"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!" Ash swung his arm forward dramatically, like a general sending his ace onto the battlefield.
Golden electricity burst from Pikachu's cheeks, ripping through the air and slamming into the Spearow before them.
"Kyuuuurk!!"
The bird Pokémon screeched as its feathers smoked, then toppled helplessly to the ground, twitching once before going still.
Ash pumped his fist high. "Yes! That makes ten!"
He crouched down, grinning, and slapped Pikachu's tail in a high-five. Pikachu twitched at the weird gesture but accepted it anyway.
Ten Pokémon down. And with each victory, Ash could feel it, Pikachu's Aura was growing, sharpening like a blade being honed.
Aura represented vitality. But according to the "instruction manual" in his mind, it also represented strength. The stronger one's Aura, the stronger one's raw power.
The problem? There were no clear standards, no "levels" spelled out. Ash had no clue what rank Pikachu had reached. He just knew that every win nudged Pikachu's strength upward, bit by bit.
But he also noticed something troubling. The gains were shrinking. By the time they'd downed their tenth wild Pokémon, Pikachu's growth was barely noticeable.
He quickly opened the group chat to ask about it. The answer was unanimous:
[Champion Ash: That's normal. When your Pokémon's level goes up, weak opponents don't give much experience anymore. Think of it like a game, you're level 20 fighting level 5 mobs. They're basically just air.]
[Aura Ash: If you want real growth, you need to fight stronger opponents. Even if you lose, the challenge itself sharpens your Aura.]
Ash scratched his head. "So… like grinding bosses instead of wasting time on slimes. Got it."
Resolved, he decided to hurry to Viridian City and check out this "Gym challenge" the others had mentioned.
But fate had other plans.
Just as Ash was thinking it, the air filled with an ominous beating of wings.
"Speeeearow!!"
A whole flock descended, shrieking angrily. At first it was just a dozen, then another dozen, and another. By the time Ash counted properly, there were easily more than a hundred.
And among them, Ash spotted the very same Spearow Pikachu had knocked out earlier.
Ash's eyes went wide. "Wait, they brought the whole family for revenge?! That's a grudge squad if I've ever seen one!"
He clenched his fist and pointed forward like a shonen hero ready for battle. "Alright, Pikachu, it's up to you!"
"Pika..pi!!" Pikachu yelped, darting behind Ash and shaking his head violently.
No way. Absolutely not.
Are you kidding me! I'm just a little Pikachu who's just starting out. Making me fight a hundred Spearow, how is that different from asking me to die?'
"Pika pika!" 'Ash, I choose you!'
"Eh?! What's that supposed to mean? I'm human! You expect me to fight a hundred Spearow?!"
"Pika?" Pikachu tilted his head innocently.
'Aren't you the one who's good at fighting? Now's your chance to prove it.'
"You...! You little...!" Ash's voice cracked into pure gibberish. "*&%#￥%! !"
"Spear!!"
The flock of Spearow, who had been watching the bickering duo like an annoyed audience, finally lost their patience. With a chorus of screeches, they tightened formation and dived as one, a storm of wings and talons raining down on the boy and his mouse.
Ash froze mid-argument, then yelped. "Nope nope nope, time to run!" He scooped Pikachu into his arms and bolted.
"Pika pika!!" 'Why are we running?! Let's fight them!'
"Fight them?? Can't you count how many there are? You fight them!" Ash shot back, panting as his legs blurred beneath him.
Aura Power surged through his body, amplifying his speed far beyond what a normal human could manage. Though Spearow were Flying-types with sharp agility, Ash was leaving them behind as if his sneakers had sprouted rockets.
Pikachu clung to Ash's shoulder, gripping his jacket tight. His eyes darted to the shrinking flock behind them, disbelief plain on his face.
'This… this isn't human speed. Is he secretly a pokemon?'
Then again, this was the same "human" who had blasted him across a field with a glowing blue ball. Maybe outrunning birds wasn't that strange after all.
"Pikapi~!" Pikachu twisted around, puffed his cheeks, and made a silly face at the furious flock.
He'd only knocked out one of them, and yet they'd called in a hundred cousins for revenge? That kind of pettiness deserved mockery!
If he couldn't beat them… he could at least annoy them.
The Spearow screeched even louder, wings beating frantically as they chased. But no matter how hard they pushed, the boy ahead only widened the gap. The realization made them flap harder, rage boiling.
Suddenly, several larger Spearow at the front gave sharp cries, their bodies blurring as they shot forward like arrows.
Quick Attack.
The dozen elites slashed through the air, their boosted speed cutting the distance in seconds.
"Pika! Pikachu!!" 'Ash! Faster! They're catching up!!'
"What?!" Ash risked a glance back, and his heart nearly leapt into his throat. The high-speed Spearow were already right on top of them!
"I'm warning you all, don't force my hand! I'm not running because I'm scared, I just don't want to fight you!" Ash shouted over his shoulder.
The Spearow screeched and drew closer. Fifty meters.
"You can still leave now! Last warning!"
They came closer. Twenty meters.
Ash's forehead twitched. "Fine! You asked for it! Aura Sphere!!"
He thrust his hand forward. In an instant, blue light gathered in his palm, swelling and swirling until it condensed into a pulsing, dark-blue sphere.
"Take this!"
The Aura Sphere shot out like a comet, straight into the center of the charging flock. The Spearow, who had thought Ash was just bluffing, suddenly realized the human was actually firing some kind of move. Too late to dodge.
"BOOOOM!!"
The explosion ripped through the air, a blast of black smoke and feathers rising from the lush green field.
Ash skidded to a stop, sneakers scraping the dirt, turning back to gauge the results.
"That was fifty percent of my strength," he muttered, half proud, half nervous. "If it takes out at least five Spearow, then fine, no more running. You like chasing? Then today I'll play until the very end!"