"Is anyone here? I'm Ash, a trainer from Pallet Town, here to challenge the Violet City Gym."
Ash's clear voice echoed through the gym hall as he stated his purpose.
"Welcome, challenger. I am the Gym Leader here—Falkner."
A calm voice answered almost immediately. A young man in loose, practical clothing stepped forward. His expression was steady, carrying the confidence of someone used to battles in the skies.
"I didn't expect the Kanto Champion himself to come and challenge my gym."
"Other than Pikachu, I didn't bring my main team," Ash replied calmly. "Even though I hold the Champion title, I'm still a trainer on a journey. I still have plenty to learn."
Judging Falkner's demeanor, Ash found him impressive. At the very least, as a Gym Leader, he was more than qualified—someone with the potential to become an Elite-level trainer in the future.
"Come with me," Falkner said seriously. "I want to personally witness the strength of the Champion. I've watched your matches—they were broadcast across multiple regions."
He led Ash and Sabrina onto the battlefield.
Ash's battles had long since spread throughout the Pokémon world.
Both trainers took their places on opposite sides of the arena and threw their Poké Balls forward.
"Each side may use three Pokémon," Falkner announced. "The challenger may switch freely. No objections?"
"No problem," Ash answered.
As white light flashed across the battlefield, a young referee stepped onto the elevated platform.
Falkner's Poké Ball opened first.
A small owl Pokémon with large red eyes appeared, its feathers fluttering lightly as it hovered in the air.
Hoothoot.
Cute in appearance, yet its aura was unmistakably sharp. It was hard to believe that this Hoothoot already possessed Elite-level strength.
With professional training, such growth was only natural. Once it evolved into Noctowl, it would undoubtedly reach an even higher tier. Ash's own well-trained Noctowl had already approached Champion-adjacent strength.
However, pushing Noctowl all the way to true Champion level was difficult. Its evolutionary potential was limited, something even Ash couldn't fully compensate for.
Ash released his Pokémon next.
Eevee.
Eevee landed lightly on the ground, letting out a soft cry as it faced Hoothoot with clear alertness.
Ash had anticipated that Falkner wouldn't start with his strongest Pokémon. A non-flying Eevee was the perfect opener.
"Eevee's current strength isn't enough for me to fight at full Champion level," Ash thought. "In that case, I'll rely on precise control and analysis."
Ash's eyes sharpened.
The three-tomoe Sharingan spun silently.
Falkner watched Ash with full focus, ready to react at any moment. Ash's extraordinary abilities were already common knowledge. Whether in personal strength or battle command, Falkner knew he was no match for him.
This battle was never about winning.
It was about standing face-to-face with a Champion—and learning from it.
"Hoothoot, use Astonish!"
Breaking the stalemate, Falkner issued the first command. Prolonged pressure would only work against him.
"Hoo!"
Hoothoot spread its wings and surged forward at low altitude, releasing a sudden shockwave of sound as it lunged toward Eevee.
Eevee remained still, eyes fixed forward, waiting for Ash's signal.
At this stage, Eevee hadn't reached the level where it could freely shift between offense and defense on instinct alone. That kind of autonomous combat awareness required at least Elite-tier mastery.
"Hoothoot is Normal/Flying-type," Ash analyzed calmly. "It has limited resistance to psychic interference. If I control the tempo properly, the odds are still in my favor."
Through the Sharingan's analytical vision, Hoothoot's movement patterns, breathing rhythm, and even subtle habits unknown to Falkner himself became crystal clear.
Everything was laid bare.
The battle had truly begun.
Ash had recently organized his understanding of Pokémon type effectiveness.
When two Pokémon clash, type matchups play a decisive role. If one Pokémon has a type advantage, its attacks deal double damage, while the defender's resistance reduces damage to half. When types are neutral or mutually counter each other, damage returns to its normal value.
Of course, raw strength still mattered. If the gap in power was too large, type advantage alone wouldn't decide the outcome.
For Ash's Eevee and Falkner's Hoothoot, their attributes happened to counter each other. Neither side held a clear defensive edge, meaning both attacks would land with increased effectiveness.
In the end, this battle would come down to attack power and technique execution.
"Sand Attack."
The moment Ash gave the command, Eevee spun sharply. Its hind legs scraped across the battlefield, kicking up loose dirt and sand before snapping back with force.
A cloud of sand burst forward, flying straight toward Hoothoot.
"Hoothoot, evade—now!" Falkner ordered nervously.
If sand got into Hoothoot's eyes, its combat effectiveness would drop drastically. Against a Champion-level trainer, even a small opening could decide the battle.
"Hoo—!"
Hoothoot twisted sharply in midair, veering sideways at low altitude to avoid the incoming sandstorm.
Most Flying-type Pokémon instinctively gain height to dodge attacks, but executing sharp evasive maneuvers while staying low required exceptional training. Only well-raised Flying-types could pull that off.
It was clear Falkner had put serious effort into his aerial training.
Ash noticed it immediately—and approved.
"Swift."
Eevee opened its mouth, and several golden, star-shaped projectiles shot forward in an instant.
Swift was unavoidable.
Because Hoothoot had just completed a sudden low-altitude turn, its balance hadn't fully recovered. The stars struck cleanly from behind.
"Hoothoot!"
Hoothoot cried out as it was hit head-on. Its body was knocked downward, crashing onto the battlefield and sliding four or five meters across the ground, leaving a long skid mark behind.
The first exchange was over.
And Ash had taken the initiative.
(End of Chapter)
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