In the real world, the name Cameron sparked a wavefront of confusion. Who was this trainer, and when had Ash crossed paths with him? The global bulletin was abuzz with theories.
[Professor Juniper: Oh, that's Cameron! He's the boy who started his journey with an Oshawott from my lab. I remember him well; he's certainly... unique.]
[Lance: A rookie from the same starting line as Ash? Could he be one of Ash's past rivals? One of those common "fledgling" trainers that Ash defeated on his way to the championship?]
[Diantha: …Is there a possibility, Lance, that he is the 'fierce rival' who defeated Ash? A rookie beating a veteran?]
[Lance: ...]
The Dragon Master went silent. He didn't dare type another word, fearing that if he did, he would unleash another "Jinx" upon the world.
But the silence came too late; the historical record was already clear in the minds of those who followed the Unova League.
In the Footage—
Ash and Cameron stood face-to-face on the sandy Alolan beach, their past rivalry reawakening with the sound of the ocean. For Ash, Cameron represented one of the most maddeningly difficult battles of his life.
At the Vertress Conference in Unova, Cameron had done the unthinkable.
In the quarterfinals—which was a full 6v6 match—he had arrived with only five Pokémon, genuinely believing that the quarterfinal round was 5v5. He had intentionally brought one less team member.
Despite this ludicrous handicap, Ash had lost.
It was a battle where probability and typing seemed to melt away.
In the final confrontation, Cameron's Riolu, facing a massive type disadvantage and having already been weakened, defeated Ash's veteran Unfezant.
Then, in the middle of the match, Riolu evolved into Lucario, gaining a full second wind. The newly evolved Lucario then swept through Ash's Serperior and finally, impossibly, defeated Pikachu.
A weakened Riolu had achieved a 3-Pokémon sweep against Ash's finest Unova team members.
It was a battle that defied scientific logic. The fact that an "outrageous" trainer like Cameron—who didn't even know the standard league rules—could triumph over Ash was a sore point in history.
The only saving grace for the cosmic balance was that Cameron subsequently lost in the semi-finals to Virgil and his Eevee team, without Virgil even having to reveal his sixth Pokémon.
The "Divine Reincarnation" of logic had, in the end, spared no one.
Ash, however, held no grudges. unscientific matches were, ironically, more common on his side of the field than on anyone else's.
The concept of "Locking HP"—where a Pokémon somehow survives with minimal health—was an "Ash Special."
He knew that sometimes, the "narrative" demanded that a trainer fall, regardless of their logic or preparation.
The Alolan classmates, having followed Ash, listened with awe as they learned about this rival. Ash's "Divine Pokémon King" status was being challenged.
This boy, with only five Pokémon, beat Ash in a full 6v6? A low murmur of respect spread through the group.
[Lance: Five against six... What kind of hell is this?]
[Alder: Ah, Tomotaro (Unova slang for 'Ash'). That battle must have been miserable. Not only did the opponent start with a handicap, but to lose despite that...]
[Caitlin: It's insulting, really. And to lose when the opponent didn't even try to handicap himself, he was just that incompetent? That must burn!]
[Marshal: That Lucario... did it have Elite Four-level strength? How else could it sweep Pikachu after already battling? Is it a mutant?]
[Volkner: Even if it had Elite Four-level strength, so what? Don't forget, when Ash was in Kanto, his Pikachu defeated Brandon's Regice, a legitimate god-tier Legendary. That's far above a standard Elite Four Pokémon.]
[Elesa: And Pikachu defeated a Latios at the Sinnoh Lily of the Valley Conference (Suzuran Conference).]
[Volkner: Theoretically, even with a regional "reset," by the time of the Unova League, Pikachu's strength should have recovered to at least the Elite Four level, right? So how does a newly evolved Lucario manage a 3-Pokémon sweep?]
The analytical debate raged. The contradiction was staggering. Pikachu—the "God-Slayer"—could not be beaten by a standard starter, newly evolved or not.
[Professor Oak: I don't know if everyone is forgetting the focus of this entire inventory... but we are analyzing 'Ash, the Master of Disguise.']
[Diantha: Of course! Deep Memory unlocked! Pikachu was once knocked out by a rookie Snivy on its very first day of training! The Grass Blender was a one-shot!]
[Bruno: Turtle Turtle! It's true! Pikachu started the Unova journey with a masterclass in 'acting'! He began the quarterfinals in the same way!]
In the Footage—
The battle lines were drawn. Ash was ready for a rematch, his blood pumping at the chance to rectify the unscientific result of the past. He learned that Cameron had traveled to Alola to train for the World Coronation Series, hoping to reach the Master Class.
"I'm ranked 620th in the Super Class now!" Cameron beamed. "But it's nothing much. I inherited that ranking."
"Inherited?"
"Yeah! If you competed last season, your ranking doesn't drop to zero. It just gets adjusted down. So I started this season already in the Super Class!"
Ash realized Cameron had been competing for months, but he had clearly plateaued. The Master Class, with only eight seats in the entire world, was out of reach for someone of his erratic skillset.
"Let's fight!" Ash declared. "I want to see how much you've improved, 'Five-to-Six'!"
"That Kind of thing doesn't matter!" Cameron waved off the past, taking a battle stance. The beach was their arena.
"There's a match to be officiated, Lotto!"
A mechanical voice rang out, which Ash initially mistook for a referee Rotom Drone. Instead, it was his old companion from Alola—the Rotom Pokédex (Loto Guide)!
"Loto! Ash! Pikachu! You're back! Why didn't anyone tell Loto!!"
Professor Kukui laughed. "That's because you spend all your time running around taking pictures of regional variants! I can't even find you."
Ash was delighted to see his old friend, but before he could speak, his own Rotom Phone made a sharp mechanical sound.
[Rotom Phone: The Rotom Pokédex form, specializing in database functions, is incapable of standard WCS officiating.]
Rotom Pokedex: ??What a faux pas! Loto can also record victories, analyze vocal patterns, and broadcast!
Ash quickly kicked his "disrespectful" smartphone into his pocket, apologizing to the Pokedex form with an embarrassed look.
"Hmph. It's okay. It's not Ash's fault that Loto doesn't have a modern operating system. But Loto has new features! Like recording victories and losses for the World Championship! It's Loto's job now!"
Under the Pokedex's supervision, the rules were set. 3-on-3, free exchange. The last trainer standing wins.
Ash turned to Pikachu to take the first slot, but Riolu suddenly stepped in front of him. The small pup looked at the powerful Lucario standing behind Cameron and gave a fierce, determined cry.
He wanted that fight. He wanted the evolution battle.
"Riolu... I see," Ash murmured. "Just decide it's you! Let's show him what 'guts' really means!"
Cameron grin widened. He sent out his first Pokémon—a majestic, quadrupedal sea beast. The final evolution of the Water starter of Unova: Samurott!
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