Pokemon: I am a God-level Player

"Ash! Now!" Eddie shouted, not even looking at his companion as they faced the omnipresent electrical discharge and the charging Raichu.

"Poliwhirl! Hydro Pump!" Ash commanded.

"Frogadier! Ice Beam!" Eddie called simultaneously.

At this critical moment, no further communication was needed between them—their actions synchronized perfectly.

Water could indeed conduct electricity, but when transformed into ice, it would insulate against it.

Ash's Poliwhirl tilted its head back and released a powerful stream of water skyward. The water descended in a semicircular fountain shape, completely enveloping both Eddie and Ash.

Eddie's Frogadier then precisely timed its Ice Beam, instantly freezing the flowing water.

The result was a 360-degree protective dome of ice surrounding them, blocking the countless lightning bolts converging from all directions.

"Impressive defense," Lt. Surge sneered. "Though I'd like to continue praising your ingenuity, it's unfortunate that you underestimate me! An ice wall is no match for my Raichu's power!"

As if to validate Lt. Surge's boast, Raichu's electrical attacks intensified, instantly shattering the thick ice barrier and continuing inward.

But the attack found nothing...

"What?! They're not inside?!" Lt. Surge exclaimed, seeing only an empty shell where the Trainers should have been. "Damn! Raichu, retreat immediately!"

"Want to retreat? Too late!" came Eddie's voice from behind the remnants of the ice wall.

"Charizard, Frogadier, Grovyle, Riolu!"

"Pikachu, Ivysaur, Poliwhirl!"

"Attack Raichu!" they shouted in unison.

Ash and Eddie emerged from behind the ice dome. They had slipped away at the last possible moment during the wall's formation, positioning themselves behind it. From Lt. Surge's perspective, he hadn't noticed their escape.

Now they commanded all their Pokémon to launch a coordinated assault on Raichu, which had just finished its attack and had no time to defend itself.

Lt. Surge's two Pokémon had been overwhelming Eddie and Ash, forcing them to divide their attention. In the chaotic melee, they hadn't been able to focus their attacks on a single target.

Lt. Surge wasn't foolish enough to allow them to concentrate their firepower. But now, having committed Raichu to a massive attack, he had created both a crisis and an opportunity that Eddie and Ash were exploiting.

Fire Blast, Focus Blast, Giga Drain, Hydro Pump, Iron Tail, Razor Leaf, and Ice Beam—seven attacks from different directions converged on Raichu simultaneously.

Even though Raichu was significantly stronger than any of these seven Pokémon individually, it couldn't withstand their combined assault. Furthermore, Eddie's four Pokémon were equipped with items that enhanced their attack power, making their strikes comparable to those of elite-level Pokémon.

Raichu screamed in pain as the concentrated barrage left it immobilized and on the verge of collapse.

"Damn it! You won't succeed!" Lt. Surge roared. "Electabuzz, strike now!"

Lt. Surge recognized the danger, but he wouldn't accept defeat passively. If he could take down even one opposing Pokémon before Raichu fell, he could still turn the tide.

With a ferocious roar, Electabuzz leaped high into the air. The protrusions on its head acted like lightning rods, drawing electricity from the storm clouds above. A massive thunderbolt, several meters wide, crashed down toward the battlefield.

Its targets were clearly the enemies' most vulnerable Pokémon: the Water-type Frogadier and the Fire/Flying-type Charizard. A direct hit from Thunder would certainly incapacitate them instantly, given both the power difference and type disadvantage.

Even if it didn't knock them out completely, it would cripple them enough to allow Raichu to mount a counterattack.

"Damn, this Raichu is too resilient," Eddie thought. "It'll take a few more seconds to defeat it completely. It seems we'll have to—"

The situation was critical. If Electabuzz disrupted their coordinated attack, they would face both of Lt. Surge's Pokémon at full strength and certainly lose. Eddie was preparing to use his trump card when—

"Poliwhirl! Block that attack!" Ash suddenly commanded.

Without hesitation, Ash's Frogadier leaped skyward, fearlessly preparing to intercept the deadly Thunder attack with ice-coated fists.

"Ash! You—"

"Don't worry about it! Just defeat Raichu quickly!"

"...Charizard! Use all your strength! Flare Blitz!!!"

Eddie's eyes reddened—whether from excitement or emotion was unclear. With a roar, he directed Charizard to charge at the weakened Raichu.

Meanwhile, Ash maintained his resolute tone, but couldn't hide the tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

He knew his Poliwhirl faced mortal danger, with a high probability of being knocked out instantly. Yet he had made his decision.

Eddie's Pokémon were more powerful and essential to winning this battle. Protecting them was the most logical choice.

Ash's heart ached as he made this decision, but he didn't hesitate. He understood that failure to act would result in defeat and possibly death for both of them.

Though he claimed not to fear death, he certainly didn't want to endanger Eddie. In Ash's mind, Eddie wouldn't be in this perilous situation if not for his request.

Feeling responsible, Ash had resolved from the battle's beginning to support Eddie, even at the cost of his own Pokémon...

The massive thunderbolt, several meters wide, crashed down. Its original targets were Eddie's Frogadier and Charizard, but Ash's brave Poliwhirl intercepted it, redirecting the attack elsewhere.

However, Thunder's power exceeded the Pokémon's expectations.

The lightning struck Poliwhirl directly, blasting a huge hole through the cruise ship's deck. Wooden splinters and metal fragments flew in all directions as shock waves rippled through the air.

The entire ship shuddered with a groan from the impact.

Some spectators lost their footing and were knocked down by the concussive force.

Even the residual electricity reached Ash, making him cry out in pain. Though it was merely the attack's aftermath, its power was beyond what an ordinary person could endure.

"Poliwhirl!!!" Ash screamed, ignoring his own injuries as he stared at his partner.

Though still alive, the Pokémon was critically injured and falling toward the ocean below. If Ash didn't recall it to its Poké Ball immediately, relying on the device's life-preserving technology, Frogadier would surely perish upon hitting the water.

Suddenly, a palm-sized blue stone flew through the air from an unknown source, striking Frogadier's falling form.

The moment the stone made contact with Frogadier, the Pokémon's body began to emit a brilliant light.