Ash raised his voice calmly, eyes sweeping across the expectant crowd.
"I'd like to ask… is there anyone else who wants to come up and battle?"
"I'll go!"
Before Ash had even finished his sentence, a tall, lanky boy dashed onto the field—beating every other eager camper to the punch.
"Damn it! That guy snuck in!"
"No way! He cut the line?!"
Compared to the hesitation before Ash's fourth match, now it seemed like everyone wanted a shot.
The crowd buzzed with excitement. But standing in the middle of it all, Ash wasn't angry. In fact, he was smiling.
He glanced at Froakie, and the two exchanged a look—calm, collected, and laced with one simple message:
"Let's teach these overconfident rookies a lesson."
"I'm Tess from Vermilion City, and this is my partner!"
He tossed a Poké Ball into the air with exaggerated flair.
"Go, Pikachu! I choose you!"
Pop!
"Pika Pikachu!"
A small, familiar yellow mouse landed in the middle of the field, its red cheeks crackling faintly with static.
Ash blinked.
"…Huh?"
Pikachu?
His expression turned… complicated.
The electric mouse tilted its head curiously, sensing Ash's gaze. Its ears twitched, and it stared right back.
"System, scan that Pikachu."
[Pokémon: Pikachu]
Level: 5
Type: Electric
Nature: Naughty
Ability: Static
Potential: [Green] (Normal)
Skills (Copyable):
[Skilled]: Thunder Shock (7/500)
[Novice]: Tail Whip (42/100), Play Nice (14/100)
"Not every Pikachu can be called the 'Lightning King'… the real 'Pika-God' is still just a Pichu right now."
Ash chuckled to himself.
This wasn't his Pikachu.
This one was nothing special.
But the rest of the camp… didn't know that.
…..
"Pikachu?! Oh no… that's bad."
"Electric beats Water—Ash is doomed!"
"He should've stopped after four wins! Challenging a fifth match was too risky."
"Froakie's already gasping for breath. Even if he fought a neutral-type, he'd be at a disadvantage—and now it's an Electric-type?!"
"Yeah, all the momentum he built from those four wins… he's just handing it over now."
Even Gary, Tierno, Shauna, and Green couldn't hide their concern.
They all sighed in unison.
Only Goh stood there hiding a smirk, mentally whispering:
"Lose. Just lose already. Perfect."
To almost everyone, it looked like Froakie's run was over.
Almost everyone.
Because tucked behind her friend Shauna, shy little Serena still clung to her hope.
Her hand gripped Shauna's sleeve, her wide eyes locked onto Ash.
And inside her heart, she whispered fiercely—
"He's going to win. I know it. He's going to win!"
…..
As soon as both Trainers and Pokémon were in place, the referee stepped forward.
"Battle—begin!"
"Pikachu, Thunder Shock! Finish it in one hit!"
Tess yelled with confidence, already imagining his victory.
But like the others—he underestimated Ash.
They all did.
Sure, Ash had the body of a six-year-old…
But inside that body was the soul of a battle-hardened adult.
And he never entered a fight he couldn't win.
Yes, Froakie was exhausted.
Yes, Electric-types countered Water-types.
But Ash still had cards up his sleeve.
Across the field, Pikachu slapped its cheeks, releasing a flash of electric sparks.
Ash narrowed his eyes.
"Froakie—fall back! Keep your distance and use Aqua Ring!"
"Froa!!"
Despite its heavy breathing, Froakie didn't hesitate.
Zzzap!!
Pikachu's Thunder Shock cracked through the air.
But Froakie leapt backward in time—dodging the strike.
Then it sucked in a deep breath—
"Glug…"
Moisture in the air swirled and condensed around Froakie's body.
To the shock of the campers—and the amazement of Professor Oak and Thorne—two slender streams of pure water began circling Froakie like a healing veil.
"Froaa~!"
The Aqua Ring technique infused Froakie's tired body with fresh energy.
It wasn't a full recovery—but it was enough.
Enough to stabilize.
Enough to breathe.
Enough to fight back.
"Aaa-Aqua Ring?! Since when can Froakie do that?!"
"I thought each Pokémon could only use three moves! Froakie had Pound, Bubble, and Growl, right?!"
"Did Ash teach it during the battles? Is that even possible?!"
Even Oak was at a loss.
"There's no record of Froakie learning Aqua Ring at this level…" he muttered, scratching his head in disbelief.
But no one had an answer.
Not Oak.
Not Thorne.
Not anyone.
Ash didn't care.
He wasn't about to explain.
He had a battle to win.
And now that he'd dodged the first attack and restored Froakie's strength—
It was time to strike back.
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T/N:
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