Chapter 130: A Steel-Armored Rhinoceros Isn't One If It Isn't Greedy

Under the effects of Trick Room, while Charizard and Pikachu remained faster, Rhyhorn and Exeggutor were no longer at an absolute disadvantage in terms of skill preparation speed.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash had likely done the math; he couldn't afford to hold back now. If he waited, Rhyhorn and Exeggutor would finish preparing their moves, and trying to endure the opponent's attacks before switching out would be far too disadvantageous—among the Pokémon Ash had prepared, none were well-suited to taking Rock or Grass-type moves head-on. In Ash's view, it was more practical to unleash his offense as soon as he was ready.

"What?" Goh exclaimed from the sidelines.

Amu muttered to himself, "You're really daring, aren't you..."

Suddenly, the electrical discharge unleashed by Pikachu struck Exeggutor—but just before impact, a glimmer of Light Screen manifested around Exeggutor, significantly dampening the electric blast.

"Phew..." Goh breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. It wasn't just his tendency to overreact; the concern was that Rhyhorn might have the Lightning Rod ability. A Rhyhorn with Lightning Rod could absorb electric energy within a certain range, turning even moves like Electro Ball into nothing more than a harmless roll. If Amu's Rhyhorn had that ability, Ash would be in trouble.

While some trainers could instantly discern a Pokémon's ability through experience and intuition, Amu suspected that Ash was simply being reckless. As it turned out, his gamble paid off—A-Duan did not have the Lightning Rod ability, but rather Rock Head, which prevented recoil damage. For A-Duan, this ability was currently useless; even if it were to learn Double-Edge later, Amu likely wouldn't let it use the move. Although the attack was powerful on paper, it was a Normal-type move, lacked type coverage, and wasn't STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus). More importantly, if it evolved into Rhyperior, Rock Head would transform into Solid Rock, a much more practical defensive ability. Getting used to Double-Edge now would only be a waste of time, as it would require changing combat habits later.

Since A-Duan lacked Lightning Rod, Pikachu's Thunderbolt slammed directly into it. However, Grass-types were naturally resistant to electricity, and with the protection of the Light Screen, even Exeggutor, with its dwindling stamina, was able to endure the hit. As its health dropped, the power of the potion in its stomach took effect, forcibly boosting its genetic sequence—a surge of exhilaration!

Simultaneously, from Exeggutor's perspective, the surroundings began to shift. Not only did its dynamic vision sharpen, but time itself seemed to slow down. Indeed, Amu had fed Exeggutor a X Accuracy potion, which mimicked the effect of a refined X Accuracy item—once active, it raised accuracy by one stage. This manifested as improved dynamic perception and faster reaction times.

Before Ash could issue another command, Charizard unleashed a Flamethrower toward Exeggutor. While trainers and Pokémon with sufficient rapport or preparation didn't need to be commanded every time, it was clear Ash had wanted to give an order but hadn't been fast enough. The Flamethrower was about to connect, and even with the Light Screen, Exeggutor would likely have been taken out. But at that moment, not only did A-Duan charge forward, but Exeggutor used its psychic powers to "pull" A-Duan along.

Although A-Duan had low Special Defense, as a Rock-type Rhyhorn shielded by Light Screen, it could handle the Flamethrower without too much trouble. It charged through the flames toward Charizard, only stopping when it felt the heat becoming too intense and Amu calmed it down. The tendency for Rhyhorn to get "hot-headed" was a known issue in Pokémon battles. Professor Cerise, noticing Amu's "remote soothing," looked on with newfound interest.

Amu covered his face—even with type advantages and a Light Screen, he had to remind them not to forget how low their Special Defense was. Still, they had managed to hold on, though the newly grown horn was scorched black.

"Horn!" A-Duan, noticing this, became even more enraged.

Meanwhile, Exeggutor's skill was ready. With Trick Room active, the disparity in speed was neutralized. "A-Men! Leaf Storm!" Amu commanded. Normally, Amu would have had A-Men take advantage of the accuracy boost to spam Sleep Powder, but with Pikachu out of moves and nowhere to run, Amu decided to do something unconventional.

Exeggutor understood Amu's intent and whipped its heads toward Pikachu. "Dodge it!" Ash shouted desperately. Hearing the command to dodge, Pikachu immediately activated Quick Attack—as a priority move, it could be executed before the opponent's skill was fully unleashed.

Enhanced by Normal-type energy, Pikachu moved at a speed far beyond its usual pace. Instead of attacking, it changed directions repeatedly, trying to confuse Exeggutor. However, thanks to the X Accuracy, Exeggutor's six pupils never lost sight of Pikachu. With a sharp flick of its heads, countless leaf-shaped blades of grass energy locked onto its target. Pikachu managed to dodge about a third of them, but the rest struck true, blasting it into the air.

"Pika!" Hit by the high-power STAB move, Pikachu cried out in pain as it was sent flying, bouncing off the ground several times.

"Pikachu!" Ash panicked. But in the time it took him to react, Rhyhorn finished preparing its move. A-Duan raised its front hooves and stomped hard. Charizard immediately took flight, relying on its Flying-type energy to nullify the gravitational impact, fearing it was an Earthquake or Stomp.

But there was no gravitational wave. Instead, as A-Duan shook its head, Normal-type energy surged. Its genetic chain for strength flared twice—Swords Dance had been activated! Between the dual screens, Trick Room, and having the initiative, it would be foolish not to capitalize on the opening.

"Horn, horn!" A-Duan's aura became even more imposing.