Chapter 39: Thunderbolt And Evolution

"This... this is Thunderbolt?!" Ash's eyes lit up. He obviously didn't expect Pikachu to learn the Thunderbolt move at this moment.

Although Pikachu had been training for two days, it seemed that it was still some distance away from mastering the move.

However, in the heat of the battle, Pikachu broke through, learned the signature move, and simultaneously took down four Beedrills.

This greatly relieved the pressure, and the tide of the battle was turning!

The remaining Beedrills were visibly startled by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. They subconsciously backed away from Pikachu, and their once fierce eyes now showed a hint of fear.

After his attack, Pikachu looked at his hands in confusion, noticing the arcs of electricity flashing from his cheeks.

His eyes lit up as he realized he'd finally mastered the Thunderbolt he'd been training so hard for!

"Encore, Pikachu! This time, use a real Thunderbolt!" Ash clenched his right fist in excitement, smiling as he shouted the command.

"Pika———!" Pikachu obeyed immediately, tapping into his newfound strength. The small arcs of electricity he'd been using earlier turned into a full-on Thunderbolt.

A violent surge of electricity erupted from Pikachu's body, aimed straight at the three Beedrills in front!

One of the Beedrills reacted quickly and dodged, but the other two weren't so lucky.

They were caught in the powerful bolt of electricity, their silhouettes flashing briefly before the golden lightning enveloped them.

When the light faded, the two Beedrills fell to the ground, unconscious, without even a sound. They had been taken out in an instant!

Now, only eight Beedrills remained out of the original fifteen. The situation had changed dramatically in Ash's favor.

Meanwhile, Pidgey watched Pikachu with admiration. Pikachu's display of power left the little bird Pokémon feeling a sense of envy, but also motivation.

Pidgey knew that it too could become stronger if it worked hard enough.

Determined to keep up, Pidgey used *Gust* once again, sending another powerful blast of wind towards the Beedrill swarm.

The Beedrills, already rattled by Pikachu's earlier attack, struggled to withstand the force of the strong wind. After being hit by three consecutive Gusts, their stamina had noticeably weakened.

Suddenly, one of the Beedrills let out a sharp cry, and the remaining Beedrills rallied around it.

Together, they formed a tight group and managed to stabilize themselves against Pidgey's attack, effectively using their numbers to resist the wind.

"It's now, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt again!" Ash's eyes gleamed as he saw the Beedrills bunch up.

Before Pikachu had learned Thunderbolt, Ash could only rely on 'Thunder Shock' to defeat his enemies one by one.

But with Thunderbolt's wider attack range and superior conductivity, it was the perfect move to strike a grouped target.

Pikachu unleashed another Thunderbolt without hesitation.

The powerful lightning bolt struck the ground between the Beedrills, and for a moment, everything was bathed in the blinding light of the attack.

The crackling thunder echoed through the area as Pikachu's electric energy rippled outward, encompassing the swarm of Beedrills.

A few seconds later, Pikachu stopped the attack, panting heavily.

Thunderbolt was a powerful move, but Pikachu's current strength level was still only at the Earl Dervish stage, meaning the move took a heavy toll on its stamina.

After using Thunderbolt twice in quick succession, Pikachu was clearly exhausted.

The reality of battling wasn't like the games, where moves had a set number of PP (Power Points) that dictated how many times they could be used.

In reality, moves required energy, which came from the Pokémon's physical strength. The stronger the move, the more energy it required.

Despite the exhaustion, Pikachu's efforts had paid off.

The Beedrill swarm had been completely decimated. As Pikachu caught its breath, Ash smiled, thinking the battle was finally over.

"Ash!" Misty's terrified scream from behind suddenly pierced the moment of calm.

Ash spun around and froze. A Beedrill, which had somehow remained hidden, was now diving towards him from the left, its twineedle glowing with a dangerous Bug-type energy.

Ash's heart raced. The Beedrill was moving too fast.

He knew he couldn't dodge in time, and the giant needle was already less than five meters away from him. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. It was too late to react.

Pikachu, despite being exhausted, tried to rush to Ash's aid, but its weakened state caused it to stumble. Pikachu fell to the ground, helplessly watching the scene unfold with horror.

"Wave!" At the last second, Pidgey sprang into action. The bird Pokémon's body became enveloped in a translucent white energy—Normal-type energy.

In a split second, Pidgey shot forward like lightning, breaking through the air and colliding with Beedrill with tremendous force.

Beedrill's giant needle was only half a meter away from Ash, but Pidgey slammed into Beedrill before it could land the blow. The impact sent Beedrill flying back across the battlefield.

Ash stood in stunned silence, his heart still racing from the close call.

But as he watched, Pidgey—who had saved his life—began to glow with a brilliant array of colors. The light enveloped Pidgey's entire body, signaling the beginning of its evolution.

Ash watched, unable to process what was happening. The colorful light around Pidgey shrank back quickly, revealing its new form—Pidgeotto!

"Pidgeotto"

- Attribute: Normal, Flying

- Category: Bird Pokémon

- Ability: Keen Eye or Tangled Feet;

-Hidden Ability: Big Pecks

- Keen Eye: This Pokémon can always see its opponent clearly, and is unaffected by any visual impairments.

Pidgeotto's new form was far larger than its previous one, at least three times the size of Pidgey. Its appearance had also become more majestic, with three tufts of pink feathers on its head, giving it an air of authority.

"pi———!" Pidgeotto let out a powerful cry, flexing its newfound strength as it flapped its wings.

Ash stared at the majestic bird in awe. "It... evolved…?"

No one had expected Pidgey to evolve into Pidgeotto at such a critical moment, not even Ash.

"Beedrill..." The remaining Beedrill, who had been knocked out of the air, managed to recover and rise back up. However, after seeing Pidgeotto's new form and knowing that its fellow Beedrills had all been defeated, fear flashed in its eyes.

Flying-type Pokémon were natural enemies of Bug-types, and now, Beedrill stood alone against Pidgeotto and Pikachu, with no chance of victory.

"Was that Quick Attack just now...?" Ash muttered to himself as he recalled how Pidgey had charged into Beedrill. There was no doubt that the move Pidgey had used was indeed Quick Attack.

Not only had Pidgey evolved into Pidgeotto, but it had also learned Quick Attack in the process. Ash couldn't help but feel grateful towards the Beedrills.

Pikachu had learned Thunderbolt, and now Pidgeotto had both evolved and gained a new move. In a strange way, the Beedrills had actually helped his team grow stronger.

Ash smiled at the lone Beedrill, his eyes softening. "They're really good Pokémon…" he thought, then corrected himself, "No, good... friends."

Beedrill hovered nervously, realizing it was outmatched. With its comrades all down, and facing both Pikachu's new Thunderbolt and the evolved Pidgeotto,

Beedrill's fear was palpable. Its twineedles trembled slightly as it considered its options, but Pidgeotto wasn't going to wait.

The newly evolved Pokémon spread its powerful wings and let out a loud cry, signaling its readiness for the next move.

"Pidgeotto, let's finish this! Use Gust!" Ash called out, his voice confident and filled with the determination that had gotten him this far.

Without hesitation, Pidgeotto flapped its wings powerfully. The gust created was far stronger than before, the wind swirling and catching Beedrill mid-flight.

Beedrill struggled to maintain its position, but it was no match for the enhanced power of the evolved Flying-Type Pokémon.

The wind howled, sending Beedrill tumbling through the air before it crashed to the ground with a defeated thud.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief as Beedrill lay unconscious, the battle finally over.

"Great job, Pikachu! You were amazing, Pidgeotto!" he said, his excitement evident in his voice.

"Pika!" Pikachu smiled, exhausted but proud of its new abilities.

Meanwhile, Pidgeotto landed gracefully in front of Ash, clearly pleased with its evolution and newfound strength.

Misty emerged from the grass, still a little shaken but grateful that the fight was over.

"I thought we were goners for sure... but you and Pikachu handled that so well, Ash!" she said, a mixture of relief and admiration in her voice.

Ash grinned at Misty. "It wasn't just me. Pikachu and Pidgeotto did most of the work. And they both grew stronger today."

Misty nodded, glancing at Pikachu, who was lying down and catching its breath.

"Pikachu learning Thunderbolt like that... and Pidgey evolving into Pidgeotto... you're really becoming a great team."

Ash looked at his Pokémon proudly, realizing just how much they'd grown in such a short time. "Yeah... but we've still got a long way to go."

He turned his attention back to the forest path ahead. There would undoubtedly be more challenges, more battles, and more opportunities to grow.

But for now, they had survived another tough encounter, and Ash knew that with every victory, they were getting closer to achieving their dreams.

As the group began to walk away from the battlefield, Ash's thoughts briefly drifted back to the Beedrills.

Despite how dangerous they had been, they'd helped Pikachu and Pidgeotto grow. He smiled to himself.

"Guess they weren't so bad after all."

With that, Ash, Misty, and their Pokémon continued their journey, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them next.

________

Adios