Pokemon: Trait Master

Normally, Ash Ketchum was quite polite and well-mannered. 

But if someone tried to show off in front of him, he'd make sure they hit a brick wall—hard. 

A proper Gym battle should have been enough, right? 

But no, Brock just had to act all high and mighty. 

Sure, Ash was a Beginner Trainer, but if Brock thought that meant he was just some random rookie, he was gravely mistaken! 

After failing to win their earlier verbal exchanges, Brock finally realized something—this kid standing before him was a master at talking back! 

Looks like words wouldn't be enough. If he wanted to put Ash in his place, it had to be done through battle! 

With that in mind, Brock, acting as both Gym Leader and referee, explained the Gym rules before sending out his first Pokémon—Geodude! 

Ash took a quick look at Geodude's stats. 

It had two fairly decent Traits, plus it was at the Normal High-tier level. 

For an average Beginner Trainer, this would be a significant challenge. 

But against him? Heh. 

"Pika! Pika!!" 

The moment Pikachu saw the opponent, he immediately leaped off Ash's shoulder. 

All that training, all that waiting—this was his time to shine! 

"Return, Pikachu. Let someone else get some practice." 

Pikachu: ??? 

Pikachu turned back to look at Ash in confusion. 

What the heck?! Didn't they agree that he would be battling?! 

"When did I ever say you were going in?" 

From the very beginning, the only one who assumed Ash would use Pikachu was Brock. 

Sure, Pikachu had Iron Tail, which could counter Rock-type Pokémon. 

But Pikachu was just too strong! 

To put it bluntly, he and Geodude weren't even on the same level. 

If they really fought, it'd be over in a single move. 

Since he finally had the chance to battle against a Trainer-commanded Pokémon, Ash wanted to test his own skills as a Trainer. 

Which meant… 

For this match, Froakie was the one going in. 

Type disadvantage? Not even a dog would play that game! 

"Don't worry, buddy. You'll get your turn in the next Gym battle~" 

"Pika…pi~" 

Pikachu sighed and reluctantly returned to Ash's feet. 

Ash then tossed a Poké Ball, and in a flash of light, the battle-ready Froakie appeared on the battlefield! 

By now, the battlefield had already been switched to a rock terrain. 

Seeing Ash send out a Pokémon he had never seen before, a sharp gleam flashed through Brock's otherwise closed eyes. 

'Judging from its appearance, it looks like a frog Pokémon…' 

'And it's sky blue in color… there's a high chance it's a Water-type…' 

'He even knows about type advantages? This kid definitely isn't just an average Beginner Trainer… No, maybe he's not a beginner at all!' 

As these thoughts raced through Brock's mind, he decided to probe for more information. 

"Impressive! At least you understand type matchups, unlike most rookies who just rush in blindly." 

"So, against my Rock-type Geodude, you chose a Water-type Pokémon? But this one… it doesn't look like a Pokémon from the Kanto Region." 

"You're right. This is Froakie, one of the starter Pokémon from the Kalos Region." 

"Froakie, use Water Gun!" 

In Pokémon battles, information was crucial! 

Ash wasn't going to be stupid enough to give Brock a detailed introduction to Froakie. 

After all, the unknown is the greatest trump card! 

So, after responding with a simple answer, Ash immediately commanded an attack! 

A thick blue jet of water, as thick as a baby's arm, shot out! 

It struck Geodude before it even had a chance to react! 

"Geo—!!" 

With a miserable scream, Geodude was blasted several meters away! 

"Geodude!!" 

Brock was momentarily stunned before he hurriedly called out to his Pokémon. 

He never expected Ash to attack without warning! 

Completely disrespecting battle etiquette! 

Sure, the moment a match began, both Trainers were supposed to do whatever it took to win. 

But immediately launching an attack without even exchanging a few words? 

That was just too much! 

Despite being sent flying, Geodude hadn't lost its ability to fight. 

It struggled to prop itself up with its fists, barely managing to stand. 

Ash raised an eyebrow in surprise. 

It didn't get one-shot? 

Geodude was Rock/Ground-type, which meant it took quadruple damage from Water-type moves! 

Even though this wasn't a game, at such low levels, a single Water Gun should have been enough to knock it out. 

Wait a second… 

Oh. Its Ability must be Sturdy. 

Ash had checked its Ability earlier but didn't pay much attention to it. 

Instead, he had focused on its Traits. 

Since the Traits weren't anything special, he had decided to attack right away. 

"Alright, Geodude! Now it's our turn! Use Sand Attack!" 

"Geo!!" 

Seeing that Geodude was still standing, Brock immediately launched a counterattack! 

First, he would use Sand Attack to obscure Froakie's vision, 

Then, he would have Geodude use Rollout to attack from the side! 

This would not only lower Froakie's accuracy but also compensate for Geodude's low speed. 

Geodude raised its large fists and slammed them into the ground, 

kicking up a cloud of sand and dust while channeling Ground-type energy! 

A huge wave of sand surged forward! 

But Ash remained calm and issued another command. 

"Froakie, Water Gun!" 

A powerful stream of water shot through the sandstorm, creating a clear opening! 

"Keep going—Water Gun! Water Gun! Water Gun!!" 

Multiple Water Guns fired in succession, 

completely blasting apart the swirling sands! 

The mix of water and sand turned into a rain of muddy droplets that covered the entire battlefield! 

Geodude tried to use Rollout, 

but the wet sand made the ground slippery, 

turning its powerful spinning attack into… 

A comical scene of it rolling in place. 

Brock's face turned black. 

"Do you only know how to spam Water Gun?!" 

"Froakie, finish it off—Water Gun!" 

"Gie-no!!" 

A thick stream of water landed a direct hit on Geodude! 

This time, it had no Sturdy Ability to save it! 

Geodude's eyes swirled into spirals as it fainted on the spot. 

First match—Ash won flawlessly!