Ash let out a sharp snort at Blaine's words. This was his first official battle against a Champion-level trainer, and just feeling that immense pressure made his blood boil. Even with the calm clarity his special vision granted him, he couldn't suppress the burning desire to fight head-on.
"My first Pokémon—let's go!" Ash declared.
Seeing the fire in Ash's eyes, Blaine also grew interested. After all, his opponent stood at the same level as himself.
"System, analyze the data," Ash commanded inwardly.
This time, his opponent wasn't just an Elite but a seasoned Champion. He couldn't afford a single misstep. Despite his own title, most of his Pokémon—aside from Dragonite—were still young compared to Blaine's veterans. Caution was his only option.
A soft ding echoed.
Pokémon: Ninetales
Level: Champion
Ability: Flash Fire
Type: Fire
Potential: A+
"As expected—equal to my own team," Ash thought. His eyes flashed with determination as he hurled a Poké Ball forward.
With a brilliant burst of light, his Arcanine emerged, standing proudly across from Ninetales. The Legendary Pokémon of Kanto's fire-type Trainers let out a deep, threatening growl that sent waves of pressure through the battlefield.
"So, an Arcanine. Worthy of Champion class indeed. You'd better be careful, Ash. Ninetales—Flamethrower!"
Blaine's voice was calm yet commanding. Ninetales, elegant and radiant, opened its mouth and unleashed an azure jet of flame, evidence of the years Blaine had invested in refining its mastery of fire.
"Arcanine, meet it head-on with Flamethrower!" Ash countered.
Arcanine's flames erupted in turn, clashing violently with Ninetales's attack. The battlefield blazed with blue fire, neither side yielding an inch.
"The boy's skill… I thought he had only just stepped into Champion rank. I may have underestimated him." Blaine's eyes narrowed as the two streams of flame collided, deadlocked.
Then—Boom! The center of the clash erupted, shrouding the field in thick black smoke.
Ash's gaze sharpened.
"Arcanine—Flame Charge!"
The cover of smoke was perfect. Arcanine's keen nose cut through the haze, tracking Ninetales even when sight was useless. Ninetales's sense of smell was strong, but compared to Arcanine's, it fell short.
With a fierce bark, Arcanine cloaked itself in blazing fire, its body taking the form of a fiery wheel. It shot through the smoke and rammed into Ninetales with crushing force.
Ninetales cried out but quickly steadied itself, fixing its crimson eyes on Arcanine with renewed intensity.
"Good timing, and excellent use of your Pokémon's strengths," Blaine admitted. "But if you think that alone can defeat my Ninetales, you're mistaken. Ninetales—Fire Spin!"
Ninetales roared, spewing forth a spiraling vortex of flame. The attack's speed was blistering, and even Ash felt a flash of surprise at how quickly the move was executed.
"That speed… almost as fast as Pidgeot!" Ash thought, instinctively comparing it to his own speed specialist.
"Arcanine, dodge left!" Ash barked, his eyes spinning with the distinctive three-tomoe pattern of his special ability. His vision sharpened to near-supernatural clarity, allowing him to track every motion of Blaine's Pokémon.
The system allowed trainers to enhance their Pokémon with psychic-type support in battle. Ash's unique ocular ability was simply his own manifestation of that rule. Blaine was surprised by the strange power in Ash's eyes but chose not to comment.
"Is that Ash's superpower?" Lorelei muttered from the sidelines. "It only seems to change his eyes…"
"It's called the Sharingan," Cynthia explained calmly. "His sight alone becomes a weapon. With those eyes, his insight won't lose to anyone."
Back on the battlefield, Arcanine darted to the side the instant Ash commanded, narrowly slipping past the swirling flames of Ninetales's Fire Spin.
The real battle had just begun.
Boom!
The instant Arcanine leapt aside, the spot it had just stood on was swallowed by Ninetales's blazing Fire Spin. The ground hissed and glowed red, waves of shimmering heat radiating from the scorched earth.
"That was close. Arcanine, keep moving—Extreme Speed!" Ash commanded sharply.
Obeying instantly, Arcanine blurred across the battlefield, its body a streak of motion as it darted from side to side, disrupting Ninetales's aim and confusing its line of sight.
"Not bad," Blaine admitted with a raised brow.
"Your superpower seems to fit battling perfectly."
He was genuinely surprised. Ninetales's Fire Spin was a move honed through countless battles, trained to erupt with both blistering speed and overwhelming power. Few trainers could evade it once the flames were unleashed.
Ash's eyes narrowed.
"If I'm right… your Ninetales outclasses most Champion-level Pokémon in raw power and move release speed. But its mobility isn't on the same level."
He recalled what had happened earlier.
"When Arcanine struck with Flame Charge, Ninetales didn't dodge. Its sense of smell may be weaker than Arcanine's, but its reaction speed should have been more than enough. The only explanations are—" Ash paused, eyes flashing.
"Either it refused to dodge out of pride… or it knew it couldn't avoid the attack and decided to endure it head-on."
...
TN:
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