"Pichu Pichu"
The little cutie clenched its tiny fists tight in front of its chest, cheeks glowing with pink blush as they sparked violently with golden electricity.
BZZZTT!!
Just as Eevee managed to scramble up from its graceless faceplant, a thumb-thick bolt of lightning burst from Pichu's cheeks, flashing across the field in an instant and striking it dead-on!
"Eevee!!" Gary cried out in panic.
This Eevee had only just been brought home yesterday by Daisy, and while Gary had started building a bond with it, they were still far from synchronized. No real teamwork yet.
Ash, on the other hand, was another story entirely.
Froakie and Pichu weren't just any partners—they were Pokémon drawn to Ash by fate itself. Even before they met, they shared a deep, mysterious affinity. And since becoming companions, their mutual understanding had grown rapidly. On top of that, Ash had already spent much more time training with Pichu than Gary had with Eevee.
So even though both Pokémon had timid natures, the difference in their battle performance was like night and day. Of course, a major reason for that was also Ash's top-tier battlefield commands.
"Eee-vuii!!"
Hit by the electric jolt, Eevee tumbled backward, but bounced right back up. Now its eyes gleamed with determination. The shock had stirred its fighting spirit.
"Eevee, use Sand Attack on Pichu!" Gary seized the chance and gave his counter-command.
"Vui~!"
But Ash wasn't sitting still either.
"Pichu, use Charm! Let's go!"
"Pichuu~ (^o^)"
The mischievous little mouse cupped its cheeks in both paws, tilted its head, and flashed the most adorable, apologetic smile it could muster at Eevee.
"Vui…?"
Eevee, still a bit mad from being zapped, paused mid-attack. Despite its anger, the pure-hearted little fox found itself hesitating in the face of Pichu's innocent charm. Its paw lifted to throw sand—but then lowered again, caught in a storm of mixed feelings.
It was working.
Ash smirked.
"Now, Pichu—full power Thunder Shock!"
"Pichu~ +_+!!"
The sweet, apologetic smile vanished in a blink. In its place was fierce focus. With no hesitation, Pichu unleashed every volt it had stored up in those cheeks.
CRAAACK!!
A beam of lightning, thick as a forearm, exploded from Pichu's body and slammed into the unsuspecting Eevee.
Just a second ago, the cute little mouse had been smiling and asking for forgiveness.
Now?
Now it was unleashing an all-out assault.
Eevee, kind and trusting, had no clue it had been played. It didn't even react in time.
ZZZZZT!!
"Vuiiiii—!!"
Smoke curled from its body as Eevee collapsed to the ground, eyes spinning like spirals and mouth puffing out a small black smoke ring. It was completely knocked out.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You defeated LV.5 Eevee. Gained EXP +50]
[Pichu has met the conditions to level up... Current Level: LV.7]
Ash's grin nearly split his face.
Pichu's victory gave it 50 experience points—just enough to boost it from level 6 to level 7 in a single go!
"You did great, Eevee. Take a good rest." Gary sighed and pulled out a Great Ball, recalling his fainted partner.
But as he looked back at Ash, his expression darkened.
"You sneaky jerk, Ash! Using Charm to trick my sweet, innocent Eevee like that?"
Ash chuckled. "It's called tactics, Gary. 'All's fair in battle.' Charm is an official move—it's perfectly valid in combat."
"Hmph! I don't care!" Gary huffed. "For the next round, you're banned from using Pichu! Your Froakie will battle my Squirtle!"
"Alright, alright." Ash shrugged, calling Pichu back with a smile. "You earned your rest, buddy."
He then signaled Froakie to step forward.
[Pokémon: Squirtle]
Level: LV.5
Type: Water
Nature: Brave
Abilities: Torrent, (Hidden: Rain Dish)
Potential: Red (Elite Tier)
Known Moves:
[Skilled]: Tackle, Water Gun
[Novice]: Tail Whip
As Froakie stepped up, Gary tossed out his starting Pokémon—his own partner Squirtle.
Ash glanced at the turtle Pokémon. Though there was no type advantage, Froakie was clearly stronger in level.
"Honestly," Ash said to himself, "facing Froakie, your Squirtle's just going to lose even faster."
Like before, he picked up a smooth stone, then hurled it high like a slow volleyball serve. It splashed into the river.
PLOOP!
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!!" Gary barked immediately.
"Froakie, use Quick Attack!" Ash followed up just a breath later.
"Squirtle!"
"Froa—!!"
The turtle launched a stream of water straight ahead, but Froakie darted forward with a shimmering blur, zigzagging in a 'Z' pattern. The agile frog easily slipped past the watery blast and slammed into Squirtle chest-first.
BAM!
"Squirtle—!!"
Squirtle flipped backward like a coin tossed into the air, crashing onto its back.
"Froakie! Frubbles! Now!"
"Squirtle! Withdraw—Defend!!" Gary shouted back in a panic.
Squirtle had clearly taken the worse of the first clash. Wanting to stabilize, Gary switched tactics, ordering a defensive retreat into the shell to block Froakie's next attack and buy some time.
But Ash's instincts were razor-sharp.
Instead of going for raw power, he chose control.
"Froakie—go!"
SPLASH!!
POP!!POP!!
Froakie hurled two sticky mounds of Bubble Mousse right at Squirtle.
Squirtle successfully ducked into its shell before they could hit its face…
…but it didn't expect the sticky foam to glue its shell to the ground.
Shhlick—THUNK!
"Uh-oh…" Gary's face went pale as he saw his turtle trapped, shell-down and immobilized like a flipped pancake.
And Ash, standing on the other side of the field, smiled confidently.
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T/N:
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