"Thank you!!"
"Thank you, everyone~!"
Stepping out of the entrance tunnel and onto the battlefield, Ash waved to the fans in the stands and gave a slight bow in thanks.
Ever since his very first match at the City Arena—when, at the request of a few female fans, he had opened a Weibo account—his follower count had skyrocketed, and his popularity had continued to surge.
Especially here in Viridian City, so close to Pallet Town. Every time Ash came to compete at the City Arena, fans who saw his updates on Weibo and had the time would rush over just to watch him battle.
Ash knew very well that popularity was fleeting—here today, gone tomorrow. But even so, with so many people liking him and supporting him right now, he felt genuinely grateful.
While the vast majority of the crowd was cheering loudly for Ash, on the opposite command platform, his opponent Anon remained calm and composed, showing no sign of pressure at all.
"Next up is a double battle between Trainer Anon and Trainer Ash.
The match format is '1·2'.
Now, both Trainers, please send out the Pokémon you will be using in this battle."
Standing at the center line, the referee raised the green flag and gave the signal.
Ash: "Pidgeotto, Spearow—let's go!"
Anon: "Tauros, Golbat—prepare for battle!"
"Bang—bang!"
"Bang—bang!"
At the referee's signal, neither Trainer hesitated. Poké Balls flew almost simultaneously, bursting open in flashes of light.
In the blink of an eye, four Pokémon appeared on the field.
Anon had sent out Tauros, the Wild Bull Pokémon, and Golbat, the Bat Pokémon—one dominating the ground with frontal assaults, the other providing aerial harassment and support.
From this pairing alone, it was clear that Anon was a Trainer with solid experience in double battles.
But the moment Ash's Pokémon fully appeared, a wave of gasps swept across the arena.
Even Anon—usually quiet and reserved—couldn't hide the surprise on his face.
"Wha—?!"
"What's going on here?! Pidgeotto and Spearow?!"
"Ash actually caught and trained a Spearow while already raising a Pidgeotto—and now he's sent both of them out together?!"
"Everyone knows that in Kanto, the Pidgeotto line and the Spearow line are natural enemies. There's a predator–prey relationship between the two species."
"These two families are practically fire and water—when they meet, they fight on sight. Even Trainers struggle to stop their conflicts."
"That's why among Kanto Trainers, it's practically common sense: if you raise Pidgeotto, you don't raise Spearow."
"Yet Ash not only owns both—he's formed them into a double-battle team. That's unbelievable… and incredibly bold!"
"I personally don't believe Ash would make such a basic mistake. So today's battle—will it end in internal conflict… or will we witness a level of coordination never seen before?! Let's watch closely!!"
The moment Ash revealed Pidgeotto + Spearow as his double-battle lineup, it shocked not just his opponent, but the referee, the commentator, the audience—and even the other Trainers still waiting in the lounge.
Although the commentator tried to reassure everyone—"Ash wouldn't make such a basic error; I believe in him"—many hot-tempered spectators and Trainers were still stunned.
Watching Pidgeotto and Spearow circling separately in the air above the arena, even some of Ash's most loyal fans began to feel uneasy.
In their hearts, they couldn't believe that Pidgeotto and Spearow together could possibly win.
Some even thought that if the two didn't start fighting each other mid-match, it would already be a miracle.
Ash, however, paid no attention to the doubts echoing through the stands.
His Pidgeotto and Spearow were special cases—those worries simply didn't apply.
And of course, he had no intention of explaining anything.
Their performance would speak for itself.
At that moment, Ash used the system to check his opponent's Pokémon data.
…
Tauros
Level: LV.29
Potential: (Red / Elite)
Moves (Copyable):
Proficient: Tackle, Horn Attack, Pursuit, Horn Attack, Flamethrower
Skilled: Tail Whip, Scary Face, Work Up, Payback
Golbat
Level: LV.25
Potential: (Green / Above Average)
Moves (Copyable):
Proficient: Supersonic, Haze, Supersonic, Poison Fang, Air Slash
Skilled: Absorb, Astonish, Mean Look, Quick Guard
…..
"LV.29 and LV.25… not weak at all," Ash analyzed calmly.
"Pidgeotto has the level advantage, but Spearow will be at a disadvantage facing two opponents."
"And judging from their move sets, it really is Tauros as the main attacker with Golbat providing aerial disruption."
"Still, both of my Pokémon are Flying-type. Tauros only has Flamethrower as a ranged special move. That means Golbat will likely be their main offensive pressure."
"But in the end… it depends on how their Trainer plays it."
"Let's adapt on the fly."
After finishing his quick analysis, Ash settled into a calm, ready stance.
Across from him, Anon—seeing how relaxed Ash looked—quickly recovered from the shock of the unusual lineup.
As he analyzed the situation, Anon's brows furrowed slightly.
Setting aside the rumors that Ash's Pidgeotto already possessed high-level strength, the mere fact that his opponents were two Flying-types severely limited the effectiveness of Golbat's usual tactics and Tauros's charging playstyle.
"…Guess I'll have to adapt as well," Anon decided silently.
Seeing that both sides were ready, the referee didn't hesitate any longer and shouted decisively:
"The battle begins!"
—
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals