c106: Ash Dominates the Ranking Again!!,
At the beginning, Ash's main goal was simply to capture Gyarados to subdue it in front of Professor Oak and the other students, and to earn himself some well-deserved recognition. However, as the battle unfolded, Ash's intent shifted. He no longer just wanted to catch Gyarados he wanted to defeat it decisively. With Gyarados clocking in at Level 23, and Froakie still at a much lower level, this was a golden opportunity. Not only would Froakie gain valuable battle experience, but it could potentially gain multiple level-ups from such a high-tier opponent.
That's also why, even after reaching a brief moment of communication through aura Ash's inherited waveguide ability he didn't let up. He knew Gyarados had eased up slightly, maybe even subconsciously acknowledging Ash's resolve. But no wild Gyarados would ever offer itself willingly as an "EXP pack" without a fight. And even if it had subconsciously held back, Ash and Froakie still had to prove their worth to capitalize on that chance.
"Froakie, now! Use Quick Attack!" Ash shouted, sensing the struggling tension on the fishing line suddenly slacken a clear sign that Gyarados was finally reaching its limit.
"Froaaa!" Froakie croaked out with grit. Diving back into the rain-churned river, it propelled itself forward with rapid kicks, slicing through the water. Beneath the surface, Froakie streaked ahead like a dart, then surged out with explosive force, a white-hot streak of energy tracing behind it like a comet tail.
A sharp crack split the air.
"Boom!!"
Froakie smashed directly into Gyarados' underbelly one of its few vulnerable spots executing a textbook Quick Attack with precision and force magnified by its momentum.
"ROAR!!" Gyarados gave a final cry. Its massive body, already worn down after over thirty minutes of intense pressure and attrition, shuddered. The impact stunned it completely. Its vision was still blocked, its stamina gone, and now its center of gravity was undone. With a splash that shook the riverbank, Gyarados toppled over like a collapsing pillar and floated to the surface, unmoving, its massive figure lying still like a felled beast.
"Haaah…" Ash exhaled deeply, his strength spent. His knees buckled and he dropped to the ground, mud squelching beneath him. His limbs trembled from strain. Letting the cold rain splash onto his face, Ash gazed skyward, barely able to feel the chill.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host: You have defeated LV.23 Gyarados! EXP +640]
[Froakie's level meets evolution and skill learning criteria... Now upgrading! Current Level: LV.14]
[Ding! Froakie has learned new moves: Lick, Water Pulse!]
Hearing the system's notifications ring out in succession, Ash let a tired smile spread across his rain-soaked face.
"Ash! Are you alright?!" Professor Oak's concerned voice rang out as he dashed over, pulling Ash up from the slick ground.
"I'm okay," Ash replied between breaths. "Just… winded."
"You reckless kid… that was beyond dangerous," Oak muttered, half-angry and half-relieved.
"But I won, didn't I?" Ash shot back with a grin, pride and fatigue warring on his face.
"You…" Oak sighed and shook his head with a rare smile. "Forget it. I won't lecture you this time. Go ahead and make it official. Catch that Gyarados."
"With the one you've just defeated, today's fishing challenge is as good as yours. That's full marks right there."
Reflecting on Ash's fearless performance his growth from the beginning of summer camp to this dramatic climax Oak's heart brimmed with admiration, despite his worry.
"Right!" Ash said as he steadied himself with Oak's support. From his pocket, he retrieved a standard Poké Ball blue-trimmed, part of the batch issued to all the students and aimed it carefully at the still-floating Gyarados.
Whoosh bonk!
The Poké Ball struck Gyarados cleanly. Instantly, its massive form dissolved into crimson light and was sucked into the ball.
"Beep… beep… beep… click!"
Because Gyarados had been thoroughly exhausted both physically and mentally by Froakie's relentless barrage and Ash's control of the field, it didn't even struggle. The ball fell still in the rain-soaked grass.
After the blue Poké Ball floated on the rain-dappled surface of the river and shook a few times, it clicked shut it was a successful capture.
"Wow!! I really got Gyarados! That's incredible!"
"It looks like Ash is number one again in today's fishing competition!"
"Yeah, whether it was yesterday's one-on-one challenge or today's fishing event, Ash winning first place feels completely deserved!"
"Who would disagree? Ash is just unbelievably persistent. He spent over half an hour battling Gyarados without giving up!"
"Wow!! I saw Gyarados myself and my legs were shaking. Ash not only faced it head-on, he actually challenged it and this is the crazy part he won! That's almost hard to believe."
"Remember, Xiaohao also encountered Gyarados, and he was knocked flying by its tail, spat out blood, and passed out. Meanwhile, Ash relied on sheer endurance and willpower to wear Gyarados down, and then managed to capture it. That kind of gap between Trainers… it's massive."
"Of course it is. Don't forget, Ash has always declared that he'll become the strongest Trainer in the Pokémon world today's just more proof he's serious about that dream."
As Ash successfully subdued Gyarados, the other students sheltering from the rain beneath the big tree near the riverbank burst into cheers.
There's a saying that holds true: when someone is just a little better than you, it's easy to envy them; but when they are overwhelmingly stronger, all you can do is admire them. That's the exact feeling Ash's classmates had watching him.
Yesterday, Ash stunned everyone by winning five straight rounds in the summer camp's challenge event. At the time, many students assumed his streak was due to him being lucky enough to catch a strong Pokémon. But today erased all doubts.
Ash had revealed his ability to use aura—a rare psychic-like waveguide power—and then went on to hold off Gyarados for over thirty minutes in a grueling battle without giving up. And he didn't just survive; he actually captured it.
This moment caused the other students who once dreamed of competing with Ash to genuinely admire him. They no longer saw themselves as rivals, and many abandoned the thought of challenging him altogether.
"Quaaack" In the river, Froakie (Bubble Frog) held the Poké Ball gently in his mouth. He paddled through the water, climbed up onto the muddy bank, and handed the Poké Ball to Ash.
Knowing Gyarados was still unconscious, Ash respectfully handed the Poké Ball to Professor Oak to officially register his fishing results.
"Student Fishing Achievement Rankings"
1st Place: Ash (Gyarados – 235.0kg)
2nd Place: Serena (Azumarill – 28.5kg)
3rd Place: Gary (Croagunk – 26.7kg)
4th Place: Shauna (Goldeen – 25.9kg)
5th Place: Blue (Goldeen – 25.6kg)
6th Place: Tierno (Magikarp – 24.9kg)
7th Place: Trevor (Magikarp – 24.3kg)
Although the rest of the summer camp participants no longer aimed to compete directly with Ash, they redirected their focus to the others on the leaderboard. But unbeknownst to them, Ash had been quietly assisting his own group of friends throughout the activity, guiding them toward stronger catches and better strategies.
Thanks to his subtle help, the top seven rankings were swept entirely by Ash's close-knit group.
Was this fair? Maybe not to everyone else. Ash could only apologize silently in his heart and remind himself of a hard truth he'd learned early: absolute fairness doesn't exist in this world.
The top three finishers in the summer camp's fishing event would receive generous rewards, and Ash naturally wanted those benefits to go to his friends rather than to strangers.
After submitting his result for registration, Ash reclaimed Gyarados' Poké Ball. He explained to Professor Oak that Gyarados was still wounded and that he wanted to use aura to help it recover an ability that was already starting to define Ash's path as a uniquely gifted Trainer.
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