"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"
"Squirtle! Use Water Gun!"
"Bulbasaur! Use Razor Leaf!!!"
"Pika!"
"Squirtle!"
"Bulba!"
The three Pokémon unleashed their signature moves.
Gary scoffed, shaking his head, "It's useless. The power gap is too great!"
But in the next second.
Squirtle's Water Gun and Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf were unremarkable.
However, Pikachu's Thunderbolt, was like a massive tornado.
The electricity was terrifyingly immense, nowhere near Thunderbolt!
It felt more like Ten Million Volts!
"What's going on?!"
Not just Gary, but Brock and Misty were bewildered.
Ash scratched his head, "Huh? Did my Pikachu get stronger again?"
Pikachu, looking at the Thunderbolt it had unleashed, was also stunned.
"Pika?"
"Holy cow."
Jessie, James, and Meowth were even more dumbfounded.
Before they could bask in their triumph, they were sent flying by this Ten Million Volt blast.
"What in the world is happening?!" Jessie shouted.
The green badge in her hand fell from the sky, landing directly in front of Ash.
Ash, picking up the green badge, was still dazed.
Gary yanked him, "What are you spacing out for! Let's go!! The gym is going to collapse!"
Because the Ten Million Volt blast was too powerful, and the Viridian Gym's structure contained highly explosive materials from Team Rocket's research stored within its rooms.
Therefore, the Viridian Gym completely exploded.
The explosion's force was immense, alerting the entire Viridian City.
Officer Jenny and the fire department rushed to the scene immediately.
Meanwhile, Ash and his friends, now outside, watched in stunned silence.
"Pikachu, since when did you get so strong?"
Ash was still recalling Pikachu's final attack.
Suddenly, he thought of something.
"My Pikachu blew up the Viridian Gym, will I have to pay for it?!"
Terror flickered in Ash's eyes.
This was the first time he felt genuine fear in his life.
How much would it cost to compensate for such a large building?
His mother, Delia, had worked tirelessly to raise him, and instead of repaying her, he had caused such a disaster!
Ash's legs trembled uncontrollably.
He stared at his legs, trying to control them, but they kept shaking.
Trembling with fear.
"Ash."
Although Gary had always been at odds with Ash,
their rivalry was more like a bickering pair.
He looked at the gym, still engulfed in flames, and said,
"I know what you're thinking. If you really have to pay, I'll cover the cost. Of course, not for free. You can pay me back slowly later."
Ash looked at Gary with gratitude.
Brock and Misty also breathed a sigh of relief.
Regardless, at least Gary could help Ash, and the money could be repaid later.
"However, what's the deal with your Pikachu?"
Gary stared at Ash's Pikachu.
After they escaped, Gary, curious about the strange power of that Thunderbolt, had asked Pikachu to unleash it again, this time towards the sky.
But afterward, Pikachu tried several times.
Not only could it not produce such power, but it was significantly weaker.
"Perhaps that last attack was just a fluke."
Gary wiped his brow.
Damn, if this Pikachu's Thunderbolt always had such power, who could withstand such a terrifying move?
Ye Feng, the true mastermind behind all of this, sat calmly on a nearby flower bed.
Pikachu being able to unleash such a terrifying attack was naturally because his Red-Striped Pikachu had transferred some of its power into Ash's Pikachu.
Of course, this was only possible because they were both Pikachu.
Only then could the power of a move be transferred.
As for the matter of compensation,
Ye Feng certainly wouldn't let Ash be responsible.
Because of his relationship with Delia, if Ash had to pay, it would mean Delia paying.
But in fact, there was no need to pay at all this time.
"Hey, Ash."
About half an hour later, the gym's flames were extinguished.
Officer Jenny, along with her team, searched the dilapidated Viridian Gym for a long time.
Finally, Officer Jenny approached the alleged culprit – Ash and his friends.
Her face was stern.
Ash trembled under her gaze.
Finally, unable to bear the tense, eerie silence, Ash broke.
With a mournful face, he asked, "Officer Jenny, how much do I have to pay?"
"Pay?"
Officer Jenny was taken aback.
"Pay for what?"
"Pay for the gym. Pikachu destroyed this gym. So..."
Ash looked utterly devastated.
Officer Jenny understood Ash's meaning.
Her stern expression immediately turned into a cheerful smile.
She held her stomach and burst into laughter,
"Hahaha, I thought it was something serious! This matter!"
"Then first of all, congratulations Ash, you don't have to pay!"
"Don't have to pay?!"
Ash felt a jolt go through his body.
It was like being moved from a cold cellar to a warm, comfortable hot spring.
"Yes, if this were just an ordinary gym, the Gym Leader could indeed demand compensation from you. But this is not an ordinary gym."
"Huh?"
Upon hearing this.
Not only Ash, but Gary, Brock, and Misty were all curious.
Officer Jenny pointed to the ruined wreckage.
They saw staff members dragging out Pokémon from the debris.
And also people.
Those people had the mark of 'R' on them.
"According to their confession, this was a base for Team Rocket. Since it's a Team Rocket base, an evil organization like that naturally doesn't have to pay."
"Team Rocket?"
Gary flinched.
"Then, then what about this gym's leader, Giovanni?!"
"According to our deductions, he is very likely also a member of Team Rocket."
"Alright, alright, we'll handle this professionally from here on out. You can all leave now."
Officer Jenny waved her hand and returned to the wrecked gym.
"That's great! I don't have to pay!!!"
Ash exclaimed with excitement, clenching his fist.
This feeling.
Was a dramatic turn of events from hell to heaven.
Seeing Ash return to his usual cheerful self.
Brock and Misty smiled.
Gary also shook his head.
Then he got into his sports car, with his five girlfriends already inside.
"Alright Ash. Since we've collected our badges, I'll see you in Pallet Town."
Gary smiled confidently.
In an instant, the red sports car shot off like lightning.
As it sped away, Gary inadvertently glanced at Ye Feng.
"Alright, since everything's over, we should head back to Pallet Town too."
Ye Feng stood up, leading Pikachu ahead.
"Pallet Town! I'm back!!!"
Ash raised his arms and shouted endlessly.
...
Viridian City is not far from Pallet Town.
But it still takes a few days to travel.
Ye Feng's initial speed was due to using Speed Boost.
On the way back to Pallet Town, they encountered something.