Mario using the Run Away action, which requires an Action Command to be completed.
The Action Command is a mechanic that is applied to actions Mario and his Partner uses. Mario's moves can be boosted by preforming the action command better. The Lucky Star item grants Mario the ability to use Action Commands in Paper Mario, while in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door he is able to do Action Commands from the beginning.
Each move that Mario and his partner can take has its own action command system in place, meaning that Mario must preform different actions on the controller in order to preform the action command. For example, the Run Away action requires Mario to tap the A button repeatedly, while the Jump action requires him to press A when he hits his enemy. Each move will be improved differently by preforming the action command well, such as Mario's Jump allowing for a bounce and second attack in the same turn, or Mario's Hammer doing double damage. Some moves will fail if the action command is not preformed correctly such as the aforementioned Run Away action, which causes him to trip and lose a turn.
The Action Command also applies to enemy attacks, allowing Mario or his partner to reduce the effects of enemy attacks.
Badges can be applied to increase the effectiveness of Action Commands.