"Go get 'em, Serena!"
Shauna, unable to dissuade her friend from accepting the challenge, could only cheer her on now. All she could do was hope Serena would pull off another win.
"I will! Don't worry, I'm not going down so easily!"
Serena turned back and smiled confidently at her friend. Then, her eyes locked onto Ash. He gave her an encouraging nod—and just like that, Serena's smile grew brighter, her heart steadier.
According to Green and Shauna, Serena's next opponent was a boy named Floyd. He had received a Pidgey—a Flying-type Pokémon from Kanto—as his starter for the summer camp. With four victories already under his belt, Floyd was tied with Serena for third place at 8 points. This battle would determine who climbed higher.
Serena was a little nervous about facing a Flying-type, but Ash had encouraged her to accept the challenge, and that was all she needed. She may not fully believe in herself yet…
…but she believed in Ash completely.
…..
["Serena, can you hear me?"]
As she stepped onto the field, surrounded by the curious gazes of other campers, Serena suddenly heard Ash's voice echo clearly in her mind.
["Mhm."]
She kept a neutral expression but quietly responded in her heart.
["Good~"]
["I'll use telepathy through Aura to give you cues during this battle. Just follow my instructions when the time comes. But you'll still need to stay alert. Being a Trainer isn't just about giving orders—you have to feel the rhythm of the battle."]
Standing on the sidelines with Gary and the others, Ash used his Aura and the power of telepathy to link his thoughts with Serena.
Upon hearing his voice, Serena's playful smile disappeared. Her expression became sharp and focused.
["I understand, Ash."]
She acknowledged seriously from the field.
At that moment, Chloe returned with Goh in tow, rejoining the group.
"Is Serena going into another battle already?" she asked in surprise. "Wow. I was worried she'd be too shy to keep competing. But she's already back on the field again… She's braver than I thought."
Her voice carried admiration as she watched Serena step up to her fifth match.
"She really surprised all of us," Shauna added with a proud smile. "But she's only this good because Ash gave her some private battle training before her first match."
Chloe glanced at Ash and felt a warm sense of gratitude rising in her heart.
To her, Ash was just an ordinary boy—her age, no less—but what he had done for Serena was anything but ordinary.
"So Ash gave her personalized training before her first battle?" Chloe mused. "That explains everything…"
….
The scoreboard was a mess of names with the same high scores—but Ash's name was different. It wasn't just tied for first—it meant first.
Unlike others who won a single match and then rushed their Pokémon to the Pokémon Center, Ash had stayed on the field and defended his position for five straight victories—against the camp's strongest.
Among all the students, Ash was the undisputed number one—not just on paper, but in everyone's hearts.
….
"Who's Serena's opponent this time?" Chloe asked curiously. "Are they strong?"
"The boy's name is Floyd," Green explained. "He's tied with Serena for third place. He uses a Pidgey—so yeah, he's a Flying-type user."
"A Flying-type?" Chloe's confidence faltered, her brows furrowing with concern. "That's… not an easy matchup."
"I thought the same," Green sighed. "I tried to convince her not to accept, but she insisted."
"Well, if she's accepted the challenge, then we need to believe in her," Chloe said firmly, balling her fists with determination. "As her friends, we have to trust that she can do it."
"Yeah!" Green and Shauna nodded in unison.
….
But not everyone in the group shared their optimism.
Standing beside Chloe, Goh narrowed his eyes at Serena, now standing proudly on the field.
"A Flying-type, huh? Then you're definitely going to lose."
His thoughts were filled with malice, his gaze cold and resentful.
"Why her? Why does someone like her get Ash's attention?"
His grip tightened into a fist.
"Why would Ash personally train someone so weak—some girl who barely knows how to battle—while ignoring me?"
"I'm talented. I'm better. But I get stuck with a Magikarp, and no one's even willing to help me fight to a draw to save points."
His thoughts darkened further.
"Tch. I hope you lose, Serena. I hope you lose hard—fall flat on your face, cry your eyes out. That's what you deserve."
…..
Ash's expression suddenly changed.
While going over Serena's strategy via Aura, he caught a sudden spike of negativity.
A malicious aura.
He turned his head—eyes scanning the crowd.
And there it was.
Goh.
Ash stared at him coldly.
…..
"W-what?!"
Goh flinched as Ash's icy gaze pierced straight through him.
He had just finished silently cursing Serena when he noticed Ash staring—chillingly—right at him.
Panicked, he stammered, "Ash—uh—what's up?"
Ash said nothing.
He slowly turned away, eyes focused back on the field, as if Goh didn't even exist.
But inside, Ash was anything but calm.
[So that's how it is… You really harbor that much hatred toward Serena—and toward me?]
[All because I trained her and didn't train you? Because Green and Shauna didn't help you get a draw?]
He narrowed his eyes.
[Anyone who carries this much darkness… can't be trusted.]
[Whether it's jealousy or resentment, it doesn't matter. That kind of energy has no place here.]
[Looks like I'll need to deal with you soon… quietly. In a way no one will notice.]
[Let's see how you like a surprise you never saw coming.]
...
...
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