Since this was an official Pokémon battle, they naturally needed a referee. Brock willingly stepped up to take the role.
Seeing the two Trainers take their positions at opposite ends of the clearing, Brock raised his hand.
"This will be a 3v3 Pokémon battle! Both sides may substitute their Pokémon at any time. The battle will end when all three of either Trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle. Trainers, please send out your first Pokémon!"
"I choose you! Let's go, Weedle!"
"Wee!"
Weedle materialized on the field, practically vibrating with enthusiastic energy.
Watching Ash send out a Weedle, Red's face remained completely impassive, but he nodded slightly in his mind.
Sending out his newest, weakest capture first. He wants to give it some battle experience to raise its level. Red thought. But knowing Ash, he probably didn't actually think that deeply about it.
Regardless, if his opponent was using a basic Bug-type, Red knew exactly what to use.
He reached to his belt, unclipped a Poké Ball, and tossed it forward.
Flash!
A tiny, green caterpillar materialized on the grass.
It was Caterpie, the other half of Kanto's most iconic beginner Bug-type duo!
"A Caterpie?" Brock nodded thoughtfully. "It looks like this first round will be a very evenly matched bout."
"Take the initiative! Weedle, use Poison Sting!"
"Wee!"
Weedle instantly aimed the sharp stinger on its head at Caterpie. With a violent flick of its neck, it fired a barrage of small, glowing purple needles directly at the green caterpillar.
Seeing the incoming attack, Red didn't panic in the slightest. He issued a calm command.
"...String Shot."
"Squeak!"
Caterpie violently threw its head back, spraying a thick, white stream of silk directly onto a thick tree branch above them. Using the silk like a pendulum, Caterpie gracefully swung through the air, completely avoiding the barrage of Poison Stings. Relying on the centrifugal force of the swing, Caterpie vaulted itself perfectly above Weedle's position.
Seeing the perfect opening, Red issued his next command without hesitation.
"...Tackle."
"Squeak!"
Caterpie instantly severed the silk thread. Plummeting from the sky, it combined the kinetic energy of the Tackle with the natural force of gravity. The simple, low-level move suddenly carried the devastating momentum of a falling meteor. Caterpie tightened its body and crashed headfirst into Weedle.
Thud!
The sheer force of the impact sent Weedle skidding aggressively across the dirt.
"Wee!"
"Weedle!" Seeing his partner take heavy damage, Ash gritted his teeth. "Darn it! In that case, we'll use String Shot too!"
"Wee!"
Weedle quickly shook off the dizziness and forced itself back up. The fire returned to its eyes. It opened its mouth and fired a massive volley of sticky white silk straight at Caterpie.
"...Bug Bite."
Caterpie didn't even attempt to dodge. It charged straight into the incoming silk, opening its mouth wide and viciously biting down. The sticky threads were instantly snapped and devoured. Without losing a single ounce of momentum, Caterpie rushed forward, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
It opened its mouth again and ruthlessly chomped down on Weedle.
Crunch!
Let me get a taste of that!
"Weee!"
Murder! It's murder!
Weedle thrashed wildly, desperately trying to shake the green caterpillar off. But Caterpie absolutely refused to let go. Under Caterpie's relentless, ferocious gnawing, Weedle quickly exhausted its stamina. A few moments later, its eyes rolled back into spirals, and it fainted.
"Weedle is unable to battle! The winner of the first round is Red from Pallet Town!"
"Return, Weedle!"
"You did a great job." Ash offered his partner a few words of comfort before clipping the Poké Ball back onto his belt. He then looked down at his second Pokémon.
"Mimikyu, I'm counting on you."
"Mimi!"
Mimikyu shuffled onto the battlefield, letting out an energetic battle cry directly at Red.
A Pokémon from the Alola region...
Red looked at the bizarre, rag-wearing Pokémon. To say he wasn't interested would be a complete lie. Seeing Mimikyu's crude resemblance to a Pikachu, Red slowly reached for his belt.
If it's mimicking a Pikachu, then I'll use this one.
He threw his next Poké Ball.
"Pika!"
A loud, deeply confident cry echoed across the clearing.
"A Pikachu?!" Ash stared at the yellow electric mouse in pure surprise. He never expected Red to have one too. Instantly, Ash's fighting spirit skyrocketed. "It actually is a Pikachu! Mimikyu, it's time to show him the results of our special training!"
"Mimi!"
"..." Watching Ash suddenly explode with blazing excitement, Red raised an eyebrow. Had Ash fought a Pikachu before? Regardless, an opponent fired up with adrenaline was dangerous. Red quickly analyzed the situation and issued a tactical command.
"...Play Nice."
"Pika!"
Pikachu immediately bounded over to Mimikyu. Seeing the Ghost-type cautiously tense up, Pikachu offered a warm, friendly smile and gently extended a chubby little paw.
Seeing the innocent, non-threatening gesture, Mimikyu paused in confusion.
"Mimi?"
"Pika!" Pikachu chirped happily.
Let's be friends!
"Mimi!"
Feeling Pikachu's genuine, unfiltered kindness, Mimikyu nodded happily, completely dropping its guard.
Mimikyu's Attack fell!
"...Nasty Plot."
In the very next second, Mimikyu watched in pure horror as its new "best friend's" face violently twisted into a sinister, utterly malicious sneer. The sudden, terrifying shift in demeanor completely spooked the Ghost-type.
Pikachu's Special Attack sharply rose!
Mimikyu recoiled in fear. But Ash's voice instantly snapped it out of its daze.
"Watch out, Mimikyu! Use Double Team!"
"Mimi!"
Recovering its senses, Mimikyu glared furiously at Pikachu. How dare you play with my feelings!
Mimikyu instantly split into over a dozen perfect illusions, all of them rapidly circling Pikachu.
Seeing Mimikyu's fighting spirit completely reignited, Ash capitalized on the momentum. "Mimikyu, use Wood Hammer!"
"Mimi!"
Watching Mimikyu's incredible acceleration, Red's eyes narrowed slightly. He had noticed it earlier when Mimikyu fought the Kangaskhan, but seeing it up close confirmed it: this Pokémon's speed was absolutely no joke. If he didn't find a way to restrict its movements, winning this round was going to be difficult.
Red issued his countermeasure without hesitation.
"...Agility."
"Pika!"
Upon receiving the command, Pikachu became an absolute blur of motion. Using its small size and incredible flexibility, it effortlessly weaved through the horde of charging Mimikyu clones, moving so fast that Mimikyu couldn't even track it.
Seeing this, Ash immediately adapted.
"In that case, use Shadow Sneak!"
Mimikyu slammed on the brakes. The shadow beneath Pikachu's feet instantly violently elongated, surging upward to grab the electric mouse. Because Shadow Sneak was a priority move that attacked directly from below, it was incredibly difficult to dodge. But in order to attack, Mimikyu had to stop moving, essentially anchoring itself in place.
That brief, split-second pause was exactly what Red was waiting for.
"...Electro Ball." Red ordered decisively.
"Pika, pika... PIII!"
A crackling, golden sphere of volatile electricity rapidly condensed at the tip of Pikachu's tail. Just a fraction of a second before the shadowy claws could grab it, Pikachu violently hurled the Electro Ball straight at Mimikyu.
BOOM!
The volatile sphere detonated on impact, sending violent arcs of electricity and a thick cloud of dust exploding across the battlefield. The obscuring smoke made it impossible for Ash to see what was happening.
But Ash didn't need to see. He immediately pulled out an empty Poké Ball, sheer panic etched across his face.
"Return, Mimi—"
"Mimi!!"
Ash was just a fraction of a second too late.
A horrifying, distorted screech echoed from inside the smoke. In the next instant, two massive, nightmarish claws made of pure, corrupted shadows violently tore the smoke screen apart. Mimikyu charged directly at Pikachu with the unstoppable, terrifying momentum of a derailed freight train.
Seeing Mimikyu's horrifying transformation, even the stoic Red was slightly taken aback. Did it just go berserk?
But even against a berserk opponent, a battle was still a battle. And Red fully intended to win it.
Red pulled the brim of his cap down, completely shadowing his eyes.
"...Iron Tail."
"Pika!"
Pikachu's tail instantly glowed with a heavy, metallic luster. Pikachu spun rapidly in mid-air, utilizing the centrifugal force to maximize its momentum, before bringing the heavy iron tail crashing down directly onto the charging Mimikyu.
"Mimi!"
Mimikyu threw both of its massive shadowy claws up to block the strike. The two Pokémon slammed into a deadlocked clash.
But Pikachu was relying heavily on gravity and momentum to maintain the stalemate. If they stayed locked together like this, Mimikyu's sheer, berserk physical strength would eventually completely overpower the electric mouse and crush it into the dirt.
Red knew this perfectly well. This clash was never meant to be the final blow. It was merely the setup.
Watching Pikachu's tail firmly pressed against Mimikyu's shadowy claws, Red looked up. His eyes flashed.
"...Thunderbolt."
"Pika... CHUUU!!!"
Having established a perfect mental link with Red, Pikachu had already been silently charging its electricity during the clash. The instant Red gave the command, a catastrophic surge of high-voltage electricity erupted from Pikachu's body. The current traveled directly down the metallic, highly conductive Iron Tail, discharging at point-blank range directly into Mimikyu's body.
Because of the Nasty Plot boost from earlier, the sheer destructive power of the Thunderbolt was devastating.
Within seconds, the massive shadowy claws completely evaporated. The electricity ceased, and Mimikyu collapsed backward onto the dirt, thick spirals replacing its eyes.
"Mimikyu is unable to battle! The winner of the second round is Red from Pallet Town!"
"..." Ash quietly recalled Mimikyu. He stared silently at the boy standing across the field.
They had both started their journeys on the exact same day. And yet, this quiet, somewhat introverted boy had already grown this absurdly powerful.
Was this... what the Bug Catcher meant when he called him a monster?
And there were three more monsters just like him? That was...
That was absolutely thrilling!
An uncontrollable, ferocious grin spread across Ash's face. He wasn't particularly happy about losing, but he physically couldn't stop himself from smiling. A blazing, unyielding aura of pure excitement radiated from his entire being.
Ash reached up and spun his cap backward. He looked down at his first partner.
"Froakie! You're up!"
"Fro."
Froakie hopped onto the battlefield, practically overflowing with anticipation. It didn't draw its sword. Instead, it tilted its head up and let out a demanding cry directly at Red.
Fro, fro!
Bring out that Charmeleon! I wish to play with it!
"..."
Inexplicably, Red perfectly understood what the Water-type frog was demanding. Fire-types were at a massive disadvantage against Water-types, but...
Red grabbed a Poké Ball and threw it.
"Roar!"
A fiercely proud Charmeleon materialized on the field, roaring a challenge to the frog.
It didn't matter. He was going to win anyway.
"The third round begins now!"
"Froakie, use Quick Attack!"
"Fro!"
Burning with excitement, Froakie blurred into a streak of pure light, closing the distance to Charmeleon in the blink of an eye. Lowering its center of gravity, Froakie reached for its waist. A glowing blade materialized in its grip. Froakie's eyes narrowed, locking onto Charmeleon's neck.
In the next second, a lethal glint flashed in the frog's eyes.
Slash!
"...Fire Spin."
Before the blade could connect, Charmeleon opened its jaws and spewed a dense, spiraling vortex of fire. The coiling flames wrapped around Froakie's glowing sword, applying a continuous, flexible rotational force that forcibly deflected the blade's trajectory. No matter how hard Froakie pushed, the sword simply couldn't touch Charmeleon's skin.
In the blink of an eye, the massive vortex of fire completely engulfed Froakie, trapping it inside a roaring cage of flames.
"Don't give up, Froakie!" Ash clenched his fists and threw a punch into the air. "Use Water Pulse!"
"Fro!"
Hearing Ash's command, Froakie immediately began channeling water energy into its glowing sword. Most Froakie would use both hands to condense a sphere of aquatic energy in front of them. But this Froakie was entirely different from its kin. More than half of its total power was permanently bound to the sword it wielded. Because of this, it instinctively channeled even its signature ranged attacks through its blade.
Executing this required significantly more micro-control than a standard Water Pulse. But infused with Froakie's unique, piercing sword intent, the standard move naturally evolved into an entirely new, devastating technique.
Ninth Stance: Endless River!
Hum!
The blue light of the sword violently flared. A massive, roaring torrent of water materialized, taking the shape of a majestic, aquatic dragon. With absolute, unstoppable force, the water dragon shattered the fiery cage and surged directly toward Charmeleon with a silent roar.
But Red had been waiting for exactly this moment.
"...Dragon Tail."
Charmeleon's long tail glowed with a brilliant light. But it didn't swing at the incoming water dragon. Instead, it viciously slammed its tail directly into the ground beneath it.
The massive kinetic recoil violently launched Charmeleon high into the air, allowing it to narrowly dodge the rushing water dragon by a hairsbreadth.
Red's next command followed instantly.
"...Flamethrower."
Charmeleon unleashed a massive pillar of fire. But once again, the attack wasn't aimed at Froakie. Charmeleon fired the flames directly backward, using the intense thrust as an aerial propellant.
Boosted by the jet propulsion, Charmeleon's speed drastically spiked, allowing it to close the distance to Froakie in the blink of an eye.
Seeing Charmeleon rapidly approaching, Ash didn't hesitate. "Froakie, use Bubble to blind it!"
"Fro!"
Froakie instantly grabbed a clump of thick, white bubbles from its neck and hurled it directly into Charmeleon's face. The sticky foam completely covered Charmeleon's eyes, blinding it entirely. But the Fire-type didn't show a single ounce of panic.
Red remained entirely unfazed. However, for the first time in the battle, he spoke more than two words.
"...Bottom right. Thunder Punch."
"Roar!"
Charmeleon's right fist instantly violently crackled with volatile yellow electricity. Trusting Red completely, it swung blindly into the empty space to its bottom right!
Zap!
A devastating surge of electricity instantly coursed through Froakie's entire body. The intense, paralyzing shock completely overwhelmed the Water-type's nervous system, forcing it to drop its glowing sword.
It's super effective!
Froakie was sent violently flying backward across the dirt.
"Fro!"
"Froakie!"
Seeing his partner crash heavily into the ground, Ash cried out in deep concern. A heavy wave of despair washed over his heart. If even Froakie was defeated, did he truly have absolutely no way to beat Red?
But a second later, he watched Froakie violently struggle back to its feet.
Panting heavily, Froakie summoned a new sword, using it as a cane to support its weight as it kneeled on the ground. Froakie slowly turned its head and looked back at Ash.
"Fro!"
"..."
In that exact moment, Ash saw the absolute, burning, unyielding thirst for victory blazing in Froakie's eyes. But that wasn't all. Reflected perfectly in Froakie's eyes, Ash saw his own reflection.
He saw his own frustrated, burning, unyielding self!
A violent jolt ran through Ash's entire body.
Every single drop of despair vanished without a trace. His eyes hardened with absolute resolve.
"Froakie! Our opponent is incredibly strong! So... let's hit them with everything we have!"
"Fro!"
On the other side of the field, Red suddenly froze.
The expressions on Ash and Froakie's faces were suddenly completely identical. For a split second, it looked as if their souls had perfectly merged into one.
Red suddenly felt an incredibly familiar sensation wash over him—the exact same sensation he had felt when they were battling Team Rocket earlier.
Except this time, he was the one standing in Team Rocket's place.
So Ash really does possess some kind of mysterious, hidden power?
How interesting...
Red slowly raised a hand and pulled the brim of his cap down tightly over his eyes.
He was finally starting to feel a little fired up himself.
"Froakie! Use Water Pledge!"
Froakie raised its glowing sword and violently plunged it deep into the earth. In the blink of an eye, a massive, roaring geyser of high-pressure water erupted from the ground, surging forward like a tidal wave to crush Charmeleon.
Water Pledge, huh...
Then there is only one response.
"...Fire Pledge!"
"Roar!"
Charmeleon mirrored the action, slamming its hands onto the earth. Instantly, a towering pillar of scorching, hellish flames erupted from the ground, surging forward to meet the rushing water with equal ferocity.
Sizzle! BOOM!
When the raging inferno violently clashed with the roaring flood, the extreme heat instantly flash-boiled the water, creating a massive, explosive shockwave of superheated steam.
As the thick white fog slowly dissipated, a beautiful rainbow arched gracefully over the battlefield.
The clearing finally came back into view.
"The battle is over!"
"Froakie is unable to battle! The winner of the match is Red from Pallet Town!"
"Hah! Hah!"
Ash leaned heavily on his knees, gasping violently for air. The exact same suffocating exhaustion he felt after fighting Team Rocket had completely overwhelmed his body again. But Ash ignored his burning lungs. He forced himself upright and stumbled over to his fallen partner.
"Froakie, are you okay?"
"Fro."
Froakie had already regained consciousness. Seeing Charmeleon still standing on the other side of the field, Froakie fully understood it had lost. But the frog looked surprisingly calm. Losing wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It highlighted exactly where its current weaknesses lay.
And more importantly...
Froakie turned its head to look at Ash.
It seemed it had not chosen the wrong Trainer after all.
Seeing that Froakie wasn't seriously injured, Ash finally let out a massive sigh of relief. He noticed Red walking over and offered a bright, genuine smile.
"I lost! You really are incredible, Red."
"...You aren't bad yourself."
Red glanced back at his Charmeleon.
It was still standing, but Red could easily tell Charmeleon's HP was clinging to a literal sliver.
If that Thunder Punch hadn't drained such a massive chunk of Froakie's stamina earlier, Red honestly wasn't entirely sure who would have won that final clash.
"That was a fun battle."
Red offered Ash a respectful nod.
"...See you at the Indigo Plateau."
"Yeah!" Ash nodded back, his fighting spirit burning brighter than ever. "Next time we battle, I absolutely won't lose!"
"...Keep training." Red didn't say anything else. He recalled Charmeleon into its Poké Ball, turned on his heel, and prepared to leave.
"Huh? Red, are you leaving already?" Brock asked, surprised by the abrupt departure.
"Yeah." Red nodded. The battle was over, and he had verified the Moon Stone's status. It was time for him to continue his journey.
"...Farewell."
Without another word, Red left the two of them behind, continuing his trek down the mountain.
He walked in silence for a few minutes before he suddenly felt a vibration in his pocket. Red pulled out his Pokédex. An incoming video call was flashing on the screen.
Red accepted the call.
The second the connection went through, an incredibly loud, painfully arrogant voice blasted from the speakers.
"Yo! Red! Where the heck are you right now? How many Gym Badges do you have?"
"...Three."
"Three?! Only three?! I already have five! Well, whatever. Considering you're just my eternal runner-up, it's only natural you can't keep up with my greatness! Hahaha!"
Here we go again.
The stoic Red couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes. He absolutely could not be bothered to deal with his chronically arrogant childhood rival.
Normally, if Blue was just calling to brag, Red would immediately hang up the phone. But today, he actually had something important to tell him.
"Blue... I found an incredibly promising rival..."