"Aipom~"
After eating a bit, the restless Aipom began to focus its attention on the food in Pikachu's bowl. Although Brock had specially prepared different types of food according to the preferences of each type of Pokémon, Pikachu and Aipom should have been eating their favorite flavors.
But Aipom just liked to set its sights on the food in other people's bowls, as if snatching food would make it taste better.
It knew that if it took the initiative to ask Pikachu for a little food to taste, Pikachu would definitely give it some, but it just wouldn't!
Only food snatched by its own ability through scheming was the most delicious. That's what it meant to earn a living by its own skills!
"Aipom~aipom!"
Thinking like this, Aipom reached out and poked Pikachu. Seeing that Pikachu's attention was no longer on its bowl, Aipom had even thought about which steps it would take to snatch some of the food from Pikachu's bowl without anyone noticing.
"Aipom!" (What's that over there!)
"Pika?"
When Aipom pointed somewhere and said that, Pikachu really "naively" shifted its gaze away. At this moment, a wicked smile appeared on Aipom's face, and it stretched out its tail towards Pikachu's bowl. Just then—
"Pika!"
Pikachu, like a cunning hunter, had anticipated Aipom's actions even without looking back, and vigorously swung its tail backward, quickly knocking away Aipom's tail.
"Aipom!?" (How did you know!?)
"Pika~" (I'm used to it~)
Faced with Aipom's incredulous questioning, Pikachu simply replied frankly.
It had been tricked by Aipom at least dozens of times from before until now. If it still hadn't learned its lesson after all this, then it would be too much of a failure. Aipom could only lower its head sullenly after seeing that its plan had failed, intending to continue eating its own food.
But in the instant Aipom turned its head, it only felt a shadow flash in front of it. Along with the sound of the bowl overturning on the ground, Aipom's Pokémon food suddenly decreased a lot.
"Aipom!"
Aipom's shouting also attracted the attention of Ash and the others sitting on the benches.
"What's wrong?" Ash asked first.
He was originally eating his food peacefully, but he only heard two sounds. When he turned his head, he saw that Aipom's Pokémon food had all been knocked over on the ground, and it was staring at a place with a furious expression.
"Over there!"
"That Pokémon is..."
With Dawn and Brock's additions, Ash raised his head and saw a small Pokémon standing on the tree in front of Aipom. It raised its head and looked very proud, and its claws were currently holding a lot of Pokémon food. It seemed that it had snatched it from Aipom.
"Is that a Staravia."
Ash looked at the figure on the branch, saying its identity while also using the Pokédex to record it.
Although everyone who should know already knew, he still had to complete the task that Professor Oak had given him.
"Did it make Aipom so angry because it stole its food?"
Dawn had now understood what had happened between Staravia and Aipom. Considering Aipom's personality, it was no wonder it was so angry now.
"Stealing food... reminds me of Taillow. Although they are two types of Pokémon with dissimilar personalities, this Staravia seems to have quite a temper too."
Brock commented on the Staravia in front of him from a more professional perspective. However, being able to compare Staravia to Taillow should be considered an affirmation of this Staravia.
"Are you going to catch it?" Brock looked at Ash and asked.
"Of course." Ash lowered the brim of his hat and walked to Aipom's side. "Since it offered itself, there's no reason not to catch it. What's more, Aipom wouldn't be satisfied if we didn't fight it now, right?"
"Aipom!"
Aipom nodded desperately in agreement with Ash's statement. It was now fully prepared for battle.
Looking at the commotion below, Staravia leisurely ate the Pokémon food it had grabbed in its claws in a few quick bites. Then, it continued to cast a disdainful look at them, flapping its wings and swooping down preemptively.
"It's fast?!" Dawn exclaimed.
Although it was the first time she had seen a Pokémon battle like this happening in the wild, Dawn had at least watched many Grand Festival recordings. The fact that she could still praise the speed in this premise showed that this Staravia did have the capital to be arrogant.
"Double Team!"
Regardless of how fast it was, as long as you could dodge this kind of close-range skill, you would have a chance to counterattack.
At the moment Ash gave the command, Aipom instantly split into 5 or 6 shadows. The movements between the shadows were completely consistent, making the Staravia, which was swooping down, have to stop abruptly and then turn around to fly into the sky.
"Don't let it go! Swift!"
Seeing that Staravia was about to leave Aipom's attack range, Ash naturally wouldn't give up the attack so easily. This Staravia's battle awareness was obviously not bad. If they missed this opportunity, it wouldn't be so easy to turn the battle into what they wanted.
"Aipom!"
Several clones merged into one again. Along with the swing of Aipom's tail, countless golden stars poured out towards the sky. Staravia, who had not expected this, was naturally hit.
After the explosion sounded, Staravia's body suddenly lost its balance and fell towards the ground. Ash also commanded Aipom to press the attack.
"Focus Punch!"
"Aipom!"
Aipom's tail began to gather strength while running towards the direction where Staravia was falling.
Staravia, who had been tightly closing its eyes, suddenly opened its eyes when it felt that Aipom was about to approach. Its wings were covered with a white light, and then, as if it had succeeded, it directly swung its wings towards Aipom's abdomen.
But—
"Bang~"
"Munch?!"
The wing attack didn't transmit the feeling it had imagined when it touched Aipom's body, but rather an empty feeling. The next second, Aipom's body turned into white smoke and dissipated in the air.
A Double Team?
Just as Staravia was still surprised that the target it had hit was a fake, the real Aipom approached Staravia from another direction. Under the gaze of its unwilling eyes, Focus Punch landed on its body without reservation, knocking Staravia's body several meters away.
...