Pokémon: Dreams Come True Starting in Sinnoh

Several clones of the longtailed monster rushed towards the Cranidoth. Despite the pressure from the clones, the Cranidoth showed no fear; its eyes only gleamed with the joy of battle.

The first clone arrived first, but the headdress dragon's gaze remained blank, making no move.

The two collided and shattered.

When the second clone appeared, the skull dragon held its breath, not letting its movements falter, and the power of its mind hammer was not diminished by the first two clones.

The problem lies with the two clones behind them.

Which one is true?

Although Cranidos's power is definitely enough to overwhelm Aipom, if Cranidos used all the power it gathered when using Psychic Hammer on one of its clones, then even if its attack didn't fall apart, its power would definitely not be as great as the power it gathered at this moment when it was focused.

So this is a multiple-choice question; he has to choose one of the last two clones.

If he makes the right choice, then victory in this round is his!

A look of caution flashed in Piao Tai's eyes. After all, such a choice is something that Pokémon in battle cannot judge on their own. The current situation is a test for him, and for him as a trainer.

only--

"Spread out and attack from both the front and back."

Ash didn't seem so nervous anymore. Just as the two attacks were about to collide, he suddenly changed tactics. He had Aipom, which had been charging around recklessly, mobilize its last clone to temporarily create distance between itself and Cranidos. A figure stood guard on the side until Cranidos rushed towards the figure that hadn't moved. Only then did the figure that had been left behind catch up with Cranidos, forming a pincer movement with its other clone.

Ash's several changes of strategy were completely out of reach for Pygmy, especially this time. Both Pygmy and Crassula were prepared to choose one of them to attack, but now that Aipom and the other clone have changed positions...

Choosing between two options? That's not as simple as it sounds.

A smile appeared on Xiao Zhi's lips.

This time, unlike before, Ash's decision was aimed at completely confusing, or rather, destroying, Hyota's initial idea.

If it's a head-on collision with Aipom, it's a two-choice situation, but when facing a pincer attack from both sides...

"Attack the one in front, then jump!"

That's right, this is the best way that Piao Tai could think of.

Instead of getting caught up in this dilemma, it's better to choose one option and make a clean break. The jump command is actually quite simple: it's to prevent making the wrong choice and giving the true form behind Cranidos an opportunity to take advantage. With Cranidos's jumping ability, it should be able to get rid of Aipom's hands.

This was Piao Tai's idea, or rather, this was the best-case scenario he could envision.

only--

"Take a step back."

The smile on Xiao Zhi's face did not disappear. The cunning look in his eyes made him seem like an old fox who had lived for thousands of years, intelligent and shrewd.

"Cra?!"

Having already concentrated all its power into this thought hammer, the skull dragon had even planned out all the possible scenarios in its mind. As the hammer fell, its legs began to bend, ready to leap at any moment.

But the Aipom opposite it stuck out its tongue smugly, as if mocking it. Then, instead of moving forward, Aipom took a big step back, creating just enough space between the two of them to accommodate its brain, and even a little extra space.

The cephalopod uttered a sound of confusion, but this confusion did not last long, followed by intense pain that spread from its abdomen throughout its entire body.

Concentrate your attack.

Aipom charges its Focus Attack from its tail. Unlike most Pokémon that can use Focus Attack, other Pokémon would have their Focus Attack charged if they tried to do the same thing in this situation. However, Aipom, which attacks from its tail, does not have this problem at all.

Cranidos was sent flying into the air, and the shadow that had been running towards it from behind disappeared, but Ash and Aipom's attack would not stop there.

"High-speed star!"

"OKI!"

There's no need to approach the Cranipod at this time; the sky full of golden stars is the best answer.

An explosion occurred in mid-air, thick smoke rose, and the headdress dragon's body fell, emerging from the smoke.

"Headed Dragon, hold on! Use it like this—huh?!"

Before Piaotai could even finish giving its command, it saw the figure of the Longtail Hand leaping high into the air, as if it had predicted the Cranidos's descent.

Along with it came its tail, which emitted a white light.

"boom--"

Another concentrated and powerful blow sent the skullcap dragon flying backward. It landed with a dull thud after tracing an arc dozens of meters long, then its head lolled to the side, rendering it unable to fight.

"That's amazing..."

At the same time, it wasn't just Hyota who had this thought; even Hikari and Brock, who were already familiar with Ash's battles, couldn't help but feel the same way.

The opponent was a perfect tactical dominance from start to finish, and was one of the eight gym leaders officially recognized by the league.

"This is the first time I've encountered an opponent like this."

With a wry smile, Piao Tai retracted his Cranidoth. Watching Ash and Aipom celebrate their loss, he couldn't help but feel helpless, given his utter defeat. But along with this helplessness came a sense of relief. After all, the Gym Leader's responsibility was to select talented Pokémon Trainers, and Piao Tai saw in Ash the very image of a Champion Trainer yet to fully mature.

This year's league tournament looks like it's going to be really interesting.

Thinking this, Piao Tai stepped forward to congratulate Xiao Zhi, and then handed Xiao Zhi the Coal Badge, a symbol of his victory over him.

"I got the Coal Badge!"

"Pipikachu!"

"OKII!"

After obtaining the first badge in the Sinnoh region, Ash unsurprisingly maintained his traditional approach, with Pikachu and Aipom happily echoing his sentiments.

After witnessing Ash's near-perfect battle once again, Hikari and Brock, who were in the stands, also had some special thoughts.

.......