On November 4, 2022, Japan aired The Masters Eight Tournament episode 131 The Finals lll: Strongest. I was absolutely blown away by the heated battle between Pikachu and Gigantamax Charizard. As I was watching it, my heart was pounding like crazy. Especially, a clash between Pikachu’s 10000000 volt thunderbolt and Charizard’s G-Max Wildfire was amazing and astounding.
In this episode, as soon as Leon sends out his Charizard, he Gigantamaxes it. Gigantamax Charizard is massive and can easily crush the tiny, little Pikachu. Their sizes are comparable to those of a dinosaur and an ant. Fortunately, Pikachu is able to survive the first two fierce attacks Charizard has launched. We all know Pikachu cannot fly. However, he is agile and capable of jumping very high. The odds seem to be against Ash, pushing him to use Pikachu’s z-move, 10 million volt thunderbolt, which is their last hope.
What happens next is the two moves struggle for dominance, causing a gigantic explosion to knock Charizard out of its Gigantamax form. I am sure it takes a lot to erase a Pokemon’s Gigantamax form. Pikachu’s 10000000 volt thunderbolt gets the job done.
I have had discussions with my friends about which move is more powerful: Charizard’s G-Max Wildfire or Pikachu’s 10000000 volt thunderbolt. We all think Pikachu’s is stronger.
This is our theory.
As the two attacks are colliding, Pikachu is “floating” in the air to maintain his move. We believe that just before an explosion takes place, Pikachu musters up enough energy to force his attack toward Charizard. Even the explosion pushes them back, it is close enough to erase its Gigantamax form. However, Pikachu is able to hold a firm grip on the ground, remains unscathed and still has Ash’s cap on his head.
If the two moves were equal in power, Pikachu would have shown signs of minor injury (like bruises and scratches) or lost the cap.
If the G-Max Wildfire was more powerful, it would have blasted Pikachu out of the stadium. Especially, while he was standing in midair, he put himself in a highly vulnerable position. The explosion could have obliterated him.
Therefore, we generally agree the z-move is slightly stronger in this battle.
What is your opinion about which move is more powerful based on this battle?
Congrats! Pikachu, Ash and his other Pokemon. They won the World Coronation Tournament, fulfilling Ash’s dream of becoming a Pokemon master.