…After dodging Pikachu's initial Thunder Shock and restoring some stamina with Aqua Ring, Ash and Froakie were ready to fight back.
"Froakie, reposition and hit it with Frubbles!" Ash commanded, eyes locked onto the adorable yellow Pokémon across the battlefield.
"Froa—!"
Like snowballs in a winter brawl, Froakie scooped up two clumps of glowing Frubbles from its neck and hurled them straight at Pikachu.
Tess, the wiry teen from Vermilion City, had clearly learned his lesson. The moment Ash gave the order, he barked out his own:
"Pikachu, dodge!"
Tess crouched into a battle stance and flung his hand forward dramatically, voice brimming with energy.
"Let's go!"
Bam! Bam!
"Pika Pika!"
The Pikachu on the field darted and leapt, agile as ever, avoiding each of Froakie's incoming Frubbles with nimble footwork and playful bounds.
Cheers erupted from the watching trainees.
Tess beamed proudly. "Nice work, Pikachu! That's how it's done!"
But Ash wasn't fazed.
"Froakie, don't stop! Keep firing Frubbles!" he ordered without hesitation.
"Froa!"
Nodding sharply, Froakie obeyed. Thanks to Aqua Ring's continuous recovery effect, it could maintain the barrage without running dry. Frubbles materialized again and again in its hands as it jumped and twirled, launching them like precision grenades.
"Shff! Shff! Shff!"
Frubbles rained down like shrapnel, turning the area around Pikachu into a minefield of sticky traps.
Yet Pikachu remained elusive, and Tess—no longer rushing for a quick win—was now in full performance mode.
"Dodge! Keep dodging! Don't let up!"
"Pika~!"
Pikachu danced across the battlefield, almost toying with Froakie's attacks, a smug grin on its face.
Ash narrowed his eyes.
"Froakie, stop."
The constant barrage halted. Froakie froze in mid-action, arms raised for another throw.
"Oh? What's wrong? Giving up already?" Tess grinned cockily. "My Pikachu is too fast for your Froakie's Frubbles. They'll never land a hit."
Ash gave a mysterious smile and pointed to the battlefield.
"Really? Then take a good look at the ground around Pikachu. Tell me… do you still think it can dodge?"
"Huh? What the—?!"
Tess's eyes darted down.
Unbeknownst to him, Froakie's constant Frubble throws had completely coated the area around Pikachu. Aside from a tiny patch under its feet, the rest of the field was covered in sticky orbs.
Ash hadn't been attacking blindly—he'd been setting a trap.
If Froakie hadn't stopped, Pikachu might've been immobilized already.
But even now, Tess and his Pikachu were in a tight spot.
Ash wasted no time.
"Froakie—Bubble!"
This time, he wasn't throwing softballs. This time it was a real attack.
"Froa!"
Froakie's recovery during the earlier exchanges had paid off. Now brimming with strength, it inhaled, puffed out its chest, locked onto its target—and fired!
Pop pop pop pop pop!
Tiny water bullets fired from Froakie's mouth like buckshot, each bubble shimmering as it shot through the air toward Pikachu.
"Pikachu, get out of there!"
Tess's confidence had vanished. Panic now colored his voice.
"Pika~!"
Pikachu tried to leap, hop, dash—anything to escape.
But this time… it was different.
Frubbles had only come in twos or threes. But these Bubbles?
They came like a storm—ten, fifteen, maybe more, blasting all at once in a wide, relentless spread.
Bang bang bang bang!
"Pika!!"
Pikachu, surrounded by sticky Frubbles, had nowhere to go. It became a sitting target and took the full brunt of Froakie's Bubble assault.
"Pikachu!"
Tess's face turned pale. Just moments ago, he had the upper hand—now his partner was being pummeled without mercy.
But Tess wasn't giving up.
"Pikachu, Thunder Shock—now!"
"Pika!!"
Pikachu slammed its cheeks, sparking furiously, a powerful electric current building and lashing out.
But Ash was faster.
"Froakie! Bubble—aim for its feet! Force its movement!"
"Froa!"
Froakie unleashed another blast of bubbles, scattering them toward Pikachu's footing like a shotgun blast.
Shhhfff!
At the same time, a bolt of electricity tore through the air toward Froakie.
Zzzzzk!
Electricity cracked and arced. The two attacks met mid-air.
Pop pop pop!
The electric bolt burst through many of the bubbles—but not all. The sheer number made it impossible to stop them all.
Bang! Bang!
Two bubbles struck Pikachu's body. Two more burst at its feet.
Forced to leap away, Pikachu landed—right into the Frubble field.
Splat!
Its paw sank into the sticky goo, and Pikachu froze.
"Pika—?!"
The squishy, wet sensation underfoot made Pikachu's ears twitch in alarm.
Tess, now pale and wide-eyed, watched in horror as his partner stepped right into the trap.
Ash's trap had been sprung.
….
….
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T/N:
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