48: Gary vs. Ritchie

They were supposed to have met to play some soccer after school, but Ash had never showed up. Instead, Gary found his friend under a tree outside their school, poring over a pokemon magazine. "Hey!" Gary said. He grinned as Ash looked up. "What're you doing here? Fall asleep or something?" Gary sat next to him, playfully nudging Ash's shoulder with his own. "Pokemon stuff, huh?"

"Yeah," Ash confirmed, then adjusting the hat on his head. "I got the magazine with this yesterday. I won it!"

Gary observed the item with the league emblem, then down at the colorful magazine and sighed. "Oh Ashy, you're getting caught up in a fantasy here, huh?" he said.

"Um, no." With that question, Ash finally turned from his reading, scowling toward Gary instead.

"You'll be a trainer, and it'll be fun, but how far are you gonna get?" Gary said.

Ash pointed to his hat. "To the league," he said. "That's the first place, anyway."

"Ha. You keep saying that, but you know not everyone even gets their first shot, right?" Gary kicked up his feet, leaning back against the tree.

Ash picked back up the magazine, placing it in front of his face. "I've gotta keep studying. It's only a few more months until I'm a trainer."

Gary pushed down the magazine to see his friend's face. "Aren't you spending too much time with this stuff?"

Ash stood up, walking away as he continued to read, or at least pretend to, not so subtly glancing back at Gary before looking back at it. "I'm serious about training pokemon," he said. "Aren't you?"

"Of course I'm serious. I've been learning longer than you. I'm sure to make it far," Gary said. He then gave a forced laugh. "Right now I'm also studying for school, though. Shouldn't you be doing that? Maybe you won't finish and then forget training, maybe you'll have to worry about doing another year of school! Everyone will say little baby Ashy was just too young to start, anyway."

Ash stopped walking, glancing back at Gary. "It's just Ash, okay?" he said.

"Huh?" Gary blinked.

"I don't like that nickname anymore," Ash said. "I'm growing up now."

"You still look like little Ashy boy to me," Gary continued to needle his friend, giggling as he did. Ash was a few months younger, and noticeably shorter than him.

"Well, I'm not," Ash insisted. "I'm doing everything I need to for school too, anyway. Mom and everyone says I'm doing fine. I'll finish. I won't let anything get in my way. Don't think you'll be so much better than me just because you're a little older." Ash then took off toward the building.

Gary decided not to pursue, only briefly shouting out about how Ash would be totally outmatched by him. He'd just wanted his friend to play, not antagonize him so much, anyway. Ash was just so easy to annoy, so sometimes Gary couldn't help it. Teasing the younger kid was fun. But that aside, it was really sad to watch the other boy throw so much into the pokemon thing. Only a precious few got to realize the dream.

Gary would be one of them, of course. He knew more than Ash from growing up in a household with a highly ranked trainer, and then spending much time with his grandfather, the esteemed pokemon professor. He'd been planning himself alongside talking over his plans with his relatives. Many were already anticipating his success. But little Ash could only just plod along. Even if he ended up getting far, he'd eventually just putter out.

Gary sighed forcefully as he noted the sight of his upcoming opponent nearby. "Well, well, look who it is," he said, shifting his attention from his fans nearby to the shorter boy with the hat. Gary remembered him from one of the earlier matches he'd observed. At first glance, this kid resembled Ash with a new outfit. The pikachu that always walked by him amplified that resemblance, though seeing him up close, this boy was certainly a different person. "Looks like we've run into the guy I'm going up against this afternoon." Gary grinned, chuckling.

The boy turned around, eyes widening as he saw Gary. "Good morning!" he said, giving a quick bow. "I'm Ritchie of Viridian City. I know you, you're Gary - Gary Oak of Pallet Town. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to beat you," Gary said with a wink. "Just joshing!" he said as he forcefully tapped Ritchie's shoulder.

Ritchie just smiled. "I know this might be where I stop, but I really am looking forward to our match," he said. "I've been wondering what pokemon you'll use. Not that I'm asking you to tell me, of course. This will be an important challenge for me. I'll thank you in advance."

"Yeah," Gary said, momentarily stunned by the boy's politeness. Any kind of ribbing rolled off this kid's back like water on a duck, hardly like Ash at all.

Ritchie took a book from his pocket, then a key that was on a string around his neck, tucked inside his shirt. After opening it, he flipped some pages.

"What's that?" Gary said, looking over his shoulder. "Your diary you gotta keep locked up, with all your secrets?"

"You never know who you'll want to keep your information from," Ritchie said seriously, before glancing up at Gary and speaking more casually. "I wouldn't mind sharing it with you, though. It's some notes on trainers, training, and other pokemon related things. Did you want to see?"

"Oh." Gary scratched his head. "No, I'm good." Did other trainers keep these kind of notes? Just looking at the one page Ritchie had open, it seemed like a very detailed log.

"I've heard of all ten of your pokemon!" Ritchie said. "I only have six. Did you have to declare six for the league?"

"Yeah, of course," Gary confirmed. "I can't just switch."

"Then would you mind telling me the sixth you chose that you haven't used yet? If that's fine, I mean," Ritchie said.

"It's Jolteon," Gary said.

"That's an interesting choice. But now that I think about it, I should have guessed." Ritchie jotted something else in his book before putting it away. "I have to go now, there's another match I've been wanting to watch, but I'll see you this afternoon."

Ritchie again bowed before leaving. Gary waved awkwardly as he left, his fans calling out their well wishes for the battle. No, this Ritchie kid wasn't much like Ash at all. Treating him like he might have been only had Gary feeling silly. Beyond that, the upcoming opponent left him a bit uncomfortable. Who took that many notes, and seemed to know that much about him? Was he really thinking that many steps ahead? Gary didn't know that much about Ritchie's pokemon. He remembered the pikachu of course, and the tentacool had also made an impression. Should he have been paying more attention to possible opponent's battles?

His fans soon interrupted his thoughts with other, less demanding questions. Gary joked and chatted with them instead of considering things too deeply. He'd been doing fine. He was ready for this match, along with all of the following ones.

"I made it! The top 16!" Ash declared as he reached Brock and Misty through the crowds, the group of them meeting up for the first time that day.

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu cheered their team's success from his shoulder.

"Congratulations, Ash," Brock said.

"Yeah, good job there," Misty said.

"I gotta wait all the way until tomorrow now..." Ash grumbled.

"Give your pokemon a break, why don't you," Misty said with a laugh as she looked around for a food stand with a shorter line.

"Maybe you could watch some matches and try to learn," Brock suggested. "I think the match that decides your next opponent is later in the day."

"Oh, yeah. I want to see Gary's," Ash said, stopping and looking up in thought before someone ran into him for standing still in a crowd.

Misty pulled Ash into a line. "That one should be interesting, Gary against Ritchie," she said.

"Huh? Ritchie's the one against Gary?" Ash stopped moving in the line before he was again bumped into.

"Yeah, Misty and I thought it was a fun match up too," Brock said. "Let's go watch it for sure."

"Yeah, I've gotta see it..." Ash muttered before turning his attention to what he might get for a meal.

The crowd cheered as Gary took his place in the stadium. His opponent had already entered previously to less fanfare. Gary had been trying to stall his own entrance for all his matches. Saving the best for last, rather than having some unknown trainer feel bad about getting less attention in return.

Ritchie didn't appear affected at all. The boy that had been humble, almost timid at their last meeting just stared steadfastly in Gary's direction. There was neither animosity nor nervousness, just a dedicated focus to the coming battle. As the referee directed them, they threw out their pokeballs at once. "Jolteon, let's go!" Gary sent out the pokemon he'd given a hint about.

"Gale! You're first!" Ritchie said.

Gale? The appearance of the pokemon made it obvious that Ritchie used nicknames for his pokemon. Though initially confused, Gary could get used to it. 'Gale' was a pidgeot, yet another matching pokemon to one on Ash's team. Though fully evolved, it was a common species, and being fully evolved meant there was going to be no similar surprise to Ash's pokemon having evolved his own mid-battle. Gary smirked, knowing he had the advantage right away. "Jolteon, thunderbolt!" he ordered.

"Gale, whirlwind!" Ritchie followed. Did he think any would have much effect? Gary had to giggle to himself before he noted the true purpose of the technique. Jolteon narrowed its eyes as Ritchie's pidgeot blew itself away from the thunderbolt, missing being hit completely. "Now, Gale! Quick attack!" Ritchie ordered as Gary had been processing the state of the field. Jolteon called out in distress as it was hit. "Good!" Ritchie praised.

"Jolteon, thundershock!" Gary ordered.

"Gale, try takedown!" Ritchie followed.

Though Jolteon tensed up, trying to build up the electricity, it wasn't able to complete the attack. Ritchie's pokemon again attacked more quickly, slamming itself against the electric type with an amazing force. Jolteon tumbled before remaining on the ground. Gary paused for just a moment, processing that his pokemon had truly been defeated, but didn't wait for the referee's call before returning it. So, he considered as he went for a pokeball he hadn't planned to use that day, this guy wouldn't be tripped up by types. Gary himself knew there was much else to consider, and chose a powerful pokemon with both power and precision. "Go, Blastoise!" Blastoise called out, waving its arms as it appeared. "Blastoise, hydro pump!"

"Gale, quick attack!" Ritchie shouted.

Blastoise's cannons took aim, sure to hit, as Gale came rushing toward it. But just as the torrent of water was about to hit, the beam of light hit Ritchie's pokemon, returning it to its pokeball just before impact. Was he that kind of soft trainer? Gary laughed briefly before noting that Ritchie didn't seem upset at all, instead immediately throwing out his next pokeball. "Happy! Let's go!" Ritchie then gave his direction the moment the pokemon appeared. "Stun spore!"

A butterfree? Gary only briefly raised an eyebrow at the choice of a fast evolving pokemon that early trainers got excited about but was best replaced. Also, besides being more delicate, butterfree were slow, therefore even easier to aim at. "Blastoise, again! Hydro pump!"

With just the brief hesitation, the butterfree's attack hit first, Blastoise being covered by the weird powder. Blastoise was still able to complete its own, the torrent of water just barely missing its opponent. Gary gritted his teeth, realizing the paralyze status was in effect, affecting his pokemon's normally perfect aim. Ritchie gave a little jump at his success. "Happy, good! Now, double edge!"

"Blastoise, skull bash!" Gary directed. The large water type threw itself at the smaller pokemon, but even with its size, again missed, then being pummeled with its opponent's attack. Gary bit his lip, then thinking maybe a simpler, though less powerful attack might be better. "Blastoise, water gun."

"Happy, double edge again! Keep going!" Ritchie encouraged. Blastoise's attack grazed the butterfree this time, before Blastoise was hit again, grimacing at the powerful attack. Both pokemon repeated the attacks upon being ordered, Blastoise's again only being a partial hit while Happy's directly hit its opponent. Blastoise then leaned toward the ground, Happy floating near the top, getting ready for a third double edge. As it hit, Blastoise fell to the ground.

Gary returned it, then threw out the next pokeball, posing as he caught it, his doduo appearing. "Doduo! Let's go! Drill peck!"

Ritchie returned his own pokemon, then threw out the next pokeball. "Go, Vincent!" he said.

"Doduo, stop!" Gary ordered. The attack would have hit, but Ritchie's switch might have been a trick.

Doduo scooted to a halt, but Ritchie appeared surprised rather than disappointed. It seemed 'Vincent' was a tangela. "Vincent, vine whip! Aim for both!" Ritchie ordered.

Both? Gary didn't pause to think so much. "Doduo, drill peck!" he ordered. His pokemon charged forward to complete the attack it had meant to in the first place. Gary soon realized what had been meant by 'both' - of course, Doduo had two heads. Both of its faces were smacked at once before it completed the drill peck.

"Vincent, again! Vine whip! One at a time!" Ritchie said.

"Doduo, rage," Gary said. If this tangela was going to draw out its attack, that could increase his own pokemon's attack power while it used the 'rage' technique. Tangela hit one face before the other, which indeed increased Gary's pokemon's rage.

However, there was a problem. One of Doduo's heads looked at the other, each calling back at each other. They started to fight, aiming their increased attack power right at each other. Since once the rage technique began, it tended to continue for the rest of the battle, there was no point in letting it, or rather them continue. Gary returned his last pokemon, signaling his loss. His face grew hot as the winner was announced. Surprisingly, his opponent's face reflected how horrible Gary himself felt.

They crossed the area to shake hands with each other. "Thank you so much for the battle," Ritchie said, putting his hand up to his head. "I know I won because of a technicality. I expected Vincent would surprise Doduo, not turn it against itself like that. I'm sorry." Ritchie gave a slight bow. Gary just shrugged at his apology. "I know you were maybe too nervous to be confident about completing Doduo's attack, too. We'll have to battle again sometime to set things right. Again, thank you for today."

"Yeah, thanks," Gary said, sighing, his chest hurting at the realization he was out, and so early compared to the minimum he'd expected. This trainer really had completely outmatched him. Ritchie making excuses for Gary was even more embarrassing at this point for Gary himself. "You did fine, obviously," Gary said, deciding not to be more detailed than that. "Now you've got whoever's next to worry about right now before worrying about me, don't you?"

Ritchie nodded. Gary turned and left. He caught sight of some of his fans, a few crying at his defeat. He'd let them down, hadn't he? Well, there were plenty of other trainers there for them to watch. It was best to make an exit at that point.

"Gary!" Ash shouted, catching up just as Gary reached the venue's exit.

"Oh, hey." Gary laughed as he realized Ash really had made it farther than him at league. His childhood friend's win the previous day signaled entrance into the top 16, while Gary himself had just been defeated in the top 32. The ranking wasn't bad for someone with just a year and some experience, but hardly living up to expectations. Now Ash would certainly have bragging rights over him, even if he lost that next day.

"Where are you going now?" Ash asked.

Gary turned to his friend, shrugging with a smile. "I'm done here, Ashy! Looks like I lost to your clone," he said.

"My what?" Ash said. "You didn't lose to any of my pokemon. We still haven't had a showdown."

If this boy didn't get it just from looking at Ritchie, there was no point explaining. Gary decided to more or less repeat the advice he'd given to said 'clone'. "Your next opponent won't be me, so worry about them instead."

"Well, yeah," Ash said.

Gary noted some of his fans had made their way over, a few perhaps having overheard the conversation. "Any spotlight I'll get will have to wait until a different day," he said, loud enough for both them and Ash to hear him. He posed, throwing out a peace sign. "Gary Oak's big show is over!" he announced, then winked to Ash. "You're the only Pallet competitor left for the top 16 this year. Sucks for us, huh?"

"No! It doesn't at all!" Ash shouted.

Gary laughed at the other boy's anger. This reaction was much better than having Ash offer his concern. Gary tapped his friend's shoulders. "Don't stink too badly in your next match."

"I won't..." Ash only slightly paused. "Stink..."

Gary was again amused, since the look on Ash's face made it seem like the shorter boy was wondering if he really did stink in that moment. "Smell you later, Ashy boy!" Gary said. Back to his friend and the others observing them, he threw up his hand in salutation as he left the stadium.

Next chapter: Ash vs. AJ