A heavy atmosphere hung in the laboratory. Ash and Blue stood face to face, each staring at the other with a flame of challenge in their eyes. With furrowed brows and sharp, piercing gazes, one could literally feel the determination of the two young boys.

Professor Oak stood in front of the two boys. He had placed the three Pokéballs on the table to his right and was looking at them both with a slight, satisfied smile. "Very well, I think it's time we begin", said the professor. His face continued to show a slight smirk, that of a man who had everything prepared. It must be said that he seemed more cheerful and excited than before. For a man his age, seeing children make Pokémon fight until they faint shouldn't be an "exciting" moment. At least, it wouldn't be in a "normal" world. But in a world where poaching-I mean, hunting Pokémon is something normal, and where making animals-sorry, Pokémons fight each other is a national championship, it's not shocking at all.

"Ash, since you are the one who was challenged, you may choose your Pokémon first", said the professor Oak.

Ash continued to stare at Blue while the professor spoke. It seemed like they were in a staring duel, and the first to look away would lose.

Ash started to move towards the table where the Pokéballs were placed, his face stern. Damn, damn, damn, am I really going to do this? Ash thought. These words completely filled his mind. On the outside, his face revealed nothing, but inside, he was full of doubts and questions. Come on, pull yourself together, Ash, don't let them see you're freaking out, he told himself to calm down.

Ash was now standing in front of the table where the Pokéballs were placed, still keeping a hard look. It seemed like he was deep in thought, but it was all a bluff, a cleverly orchestrated bluff. Okay, okay, think, argh damn, I stared at that idiot to avoid showing that I was scared to death. Given the way he's looking at me, it must have made an impression on him, making him think I wasn't afraid and that he'd regret underestimating me. But it was all just a bluff, damn it. I just stared because he was staring at me the whole time, that fool. It's like with wild animals: you can't show fear, or it's over, Ash thought, overwhelmed by these reflections. How could an inexperienced kid like him expect to win? It was hopeless. Ash continued to stare at the three Pokéballs without saying a word. He paced along the table, holding his chin, his face again plunged into intense thought.

On the other side, Blue and Professor Oak looked at Ash perplexed, as if to say, "What the hell is he doing?" they exchanged a bewildered look, wondering what was going on in Ash's head. He was no longer the nonchalant boy from earlier; his attitude had changed; he was starting to think.

Alright, okay, I'm not going to spend all day on this, and besides, I don't necessarily need to win this battle, any one will do, he thought, staring at the Pokéballs. But first, I'll check something. Ash had stopped; he was now standing in front of the Pokéball on the far left of the table, the third one from the right. Ash reached out slowly, as if about to choose this Pokéball, while looking at the professor. His plan was simple: since Professor Oak knew the contents of each Pokéball, he would use him as a detector to choose the right Pokéball.

Ash continued to slowly move his hand towards the Pokéball, but before grabbing it, he stopped because he had just seen on the professor's face a horrible grimace he had never seen before. The professor's face was contorted, his cheeks raised, his lips curled back, and his eyes narrowed. Definitely not the right choice.

Not this one? The other one then, Ash continued his interrogation. Now, he turned his hand to the left; it was time to check the second ball. As soon as Ash moved his hand from the third Pokéball to the second, the professor's face changed once more, but this time, it wasn't an embarrassed face but a dark one; his forehead and his nose were wrinkled, and his white eyebrows were completely furrowed. Ash almost shuddered. "Definitely not this one, okay! Only this one left", he murmured, staring at the last Pokéball, which was actually the first one, at least if you started choosing from the left.

Ash's hand, this time, was more determined. He had just eliminated two Pokéballs out of three. If there was one to choose, it was this one, so why hesitate? Unless... Out of curiosity, Ash decided to test this Pokéball too. After all, what was wrong with wanting a second opinion? Ash slowly shifted his gaze from the Pokéball to Professor Oak, when suddenly, he froze. The expression on Professor Oak's face left him utterly perplexed. The professor was completely speechless, looking astonished with his mouth wide open and eyes bulging. Ash could almost see him slightly shaking his head, as if to say, "No, definitely not that one." But damn, what does that mean? thought Ash. None of the Pokéballs seemed to be the right one, and it looked like this idiot professor had no idea what these Pokéballs contained. They must have been lying around his desk for years. What am I doing here? Ash clenched his teeth, head down, eyes closed, completely lost. Alright, if that's the case, might as well leave it to fate, he thought. Suddenly, Ash straightened up. "Alright, I choose the-"

LEFT !

"-the one on the left", said Ash, completely bewildered by "his own choice". That voice, just now, it had nothing to do with his own, yet it was so strong, so clear, that his body followed. It seemed like the most obvious choice, but where could it have come from? he wondered as he held the Pokéball that the mysterious voice had just commanded him to choose.

"Very well, Ash, you have chosen your Pokémon, and now it's your turn, Blue", said the professor, looking at Blue. The young boy had remained impassive the whole time; he was confident and looked at Ash with a haughty air.

"Wait, professor, he's going to choose a Pokémon too? I thought he was already a confirmed trainer", said Ash. The professor looked at Ash, dismayed, as if he had just spoken to him in another language.

"What are you talking about, Ash? Blue has just graduated from the academy; he has never faced a wild Pokémon or a trainer before. You are both complete beginners". Ash couldn't believe his ears. What? This little Blue is still a novice? Yet, he seemed so sure of himself. How did he do it? This is what Ash thought while staring at Blue, completely astonished.

"pffff, don't think we're on the same level. You can't hold a candle to me, and I intend to prove it, loser", objected Blue with a smile. With a confident step, he moved towards the table and chose the second Pokéball, the one in the middle of the other two. He grabbed it firmly and threw a confident smile at Ash.

"Very well, boys, everything is ready. But before we start, don't forget one thing: Pokémon are above all your companions. They accompany and protect you, but in return, you must take care of them and not overwork them. Now, let the battle begin and place your Pokémon."

The two boys resumed their initial positions. They stood facing each other again. The professor had just launched the battle, and you could see in their eyes that they were ready for the fight.

Blue was the first to open hostilities.

"I call on you, Squirtle", the young boy had barely finished his sentence when he threw his Pokéball into the air. But before it hit the ground, it opened with a slight POP! releasing a blurry silhouette in a light veil of steam. As the steam dissipated, the Pokémon that Blue had summoned was revealed. It was a small blue turtle, except this one was bipedal. It stood perfectly balanced on its two feet. Its shell was brown on top and beige on its belly. It had four limbs, each with three fingers, and it also had a tail curled up in a spiral shape.

Ash looked on, stunned, completely at a loss. It was now his turn to reveal his Pokémon, but given how lost he was, it was clear he didn't know how to do it.

"What are you waiting for, Ash?" Professor Oak called out to him.
"I'd like to know that too, professor, and especially how to get this Pokémon out of there."

The professor was completely dumbfounded, shocked. In this world where the entire economy is driven by Pokémon battles, it was a big surprise for him to learn that one of his "students" didn't know how to summon a Pokémon.

"What have you been doing at the academy all this time, Ash? You don't know how to summon your Pokémon? You are hopeless, my poor Ash."
"I'd like to see you do it, professor," retorted Ash, embarrassed.

"Tell me how I can summon my Pokémon if I don't even know its name?"

"Here we go again", grumbled the professor.

"So you don't even know how to find out which Pokémon is in your Pokéball or its name?"

"No, I don't know how to find out which Pokémon is in a Pokéball, let alone its damn name", Ash repeated, a bit furious. "And who had the genius idea to make all the Pokéballs the same color and shape? It's absolutely impossible to tell them apart. How do the great hunters-I mean, great Pokémon trainers even recognize them?" Professor Oak sighed, shaking his head. He seemed very disappointed.

"Do you see the button in the center of your Pokéball?"

"The button?" Ash began to examine his Pokéball carefully. He held it with both hands and rotated it. "Ah, got it, I see it. It was right there, in the middle of the Pokéball."

"Of course it was there, it's always been there, you fool!" shouted the professor, clearly fed up with Ash's nonsense.

"But I thought it was just a decoration, like on those Pokéballs you find on Amazon, professor."

"Ah, whatever, now press it", said the professor.

Ash complied and pressed the button. Once pressed, a blue screen appeared in front of Ash. It read:

Name of Pokémon: Charmander
Type: Fire
Description: Charmander is a fire-type Pokémon. The flame that burns at the tip of its tail indicates its mood. It flickers when Charmander is happy. However, when it is angry, the flame burns more intensely. It prefers hot places. In case of rain, steam forms around its tail...

Ash stared intently at the turquoise blue virtual square displayed in front of him. It was a kind of holographic projection originating from the center of the Pokéball. Witnessing this pathetic display, Blue couldn't help but sneer. Gradually, his contemptuous laughter grew louder, filling the entire room. "Hahaha, is this my rival?" Blue said in a mocking tone. "You're pathetic, Red, or maybe you prefer Ash? Whatever, I don't care. Come closer so I can crush you", added Blue, pointing an accusing finger at Ash.

Ash seemed still deep in thought. He barely registered Blue's words. Anyway, every time he opened his mouth, it was to denigrate him. So why bother paying any attention to it? And you know what they say about arrogant people who love to belittle others: it's just a facade to reassure themselves, to boost a false self-esteem.

"Alright", said Ash. "Go, Charmander" he added, throwing his Pokéball. The Pokémon Ash had just summoned was a fire-type Pokémon that resembled a lizard, except it had a flame burning on its tail. Its entire body was orange except for its belly and the soles of its feet, which were beige. It was also bipedal, standing perfectly balanced on its two hind legs.

"Look at that, a fire-type Pokémon," Blue said amused.

"Ash! Listen to me well", exclaimed Professor Oak. "The same goes for you, Blue", he said, turning in his direction. "You may already know this, but it doesn't hurt to repeat it. You can see your Pokémon's experience level and health points above them. With each attack received, the Pokémon loses health points, and once at zero, it will be knocked out and return to its Pokéball. If you run out of Pokémon to fight, you lose." The professor began to fix each of them in turn, then continued: "Once your Pokémon are summoned, you can see a small virtual screen appear in the right corner. The FIGHT section lists your Pokémon's various attacks and their types. The PkMn section lists the different Pokémon in your possession and their health point status. You also have the ITEM section, where you can see and use items in your possession. They may come in handy during your battle. Now, it's up to you, boys."

The professor had barely finished his explanations when Blue was the first to attack.

"Squirtle, use TAIL WHIP!"

In response to Blue's command, Squirtle started to wag its tail cutely.
"Ah, here we go, he's launched his attack. Damn, I feel like my Pokémon is going to take a hit. It's going to lose health points", exclaimed Ash, beginning to panic.

"What? No damage?!" Ash said in surprise. "Don't let your guard down, Ash, look more carefully", cried the professor. Ash had barely paid attention to Professor Oak's words when he saw a message appear on his virtual screen.

Charmander's defense fell.

"Oh! I see", Ash said in surprise. He wants to lower Charmander's defense to increase the effectiveness of his next attacks. Clever, little Blue. But I won't give you the time to land your moves, buddy, Ash thought as he stared defiantly at Blue.

"Now it's my turn, Charmander, use SCRATCH!"

Charmander stepped back two paces, then made a small leap forward as if to charge. A shockwave that resembled sharp claws followed, lacerating poor Squirtle, whose health points decreased.

Blue, unperturbed, launched his next attack.

"Squirtle, use TAIL WHIP!"

Charmander's defense fell.

The same attack again, thought Ash. "Alright, Blue, if that's how you want to play, let's go."

"Charmander, use SCRATCH," Ash countered. Immediately, Charmander performed its little attack ritual, and sharp claws once again slashed Squirtle, causing it to lose hit points.

"Squirtle, use TACKLE," Squirtle stepped back a few paces before leaping forward and hitting Charmander with its full weight. Charmander was completely stunned by the blow; it nearly stumbled. Squirtle's attack was very effective, making Charmander lose a considerable amount of health points.

So that was his plan, weaken Charmander and then land critical hits. That's what Ash thought, but he wasn't going to give up. Indeed, Squirtle itself was not in top shape; one look would have been enough to see it was in bad condition.

"Are you sure you want to continue? Because your Charmander doesn't look very well", exclaimed Blue, followed by a mocking laugh.

Ash didn't respond to Blue's provocation. He was much more worried about Charmander, who, even though it had recovered, still seemed a bit dazed by Squirtle's tackle. "Hold on, Charmander, we can do it. Just a few more rounds and we're good," murmured Ash as he leaned towards Charmander. Ash's words seemed to have an effect, as Charmander stood up, more determined than ever. It had a sharp look and seemed to have recovered from Squirtle's tackle.

*It's definitely going to come down to who can hold out the longest,* thought Ash, looking at Charmander.

"Charmander, use SCRATCH", cried Ash. Immediately, Charmander complied, making a small leap forward and sinking claws into Squirtle's body. This attack was definitely effective, as Squirtle's health points were now reduced by more than half.

"So this is how you plan to fight? It's not with this kind of tactic that you'll become a true Pokémon trainer. Let me show you how a real Pokémon trainer fights", Blue furiously declared.

"Squirtle, use TACKLE." The Pokémon performed its attack, hitting Charmander without much trouble.

Critical hit

That was the message that just appeared on Ash's virtual console after Squirtle's attack hit its target. Charmander's health points had drastically dropped; it only had 9 points left, but this didn't seem to discourage Ash.

"Charmander, use SCRATCH," Slash! The attack succeeded and dealt enormous damage to Squirtle.

"Squirtle, use TACKLE." Squirtle charged forward once again, hitting Charmander with all its weight. The attack was swift as the Pokémon collapsed after being hit head-on by Squirtle's tackle.

A red alert started flashing, filling the room with a deafening beep! beep! It wasn't looking good for Ash; Charmander's health points were now down to 3, putting it in a critical state. Just one more attack from Blue would be enough to finish it.

"I think it's time to end this", Blue said, confident of his victory.