a long black mark across the front of his academy uniform, curling and blackening the edges of the fabric. Even his skin stung with searing pain.
At such a critical moment, Tang San instead grew calm.
Driving through his calves, he kicked hard against the ground and actually shot forward parallel to Pikachu, close beneath its lower belly. Seizing this fleeting chance to get close, he brought his palms together and reached for Pikachu's back.
At the same moment, his palms changed from their normal skin tone to a pale, almost jade-like blue-white. A fine sheen covered their surface, like a jade sculpture reflecting a cool, mellow glow in the winter sunlight.