"Raticate, use Quick Attack to charge in, then follow up with Bite!"
On the battlefield, a young boy wearing a bright blue baseball cap thrust his hand forward and loudly issued his command with great enthusiasm.
Standing opposite him was an adorable pink-haired girl who was calmly directing her Grass-type Gloom in preparation for battle.
"Gloom, release Stench to stop Raticate from getting close," Clarissa commanded.
After spending so much time teaming up with Ash in Double Battles, she had accumulated a wealth of battle experience.
As Chansey's strength steadily increased and her newly caught Oddish eventually evolved into Gloom, Clarissa had long since reached the point where she no longer needed Ash to carry her through battles. She could now confidently register for Singles matches on her own.
Moreover, when facing opponents of similar levels, Clarissa's win rate was surprisingly impressive.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
"Gloooom~!"
Watching the rapidly approaching Raticate, Gloom immediately lowered its head slightly upon receiving its command as thick grayish-green fumes began pouring out from its large, brilliantly colored flower.
It had to be said that Gloom's Stench was truly an outrageously powerful ability in battle. Its practicality far surpassed that of status-inducing moves such as Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, or Poison Powder.
"Ratiii!!"
The overwhelming stench came rushing toward it like a violent gust of wind. The fierce red glow in Raticate's eyes instantly disappeared as its expression twisted in agony. Covering its nose with both paws, it immediately slammed on the brakes and stopped in its tracks.
"Raticate..."
Witnessing this scene, its Trainer's expression immediately became rather unsightly.
Naturally, Clarissa wasn't about to let such a perfect opportunity slip through her fingers.
Without hesitation, she issued her next command.
"Gloom, use Toxic!"
"..."
"Gloom, use Vine Whip!"
"..."
"Gloom, use Giga Drain!"
"..."
"Gloom, use Solar Beam!"
"..."
...
After more than half a year's worth of dedicated training, Ash had successfully raised Bulbasaur all the way to Venusaur. Although Clarissa's progress was slightly behind his, the timid little Oddish that once needed others to protect it had long since disappeared.
Now, standing proudly upon the battlefield, once Gloom seized an opening, it unleashed an unrelenting barrage of attacks.
Despite being two levels lower than its opponent's Raticate, Gloom completely suppressed it throughout the match.
Raticate managed to endure only a few exchanges before its eyes transformed into spiraling swirls. It collapsed onto the battlefield and lost its ability to fight.
"You did wonderfully, Clarissa."
Watching her return victoriously alongside Gloom, Ash smiled warmly from the contestants' waiting hall, genuinely happy for her accomplishment.
Although Clarissa had chosen to pursue the path of a Pokémon Doctor and Pokémon Breeder rather than becoming a professional Pokémon Trainer, they still lived in a world where extraordinary creatures possessed incredible powers.
No one necessarily needed overwhelming strength, but everyone should at least possess enough power to protect themselves.
While immense personal strength wasn't mandatory, having it was certainly better than not.
"Thank you, Ash!"
Receiving Ash's praise and encouragement, Clarissa's face immediately blossomed into a radiant smile.
"Let's go. It's time to head over to Arena Number One."
Clarissa had already finished both of her matches, while Ash's own battle was about to begin.
However, they wouldn't be competing in the same arena. After all, the gap between their respective levels was simply too great.
Clarissa's highest-level Pokémon, Chansey, had only recently reached LV.27.
Meanwhile, Ash's lowest-level Pokémon—Bulbasaur, which had evolved into Venusaur earlier that very day—had already reached LV.38.
LV.38 was considered the late stages of the Advanced Tier, rapidly approaching the Elite Tier. Battles of this caliber were held exclusively within Arena Number One.
Especially for Pikachu and the other members of Ash's First Squadron, whose levels had already reached the peak of the Gym-Class and were steadily approaching the threshold of the Pseudo-Elite Four. Even within Arena Number One, opponents of equal caliber were difficult to find.
People often saw the Elite Four and Champions appearing publicly in exhibition matches and official tournaments and gradually began believing that Heaven-King and Champion-level Trainers could be found everywhere—that Elite and Gym-Class Trainers were nothing particularly remarkable.
The truth, however, was quite the opposite.
Gym-Class Trainers earned their title because they possessed sufficient strength to defend Pokémon Gyms and maintain the peace and order of an entire region on behalf of the League.
That was precisely why the revelation that Ash's First Squadron Pokémon had already reached the Gym-Class caused such an enormous sensation—not merely throughout Kanto, but even across Johto and the Orange Archipelago.
Nowadays, every single one of Ash's matches at the Viridian City Arena sold out completely, a testament to his astonishing popularity.
...
Upon arriving at Arena Number One, Ash waited briefly within the contestants' lounge before a member of the staff notified him that it was time for his match.
After bidding farewell to Clarissa, Gary, Green, and the others, Ash stepped onto the battlefield alongside his Pokémon.
At almost the exact same moment, the event commentator enthusiastically announced Ash's arrival to the crowd.
The entire stadium immediately erupted into deafening cheers.
"Ash! Ash! Ash!"
"Ash! Ash! Ash!"
"..."
"..."
Every single spectator was shouting Ash's name at the top of their lungs. In fact, very few people even cared about who his opponent happened to be this time.
However, Ash himself would never allow his popularity to make him careless.
As he emerged from the contestants' tunnel and waved toward his cheering fans, he carefully observed the Trainer approaching from the opposite side of the battlefield.
"Mr. Ash, we've never had the opportunity to face each other before. I'm delighted that fate has finally matched us together today. At long last, we can have a proper battle."
His opponent was an enormously muscular and powerfully built man with a neatly trimmed beard. He wore denim overalls over a white T-shirt stretched tightly across his impressive physique, giving him an undeniably masculine appearance.
"So it's Mr. Morkel."
Ash smiled as recognition flashed across his face.
"I've been looking forward to battling you as well, Mr. Morkel. I hope we can enjoy a thrilling match without leaving behind any regrets."
The burly man standing opposite him was none other than the owner of a Fighting Club in Viridian City.
Back when Ash was striving to improve his hand-to-hand combat abilities, he had spent quite some time studying and observing martial arts techniques at the very same Fighting Club established by his opponent.