The Nidoking trainer looked apologetically at Ash and Misty. "Sorry again about the tunnel. We're having lunch at the school as soon as we get there if you're interested. We'd like to make up for the trouble we caused."
Misty raised an eyebrow, her arms still crossed but clearly intrigued. "Lunch, huh? After the chaos, I think I could go for something to eat. What do you think, Ash?"
Ash rubbed his stomach, grinning. "Sounds good to me! I'm starving! Pikachu?"
"PIKA!!!" The yellow mouse cheered, jumping up and down in excitement.
Misty couldn't help but laugh at Pikachu's enthusiasm. "Guess we're all in agreement then," she said, her arms relaxing at her sides.
The Nidoking trainer smiled and motioned for them to follow. "Great! It's not far from here. We'll make sure to get you something good."
As Ash, Misty, and Pikachu followed the Nidoking trainer and his friend toward the Pokémon Technical School, the bustling atmosphere of the campus grew more evident. Trainers and their Pokémon moved about, chatting and sparring in open areas.
They reached the school grounds, and as they made their way to the dining hall, they were interrupted by a loud voice.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
Turning, Ash saw a confident-looking trainer with a sharp glare and a swaggering posture. She had a tall, imposing figure, wearing a dark jacket with the insignia of the school on it. Her hands were on her hips as she glared at the group.l
Misty raised an eyebrow. "Who's that?"
The Nidoking trainer, looking slightly nervous, quickly spoke up. "Oh, that's Giselle. She's one of the top students here, always looking for a challenge. Cubone is her partner."
The Nidoking trainer, looking slightly nervous, quickly spoke up. "Oh, that's Giselle. She's one of the top students here, always looking for a challenge. Cubone is her partner."
"Top student with a Cubone? That's got to be a pretty impressive Cubone then," Ash stated, giving the trainer a curious look.
Before anyone could respond, Giselle's sharp voice cut through the air. "Why are there outsiders eating at our lunch tables?" she demanded, eyes narrowing as she looked them over.
The Nidoking trainer visibly stiffened and stepped forward, trying to defuse the situation. "Giselle, these two just had a bit of... an incident. They're here as guests. They didn't mean any trouble."
Giselle's gaze remained hard, her posture unyielding. "Guests, huh? Well, I don't see any reason why I should just let them sit around here, taking up space." She shot a look at Ash, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Tell you what—how about you prove you're worth being here? A battle. You and me."
Ash grinned, instantly accepting the challenge. "A battle? Sounds good to me! I've been itching for a fight. Pikachu, you ready?"
Pikachu jumped up excitedly, sparking with electricity. "Pika-pika!"
======
They had made their way over to the arena after lunch
Giselle crossed her arms, a smug smile on her face as she straightened up. "I suppose I should introduce myself properly. I'm Giselle, the top student of the most prestigious Pokémon school in the world. I've been training for years to become one of the best, and this Cubone my faithful companion."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "You go to Blueberry Academy?"
Giselle scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Please, Blueberry Academy? Never heard of it. I'm a student at Pokémon Tech, the most prestigious Pokémon school in the world. Only the best trainers can even hope to make it here."
Ash crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Hate to break it to you, but Pokémon Tech barely cracks the top ten. Maybe number eleven or twelve at best."
Giselle's confident smirk twitched, but she quickly covered it with a scoff. "Tch. Rankings don't mean anything if the trainers from those schools can't back it up in battle. And I always back it up." She snapped her fingers, and her Cubone stepped forward, gripping its bone club tightly.
Ash grinned, stepping up as well. "Well then, I guess lets see if this school is all its hyped up to be. Pikachu?"
"PIKA!!!" Pikachu shouts as he hops off of ash's shoulder.
Giselle smirked, confidence radiating from her as she flicked her hair back. "You'll regret underestimating Pokémon Tech. Cubone, show them why we're the best!"
Cubone tightened its grip on its bone club, eyes locked onto Pikachu with fierce determination.
Ash's grin didn't waver. "We'll see about that. Pikachu, let's start strong!"
Ash pointed forward with a determined grin. "Let's show them what real power looks like, Pikachu! Let's sync up!"
With precise movements, Ash began performing the Z-Move dance, moving his arms in a practiced rhythm. His fingers sparked with energy as he thrust them forward, mirroring the flow of power surging through Pikachu.
Pikachu matched his movements perfectly, its small body pulsing with golden electricity as they reached the final pose together.
"Now, Gigavolt Punch!" Ash shouted, thrusting his fist forward as Pikachu did the same.
A massive surge of energy erupted around Pikachu as the full force of the Z-Move was unleashed. The battlefield crackled with overwhelming power as Pikachu lunged at Cubone with an electrified fist, the sheer force distorting the air around them.
The instant the attack connected, an explosive CRACK of electricity echoed through the building.
A blinding white arc flash erupted from the battlefield, swallowing everything in its searing glow. The sheer voltage overwhelmed the school's electrical grid, and in the span of a heartbeat, every single light in the building flickered—then cut out entirely.
For a brief, surreal moment, the world was nothing but white. Shadows stretched unnaturally before vanishing altogether, swallowed by the raw power of Pikachu's attack. The air smelled of ozone, and a deep hum vibrated through the ground, as if the very foundation of the school was struggling to withstand the energy unleashed.
Then—darkness.
The arc flash dissipated, leaving the battle hall eerily silent, save for the faint sizzle of residual electricity dancing along the floor. The emergency lights flickered to life, bathing the room in a dim red glow.
Ash smirked, lowering his arms from the Z-Move stance as the last sparks faded from his fingertips. "Guess that settles it," he said, his voice cutting through the stunned silence.
Pikachu's ears twitched, his cheeks still crackling with lingering electricity as he turned back to face Ash. "Pika?"
Giselle stared, her usual arrogance wiped clean as she looked at her fallen Cubone. The little Ground-type groaned, clearly conscious but in no condition to continue.
A slow murmur spread through the gathered students—whispers of disbelief, awe, and maybe even a little fear.
Misty let out a low whistle. "Well… I think that proves where Pokémon Tech ranks, huh?"
Giselle clenched her fists but exhaled sharply, composing herself. She walked over to Cubone, kneeling beside her Pokémon. "You did great," she said softly before recalling it into its Poké Ball. Standing, she turned to Ash, her expression unreadable for a moment before she finally spoke.
"…I won't lie. That was impressive. I underestimated you." Her lips curled into a smirk, though it lacked its previous arrogance. "Guess I'll have to train even harder. Next time, you won't win so easily… If you think some simple training can overcome that gap, drop out. It is obvious this school is teaching you nothing useful."
"Come on Misty lets go, we need to go to your gym so I can beat you there." Ash states turning around and walking away Pikachu running to catch up to him.