"The next match is between Camper Floyd and Camper Serena. Trainers, please send out your Pokémon."
The referee's voice rang out from the sidelines, snapping both sides into motion.
Across from Serena, a boy named Floyd adjusted his cap and spoke up in a lofty tone, his voice laced with false righteousness.
"I honestly don't enjoy picking on weak girls like you… but since you've been padding your score by challenging weaker opponents, I'm stepping in to protect the fairness of this tournament."
He dramatically tossed his Poké Ball.
Bang!
The ball burst open in midair, and a small, brown-feathered bird flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
"Pidgey!!"
It circled above the battlefield, chirping sharply.
But Serena wasn't even looking at the Pidgey. Her eyes were fixed on Floyd —and her expression, normally sweet and gentle, darkened for the first time.
"Score padding?" she said, puffing up her cheeks in anger. "Maybe you should take a long look in the mirror before making accusations like that!"
Without giving him time to respond, she threw her Poké Ball with a determined shout:
"Clefairy! I'm counting on you! Don't lose!"
Bang!
"Clefaiii~!"
A round, pink, fairy-like Pokémon emerged in a flash of light, bouncing onto the battlefield. Feeling the anger in Serena's heart, Clefairy narrowed its eyes and stared down its airborne opponent with rare intensity.
Floyd didn't say another word. He simply sneered, letting out a cold "hmph" through his nose.
….
From the sidelines, Ash's eyes narrowed. He activated the Ascension Trainer System and began scanning Pidgey's battle data.
[Pokémon: Pidgey]
Level: 5
Type: Normal / Flying
Nature: Aggressive
Ability: Tangled Feet
Potential: Green
Moves (Copyable):
· [Skilled] Gust (27/500)
· [Novice] Tackle (11/100), Sand Attack (9/100)
"So this one knows Gust, huh?" Ash muttered under his breath.
He hadn't seen Floyd battle before, so this was new info. Most Pokémon given to campers were around Level 5, and each generally had only three known moves.
Ash mentally categorized moves into four beginner types:
Melee Physical (e.g. Tackle, Pound)
Ranged Special (e.g. Bubble, Gust)
Support (Buffs/Debuffs) (e.g. Growl, Tail Whip)
Control/Status (e.g. Sing, Supersonic)
Among these, ranged and control moves were the most dangerous. Ranged attacks allowed you to kite opponents from afar, while control moves could lock down a battle completely if they hit.
Most beginner Pokémon didn't have coverage across all four types. But Ash's Froakie was a rare exception—it knew:
Pound (melee)
Bubble (ranged)
Growl (support)
And Frubbles—an unofficial but highly versatile sticky trap-like move
That full-spectrum skill set was part of why Froakie stood out as one of the strongest in the entire summer camp.
…..
As for today's match: Serena's Clefairy knew Sing, a powerful control move. On the other side, Floyd's Pidgey had Gust, giving it ranged pressure.
They were evenly matched in terms of advantages.
But there was one key factor…
["Serena's Clefairy also knows 'Copycat,' a highly situational move that can turn the opponent's own tactics against them."]
Ash closed the system window and looked toward the battlefield, where tension crackled between the two Pokémon.
["This fight could go either way. Whether Serena wins… depends on how well she uses Copycat."]
…..
The Pokémon were in position. The trainers stood ready. The referee raised his hand without hesitation.
"Battle—begin!"
"Pidgey, use Gust! Tear it apart!"
Floyd wasted no time launching his opening move. His voice was loud, aggressive, meant to intimidate.
But Ash was already ahead of him.
["Serena! Clefairy can't dodge something as wide-range as Gust. Don't bother with Jump—go straight for Copycat!"]
He used his Aura-based telepathy to transmit the message before Floyd's command had even finished leaving his mouth.
Serena was ready. Ash had used this same method in her previous battles—she understood it instinctively now.
Her teal-blue eyes sharpened, locking on to the charging Pidgey.
"Clefairy, don't be scared! Use Copycat!"
Clefairy had already been crouching, preparing to jump. But on command, it halted its movement, refocused—and raised its tiny pink hands.
"Clefaiii!!"
Waving its arms like a tiny spellcaster, Clefairy mimicked Pidgey's attack perfectly.
A swirling vortex of wind erupted from its mouth, roaring forward with the force of a ninja's Great Breakthrough Jutsu.
WHOOOOSH!!
BOOM!!
The two Gust attacks clashed in midair.
Dust exploded from the field as both whirlwinds collided head-on. Spectators gasped and shielded their eyes as the battlefield vanished behind a curtain of wind and dirt.
Even though both Pokémon used the same move, Floyd's Pidgey had an edge—it had struck first and received a same-type attack bonus. Its Gust was slightly more powerful.
Clefairy, despite mimicking the move perfectly, found itself pushed back.
It was struggling.
But struggling was better than getting kited from afar. So far, Clefairy had only burned stamina—not taken any direct hits.
["It's now a battle of willpower,"] Ash thought, eyes narrowed.
["Whoever gives in first… loses."]
...
...
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