c144: Iron Slave, Ash Hits Five Consecutive Victories!
"Wow!! Did you hear that? Professor Oak just confirmed it Froakie's glow is a clear sign of evolution! That means Froakie is about to evolve!"
"∑(My mouth?) Oh my god!!"
"Sure, Ash is super talented as a Trainer. He trained Froakie diligently throughout the summer camp, worked tirelessly every day even during breaks and he's got that fire in him to become the Pokémon World's Mightiest Trainer."
"But come on, it's only been two weeks! How could Ash raise a newly-assigned Froakie from LV.5 to evolution level already? That's insane!"
"I always knew the gap between Ash and us was huge but now it feels colossal."
"Yeah… geniuses like him really aren't the same species as us regular Trainers."
"Where the heck is Si Guoyi~"
The moment Professor Oak revealed that Ash's Froakie was on the verge of evolution, an uproar exploded among the surrounding students at the Battle Zone. Shocked and awestruck, they could hardly believe what they were seeing.
But it wasn't just them. Even the audience watching the live broadcast on the other end including guest commentators, academy instructors, and visiting alumni were equally stunned.
They all acknowledged Ash's natural talent, sure. But none of them had expected this. In a matter of just fourteen days, Ash had taken a freshly assigned LV.5 Froakie a standard Earl Dervish Pokémon for the camp.and trained it to evolve. And that too amid a packed schedule of daily training, lectures, and field trials.
There had been 290 participants this year, and most had spent their time bonding slowly with their starter Pokémon or learning type-matchups. Ash, however, had not only increased Froakie's combat strength but had demonstrated mastery of advanced battle tactics and synchronized moves like Water Pulse interception and precision use of Pound after trapping.
The crowd could hardly contain their amazement. Many of them, who had previously viewed Ash's dream of becoming the top Trainer in the Pokémon world as childish fantasy, now found themselves quietly believing in it.
In the background, Professor Oak's eyes narrowed with interest. Serena looked stunned. Even seasoned cadets like Gary clenched their fists feeling the pressure of Ash's fast-rising momentum.
Ash, on the other hand, just shrugged with a casual smile and raised his hands in mock innocence. He wasn't about to brag or explain.
After all, what could he say?
"Actually, I haven't even trained Froakie seriously yet. If I had gone full throttle from the beginning, it might have evolved days ago."
Indeed, Ash had been holding back. He knew that pushing Froakie too hard in such a short period could be risky without trust. But thanks to their tight bond, and with the help of the Mega Trainer System though partially damaged during his dimension traversal he had still gained massive progress.
Even with limited access to the system's advanced features, the functioning modules were enough to help Froakie absorb experience rapidly, hone combat instincts, and raise skill proficiency like Bubble, Quick Attack, and Water Pulse to near-pro levels.
This was Ash's secret confidence. And it was why he had no hesitation performing under the live cameras during the summer camp.
He wasn't just training for this camp he was building toward his long-term goal.
There were still four full years before he would begin his official journey at age 10. By then, he believed the people and factions who once sought to manipulate or monitor his talent including remnants of Team Ahab and rogue Solaceon agents would be forced to back off.
Victory Record:
Ash × Serena VS Ikeda × Sung Bin
Ash × Serena VS Sanxi × Kenji
Ash × Serena VS Takagi × Mahiro
With every battle, Ash's reputation grew.
Professor Oak stepped forward once again and addressed the crowd.
"Are there any other cadets who would like to request a friendly match or exchange battle? Today marks the final day of summer camp. If you miss this opportunity, you might not get another chance for a while!"
After the first battle with Steve and Erwin, under the astonished gazes of the students outside the battle zone, Ash once again stepped forward to accept continuous challenges just like he had done two weeks earlier during the opening day of summer camp.
At first, the off-field students were eager to test themselves against Ash. But after Ash and Serena scored four straight victories with seamless coordination between Froakie and Clefairy, it became clear to them that they were not on the same level. Realizing they would only be handing out free wins, their interest in challenging Ash gradually faded.
"Is no one else going to battle?" Ash called out, scanning the hesitant crowd. "Froakie and Clefairy have already battled four matches in a row they're exhausted. You could snag an easy win and get free points."
He smiled, adding, "Besides, even if you lose, it's the final day of camp. Don't act like slaves to the scoreboard! Even if someone gets full points today, it's impossible to catch up to Gary's score."
Ash's candid words were meant to encourage them, but they also stirred a few nerves.
"Damn it, Ash," someone muttered, half-laughing. "Why didn't you say that no one can catch up to you, not just Gary?"
Ash clapped his hands and laughed. "Ahaha! Don't sweat the details!"
At that moment, a boy standing nearby with his arms crossed scoffed. "Ash, you're an iron slave yourself, always grinding yet you're calling the rest of us out?"
"Who said I'm an iron slave? Huh? Who said that?" Ash retorted, striking a dramatic pose with his hands on his hips.
"Was it you, Okazaki?" Ash suddenly locked eyes with the boy who had just spoken. "You slandered me! I've decided I challenge you!"
"It wasn't me," Okazaki said quickly, not expecting Ash to call him out so directly after four intense battles. "Why would I say that?"
"Ash~ it really was Okazaki!" another student shouted. "We all heard it. We'll testify!"
"Haha, Okazaki, don't chicken out," someone jeered. "Ash has already fought four matches in a row he's worn out. If you're scared to fight him now, you're hopeless."
"No, no, I was ready to challenge Ash earlier when he was still fresh!" Okazaki stammered. "But now? C'mon, be real!"
"Tsk tsk tsk... Okazaki," said another boy named Tachibana Juping, shaking his head. "I hereby declare you the biggest coward in this year's summer camp."
"Yeah, go on, Okazaki," another chimed in. "Ash is practically giving you free points. Even if he's an 'iron slave,' at least he's generous!"
"That's right," someone shouted from the side. "Okazaki, your current ranking is 25th on the Student Achievement Scoreboard. Just go up there, challenge him, and hit him with something simple!"
After spending two weeks together, the campers had grown close. Initially strangers, many of the boys now joked and roasted each other without holding back.
"You guys are the worst," Okazaki growled. "Don't act like you didn't notice Ash and Froakie are faking being tired."
Student A: "What? Nope, didn't see it."
Student B: "Ash is clearly running on fumes. Just go up, let your Squirtle hit him with a Headbutt, and boom he's down. You're scared of that?"
Student C: "Come on, Okazaki! End Ash's win streak at four. Or are you going to keep ducking?"
Student Z: "Where's Jingjie? You're Okazaki's teammate, right? Talk some sense into him. He's dragging your pair down."
"I can't take this anymore!" a broad-shouldered boy in the crowd finally shouted, stepping forward. "Okazaki, let's go end Ash's five-match win streak together."
"Respectfully, you're ranked 36th, and I'm 25th," Okazaki muttered. "Don't drag me into this mess. You promised to help me gain points so we could overtake Chang Hong for the top 20 spot."
"These are psychological tactics, man. Stay calm we're not falling for their tricks," Okazaki added, clearly flustered.
"Hahahaha... Quit whining. Ash already called you out. Let's just go flatten him."
"Damn it! I wanted free points, you know? But you just had to open your big mouth!" Okazaki shouted back. "Are you working for Primeape or something?! Are you trying to mess with me on purpose?"
"Argh!!"
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