079: Serena's Key Battle!!
"The next match: student Xiaofei versus student Serena… Please have your Pokémon ready to battle," the staff announced from the sidelines.
"Although I don't enjoy defeating weaker opponents, your recent challenges were clearly aimed at easier wins for points. For the sake of fairness, I'll be ending your streak here." Xiaofei said with forced righteousness before throwing out a Poké Ball.
"Go, Pidgey!"
Pop!
The Poké Ball burst midair, releasing a brown-feathered bird Pokémon with sharp eyes. Pidgey cried out, "Bobo~ Bobo~" as it flapped into the air, circling above the field with steady grace.
Serena ignored Pidgey's theatrics. Instead, her focus locked onto Xiaofei's comment. A rare moment of anger surfaced on her usually gentle face.
"Padding your score? If you're going to talk about fairness, maybe reflect on your own choices first."
Before Xiaofei could respond, Serena threw her own Poké Ball. "Clefairy, let's show them our strength! Don't hold back!"
Pop!
With a determined "Pii~," Clefairy emerged in a twirl of pink light. Though its round body looked cute and harmless, its sharp eyes locked onto Pidgey, mirroring the fierceness in its trainer's heart.
Xiaofei didn't respond to Lena's words, only sneered.
On the sidelines, Ash had already activated his Pokédex's scan system, a specialized modification tied into the Wave Guidance power he'd begun mastering.
[Pidgey – Lv. 5]
Type: Normal/Flying
Nature: Irritable
Ability: Keen Eye
Potential: C-grade (Average)
Known Moves:
• Gust (Proficiency: 27/500)
• Tackle (11/100)
• Sand Attack (9/100)
Ash's brows narrowed. "So this Pidgey actually knows Gust… that could be tricky."
In the training they'd done earlier, Ash had never seen Xiao Fei's Pidgey in action. Yet its access to Gust a Flying-type special move gave it strong zoning capabilities, especially against grounded opponents.
At summer camp, most Pokémon were issued at level 5 with only three basic moves. These typically broke down into four move categories:
1. Physical Melee Attacks (Tackle, Pound, etc.)
2. Special Ranged Attacks (Bubble, Gust, Ember…)
3. Stat Moves (Tail Whip, Growl, Leer…)
4. Status/Control Moves (Sing, Hypnosis, Supersonic…)
Few Pokémon had access to more than two of these categories at once. Ash's Froakie, for instance, had Pound, Bubble, and Growl—a rare versatility for a starter and its Sticky Bubble ability, while not an official move, acted as a passive advantage.
Clefairy, on the other hand, had Sing (control) and Copycat, a unique move that let it instantly mimic the last move used in battle.
While Pidgey had a clear ranged advantage, Ser Lena had tactical versatility if she could time her moves right.
Back on the field, both trainers had assumed position. The referee raised his hand and called out, "Battle, begin!"
"Pidgey, use Gust—let's finish this early!" Xiaofei commanded, wasting no time.
Ash, predicting this, immediately transmitted instructions to Ser Lena through aura-linked telepathy, a technique they'd practiced during training.
"Lena, don't use Splash—it won't dodge a wide-range move like Gust. Use Copycat right away and counter it head-on!"
Though the referee's voice had barely faded, Ser Lena had already received the message. Her aura bond with Ash allowed for real-time guidance one of the reasons she had grown so rapidly as a battler.
Her eyes, full of focus, narrowed as she responded, "Clefairy, counter it—Copycat, now!"
Clefairy, who had begun to bounce slightly as if preparing Splash, halted and twisted her arms forward. With a sparkle, energy surged to mimic Pidgey's Gust.
"Piii—!!"
Clefairy let out a cry and unleashed her own whirling burst of wind. The swirling vortex of air clashed midair with Pidgey's Gust, resulting in a huge collision of opposing gales.
BOOM—!
Whummp!!
The twin attacks roared as they collided, whipping up debris. Students nearby gasped and backed away from the battlefield.
Despite both moves being Gust, Pidgey had a type advantage and higher proficiency. Its move pushed back harder, its smaller frame designed for aerial combat. Clefairy struggled to keep her balance as the windstorm pushed against her, though she remained grounded.
Still, this direct clash had its upside. Instead of getting kited by Pidgey, Clefairy was trading power for power, conserving health even if it cost stamina.
"It's a war of attrition now," Ash muttered. "Whoever tires out first is going to crack."
Lena could feel it too the tension. Her jaw clenched slightly, but she didn't flinch. Even as Clefairy trembled under the force, she stood with her fists clenched, eyes burning with determination.
Ash watched closely. He knew Clefairy's Copycat couldn't be used again immediately—it had a cooldown. Timing would now be everything. Either a surprise Sing, or using Xiao Fei's own arrogance against him, would be key.
The field grew tense. On one side, the wind whipped fiercely from Pidgey's wings. On the other, Clefairy's counter-wind surged with surprising strength. And in between Serena, calm and focused, unwavering.
This wasn't just her key battle—it was her turning point.
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