"Yozora, even though you're still a rookie trainer who just started out, your level is already very high. Because of that, I have no choice but to show you my true strength in this battle!" Brock said solemnly.
As an excellent Pokémon Breeder, Brock needed only a single glance to know that Yozora's Charmander had already reached the Senior-level tier. That alone made him serious.
"What… his true strength?"
Ash's fists tightened at Brock's words, his eyes flickering.
That meant—
When Brock defeated me earlier… he hadn't even been using his real strength?!
Ash's heart sank under the weight of that thought.
Brock had beaten him so easily, without fighting seriously. If he had been serious… how much worse would the gap have been?
"Damn it. Forget Yozora—Brock alone is already this strong. Is it really just me being too weak?"
For the first time, Ash began to question himself deeply.
That was how people grew: through repeated setbacks, through defeat after defeat, until one day the quiet growth within turned into true transformation.
The scene returned to the battlefield.
The match had already begun. Brock tossed a Poké Ball high into the air, sending out his first Pokémon.
It was once again Geodude.
But—
This Geodude was noticeably stronger than the one he had used against Ash earlier. Its body was more rounded, a sign of age and experience, already close to evolving into Graveler.
[Pokémon]: Geodude
[Type]: Rock + Ground
[Tier]: Senior Level – Initial
[Potential]: Gym Leader Level
[Description]: Brock's main Pokémon, raised alongside him since childhood.
"As expected…"
Glancing at Geodude's status, Yozora nodded inwardly. Sure enough, this one was Senior-level!
"Wait a second, isn't this Geodude bigger and rounder than the last one?" Misty had also noticed.
Ash blinked. "Huh? Really? You're overthinking it. All Geodude look the same!"
Misty: "…"
"Well then, Yozora," Brock crossed his arms confidently, eyes gleaming with interest, "what Pokémon will you use against my Geodude? Charmander, or something else?"
"Char!" Charmander roared, stepping forward eagerly.
After a month of growth, it had shed its rookie appearance. It now looked much stronger and prouder, its cry deeper, full of power rather than cuteness.
Yozora knew—it was entering maturity. At any time now, it might evolve into Charmeleon.
But despite that, Yozora didn't intend to use it here. The reason was simple: Charmander's typing was at a disadvantage.
Yozora wasn't like Ash, a beginner ignoring type matchups. In his previous life playing the Pokémon games, he had won countless championships.
He understood type advantages and disadvantages deeply. Of course, they could be overcome, but that required either overwhelming strength or extremely rare conditions.
Often, it was far wiser—and easier—to follow type matchups to victory.
"Charmander, sit this one out and just watch."
Yozora rubbed its head, then unclipped another Poké Ball from his belt. "Go, Psyduck!"
"Psyduck!"
The duck Pokémon appeared on the field—and its unusual coloration instantly stunned Brock, Ash, and Misty.
"A Shiny Psyduck?!" Brock's usually closed eyes almost flew open in shock.
Yozora's Charmander already had a Shiny flame on its tail—that alone was rare beyond belief.
But now… Yozora also had an actual Shiny Psyduck!
"??? Psyduck? Hey, wait a second—aren't Psyduck supposed to be yellow? What the heck is with Yozora's one…" Ash said, completely baffled.
Before he could finish, Misty smacked him hard on the head.
Her eyes widened, sparkling like she'd just seen a priceless gem.
"A Shiny Pokémon… a Shiny Psyduck! Ahhh, it's perfect!" Misty held her face in both hands, nearly fainting from excitement.
As a Water-type specialist, her lifelong dream was to capture a rare and powerful Water Pokémon.
And Psyduck—this Psyduck—seemed to embody all of her fantasies. The only problem was… it wasn't hers.
"Uh, Misty, don't you think you're overreacting a little?" Ash grumbled, rubbing his head.
"You don't understand!" Misty roared, her voice like a lion's. "To me, every rare Water Pokémon shines like a jewel!"
Ash huffed. "Well, I don't see it that way. To me, all Pokémon shine like jewels!"
Misty: "…"
She was completely defeated. Because really—how could anyone argue with Ash's pure heart?
"Shiny Pokémon may be rare," Brock said, regaining his composure, "but their strength isn't guaranteed! Geodude, Rollout!"
At his command, Geodude tucked in its arms and spun, becoming a boulder whirling forward at frightening speed.
The ground cracked under its momentum, leaving a deep trench. The raw power of the move was obvious—if Psyduck was hit, it would be painful beyond belief.
Research showed that the older a Geodude grew, the rounder and smoother its body became. That reduced friction, making its Rollout faster—and far stronger.
Many Pokémon even used Defense Curl to sharpen this effect, doubling Rollout's power.
"What terrifying force…"
Yozora admired the destructive path carved into the ground—but his face remained calm.
Psyduck was even calmer. Born a natural fighter, it had been brawling and winning since it was small. To it, this was nothing new.
Still, Yozora's mind was racing, calculating Psyduck's attack speed, Geodude's rolling velocity, and their distance. Then—when the timing was perfect—he shouted:
"Now, Psyduck—use Hydro Pump!"
"Psyduck!"
Whether it was pure instinct, or their bond allowing them to act as one, Psyduck reacted instantly.
It drew in a deep breath, then blasted a pressurized torrent of water straight at the incoming Geodude.
The high-pressure Hydro Pump shot forward like a cannon. Geodude had no time to dodge.
"Gehhh!"
The water struck with crushing force, blasting Geodude backward. It slammed to the ground and lay there, unconscious, unable to battle.
(End of Chapter)