"Whoa!! Did you guys hear that?! Professor Oak said the white glow from Froakie earlier was a sign of evolution! Froakie's about to evolve!"
"My god!!"
"Ash's talent as a Trainer is already insanely high. He's trained Froakie daily in the rain or shine all throughout camp. He's diligent and has the ambition to one day become the strongest Trainer in the Pokémon world… But still…"
"It's only been two weeks! And he's already trained Froakie to the point of evolution? Isn't that way too much?!"
"I already knew I was nowhere near Ash's level… but this? This is a whole other league! He's just built different."
"Guess geniuses really are another species entirely, huh?!"
"Respect!"
As soon as Professor Oak mentioned that Froakie was about to evolve, the entire crowd around the battlefield erupted in chatter. Everyone was in disbelief.
And it wasn't just the campers. Even Professor Oak and the audience watching via live stream were utterly stunned.
They had known Ash had talent, sure—but this level of talent?
In just two weeks, with most of his time tied up by summer camp activities, Ash had managed to raise a LV.5 Froakie—a starter Pokémon handed out to beginners—to the verge of evolution.
What was once an ambitious dream—Ash's goal of becoming the strongest Trainer in the world—was suddenly starting to look realistic.
Seeing the shocked faces of Professor Oak, Serena, the other campers, and even Gary, Ash just shrugged and smiled without saying anything.
What was he supposed to say?
"Actually, I haven't even trained Froakie that seriously. If I went all in, it would've evolved days ago."
Level and moves are tightly bound to a Pokémon's strength and combat ability.
Ash's Ascension Trainer System, though damaged during his transmigration into this world, still retained a few core features—ones that helped Pokémon level up quickly and learn new moves with ease.
It was precisely because of this system that Ash felt confident in openly displaying his strength, even during televised camp events.
He still had four full years until he could officially begin his journey at age ten. By then, anyone jealous of his talent… well, they wouldn't dare to touch him.
—
Ash & Serena VS Ikeda & Naruhiko
Ash & Serena VS Mikki & Kenji
Ash & Serena VS Takagi & Maho
"Anyone else want to come up for a match?"
Ash smiled brightly. "Today's the last day of camp. Miss this chance, and who knows when you'll get another!"
After the opening match against Steven and Erwin, Ash had once again taken on a challenge post, just like on Day One of camp. He stood as the reigning battler and invited any pair to come take him on.
At first, the crowd was fired up and eager to battle him. But after Ash and Serena won four straight battles, the excitement began to die down.
Everyone now knew full well—they couldn't beat him. Getting on that field now was just asking to be demolished.
"Really? No one?" Ash asked, looking around with mock disappointment. "Froakie and Clefairy have already battled four rounds. They're exhausted! If you hop in now, you might get free points!"
He paused and grinned mischievously.
"Besides, even if you lose, it's fine. It's the last day! Don't be point hoarders, guys! Even with full points from this match, you're not catching up to Gary anyway."
The group of campers standing at the sidelines, clutching their precious points, looked hesitant and stubborn.
Gary, who was just vibing nearby, was suddenly dragged into the spotlight.
"Hey! What'd I do?!" Gary shouted, looking betrayed. "Why'd you have to bring me into this? Why not say no one here can catch up to you, huh?!"
"Ala ala Don't sweat the details Haha!" Ash laughed, fanning his hand nonchalantly.
"You're the biggest point hoarder of all, Ash. Don't call the kettle black," came a voice from the sidelines.
Ash put his hands on his hips and acted mock-angry.
"Who said that?! Who just called me a point hoarder?!"
He scanned the crowd and locked eyes on the culprit. "Was it you, Okazaki?! You dare slander me?! Fine! I challenge you!!"
"Wait, it wasn't me!"
Okazaki panicked. He hadn't expected Ash to suddenly turn this into a real challenge just for the sake of a 5-win streak.
"Come on, Okazaki! We all heard you call Ash a point hoarder! Don't try to back out now!" one camper shouted.
"Yeah, don't be a chicken! Ash is worn out after four matches. He's practically handing you free points, and you're still scared?!"
"What the heck?! I challenged Ash earlier when he was fresh! And now you won't even accept when he's tired?! Weak sauce, bro."
"Okazaki, I, Rento, hereby declare you the most cowardly camper of this entire summer camp."
"Seriously! Ash is literally giving you a free win and you're just standing there?!"
"Okazaki, you're ranked 25th on the scoreboard. Why are you acting like you're number one? Get in there and fight!"
Two weeks of summer camp had made the once-strangers into tight-knit companions—especially the boys. Teasing, roasting, and baiting each other was second nature now.
"You traitors," Okazaki growled, red-faced. "You all know Ash is faking! He and Froakie are pretending to be tired!"
Camper A: "Nope. Didn't notice a thing!"
Camper B: "Ash looked totally out of gas. Just send your Squirtle in and smash him. Easy win, no stress."
Camper C: "Okazaki, hurry up and go. Beat him so we can challenge too!"
Camper Z: "Where's Keisuke? Weren't you teamed up with Okazaki? Talk some sense into your cowardly teammate!"
From the crowd, a sturdy camper finally stepped out.
"That's it—I've had enough!" he bellowed. "Okazaki, let's go end Ash's win streak together!"
"KEISUKE, YOU BASTARD!"
Okazaki's face twisted. "You're ranked 36th—I'm 25th! Don't drag me down! We had a deal to climb the ranks and knock Masahiro out of 20th!"
"This is bait, you idiot. Bait. We have to hold the line. Don't fall for it!"
"HAHAHAHA!! What's there to fear?! Ash's tank is empty. Time to strike!"
"Damn it! I need points, man! Keisuke, you traitor! Are you some kind of wet Fire Monkey?! You're screwing me over!"
"HYAAAA!!"
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T/N:
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