The next morning, the aroma of food wafted through the cafeteria of the Pokémon Center.
Dawn enjoyed her breakfast in a pleasant mood, occasionally glancing up at Shinji, who was eating quietly opposite her.
After spending the last two days together, she seemed to have completely adjusted to the travel routine with this cold guy.
Finishing breakfast, Dawn pulled Shinji along to visit Pikachu's ward again.
Pushing open the door, they found that besides Ash and Pikachu, there was another youth with dark skin and eyes narrowed into thin slits.
"Ash, good morning! How is Pikachu doing?" Dawn greeted him proactively, her voice light and cheerful.
"It's Dawn and Shinji!" Ash turned his head at the sound, a bright smile immediately appearing on his face. "Pikachu is completely recovered! He's perfectly fine!"
"Pika-pika—chu!" Seeing Dawn, the Pikachu on the hospital bed also jumped up full of energy, waving its little paws. The electricity sacs on its cheeks emitted faint electric sparks, looking full of vitality.
"Ash, who are these two?" That squinty-eyed youth, Brock, asked Ash curiously with a gentle smile.
"Oh right, let me introduce you," Ash slapped his forehead. "They are Dawn and Shinji. They're the ones who rescued Pikachu from Team Rockets. This is Brock, my great partner from when I traveled through the Kanto and Hoenn regions, and he's also an excellent Pokémon Breeder!"
"Hello, Brock. My name is Dawn, and I'm from Twinleaf Town. This is Shinji, from Veilstone City," Dawn hurriedly introduced them politely.
Brock bowed slightly, his tone gentle and courteous: "Hello. I'm Brock, and I'm currently traveling with Ash."
Compared to the polite pleasantries between Dawn and Brock, Shinji merely stood to the side expressionlessly. His dark purple eyes swept over Ash before finally fixing on Brock; he gave a slight nod as a greeting, as cold as ever.
Fearing Brock might misunderstand, Dawn quickly smiled to smooth things over: "Um... Shinji is just like that. He's not very good with words, so please don't mind him."
Just as she finished speaking, the previously silent Shinji suddenly spoke up, his gaze Lock-On to Ash, his voice cold and direct: "Ash, let's have a battle."
"A battle? No problem!" As soon as Ash heard the word "battle," his eyes instantly lit up. His fighting spirit ignited, and he became excited. Pikachu also jumped onto his shoulder, eager to give it a try.
"Gooo—"
But at that moment, a loud stomach growl emanated from Ash's belly, sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet ward.
Ash's face turned bright red instantly. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly and gave an embarrassed laugh: "Um... I was so happy about finding Pikachu last night that I haven't eaten anything... I'm starving now. Shinji, can we battle after I have something to eat?"
No expression could be seen on Shinji's face as he simply waved his hand dismissively: "Doesn't matter. I'll wait for you at the outside field."
Having said that, he turned and walked out of the ward without a moment's delay.
Seeing this, Dawn hurriedly said to Ash and Brock, "Then we'll see you later," and quickly chased after Shinji.
The two arrived at the standard battle court in the backyard of the Pokémon Center.
Just as Dawn was wondering what a battle between Shinji and Ash would be like, she heard Shinji's cold voice: "Release Piplup and battle me."
"Eh? What?" Dawn was stunned for a moment, not reacting. She blinked in confusion. "Weren't you going to battle Ash?"
Shinji rolled his eyes at her irritably, his tone carrying a bit of impatience yet hiding a trace of hard-to-detect seriousness: "If I don't let you get used to battling, do you want to fail the next time you try to catch a Pokémon?"
Only then did Dawn understand Shinji's intention. He wanted to take advantage of the interval while Ash was eating to squeeze in some time to coach her.
A warm current suddenly surged through her heart. She gave a little giggle, a radiant smile blooming on her face, and quickly took out a Poké Ball: "Okay! Piplup, I choose you!"
"Piplup!" Piplup appeared on the field, full of spirit.
"Elekid, prepare for battle." Shinji also threw out a Poké Ball.
A white light flashed, and Elekid landed steadily, arms crossed over its chest, its sharp eyes Lock-On to Piplup.
"Dawn, attack with everything you've got," Shinji said to Dawn.
"Okay! I'll be serious!" Dawn's eyes instantly became determined, and her aura changed accordingly. Taking a deep breath, she began to shout orders to Piplup, "Piplup, use Bubble Beam!"
"Piplup!" Piplup opened its mouth, and a string of crystal-clear bubbles gushed out, flying rapidly toward Elekid with a faint popping sound.
"Elekid, dodge when the move is closest," Shinji's command was clear and calm. "Don't make the dodging movement too large, but make it exceptionally effective."
Facing the incoming Bubble Beam, Elekid remained standing in place without any sign of moving.
Only then did it exert a slight force with its feet, its body performing a side-slip at a tiny angle, precisely letting all the bubbles brush past. The movement was clean and efficient, without a single superfluous action.
Dawn had been full of anticipation to hit the target, but seeing Elekid easily dodge at the last moment, a depressed expression instantly appeared on her face, and she couldn't help but stomp her foot.
"Focus!"
Shinji keenly sensed the change in her emotions. His frigid voice rang out immediately, like ice water poured over her head, making Dawn snap back to attention instantly.
"Don't stop the attack; don't be affected by the opponent's actions. Interruption of commands is a taboo for a Trainer!"
Hearing Shinji's words, Dawn felt a shiver in her heart and immediately set aside her stray thoughts.
Dawn threw her previous regret to the back of her mind, took a deep breath, and refocused her attention on the battle: "Piplup, continue using Bubble Beam! Don't stop!"
"Piplup!" Piplup sprayed Bubble Beam again, the rhythm of the attack this time being a few shades faster than before.
Under Shinji's meticulous personal guidance, Dawn's timing for issuing commands and her sensitivity in observing her Pokémon's status were both quietly improving.
She began to learn how to predict and how to remain vigilant during an offensive, no longer being easily disturbed by the opponent's movements like she was yesterday.
Just then, footsteps came from the entrance of the field.
Ash and Brock walked over quickly. Seeing the two battling on the field, they stopped their steps and did not step forward to disturb them.
Brock squinted his eyes, carefully observing the Elekid on the field, his gaze gradually becoming solemn.
He turned to Ash beside him and said, "Ash, that Shinji is not simple. His Elekid has steady footwork and quick reactions; it has been raised very well. He's a formidable opponent."
"Don't worry, Brock!" Ash was still his usual self, full of confidence. He smiled and patted the Pikachu on his shoulder.
"Pikachu and I are partners who have been through countless battles. We won't lose to anyone! Right, Pikachu?"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu also clenched its little fist, electricity flickering on its cheeks, its fighting spirit high.
Looking at Ash, Brock gave a helpless yet knowing smile and didn't say anything more.
This was Ash—always full of passion and confidence. The more formidable the opponent he encountered, the more vigorous Ash's fighting spirit became.
Noticing the situation outside the field, Shinji said to Dawn, "Alright, let's stop here for now."
Dawn also hurriedly had Piplup stop. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Ash's voice: "Shinji! I'm ready! We can start the battle now!"
So, Dawn picked up Piplup and went to the side of the field to be a spectator.
"We'll have a three-on-three battle," Shinji turned to Ash and directly proposed the rules. "That way, we can judge a Trainer's comprehensive strength in the shortest amount of time."
"Three-on-three? No problem!" Ash agreed immediately. He happened to have three Pokémon with him.
He turned to look at Brock. "Brock, could you please be the referee?"
"No problem, leave it to me," Brock nodded and walked to the referee's position.
Shinji added: "The rules are three-on-three, Pokémon will battle one by one, and no substitutions are allowed during the match. The first to win two rounds wins. How about it?"
This kind of battle format could more quickly judge a Trainer's command ability, and it was more beneficial to the side with absolute suppressive power within a single round of a Pokémon battle.
Shinji had that confidence in himself.
"No problem! Let's do it!" Ash agreed without hesitation, his eyes filled with fighting spirit, already impatient to start the battle.
Standing in the center of the field, Brock glanced at the two opposite him and announced in a deep voice: "Then, the three-on-three battle between contestant Shinji and contestant Ash is about to begin!"
The sun gradually rose higher, spilling onto the battle court. A tense and intense atmosphere permeated the air.
Shinji and Ash looked at each other and simultaneously pulled out their Poké Balls.
Under the sunlight, the atmosphere on the field instantly became thick with hostility.
The first clash between Shinji and Ash was about to begin!