"Dodge it."
Ash's command was short and razor-sharp, cutting cleanly through the noise of the arena.
The moment the words left his mouth, Solrock vanished in a flash of warped space. With its psychic-powered teleportation and relentless hit-and-run rhythm, the floating stone Pokémon had turned the battlefield into a nightmare. One instant it was there, the next it wasn't—only attacks following in its wake.
Froakie skidded across the rocky floor, claws scraping, barely twisting aside as a [Shadow Ball] tore past where his head had been a heartbeat ago. The blast shattered against a stone pillar, sending fragments raining down.
The crowd gasped.
With Solrock's speed, even reacting was difficult. But somehow—through instinct, through Ash's pinpoint timing, through something neither of them fully understood—Froakie kept moving. Every dodge came at the last possible instant, every escape shaving off another fraction of stamina.
'This won't get us anywhere,' Ash thought.
Yet despite the pressure, despite the chaos, his breathing was steady.
He wasn't even looking directly at Froakie anymore.
He didn't need to.
Ash could feel his movement—where Froakie would step, when he would leap, and when his muscles would tighten before danger struck. The connection was silent, wordless, and unnervingly clear.
The blue figure found himself cornered.
Solrock flashed again, reappearing somewhere Froakie couldn't anticipate. Its red eye gleamed.
"Froa—"
"Use Psychic, Solrock."
Flint's command dropped like a hammer.
An invisible force slammed into Froakie mid-motion, crushing the air around him and sending his body spiraling. The crowd winced as he was flung backward, skidding hard against the stone.
'Two consecutive move casts…'
Ash's eyes widened just a fraction.
At the same moment, a sharp pain bloomed in his chest—sudden, breath-stealing, like pressure from the inside. For a brief second, the world tilted.
But instead of panic—
Something clicked.
"Froa~!"
Even as he was dragged backward by the lingering psychic force, Froakie twisted, kicked off the ground, and landed on all fours. The [Psychic] grip shattered like glass.
Flint's brows knit together.
Without waiting for a command, Froakie bolted.
His body blurred as [Quick Attack] ignited, feet pounding against stone, weaving through broken terrain. Ash didn't call out. He already knew.
"Double Team…"
The words aligned perfectly with Froakie's intent.
As he darted behind jagged rock formations—using the terrain just like Riolu had earlier—his form split. One became two. Two became many. Blue figures erupted outward, circling, leaping, and scattering in chaotic arcs.
The air filled with movement.
Flint narrowed his eyes. Even he couldn't tell which one was real.
"Sol—" Solrock hesitated—but it didn't panic. "Solrock. Use that."
At Flint's signal, Solrock began to spin violently. Psychic energy flared outward, forming a rotating barrier that expanded in a sweeping pulse. The clones rushed in—
—and were erased in a single instant.
Smoke burst outward as illusions popped like bubbles.
Only one Froakie remained—suspended in midair.
"That's the real one," Flint laughed.
"Solrock, use Psychic."
The invisible force surged—
But in that same instant—
A blur shot across the ground.
"Froa~ki!" From beneath Solrock's blind spot, a blue figure burst forward. [Water Pulse] condensed tightly in Froakie's hand, vibrating with compressed force. He struck at point-blank range. The impact detonated.
Solrock was sent crashing backward, smashing into the arena floor once—then again—before barely stabilising itself in the air, its rotation faltering.
Silence.
"Ash..." Girls standing were stunned again. This kind of battle was truly thrilling; no one knew what could come next.
Elsa was also amazed. She never thought she would be able to fight like that. But Ash's current standard as a trainer was being shown to the entire audience at the moment.
While Delia, who was watching the match with Oak, also felt her life burning with each turn of events, even as an amateur about battle. Could tell what kind of battle was going on in that field, a kind hard to find.
Oak was very serious, watching it. It was clearly very enjoyable, but it was also lighting the old fire within him. 'This brat. I'll fight him later, at least after a year or two...' he thought.
"Huh…" Not just Flint. The entire audience froze. Everyone had believed the airborne Froakie was real. No one had seen it.
The moment the clones were wiped out, Froakie had already understood Ash's plan. The one blown into the air had been another Double Team—timed perfectly, angled perfectly.
The real Froakie had never left the ground.
Using the terrain, the smoke, and Solrock's focus, he closed the distance in a heartbeat.
"Froa~" Something inside Froakie broke free.
Light engulfed his body. His limbs stretched. His form sharpened. When the glow faded, a taller, sleeker figure stood in the arena. 'He evolved…'
Ash nearly jumped in place.
Frogadier stood poised, eyes sharp, movements fluid, and power coiled through his longer limbs. "Solrock, are you alright?" Flint asked.
The glowing stone spun slowly, steadying itself—as if answering back. "Good. Let's get back at that kid." Flint chuckled. Even if he lost, he already knew. With this level of strength, this level of adaptability—Ash deserved the badge.
"Ash, that was a great plan," Flint admitted. "Though Froakie—no, Frogadier's attack lacked the lethality to finish it." Ash smiled at Frogadier… Then he clenched his fist.
"We have yet to lose." Flint's eyes gleamed.
"We'll see that. Solrock—teleport, then Rock Guide." Ash frowned.
He didn't remember a move like that.
Solrock vanished—and in the next instant, chunks of rock ripped free from the arena floor, launching toward Frogadier at terrifying speed.
[Rock Throw]
'This isn't normal…' Ash analysed rapidly. 'It's faster. More precise.'
Then he understood. 'He's combining [Psychic] with [Rock Throw].'
Ash's eyes sharpened. The real battle had just begun.
"Use Quick Attack to dodge them."
There was no terrain left to hide behind. The rocks came screaming through the air, guided unnaturally by psychic force. Ash didn't hesitate.
Frogadier moved.
[Quick Attack] burst forth in a sharp blue flash, his long limbs eating up the distance as he sprinted across the battlefield. Stones slammed into the ground behind him, exploding into debris, but none touched him. His footwork was clean and precise—every movement a perfect answer to Ash's call.
As he dodged, Frogadier angled his run toward Solrock.
For a split second, it looked like he'd reach it—
Then Solrock vanished.
Ash clicked his tongue. 'Still the same pattern…'
With no better option, they fell back on what worked.
"Double Team..."
Frogadier split into a swarm of blue figures, all charging, leaping, and circling in erratic paths. The battlefield filled with motion again, pressure mounting from every direction.
But Flint wasn't a novice.
"Use Rock Throw—and rotate."
Solrock began to spin rapidly. Rocks tore themselves free from the arena floor, flung outward in every direction. The impacts carved craters, choking the field in dust and smoke. Psychic energy flared as Solrock maintained its rotation, forming a counter shield—ready to erase anything that got close.
Ash understood immediately.
'Using smoke as cover… and a counter shield to punish reckless approaches. Clean.'
But this time—
Ash and Frogadier could see clearly.
Through the haze, through the chaos, their vision cut straight to Solrock's rhythm. The rotation. The timing. The moment when Psychic surged—and the moment when it faded.
Flint didn't notice.
He thought the pressure would hold.
The instant the Psychic field dropped—
Frogadier exploded forward.
His body blurred as he leapt, feet snapping out in a sharp [Double Kick]. The strike landed cleanly, smashing into Solrock and sending it reeling. Before it could recover, Frogadier twisted midair, planting his foot against Solrock's rocky surface—
—and used it as a platform.
He launched again.
Water condensed violently around his leg, spiralling into a compact [Water Pulse]. With one final kick, he slammed down onto the small rock hill beneath Solrock, the impact detonating upward.
The blow was decisive. "Solrock—" Flint stopped mid-word. Solrock crashed down hard, rolling once before going still.
"Hah…" Flint let out a breath and smiled, calling it back. "Well done."
"Solrock is unable to battle. Ash is the winner." The referee's voice rang out, and the arena erupted.
Cheers thundered from every direction, echoing off stone and steel. Amid the noise, Sia remained silent, her gaze fixed on Ash. He was kneeling in front of Frogadier now, both of them breathing hard.
Ash's shoulders rose and fell heavily. She couldn't hear his thoughts—but she could see it. The trainer was just as exhausted as his Pokémon. "Haha~ We did it, buddy." Ash bumped his fist gently against Frogadier's. The Pokémon gave a tired grin before sitting down, chest heaving.
"Haha~ Acting tough, huh." Ash grinned back. He could feel the familiar pull of Viridian essence, ready to be called—but right now, he was too tired to use it properly.
"La~" A small figure suddenly appeared on Ash's shoulder. "Hey, little one," Ash chuckled, surprised but not startled. "What do you think? Want to join the team now?" He said it jokingly.
Ralts didn't joke.
She tapped the Poké Ball at his belt.
Ting~
To everyone else, it looked like Ash simply recalled another Pokémon. Flint heard the sound. His eyes widened slightly. '…Just like that?'
'Since when did catching a rare Pokémon like Ralts get this easy?'
"E—eh?" Ash froze. He immediately let Ralts back out, staring at her in disbelief. "Are you sure…?" Ralts chirped softly and nodded, then hopped back onto his shoulder, rubbing her cheeks against his like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Ash laughed weakly. "Alright. Welcome to the team, little one." Today had been exhausting. But it had also been incredible.
Between the battles, the evolution, and the capture—almost all of his Pokémon had grown stronger.
Pikachu once.
Two others—twice.
Ash leaned back slightly, smiling despite his fatigue. 'Yeah… today was worth it.' He thought of the system's look of the trio.
[
Status.
Species: Pikachu.
Level: 28.
Type: Electric Type.
Talent: Static / [Protein].
Attack: A. [S+]
Agility: S. [S+]
Defence: B. [S]
Sp. Attack: A. [S+]
Sp. Defence: B. [S]
Moves: Electric Shock [Lv. 3], Thunderbolt [Lv. 2], Double Kick [Lv. 5], Quick Attack [Lv. 6], etc...
]
[
Status.
Species: Riolu.
Level: 26.
Type: Fighting/Steel Type.
Talent: Inner Instinct.
Attack: C [S+]
Agility: B+ [S+]
Defence: C [A]
Sp. Attack: A [S+]
Sp. Defence: B [A+]
Moves: Quick Attack [Lv. 2], Vacuum Wave [Lv. 3], Brick Break [Lv. 3], Detect [Lv. 2], Counter [Lv. 2].
]
[
Status.
Species: Froakie.
Level: 27.
Type: Water Type.
Talent: Protein/Torrent.
Attack: C [S]
Agility: B+ [S+]
Defence: C [A]
Sp. Attack: A [S]
Sp. Defence: B [S]
Moves: Quick Attack [Lv. 4], Aerial Ace [Lv. 3], Water Pulse [Lv. 3], Cut [Lv. 4], etc.
]