"Ash." Misty was looking for Yellow when she noticed the two of them talking near the corridor. She walked over, only to stop mid-step when she spotted a small blue Pokémon perched on Yellow's shoulder.
"Yellow, did you get Froakie?" As expected of a water-type lover, Misty recognised it instantly. Her eyes lit up as she looked at the little Pokémon with open admiration.
"Froa~" Froakie glanced at her, then puffed its cheeks slightly, as if acknowledging the attention.
Yellow smiled a little bitterly as the two girls talked about Froakie's current state. Even Misty looked surprised after hearing the details—but in the end, she forgave him easily.
The reason was simple.
It looked cute.
"Ash! Let's go—I'm done freshening up!"
Kalios came jogging over, energy as high as ever.
"I'll be there in a moment," Ash replied with a smile. "I still need to freshen up… and make a call." He had promised his mother he'd call every time he reached a town or city.
"Alright," Kalios said, already turning away. "I'll head up first. Elsa's still here though—can you bring her over later to the fourth ground?" Alber was already tagging along with him, silent as ever.
Ash internally thought, 'Ah! Another dense type, huh…' With no real way out, he simply complied with that small request. Ash called his mother.
Delia Ketchum appeared on the screen, smiling warmly as always. Her gaze immediately shifted past Ash. "Oh? Are Yellow and Misty there too?" She was already familiar with them from the last call before Ash left Viridian City. This time, though, there was another girl in the background, talking animatedly.
Delia didn't ask questions. She simply smiled brighter.
Ash didn't bother explaining that Elsa had a thing for Kalios. Nor did he feel the need to clarify that he wasn't about to jump at every beautiful girl he met like Brock from the anime.
Still…
He wouldn't deny liking the idea of getting closer to girls like them. Any normal guy would. After the call, Ash went to wash up. Once done, he lay down briefly, letting the day's events settle—until Yellow came in to call him. They met up with Misty and Elsa soon after and headed out together.
Just as Ash had anticipated, the battleground was still bustling. If anything, there were more people now. Some sat watching with pure curiosity. Others observed quietly, learning patterns, planning strategies. Battles here weren't just entertainment—they were lessons.
"Ash!" Kalios waved them over. He was seated right near the front line. From the look of it, he'd just finished a battle—and won.
Squirtle rested beside him, breathing steadily. His usual partner, Pikachu, was unsuited for the current matchups due to electric-type disadvantages, forcing him to rely on Nidoran instead. "It's about to start," Kalios said excitedly, pointing toward the field.
A boy dressed in dark black clothing stepped forward. "Come out, Umbreon." A sleek, black Pokémon emerged, rings glowing faintly under the lights.
Ash's eyes narrowed slightly. 'Rare…' Umbreon wasn't easy to obtain. Its defensive capabilities—especially Special Defence—were top-tier even among Eevee evolutions.
"Charmander, come out." The opposing trainer was also from Kanto, using a Charmander as his starter. 'Interesting…' Ash liked both of them. Charmander was something he'd always wanted.
Umbreon was something he'd admired even before reincarnation.
"Charmander, use Ember!" The command was quick and confident. Ash approved. The trainer trusted his partner—even against a second-evolution Pokémon.
"Dodge it. Shadow Ball." Umbreon's response was immediate. It slipped past the flames with effortless precision and fired a condensed black orb forward.
Even Ash and Pikachu looked surprised. Their synchronization was impressive. But Charmander's trainer wasn't inexperienced either.
At his command, Charmander dodged—but a heavy slam followed immediately, paired with a burst of speed. It was Umbreon that had used Quick Attack to deliver a quick attack, without letting Charmander gain its footing.
Charmander flew out of the battle court. "Charmander is out of bounds and unable to continue. Palo is the winner." The referee raised his hand as the black-haired trainer walked off calmly, as if it were nothing special.
"Anyone else interested in another battle?" the referee asked.
Before he could point—
"Let me do it."
Ash stepped forward. After all, he was also itching for a good match. A setting like this was great for gaining exp by fighting; these trained Pokémon are the greatest way of getting exp. Although there is no solid concept of Exp in this world of technology yet. But with his skill from the system, Ash is able to tell, and a higher level means a higher capacity to train.
The referee looked at him, then nodded.
"We've got a challenger. Anyone interested?"
"I'll take it, Mathe." A muscular man stepped out, arms thick with well-trained muscle. The referee smiled faintly. While Mathew, the referee, looked familiar with that guy and smiled while asking Ash at the other side. "Alright. Wayden will be joining. And your name, buddy?"
"Ash Ketchum. From Pallet Town." Ash spoke with a smile dancing on his lips. While Misty stiffened. After all, she recognises that guy. 'Fighting-type… dojo elite trainer.' She'd seen his battle videos before. Plus, that trainer was an experienced trainer, unlike Ash, who is still a newbie, who started his journey a few days ago.
"I call you—Machop." Misty sighed after seeing that Machop. It looked freshly trained by her sight, given it has yet to evolve; given it is in Wayden's hand, it could evolve in a month.
If he'd used his main Pokémon, it would've been level fifty at least. "I call you out—Caterpie." The Poké Ball opened. While even Misty looked completely baffled by Ash's choice. 'For god's sake. You had just caught that little Caterpie few hours ago.' Misty felt like shouting.
A small green bug appeared.
The audience froze.
Misty facepalmed.
Yellow smiled bitterly.
'Ash really is… Ash.'
"So," Ash said, bending down, lowering himself to Caterpie's level. "Are you up for a fight?" The little Caterpie was stunned—by the crowd, the attention, and the pressure. But Ash's calm voice reached it.
Warmth bloomed in its chest. Something it had never felt before. And it knew—somehow—that it came from Ash. "Cater… piee…"
Ash stood up, grinning. "Then let's do it."
"It's… fighting with a Caterpie?"
Wayden stared at the field in disbelief. Then, after a brief pause, he burst into laughter. He turned toward Ash, shaking his head as he spoke. "Very well," he said warmly. "Let's have a good battle, Ash." Wayden spoke.
To him, it looked simple—a kind-hearted attempt to guide a rookie. Ash had a Pikachu, yet chose to send out a Caterpie. In Wayden's eyes, that spoke of inexperience, maybe even hesitation. "Sure!" Ash replied without missing a beat.
His gaze, however, never left the small green Pokémon in front of him. "Caterpie, use Tackle." Caterpie moved. But instead of charging straight, a thin white strand shot forward first—String Shot.
The thread flew past Machop. For a split second, Wayden frowned. Then—Caterpie's body surged forward immediately after, its momentum hidden behind the misdirection. Machop crossed its arms instinctively.
"Macho—!" The impact landed heavier than expected. Machop slid back half a step; it felt the brunt of that attack. Wayden's eyes narrowed. The laughter vanished from the crowd's lips. As they all felt silent about it. That was no ordinary tackle.
"Use Focus Punch." Machop dashed forward, muscles tightening as power gathered into his fist. The punch came sharp and direct, tearing through the air. "Jump, Caterpie. String Shot." There was no hesitation.
Caterpie trusted Ash completely. It leapt.
The punch clipped its side instead of hitting cleanly; the angle robbed it of most of its force. Being airborne spared Caterpie from tumbling across the ground. While still midair, instinct took over.
String Shot fired. The web wrapped around Machop's leg—still bent from the punch. The sudden pull disrupted his balance. His centre of gravity collapsed. Machop crashed backward hard.
Even Wayden froze. So did the audience.
The fall snapped the taut string—and the recoil sent Caterpie flying high into the air, spinning upward like a leaf caught in a violent updraft. "Now—believe it, Caterpie," Ash said, voice burning with conviction. "Use Energy Ball." Ash felt it. At that moment—he knew.
Earlier, Caterpie couldn't use Energy Ball. Its body hadn't been ready. But now? After pushing itself, after trusting him completely? This moment was different. Caterpie didn't think.
Ash's words lit something inside it. Green-silver energy gathered before its body, condensing rapidly into a shining sphere. Wayden's breath caught. 'A Caterpie can't…?'
"Machop!" he shouted instinctively. Machop forced himself upright, but the string tugged again—pulling Caterpie straight toward him. The energy ball was released at point-blank range. Machop roared and met it head-on with Brick Break.
The explosion shook the battleground.
Caterpie was flung backward, light as a feather, tumbling through the air. Surprisingly, it didn't seem badly hurt—its small body instinctively dispersing the force, like striking paper instead of flesh.
Machop wasn't so lucky.
He lay on the ground, having taken the full brunt of the blast.
"Oh no—!" Before anyone could react, Caterpie's body began to glow. A brilliant light enveloped it midair. Energy surged around it like a cocoon. And the form started to change. By the time the glow faded, Metapod appeared.
Its heavier body dropped straight down. "Shit!" Ash moved before thinking. He ran forward, arms outstretched, not even considering whether he could catch it from that height.
"Ash!"
"Ash—!"
Misty, Yellow, Elsa, Kalios, and Alber all reacted at once. But Ash didn't stop; he couldn't just hear them at that moment. But the moment Metapod fell into his arms, there was no weight.
Ash froze. '…Did I go Super Saiyan or something?' He thought of it amusingly. But then he noticed it. A faint silver glow surrounded Metapod. Ash felt something off and turned his head. Umbreon—the one from the earlier match—stood nearby, eyes glowing pale. An invisible force gently guided Metapod down.
"…Thanks," Ash said quietly. The kinesis faded. Metapod rested safely in his arms. Its eyes met Ash's. Warmth filled them. Something like trust.
From the side, Froakie—who had been preparing to fire its sticky foam to break the fall—paused mid-motion. It stared at Ash, eyes narrowing slightly. 'This human…' Something stirred inside Froakie. A quiet certainty.
With Ash—that burning urge within its chest might finally have a place to grow.