Shiro had not guessed wrong. The scene from his memory was indeed unfolding.
Right after Blue threw out his Poké Ball, a boy in red clothes and a red cap quietly crept closer from the forest about twenty meters away.
With just one glance, Shiro recognized him. This was definitely Red.
Although his real appearance had some small differences from the manga, the signature outfit and cap were unmistakable.
This was the original version of Ash from the anime, the first protagonist of the games and manga, the eternal peak of the Pokémon world… and right now, just an unknown rookie trainer.
Red…
Come to think of it, Ash from the anime was probably the character most different from the original Red.
It was not just about appearance, personality, or strength, but also his signature Pokémon.
Ash's first Pokémon was Pikachu, while Red's true starter was actually a Poliwag. As for Pikachu, Red would only catch one after traveling for some time.
Shiro rested his chin in thought as his gaze slowly shifted from the hidden, spying Red to Blue, who was facing Mew head-on.
With Blue's current strength, the only reason Mew was even willing to exchange a few moves with him was because it was too playful.
Shiro focused and observed Mew's panel.
[Name: Mew
Type: Psychic
Level: 80 (Master)
Ability: Synchronize
Held Item: None
Moves: Pound, Reflect Type, Amnesia, Ancient Power, Life Dew, Metronome…
Status: Healthy
Mood: Curious]
"A peak Master-level Mew..."
Looking at the small and adorable Mew not far away, Shiro could feel a strong sense of contrast.
Its level was even higher than Mesprit's.
As for its opponent, Blue had sent out… a Squirtle that clearly looked like it had just been received.
Squirtle's face was full of innocence, its eyes clear as it looked at Mew. It probably did not even fully understand that it was about to battle.
As for its level… Shiro still took a look.
[Name: Squirtle
Type: Water
Level: 11 (Beginner)
Ability: Torrent
Held Item: None
Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw, Rapid Spin…
Status: Healthy
Mood: Naive]
Shiro could not help but take a deep breath.
A Beginner-level Squirtle facing a Master-level Legendary Pokémon head-on!
A difference of nearly seventy levels…
As expected of one of the protagonists of the Pokémon world. If they were not constantly fighting stronger opponents or going against type disadvantages, it would not even count as a battle.
* * *
At this moment, Blue tensed up.
The Pokémon he had sent out was Squirtle, which he had just received from the research institute a few hours ago as one of the starters.
There was no other choice. During the earlier chase, his Pidgeot had already been exhausted to the point of losing its ability to battle.
He could only rely on this Squirtle for now.
Of course, he knew Squirtle's level was low, and he also knew that Pokémon battles were, first and foremost, a contest of raw strength.
But looking at Mew, which seemed so small and fragile, its strength should be… not much different from Squirtle, right?
What if that was the case?
Blue tried to convince himself.
If he did not think like this, he might not even have the courage to battle.
"Ha!"
Focusing on the battle, Blue bared his teeth and shouted, "Squirtle! Use Water Gun!"
"Squuuirtle~"
Although it had only just met its trainer, thanks to the excellent training at the research institute, Squirtle could already understand commands well and use its moves with ease.
A thick stream of water shot straight into the air.
But Squirtle did not stand there blankly. Following its prior training, it began to run around its opponent while firing Water Gun.
This made its attack harder to dodge and, at the same time, allowed it to avoid the opponent's moves.
Against trainers and Pokémon of the same level, this tactic worked well.
But against Mew, it was nothing more than playful splashing.
"Meeew~"
Mew spun lightly, and with a casual flick of its psychic power, the Water Gun vanished without a trace.
Seeing this, Blue lowered his head slightly and tightened his grip on the Poké Ball, yet his expression suddenly turned calm.
'As expected, I can't win… no surprise there.'
* * *
Behind a nearby bush, Red watched the battle in shock, completely absorbed.
"That's a Squirtle, right? Then what is that Pokémon? Is it the Mew those people were looking for?"
"So Squirtle can fight like that... "
"Nice one, Squirtle! Go!"
Unfortunately, at that moment, Blue took out his Poké Ball.
"Alright, come back, Squirtle!"
Squirtle was quickly recalled.
"Huh?" Red grew anxious and immediately ran out, shouting, "What are you doing? You were about to win! Why stop now?"
Blue glanced at this random idiot who had suddenly appeared, his lips twitching slightly in disdain.
If you think you can do it, then go ahead.
"Damn it!" Annoyed that he was ignored, Red gritted his teeth and sent out his Pokémon. "Go! Poliwhirl!"
Poliwhirl leaped out with fierce momentum.
Red shouted again, "Use Water Gun, spin while attacking!"
Poliwhirl immediately opened its mouth and fired a stream of water, far more solid and much thicker than Squirtle's earlier attack.
Then, just like Squirtle before, it moved quickly around its opponent while using Water Gun.
Up in the sky, Shiro stared at Poliwhirl and checked its level.
[Name: Poliwhirl
Type: Water
Level: 35 (Advanced)
Ability: Swift Swim
Held Item: None
Moves: Pound, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Bubble Beam, Rain Dance...
Status: Healthy
Mood: Brave and fearless]
"Still too weak," Shiro said quietly, not optimistic about Red.
In the next moment, Mew glanced at the hostile Poliwhirl with slight confusion, then flicked its tail and released a burst of psychic power.
The force sent Poliwhirl flying several meters before it collapsed unconscious.
A one-hit knockout.
"Poliwhirl!"
Red cried out as he rushed over, checking on his Pokémon in a panic.
"Poliwhirl, hang in there..."
He pulled out a healing spray from his pocket and kept applying it.
Standing to the side, Blue watched him and said, "Hey, didn't you understand what happened just now when you saw me fight it?"
"I only attacked once and already knew the gap between us. That's why I recalled my Pokémon."
"If you're too confident, you'll only bring about your own downfall... Heh, you'd better remember that."
After saying this, Blue's lips curled slightly, clearly enjoying himself.
Sometimes, a bit of lecturing could knock some sense into a stubborn rookie.
But Red did not listen at all.
He knelt in front of Poliwhirl, staring blankly into space.
One thought kept echoing in his mind.
'I lost…'
**
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