"So you're trying to recall Machop?"
"Nice try—but I won't let you."
"Pidgeotto, dive in and block the recall beam with your body!"
Ash issued the command at lightning speed.
High above the battlefield, Pidgeotto—having just unleashed Hurricane—responded instantly. Like a hawk diving on its prey, it folded its wings and plunged straight down.
"Whoosh—!"
A thin red recall beam shot out from the Poké Ball in Harlan's hand, no thicker than a finger. But before it could reach Machop, Pidgeotto intercepted it midair, blocking the only possible path.
The recall beam struck Pidgeotto—a Pokémon already bound to another Trainer—and was immediately dispelled, scattering harmlessly away.
"How is that possible…?"
Harlan froze, staring blankly ahead. He had never imagined that Ash would stop the recall this way—let alone that Pidgeotto would physically block the beam. Failing to retrieve Machop, Harlan stood there completely stunned.
And it wasn't just him.
The referee, the commentator, and even the audience in the stands were all caught off guard by this ingenious, instinctive response.
This was Ash's first time competing in the City Battle Arena, his first match under the gaze of so many eyes. The crowd had assumed he would be nervous—yet instead, he was radiating confidence and composure.
His Pokémon were overwhelmingly strong.
His commands were sharp, fluid, and inspired.
A true prodigy.
A Trainer born to stand at the pinnacle of the profession.
At this moment, Ash's presence on the battlefield felt natural—like a star who belonged on center stage. When today's match ended, the name Ash was bound to spread across the entire Kanto region once more.
"Pidgeotto, finish it—use Quick Attack!"
Ash paid no attention to the roaring crowd.
With Harlan and Machop both frozen in shock, Ash seized the opening without mercy and ordered the final strike.
"Piiidgeot—!"
Pidgeotto threw back its head with a piercing cry, locking its sharp gaze onto Machop. Its wings snapped open—
Quick Attack!
A streak of brilliant white light burst forward. Pidgeotto zigzagged in a blinding Z-shaped trajectory, its speed so extreme that Machop's vision spun out of control.
Instinctively, Machop raised a hand to rub its eyes—
And in that instant, Pidgeotto hit.
Like a supersonic jet, it slammed into Machop head-on, sending the Fighting-type Pokémon flying.
"Bang!"
"Machop!!"
Harlan shouted in panic, eyes wide.
But Machop didn't answer.
It lay motionless on the ground, completely knocked out.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host—defeated LV.21 Machop. Experience gained: +320]
"Machop has lost the ability to battle. This round goes to Ash's Pidgeotto!"
After confirming the result, the referee announced the outcome.
"Well done, Pidgeotto."
Although Pidgeotto didn't level up, securing such a clean opening victory still put Ash in an excellent mood.
…
"ASH—!"
"Ah—!!"
"Little—!"
"ASH—!!"
As the first round ended in Ash's favor, cheers erupted from the stands like a tidal wave. Supporters and fans shouted his name at the top of their lungs.
This was Ash's debut match.
And this was his very first win.
That alone was worth celebrating.
"Red side, please send out your second Pokémon," the referee reminded Harlan.
"Pidgeotto, you did great. Leave the rest to your teammates."
"Pii~"
Before Harlan could respond, Ash calmly recalled Pidgeotto.
Keeping it on the field risked running into a counter, and since this was a rare visit to the City Battle Arena, Ash wanted both Pikachu and Frogadier to get some real battle experience.
"HITMONCHAN, you're up next!"
"Don't lose this one!"
"Pikachu, round two is yours."
With neither side gaining an advantage from timing, both Trainers threw their Poké Balls at the same time.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two Pokémon appeared simultaneously.
On Ash's side stood Pikachu, crackling faintly with electricity.
On Harlan's side emerged another Fighting-type Pokémon—
Hitmonchan, the so-called Boxing Demon.
Hitmonchan wore armor-like gear resembling a skirt, tough enough to serve as protection. Like its evolutionary cousin Hitmonlee, it had a brown body, plate-like "hair" on its head, and massive boxing gloves—capable of delivering devastating punches when opponents least expected them.
"Another Fighting type?"
Ash nearly laughed inwardly.
"Fighting-types excel in close combat with brutal physical power," he mused,
"but before learning Focus Blast, their short range is a fatal weakness."
"Hitmonchan, smash that Pikachu flat!"
Harlan shouted arrogantly, completely unaware of the disadvantage he was in.
"Heh."
"System, scan the opponent's Hitmonchan."
[Hitmonchan]
Level: LV.22Type: FightingNature: BraveAbility: Iron Fist
Potential: Green
Moves (Copyable):
Proficient (1/1000): Mach PunchSkilled (1/500): Bullet Punch, Drain Punch, Power-Up Punch, Vacuum WaveNovice (1/100): Fake Out, Feint, Tackle, Helping Hand, Focus Energy, Detect, Revenge, Quick Guard
"The match begins!"
As soon as the referee gave the signal, the second round officially started.
"Hitmonchan, charge—Mach Punch!*"
Learning from the previous round, Harlan immediately ordered an aggressive opening.
"Chan—!"
Hitmonchan dashed forward in a flash.
But Ash reacted just as quickly.
Against agile opponents, reckless aggression only wasted stamina.
"Pikachu—use Thunder Wave!"
As Ash issued the command, electricity surged—
The battle was about to tilt decisively in his favor once again.
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T/N:
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