Note: This chapter is an 'original' mostly, a transition to the group back together after a few months' winter break at home, but also more...

43: Zack vs. Gary

Pikachu yawned as it awoke on Ash's bed, spotting the sunlight streaming in through the window. Being the first one to wake up was a rare occasion for the electric type pokemon. "Pikapi," Pikachu called gently, nudging Ash's sleeping form with the top of its head. The boy just rolled on his side, still seeming fast asleep. Well, maybe he'd been working hard the previous day, talking about how he'd wanted to impress for Pallet Town's annual battle festival. The other pokemon needed more practice, so Pikachu had been happy to sit out most battles. Maybe it was better to let those that had worked harder get their sleep.

Pikachu hopped down from the bed, faced with a sleeping Squirtle, who clutched a blanket. "Squirtle, squirtle," the pokemon called out in its slumber.

"Bulba, saur," Bulbasaur muttered in response. The grass type pokemon was sitting in a patch of sun, so it had likely woken up already before positioning itself there. Even so, Pikachu stepped carefully by it as it hopped on the windowsill to look in the yard.

Outside, Ash's mom had already let out Charizard, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree. The fire type lay down as it often did when it wasn't in the mood to battle, Pidgeotto perched, and Butterfree fluttered low to the ground nearby the flowers. It really seemed like a perfect spring day. Waking their trainer up could only break this nice lull.

Maybe Bulbasaur had the right idea. Pikachu found a spot in the sun next to it, and curled up in a ball. The best use of time was an after-sleep nap.

The next day, Ash was the first to wake up, jostling the bed in the twilight as he stood up. Pikachu continued napping as Ash got dressed, before being shaken by its trainer's excited hands. "Pikachu! Wake up! Come on, quick, get up! We've got the battle festival!" he said.

"Pika," Pikachu called with irritation. It turned away and curled up into a sleeping position. What was the point of getting up so early? The festival wasn't on already. When it started, it would still be going on later into the day. There was no need to rush.

"Come on, Pikachu. We've gotta get ready. And practice."

"Pikachu," Pikachu called more warningly this time. It certainly didn't feel any drive to get up from its comfortable spot and practice battling.

"Oh, fine," Ash gave up quickly, his feet shaking the bed as he thumped away.

Pikachu soon heard him training with Squirtle and Butterfree outside. As more sunlight entered the room, Pikachu itself decided to really wake up. It stretched before peering onto the horizon. It seemed this was going to be a sunny day. The festival Ash talked about really did seem fun. Ash had described not only a variety of pokemon to battle, but also games and food. Not to mention, they'd finally see Brock, Misty, and their pokemon after several months. Pikachu decided it really was in the mood for all of that, and dashed out of the room to find its trainer and teammates.

Ash greeted Pikachu happily, and they soon traveled down the path and to the festivities, foregoing any kind of breakfast. "Hello, Ash!" a woman in a stand greeted. "If you help me set up, there's a free treat in it for your little pokemon!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu called happily as it noted her cookies.

"Sorry. I've gotta get going," Ash said. As he tried to walk off, Pikachu stayed in place, staring at the unplaced pokemon deserts. "Pikachu?" he called. The pokemon didn't respond. Ash sighed, then went to help, going as quickly as he could. Eventually, he left, his happy pokemon with a cookie in hand.

They headed toward the other side of the festival ground, where the main path from out of town from out of town entered. There, others set up stands while more and more people dotted the area. Pikachu noted their pokemon happily. There were more common ones like pidgey, but also rarer ones like kabuto. Pikachu even noticed a raichu, and happily greeted the evolved pokemon while continuing to follow Ash. Where was he off to in such a hurry, with so many sights and pokemon all around them?

The answer soon became apparent as Misty and Brock came into view. "Pikachu pi!" Pikachu called, running faster than even Ash to greet them. "Pikapi!" Pikachu called, grinning up at Misty before pushing against Brock affectionately.

"Hey, Pikachu. It's been a while, huh?" Brock said with a grin, patting the pokemon's head. "Oh? Is that for me?" he asked, noting the cookie Pikachu still held tightly in its hand.

Pikachu looked from the cookie to Brock and back again. "Pikachu!" it eventually called, holding out the food item for its friend. It did look delicious, but Brock had always shared plenty with Pikachu.

Brock took it with a laugh, then turned to his other friend. "Hey, Ash. How have you been?"

"I've been getting ready for the league," Ash said. "Even though I still don't have the last badge. The gym I went to was closed."

"Huh? Weren't you going to wait for us to come too?" Misty asked.

"Um, well, I thought it would be good to just have all eight already. But I didn't end up battling, anyway," Ash said, frowning as he put his fingers together.

"Oh well. I guess a kid like you has trouble waiting," Misty said, giggling as she pushed Ash's forehead with her index finger.

"I can wait! I've been waiting so long!" Ash insisted, clenching his fist.

"It's fine. It's been so long, I've been itching to get out there myself," Misty said with a wink before turning to look at the festival grounds. "Looks like it's going to be fun here today! Will I get mobbed by trainers just starting out, wanting the badge?"

"I dunno how many started out this year," Ash began. "But anybody new probably skipped this year. Why go with just a starting pokemon? I skipped last year. But this year," Ash paused, leaning down and grinning at Pikachu. "I've got tons of powerful pokemon to show off with!"

"Pikachu," Pikachu called, turning its back. They'd been battling plenty. What about the games, and more food? It had given up its first treat of the day to Brock, but there was supposed to be plenty more.

"Here you go, Pikachu," Brock said, handing it back half the cookie before giving the other half to his zubat.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried happily before eating it.

"What's going on over there?" Misty asked, noting a group of girls and women in cheerleader uniforms, all gathering near the middle of the grounds. "Excuse me?" she stopped one that was on the way. "What are you dressed up for?"

"We're Gary's fan club," the girl informed with a giggle. "We're here to cheer him on!"

"Gary? Sounds familiar," Misty said.

"You don't know? Come on, you can find out all about him!" the cheerleader girl encouraged before running on her way.

"Gary?" Ash said with an exasperated tone.

"Oh, yeah, Gary," Misty said. "That's your, uh, confident friend, isn't it? Let's go see what they're saying."

"We're friends, maybe. But we're rivals first. Why does everyone think Gary's gonna be such a great trainer, anyway?" Ash shouted out as he felt a hand touch his shoulder. "Gary!" Ash exclaimed as his friend pulled him closer.

"Let's get a memorial photo! I've returned to Pallet Town, to the friend I left behind," Gary projected his voice out to the crowd as he posed with the peace sign.

Ash pulled away, brushing off his shoulder with a scowl. "You saw me on the road. You know I'm a trainer now too! I'll be in the league this year."

"Oh, really?" Gary asked. He shook the hands of one of his cheerleaders, meeting eyes with her as she walked by, joining the rest of the group. "You've got all the badges you need already?"

"Um... Do you?" Ash shot the question back.

Gary sighed, putting his chin up before replying. "So few trainers don't get all their badges their first year. I know Gilbert only got two, and the other guy didn't get any, he's already done. It would be a rare gem that was able to get them all in just a year."

"So you didn't," Ash concluded, opening up his vest to show off his own badges. "Well I've got seven already! We're even!"

Smirking, Gary took out his metal badge case, opening and holding it out in Ash's view. A few of the cheerleaders also crowded to look. "Huh? How did you get ten badges? Are there some fakes?" Ash said.

Gary coolly snapped the case shut. "So many of my fans joined me on the road, disappointed they'd missed my winning spree. I couldn't help but challenge more gyms so they could witness my brilliance. Nothing in the rules against that," Gary said, running a hand through his hair as he smirked.

"Not until you first compete in the league, but it's annoying to gym leaders, if you've already won your badges," Misty pointed out, frowning. "Why mess up their win ratios if you've already proven yourself?"

"Oh, hey Misty, Brock," Gary said with a casual wave. "Didn't notice you both there. Yeah, sorry, I just couldn't let down the fans." Gary then patted Ash's shoulder. "You see, Ash - I am that gem of a trainer, the kind that only comes around once in a generation. Don't be surprised to see me win this year. I wouldn't be the first, but one of the few to win in their second year of training. Maybe I'll even go on to be declared champion after that, who knows."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Misty said.

"Yeah, of course. Thanks for your well wishes, Misty," Gary said with a smirk before going to talk to the cheerleading group.

"The ego on that guy," Misty muttered.

As Ash and his friends started to walk away, a woman spoke on a megaphone. "Attention everyone! Announcing the one, the only, Gary Oak! He'll be the only first time competitor from Pallet Town this year! We're about to give him a cheer!"

The cheerleaders began a routine. Brock watched carefully while Ash moved away, holding his ears, Misty following. "I'm gonna be competing too!" Ash shouted over the cheer.

"Don't go counting chickens now either!" Misty shouted back. "You still need to earn that last badge!"

As the cheer continued, Ash and Misty picked up some treats for themselves and their pokemon, then wandered around the festival, observing some battles before Ash got in one himself with Butterfree taking the stage. Pikachu stayed with Misty, finishing its second cookie of the day before Misty offered a piece of the round food she'd gotten. Pikachu hadn't eaten anything like it before. Pikachu tasted the food, expecting some kind of bread, but there was a piece of fish in the middle. "Pikachu!" it called in delight at the surprise.

Just as it finished, Pikachu heard a dinging over the conversations and cheers of the festival. The sound was fairly innocuous in a sea of other noise, but for some reason incited a feeling of foreboding. Pikachu took a few steps toward it, cautiously peeking from side to side. Nothing seemed amiss. Everyone around was as cheerful as expected in the festival environment. Ash was congratulating Butterfree for how well it had done when they'd won. Misty was talking to another festival goer. Brock was a little farther away, still watching the loud cheerleaders as they went on about Gary. Gary himself greeted others as they walked by. Everything seemed fine.

It just didn't feel fine at all.

Pikachu briefly sprinted forward, still looking around at the various humans and pokemon around it. None of them seemed a threat, but it knew there was one nearby. Pikachu darted around, moving closer to the dinging sound, ready for a fight. As it finally reached the source, it realized why everything had seemed so familiar.

A machamp stood in front of a strength test, raising up the hammer. Though not really feeling better, Pikachu sat as it realized all at once the reasons for its feelings. This was the same place Pikachu had gone before, when coming back to meet its missing trainer, only to realize it had been discarded on purpose. Though a different year, this was that same festival where it had been ignored by both pokemon and humans alike, including its beloved trainer. Pikachu had only felt like hurting someone then, and shocked a machoke, maybe it had even been this machamp before it had evolved and gained a few extra limbs, while it had rung out on this machine. Pikachu had laughed then, but even that amusement couldn't have blocked out that crushing feeling that it was now reminded of.

Pikachu had targeted pokemon with human trainers then, but maybe what it had really wanted to do was to hurt humans. What was wrong with humans, anyway? Why did they capture pokemon if they didn't want to train them? Besides its own memories, it recalled how Charmander - Charizard's former trainer had acted. And there were so many other pokemon out there, just abandoned. What made humans decide that their dedicated pokemon were suddenly useless?

Pikachu's thoughts were interrupted as it noted the tall human passing it by, a very familiar golem stomping next to him. Its heart caught in its throat, wanting to cry as the sight of this person, still living so easily. He could go by Pikachu without any notice, causing great hurt without a second thought.

Maybe this boy should be the one that got hurt this time.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu called out the threat.

"Golem!" The other pokemon recognized the meaning, and turned around sharply, claws extended and ready to battle.

"Pika!" Pikachu dashed forward with a quick attack, hitting Golem and knocking some dust away at the same time. "Pikachu!" It would do worse than that yet.

"Golem, uh, what?" The trainer turned around, finally noticing his pokemon was in a battle. "Why you battling?" he asked.

Pikachu hit his pokemon with a second quick attack. "Pika..." it began, charging up a thunderbolt.

"Come on, Golem! You being attacked? Just fight and stuff!" the trainer boy finally gave some direction.

Golem moved forward with a tackle, just to be hit by thunderbolt. Though Pikachu was known for being able to affect supposedly 'immune' ground types with its thunderbolt, Golem just blinked before going to tackle again. That didn't matter, Pikachu still had its quick attack. It dashed forward to complete it.

"Hey, Pikachu, stop!"

Pikachu did, jumping, turning and kicking up dust as it came to a complete halt before hitting the boy in front of it. Ash stood with his arms out. "Pikapi..." Pikachu cried as it considered how reckless its current trainer had been. What was he thinking, running out like that? He could have actually gotten hurt. Pikachu ran toward Ash, crying as it reached him. Ash picked it up as it sobbed, hugging Pikachu close. "Pikapi!" Pikachu called out desperately. What had Pikachu itself been thinking? Of course hurting others wouldn't do any good. Doing so hadn't made it feel better before, and certainly wouldn't now. Besides, even if it had managed to emote the threat, Pikachu doubted it could really harm the human it still very much cared about.

The golem's trainer folded his arms, eyebrow raised. "Never seen a pokemon cry that much for losing," he said.

"Sorry. I dunno what happened to Pikachu," Ash said.

"Did Golem step on its tail?" Misty suggested.

Brock had wandered back over too, and held out his arms. "Let me look it over really quick." Ash handed over Pikachu. Brock gingerly looked over Pikachu's tail, limbs, and eventually the rest of its body. "It seems fine," he said.

"Yeah. The battle wasn't even that long," Golem's trainer said.

"Sorry about that," Ash apologized again. "I guess Pikachu got lost, maybe confused."

"Yeah, okay." The other trainer shrugged. "What's that going on over there?" he asked, motioning to the cheering session. "Doesn't look like any kind of battling."

"Um, they're just cheering for Gary, being the only first year competitor from Pallet this year, but-"

"No. No no no." Before Ash could complete the thought, the taller trainer interrupted. "That's not right!" he shouted as he ran over to the display, his Golem stomping behind him more carefully.

"It can't be," another adolescent boy said as he wandered over, passing by the first. Tracey took off his headband, wiping his forehead before he put it back on. "Um, Ash, is that pikachu..." he began, his jaw clenched as he observed the carried pokemon.

"Hey Tracey," Ash greeted. "Yeah, this is my starting pikachu, the one the professor gave me!" he said.

"Ahh!" Tracey exclaimed, pressing a hand to his head as he clenched his jaw. "You have its pokeball, right?"

"Um, I lost it a while ago," Ash admitted.

"Then there's no stopping it!" Tracey put up his arms and jumped back.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Tracey, you're not scared of my pikachu, are you?" he said. "It's really friendly."

"It..." Tracey began, then jumped back as Pikachu hopped down from Ash's grasp and approached him.

"Pikachu," Pikachu called, tapping Tracey's leg in an apology. It had given Professor Oak's assistant such a hard time when it had lived on that ranch. The boy's reaction was to be expected.

"It's really, friendly?" Tracey half stated, half questioned. He patted the pokemon's head once, pulling his hand back suddenly. As Pikachu only smiled back, he reached out again, stroking the electric sacs in its cheeks. Pikachu called out in delight, and Tracey instantly relaxed. "It is... You did a good job with this one, Ash," he said as he stood up.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu called out happily. Making friends like this, even with the lab assistant that had annoyed it so much, was what Pikachu wanted to do moving forward, definitely not what it had been thinking about before.

"Thanks," Ash said, looking to where the golem trainer had gone. "What's he doing anyway?" he asked, wandering toward where the trainer was confronting Gary.

"You want a congratulations?" Gary asked.

"I want you to stop spreading lies!" the other trainer said.

"Fine, fine," Gary agreed calmly. He held out his arm, a cheerleader handing him a megaphone. Gary turned it on and spoke. "On his fifth year of training, local loser Zack will finally have enough badges to participate in the league for the first time. During his fifth year! Better late than never, eh?" Gary quickly turned off the megaphone, wiggling his eyebrows comically at the older trainer. "You sure you want me sharing such embarrassing info? I'm not trying to humiliate anyone here." Gary laughed after he'd spoken.

"You think you're a better trainer? When you just started?" As the older trainer spoke, stomping a foot, Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and Brock walked up behind him.

"Oh man, oh man." Gary shook his head with disapproval, sighing as he looked to his cheerleaders. He finally just shrugged, a smirk on his face. "I don't want to have to state the obvious. Picking on third-rate trainers is unsightly."

"Huh? What's the third rate?" the golem trainer asked.

Gary still smirked as he began his explanation. "You know, there's top tier trainers, like those that win the league, the elite four and champion, then first rate, that give the real elite a good battle, might even join them one day. Then of course there's second rate - not that great, but at least know what they're doing. And of course, there's third rate, like, I dunno, those that take four years to get their badges. Even Ash over there was able to get at least seven badges in the first year."

"Hey!" Ash fumed before the trainer Gary addressed could get the chance. "Getting badges is hard!" he said, stepping next to the older trainer.

"Yeah, it would be to some," Gary drawled, glancing around at his various admirers.

Ash glanced up at the trainer next to him. "You're going to the league too?" he said.

"Yeah." The older boy sighed. "Course I am. I'm gonna win, too. Name's Zack."

"I remember you!" Ash exclaimed. A few years ago, he was a new trainer that had stuck around for the festival and let the younger kids see his pokemon. "You picked, I know, charmander!"

Zack nodded slowly, turning back to Gary. "And you picked squirtle, huh?" he said.

"That did happen to be my fantastic starting pokemon," Gary informed.

"And now..." Zack began, dramatically raising his hand. "You just rushed, and you think you're better than trainers that use experience. But look at your squirtle, eh?" Zack pointed to the wartortle that danced with the cheerleaders. "You just got a second stage. That's no good. Why not blastoise?"

"Wartortle!" Gary called for his pokemon, which hopped on over. He patted the pokemon's head firmly, grinning. "Wartortle will evolve when it's ready. Right, Wartortle?"

"Wartortle!" the pokemon agreed.

"Hmph. But it's just fine as it is now, and has gained plenty of strength," Gary added.

"Pika?" Pikachu questioned, paying more attention to the boy Ash had often described as his 'rival'. Gary was considered a esteemed trainer by many there, and still thought like that?

"You should just get it to evolve already, if you're so great," Zack dared. "All of my pokemon are the most evolved. I've got the ultimate evolution team." He grinned as he spoke. "Yours aren't gonna be able to stand up to it at the league, if you just baby them."

"Pi..." Pikachu gasped. It had been kind of a brat since starting training with Ash. Did that mean it wasn't going to be able to really compete at the league? It hadn't been thinking much about that competition, but for some reason, these words had it doubting it could do much at all there.

But Gary just laughed loudly, folding his arms. "So, you think your fully evolved starting pokemon can take mine on?"

"Of course! Charizard's a beast!" Zack declared. "It's the most powerful pokemon there is. An ultimate evolution."

"Let's battle then," Gary declared. "One on one, with our first pokemon."

"There's a type advantage though," Ash pointed out.

"Ha!" Zack grinned, leaning down to see the younger boy. "Evolutions and power beat type advantage, always. No little water can put out a giant blaze. Let's go!"

Various spectators cheered as everyone made space for a battle in the middle of the somewhat busy festival. The cheerleaders at first started chanting, before taking their place to establish a safe amount of space for the battle. "Go, Charizard!" Zack shouted as he threw out his pokeball.

"You're up, Wartortle!" Gary extended his hand.

Charizard called out in a roar as it went onto the field. "Wartortle!" Wartortle also called out its willingness to battle, posing as if to surf.

"Pi..." Pikachu realized that both pokemon were absolutely confident and ready. "Pikachu!" it called out, specifically to Wartortle, telling the lesser evolved pokemon it could certainly win. Charizard glanced Pikachu's way briefly. "Pika..." Pikachu muttered in surprise. It sensed the large fire type recognized it from before. Was Pikachu holding a grudge against it for having been more valued? "Pika," Pikachu called a cheer for Zack's charizard as well, though it didn't manage to be as enthusiastic.

"Charizard, you got the fire! Let's fire that little buggy mon!" Zack shouted.

"What the..." Gary coughed, getting hold of himself before he gave his own command. "Wartortle, surf!" he said.

Charizard spit forth a stream of flame as Wartortle summoned the large wall of water. Wartortle squinted as it was hit, but kept riding on the wave unaffected, pointing it all toward Charizard, and covering it in the torrent. Charizard roared out in pain, falling to the ground.

"What's that?" Zack said in dismay as he ran on the field to inspect the pokemon. "It's just a little splash! What's wrong with you?"

"Good job, Wartortle," Gary said, speaking in the megaphone for dramatic effect. He turned it off to laugh, which encouraged others around to do the same, then turned it back on. "Great aim. Human on the field, so we're done. Come on back. By the way, Zack, the technique was 'surf', not 'splash'."

Wartortle hopped back to Gary as Zack approached. "We weren't done yet."

"We're done," Gary asserted seriously. "Entering the field when the battle's not over is the same as a white flag."

"I was just checking to see if you cheated," Zack said.

"Yeah, yeah," Gary said with a sigh. "There's plenty here to see if anyone tries something like that. Go find someone else to battle. If you really think you'll make it far in the league, we'll battle then. For now..." Gary waved his limp hand without looking at Zack to shoo him away.

"I want to battle next!" Ash said, running next to Zack and clenching his fists as he looked at Gary. "I wonder if my charizard could win!"

"Sorry, Ashy boy. I'm gonna limit any further exhibition matches to trainers that have already been in the league. If I keep picking on lower tier trainers, it might affect my image, you know?" Gary winked before walking off with his ensemble.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu waved at Ash's friend and his pokemon as they left. It then turned to Charizard, who was picking itself up on the field. "Pikachu?" it called. How was Charizard doing? Maybe the message hadn't been emoted correctly, leaving some hint that perhaps Pikachu wasn't really interested, because Charizard didn't respond. Or maybe, like its trainer, Charizard considered Pikachu beneath its consideration.

Zack returned his charizard to its pokeball as Ash spoke. "Gary's not as great as he thinks. I'm gonna be in the league too!" he declared.

"You got all eight?" Zack asked.

"Seven... But I'll get the eighth, definitely. I'm leaving tomorrow to get it," Ash informed.

"Well, catching badges is hard... But you said that, right?" Zack said.

"Yeah. I won't give up though," Ash declared.

"Yeah. Well, maybe it'll take you longer. Just keep battling, right?" Zack said.

"Yeah!" Ash declared. "Want to battle now?" he offered.

"Um, yeah, no," Zack declined, scratching his head. "Maybe a different time. I'm gonna battle league people like Gary. Keep fighting, uh, who are you?"

"Ash!"

"Yeah, keep fighting, Ash." Zack waved, then motioned to Golem as he walked away.

"You really need that badge, huh?" Misty teased. "Just one little badge holding you back from standing up and bragging with those two."

"I'll get the badge," Ash declared firmly.

"It's not for sure, but I don't really think you'll have that much trouble," Misty said.

"I agree," Brock said with a nod. "Don't get complacent, but you did beat some of our top before then defeating two others on your first try."

"There's no way I'd get constipated about it or anything," Ash said.

"Ash!" Misty exclaimed, her hands up. "He said 'complacent'! That means don't get a big head about it, like Gary!"

"Oh," Ash said.

They wandered over to a ring toss game. "So," Misty began as she released her staryu to stand with Ash's other pokemon and wait for a try. "I know you haven't backed away from a challenge, so I've been curious. What's gonna be your final gym challenge?"

Ash turned and gave her the worst possible answer with the biggest smile on his face.

"Viridian Gym!"

Next chapter: Ash vs. Viridian Gym