Along the way to Vermillion City, Ash caught a Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. This went over his limit of carrying six Pokemon on hand and the last two were automatically transported back to Professor Oak to be overseen by him.
This dissatisfied Ash's desire to train every one of his Pokemon and give them equal attention that they deserved. As of now, what he had currently was his faithful Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Capsakid, Riolu in his egg, and Bulbasaur.
"This stinks…" Ash whined.
"I understand, Ash. A lot of Trainers want to be able to travel with more than just six of their Pokemon, me included. But that's how the rules work. You'll just have to make do with regularly swapping your Pokemon around to train and battle with them as you adventure." Brock helpfully comforted his friend.
"Say, why do Pokemon let themselves be captured in Poke Balls? It's not like these things stop them from coming out whenever they want to. Capsakid likes to come out whenever the sun is out." Ash gestured to Capsakid running around in the fields and basking in the sunlight.
"I can explain that. All Pokemon have the ability to shrink down in size when defeated in battles and to escape danger. They curl up tight in an effort to heal up, and Poke Balls take advantage of this protective instinct. The Pokemon view a Poke Ball as a safe place to heal up and that's why it's common sense to bring a wild Pokemon's health down before capturing it with a Poke Ball." Brock raised one finger as he explained.
"So they don't get turned into data when sent inside a Poke Ball?" Ash twirled the Poke Ball in his hand.
"Nope, the Pokemon are still alive inside the Poke Ball, just very minimized. The beams of light you see are because it saves time and effort on the animation budget in the games and anime."
"What was that you just said?"
"Ahem, sorry, that was just me breaking the fourth wall for a moment. In any case, don't think that the technology humans have made can actually turn Pokemon into data. Even the transporting function for Poke Balls is simply mimicking the effects of the move Teleport through science."
"Huh, maybe I should've listened more closely during class." Ash laughed.
The group made their way to a beach during sunset. From here, Ash caught himself a Krabby that was much smaller than the average one. Any time was a good time for training, so he let out all of his Pokemon to train at the beach.
"Alright everyone, this is a great time to get used to water. Try to fend off against the waves and raise your endurance! Maybe you might learn something new from getting in sync with the waves!" Ash coached them.
They all cried affirmatively and ran towards the waves. All of them showed struggling against the waves and earnestly tried to stand their ground.
Watching Ash and his Pokemon work so hard inspired Brock and Misty to do the same as they released their Pokemon from their Poke Balls to have them join the training session.
"Hey, look over there, a lighthouse!" Misty pointed out to draw their attention.
"Onyx, look after everyone while we make a stop over there." Brock's Pokemon nodded.
Ash, Misty, and Brock visited the lighthouse and met Bill, an old acquaintance of Professor Oak's.
He narrated to the group that he's been studying a rare Pokemon shrouded in mist for some time and was learning how to communicate with it by mimicking its haunting voice through the lighthouse. Tonight, he wanted to meet with the mysterious Pokemon and the group decided they wanted to see it as well.
When the sun had set and night became prominent, they all waited at the lighthouse with their retrieved Pokemon.
A mysterious sound echoed from across the foggy sea and a gigantic silhouette appeared.
"Is that a freaking Kaiju!?" Ash shouted incredulously.
"It's just like that film, Baxcalibur vs. Tyranitar that I watch on my VHS player!" Brock said.
"Why do I suddenly feel so old?" Misty commented.
Bill pressed a switch and the lighthouse changed the color it emitted, attracting the Pokemon towards them. It sang a song as it trudged closer, captivating them.
Once it got close enough, Ash made his move.
"Pidgeotto, Defog!" He pointed at the giant Pokemon.
Pidgeotto swooped out and flapped her wings, dispersing the thick fog. The giant Pokemon's appearance was revealed and it was the fantastic Dragonite!
"Dragonite!? And so huge too! It must be one of a kind in the entire world!" Ash shouted.
"Finally, we meet at last, my friend!" Bill exuberantly said to the gigantic dragon.
The Dragonite cried sonorously even after having its appearance unveiled. It stared at the group with a happy expression.
"But why is it so big?" Misty asked.
"That must be a wild Dynamaxed Dragonite!" Bill answered.
"Dynamax?" Ash asked.
"A phenomenon unique in the Galar Region. Pokemon absorb mysterious energy that's abundant in that region to become enormous in size. It shouldn't be possible here in Kanto, but what we're seeing disproves that!"
Listening to Bill's explanation excited Ash and he came forward to issue a challenge to Dragonite.
"Dragonite, let's have a battle!"
"Is that really okay, Ash!?" Misty exclaimed worriedly.
"Isn't it fine? He's a Trainer, and someone young like him needs to be hotblooded." Bill was impressed by his bravery. That's how a rookie should act. To have the will to take on any challenge.
Pikachu carried Ash's will and stepped forward too, emitting electricity from his cheeks provocatively.
Dragonite looked down at them for a moment and nodded. It opened up with Max Airstream. A giant tornado spewed from its mouth and sent Pikachu flying in the air and crashing down.
"Thunderbolt at the clouds!"
Pikachu released massive volts of electricity at the dark clouds. Lightning arced within them and a huge bolt struck downwards at Dragonite. But the attack barely seemed to hurt it much less stagger it.
"Well, I knew it wasn't gonna be easy…"
Dragonite looked impressed by the power Pikachu held despite its small frame and species. It nodded in acknowledgement and turned around to leave.
"…We have to grow much much stronger, Pikachu!"
"Pi!"
"This one's gone on tape too." Brock said.
"Where'd you get the camera?" Misty asked.
"Ash's friend, Gary, gave it to me. He wanted me to make sure to record every crazy event that happens around Ash."
"How nice of him. It's a great way to keep these memories."
The group bid farewell to Bill and continued the journey on foot.
After much time, the group finally arrived at Vermillion City.
Ash rushed towards the Pokemon Center to get his Pokemon patched up before the Gym battle. He was about to swap his Pokemons before someone made her appearance and stood in his way.
"Hi…can I help you?"
"Ash Ketchum, right?" The woman asked expectantly.
"Yeah, that's me." Ash answered.
The woman took off her sunglasses and greeted him with a smile.
"My name is Cynthia Shirona. I'm an acquaintance of Professor Oak's in the scientific community. I consider myself an expert in the fields of archaeology with an interest in myths and history. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Cynthia."
They exchanged a handshake briefly. Brock and Misty interjected with shock.
"C-Cynthia, a rising star from Sinnoh, a favorite to become the next regional Champion of Sinnoh! You're that Cynthia!?" Brock felt like his world turned upside down.
"One of the most famous women in the world! You made an appearance on the list of '100 Women who influence the world' magazine!" Misty exclaimed with admiration.
"A lot of that is really exaggerated." Cynthia laughed from their enthusiasm. "If you don't mind, why don't we chat over there? I'm feeling a little hungry after all this traveling." She pointed to a nearby table in the Pokemon Center.
Everybody was more than eager to join Cynthia over lunch. Once they were seated, the conversation naturally progressed.
"I was invited by Professor Oak to seek out Ash after hearing the news that he was given the secret manual written by Aaron by the Queen of Rota herself." Cynthia narrated while sipping her smoothie.
"So you're the helper he brought over. I didn't know I'd end up attracting a bigshot…" Ash was amazed by the situation.
"I'm not that big of a deal, you know? I'm just a Pokemon Trainer like you." Cynthia said.
"With all due respect, Ms. Cynthia, you are considered to become the youngest Sinnoh Champion at the age of 18." Brock asserted.
"I'm not old enough for you to refer to me by Miss. And I'm not a Champion yet. I'm just passionate about Pokemon and battling." Cynthia sighed with a smile.
"Yet. So you are confident in becoming a Champion." Misty commented.
"Of course. I want to become the greatest like everyone else. My Pokemon have come far for me and we aren't stopping at becoming only a regional Champion." Cynthia said with a competitive glint in her eyes.
"Do you want to become the World Monarch?" Ash felt excited at the thought of higher peaks above a Champion even if he was too early to be a part of such a conversation.
"That's right. I'll eventually have to battle Leon himself. He's the strongest Trainer in the world currently and has never once lost a battle. He even won his first Pokemon League when he first started as a Trainer. His career is undeniable, impressive doesn't even come close to describing it. I want to be one to break his winning streak." Cynthia said with determination.
Ash looked down at his partner in his lap and met his eyes. Here was a person that had the power to become a Champion in front of him. The road to becoming a Champion was already unimaginable to scale, but there was someplace even further ahead of that.
"I only have two Badges…"
"Pika…"
"Something tells me you dream of becoming something similar, Ash." Cynthia noticed him being deep in thought.
"Yeah, I want to become a Pokemon Master." Ash answered.
"Pokemon Master?" Cynthia blinked at the unfamiliar term.
"It's someone who can befriend every kind of Pokemon there is! Someone that can connect with countless others and have awe-inspiring strength to achieve it!"
"My, what a lofty goal that is. It sounds even more impossible than becoming the World Monarch." Cynthia chuckled. But deep in her thoughts, she had to reevaluate her impression of Ash after hearing of his dream. What she said was half-serious, but she immediately came to the conclusion that Ash had his sights set on something much further than she did.
She grew excited at the prospect. Ash was someone the Queen of Rota trusted. What else made him special? He was a fledgling now, but she had a feeling that his future was something unimaginable for her. What kind of growth might he display, when will he stand on the same level as her? Would he come to surpass her even after she'd become much more powerful than today?
Cynthia shook her head. She needed to calm down. Her wild imaginations were becoming a bit too much. A little gleaning into Ash and his dreams gave her a lot to think about and that was not like her she realized. Consider her interest in him having grown from this little interaction.
It was time for a change in topic.
"So about that manual gifted to you by the Queen?" Cynthia asked.
"Oh, right. Here it is." Ash extended the manual to Cynthia.
Cynthia outstretched her hand to take it and her grip was shaky from holding it.
"Aaron was always a hero to me and I've looked up to him from a very young age. I've always wanted to study something like this related to him, so I'm a little overwhelmed by the opportunity." Cynthia stared at the manual longingly.
"Well, the faster you can get to translating all of that gibberish, the faster it'll be for me to grow further. It's a win-win!" Ash pumped a fist excitedly.
"I've been meaning to ask, but how did you end up convincing the Queen to give you this?" Cynthia propped her chin on her hand and dangled the manual on her other.
"Oh, that's because Aaron's Lucario sensed my Aura was identical to Aaron's and forced me to become an Aura Guardian, hahaha!" Ash scratched his hair and laughed.
"…"
Cynthia's eyes went blank as she stared hard at Ash.
The group jumped when Cynthia suddenly smacked her hands on the table and stood up.
"That's not a joke, right? You're not pulling my leg, right? This is not you trying to do some banter, is it!?" Cynthia almost shouted.
"M-Maybe a little bit…You're a lot more serious about this than I imagined." Ash was taken back by her reaction.
"How can you expect me to stay calm when your Aura is identical to Aaron's!? Forgive me if I find that to be unbelievable because it's downright impossible! Y-You're saying you're his reincarnation or something?" Cynthia asked frantically.
"C-Cynthia, please, calm down, you're attracting a lot of attention." Ash spoke in a hushed voice.
Cynthia looked around, coughed, and went back into her seat feeling flushed.
"Tell me everything you can."
Ash proceeded to narrate his time in Rota, the circumstances behind him becoming an Aura Guardian, and his one week training with Lucario with the exception of Mew and its connection to the Tree of World's Beginning.
Cynthia held her forehead to ruminate over what she's been told.
"Wow…and you're still a rooke Trainer. I've never gotten involved in something that fantastical when I was your age." Cynthia admitted to how uneventful her life was with a wryly smile.
"No way I'd believe that. You're Cynthia, you must have some awesome adventures to tell!"
"I wish." Cynthia looked out the window with a wistful gaze. "The least I want to happen is to encounter a Legendary Pokemon. That'd be a highlight in anyone's life!" She chuckled, not having that many expectations for something that good to happen.
A corner of Ash's mouth twitched while Misty and Brock exchanged knowing glances.
"But anyway…you can use Aura?" Cynthia asked with an expectant tone.
"You bet. I'm pretty awesome if I do say so myself." Ash crossed his arms and stuck his nose up in the air.
"Show me."
"Oh, you're in for a show! I haven't gotten to use my powers much after my training." Ash then remembered something. "One second, I have to heal up my Pokemon and swap some around."
Cynthia giggled. "That's alright, I can wait."
After getting his Pokemon nursed back to full health thanks to Nurse Joy, Ash rushed to the nearest PC, Cynthia coming along with him and his friends, and contacted Professor Oak.
"Nice to see you again so soon, Ash. I see you've met Cynthia too." The Professor said from behind the screen.
"Professor Oak, I need to swap out some of my Pokemon." Ash said.
"Oh, I'm aware you've caught a Charmander and Squirtle recently. They've been behaving quite well in the lab. Now, who will you be exchanging with?"
"I want to switch Capsakid for Charmander and Butterfree for Squirtle."
Ash placed his two Poke Balls on the transporter and they disappeared. He received two different ones containing his new Pokemon.
"I should mention to you that Queen Ilene contacted me some time ago." Professor Oak stated.
"Really? What did she say?"
"Her Majesty said you would introduce the manual to me and that in due time she planned on doing the same by making it public with the Pokemon League in the future. She wanted me, the person responsible for issuing your Pokedex and Trainer ID, to help her in this endeavor. It scares me how well she found this kind of information and greatly honors me to be a part of something this monumental at the same time. You've made me have my work cut out for me." Professor Oak lightly jested.
"Oh, that's great news!"
Ash chatted with Professor Oak a few more times and cut the call. He returned his attention to Cynthia and she gestured to a vacant spot some distance away from the Pokemon Center.
Once they arrived, Cynthia sent out her Lucario.
"This is my Lucario. He's a reliable friend that's helped and secured me a lot of victories in my career." Her Lucario she introduced barked courteously.
"That's a Champion's Pokemon!" Misty exclaimed with stars in her eyes.
"Yeah, I can tell at a glance it's been well-trained and is an experienced fighter." Brock was awed as well.
"That's some serious Aura." Ash muttered with his eyes trained on the Pokemon who was surprised.
"You can see it?" Cynthia asked with a tinge of excitement in her tone.
"Yup, I can see Lucario's shape clearly and the Aura that surrounds his body. It's massive! The only other I've seen that's larger and more intimidating is Aaron's Lucario." Ash stated.
Lucario smirked, feeling proud and humble. Being compared only to Aaron's Lucario was more of an honor than anything.
"Amazing…I've tried training with Lucario to bring my mind into a state that can sense Aura, but I've never managed to do it." Cynthia keenly narrowed her eyes at Ash's own ones that were burning in a blue color. She sighed wistfully knowing that was a visual indication of him using Aura. "What else can you do?"
"I can use Pokemon moves." Ash answered.
Cynthia felt like something got caught in her throat and Lucario blinked owlishly.
"I can demonstrate…hey, do you mind if I take a practice match with Lucario?"
"…Just to be clear, you're asking if you can fight Lucario, as in you yourself and not with your Pokemon, correct?"
"I can see the confusion, but yeah." Ash nervously laughed.
Cynthia was worried about potentially harming Ash if she allowed Lucario to fight him. She was conflicted if she'd let something like that slide just to satisfy her curiosity. Oh who was she kidding, she wanted to see this.
"Alright, Ash. I trust that you know what you're doing. Lucario, go easy on him." Her Pokemon casted a worried glance at her before nodding.
"Great! This will only take a few moments."
Ash took a stance and Lucario responded alike. They inched closer to each other right before their fists could touch. Fists glowing in gray colors shot out and landed on Lucario. Taking advantage of the surprise attack, Ash followed up with a palm outstretched to the Pokemon's chest, sending out a shockwave.
Lucario was shocked not only because Ash used Bullet Punch and Force Palm, but that he also managed to hurt him. He only took it half-seriously since it was a practice match and out of consideration that his opponent was a human, but now he had to consider Ash an actual threat!
Cynthia gawked with her mouth wide open. Misty and Brock, while shocked, had more subdued reactions after witnessing similar stuff Ash had committed.
"This is to be expected. He could keep up with Aaron's Lucario albeit barely." Brock commented.
"Yeah, Ash currently is as strong as a potential Champion's Pokemon." Misty did a double-take on what she said and widened her eyes after the implications. "Holy Kyogre, Ash might really be that strong."
Lucario's fist glowed in the lights of Meteor Mash and was shot out. Ash detected this and blocked it with both hands. Both combatants sped up in white light as they clashed many times. Lucario landed more hits that Ash couldn't block since he hadn't learned Extreme Speed yet and had to make do with Quick Attack.
Both made some distance between them and built up Aura between their palms. Aura Spheres the size of basketballs were launched and collided with each other midair. The power struggle lasted for moments and both promptly exploded.
Cynthia stepped in and caught their attention by clapping. "That's good enough. You really can fight like a Pokemon. It's just like in the legends. Aura amazes me to no end." Her shock and admiration were unmasked after seeing that superhuman display of power from Ash.
Lucario had a respectful and appreciative opinion of Ash after that and could tell he trained hard to become his current self.
"I think if you follow the teachings inside the manual, you might be able to use Aura too, Cynthia. Although, you'd probably won't be as good as I am at it!" Ash chuckled.
"Maybe." Cynthia giggled in agreement. She couldn't see herself pulling off the crazy feats Ash did. "Well, this has certainly given me a lot to think about for a long while. What plans do you have after this?"
"I'm going to earn my third Gym Badge."
Cynthia pursed her lips. "Let me come over and watch your battle. Is that alright with you?"
"Is that even a question? I'd love to have you spectate!" Ash exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Good!" She flashed a smile at him.
Upon their first meeting, Cynthia judged Ash's good character and his capability as an Aura Guardian, but what about his prowess as a Trainer? She couldn't wait to find out.
After some searching, they found the Vermillion Gym and entered it. Watching over the building was a giant of a man wearing sunglasses who perked up when seeing the newcomers appear.
"This is a large gathering. Which one is here for the Badge? Or are you just here to visit?"
"This is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town! I'm here to request a formal match for the Thunder Badge!" Ash answered.
"Oh, this time it's a baby who's come for a battle." The giant man pulled down his sunglasses a little when looking at Ash.
"I'm not a baby!" Ash protested in annoyance.
"Kid, when I'm this tall, everyone appears like babies next to me." The man laughed and patted Ash's head.
"Lt. Surge from Unova, this is the first time we've met, am I correct?" Cynthia spoke up. The sight of Ash getting treated like a kid and him acting annoyed was cute in her eyes.
"Hmm? What's this, Cynthia Shirona!? What's a celebrity like you doing at my gym?" Lt. Surge blinked in surprise to find the young woman at his gym unexpectedly.
"That's what I like to ask you. What is a prominent Trainer from Unova doing here?" Cynthia asked.
"What can I say, I like the scenery and culture in Kanto. Finding lodging in another region is a hassle, so I made it easier for myself by applying for a Gym Leader position. The benefits for working in the Pokemon League were hard to pass up. What about you?"
"Today I'm here to observe Ash's battle against you. He's a rookie that's attracted a lot of interest from people I look up to."
"Him? Then I'm hoping he's gonna give me a worthwhile battle! I trust your judgment. You hear that, baby?" Lt. Surge directed at Ash. "Cynthia over here trusts you a lot, so don't disappoint her."
"I won't! And stop calling me baby!"
"That'll only happen if ya beat me!" Lt. Surge uproariously laughed.
The Trainers took their positions and the match began with the referee's call.
"Give 'em a shock, Voltorb!"
"Pidgeotto, I choose you!"
Pidgeotto was sent out to the field and saw her opponent. She turned around and gave a look to Ash to say, 'really?'
"Oh no, that's what I call a bad move. You really wanna use a Flying-type at my Gym? You're basically giving me the first win." Lt. Surge sighed and shook his head with a wry smile.
"What is Ash thinking!?" Misty exclaimed from the sidelines.
"I could excuse Ash using Pokemon with a type disadvantage at my Gym because he had a few to choose from, but not anymore. The only reason why I can think of is because he promised Pidgeotto to let her fight in the next Gym battle." Brock watched on worriedly.
"He's already set himself for a difficult ordeal to overcome. Ash must trust his Pokemon a lot to believe he can win." Cynthia noted.
Pidgeotto trilled indignantly at Lt. Surge's words. Her reaction caused Ash to smile confidently.
"You heard what he said, are you going to let him disrespect you like that?" Pidgeotto trilled defiantly. "Yeah, I know you won't lose. We'll teach him not to underestimate you!"
"Hoh, the baby can talk grandly. I'm looking forward to this. Voltorb, Thunderbolt!"
"Feather Dance!"
Pidgeotto took to the skies and flapped her wings, spreading a mass of white feathers in front of her as a shield that dampened the power and impact of Thunderbolt. The feather then spread further towards Voltorb, lowering its power.
"Magnet Rise, followed by Rollout!"
Voltorb surrounded itself with a chain of lightning and hovered above the ground. It then spun its body and shot forward in the air towards Pidgeotto who soared away to avoid the collision. She countered with Air Slash and landed the hit.
"Hmm, Thunderbolt!"
"Detect!"
Voltorb shot out multiple ropes of electricity that Pidgeotto avoided with a glint in her eyes. Eventually, successive use of Detect lowered its power to perceive the incoming threat and Pidgeotto was shocked by one of them.
"Tailwind!"
Pidgeotto whipped up a turbulent whirlwind that flowed inside the Gym, increasing her speed. She deftly avoided every attack coming her way and battered Voltorb with many blades of air.
"Voltorb, Light Screen!"
Voltorb set up a Light Screen, surrounding itself with a box of five yellow glowing walls before it fainted. Lt. Surge recalled it and looked at Pidgeotto with newfound respect.
"Not a bad bird you got there. She's a tenacious chick." He smirked. "You're up, Magnemite!"
Pidgeotto attacked the Magnet Pokemon with Air Slash, but it took the attack without flinching as the flash of Light Screen protected it.
"Discharge!"
Magnemite unleashed a flare of electricity in all directions. Pidgeotto put all her effort into avoiding the strays of bolts coming with Detect, but too many had cornered her and she was knocked out of the air.
"You did very well, Pidgeotto." Ash recalled her to her Poke Ball. "Squirtle, I choose you!"
"This time it's a Water-type? Whew, you at least know how to keep my interest." Lt. Surge grinned. He was getting more invested in this fight the longer it went.
"Water Gun!"
Squirtle retracted his head and limbs inside his shell and spewed water from the five holes. The five streams pushed the shell into rotation and the force caused Squirtle to fly in the air.
"A flying Squirtle!?" That's not something Lt. Surge saw every day.
"I see, it's like a makeshift Aqua Jet." Cynthia observed.
The speed boost from Tailwind allowed Squirtle to zip through the air. Several times the streams of water whipped Magnemite and the Steel-type fought back by letting loose another flare of electricity. The ropes of lightning were avoided and batted away by the streams of water.
"Magnet Bomb!"
"Skull Bash!"
Squirtle repositioned himself to align the direction of his head towards Magnemite and shot forward like a rocket. Both Pokemon received each other's attack where Squirtle was forced back by the explosion of the blue orb.
"That Light Screen is annoying! Let's get rid of it with Brick Break!"
"Not gonna let it happen! Teleport!"
Magnemite switched locations in a flash right as Squirtle's chop was about to land. From behind, Squirtle received a nasty amount of damage from Discharge. The Water-type sweeped the area with his eyes but Magnemite just won't stop disappearing into another spot with Teleport.
"Now how will you respond to this as I bombard your Pokemon with attacks while you can't touch Magnemite?" Lt. Surge observed Ash and furrowed his eyebrows when he had his eyes closed in deep concentration.
Ash shot his eyes open. "Skull Bash right behind you!"
Squirtle nodded and jumped back, head extended forward and smacked against Magnemite who appeared right where the attack was heading.
"You predicted it!? Is it something like Precognition? Looks like I'm not facing a normal person." Lt. Surge crossed his arms and formed a competitive grin.
Squirtle moved forward and delivered a chop, breaking the Light Screen and inflicting massive damage. However, Magnemite still had a defiant look and its body flashed red. Squirtle was engulfed in an explosion erupting from Magnemite's body.
"A draw. Been a while since my Pokemon was forced to use Explosion." Lt. Surge had an impressed smirk on his face. "It's time I show you a Pokemon from my home region. Galvantula!"
The EleSpider Pokemon landed on the stage, rattling Misty as her fear of Bug Pokemon was triggered.
"It's so hideous and disgusting!" Misty yelled at the top of her lungs. Her reaction garnered Lt. Surge's laughter.
"That's a really strong Pokemon from the looks of it." Brock said with trepidation for his friend.
"Yes, that means he respects Ash's strength as a Trainer and is taking out some of his much stronger Pokemon." Cynthia responded.
"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Ash sent out the grass starter Pokemon.
"Hey now, are you just messing with me?" Lt. Surge scratched his hair and gave Ash a weird look. "No matter, Bounce!"
Galvantula shot upwards and crawled on the ceiling. It then dropped down to lunge at Bulbasaur.
"Razor Wind!"
Bulbasaur opened up the bulb on his back and many crescent-shaped energy waves flew at Galvantula, smacking it out of the air.
"How unexpected!" Lt. Surge widened his eyes at the unconventional move being used by Bulbasaur. "Poison Jab!"
Galvantula struck Bulbasaur with multiple lashes of its poison-coated pedipalps and legs, smacking him away. It continued its onslaught by shooting Electroweb which got torn apart by Bulbasaur's Razor Wind.
"Leech Life!"
Galvantula jumped and latched onto Bulbasaur with its mandibles, draining away his energy and inflicting damage.
"Counter with Mega Drain!"
Vines sprouted from Bulbasaur's back and clung to Galvantula, mimicking its tactic.
"So you like to play games, eh? Well too bad, my Galvantula is eventually going to win."
The much stronger Galvantula was draining energy much faster and inflicted heavier damage.
"Grass Whistle!"
Bulbasaur blew a tune and the serendipitous sound put Galvantula to sleep, making it pause Life Leech. While the Bug-type remained asleep, Bulbasaur gained back its strength with Mega Drain uninterrupted.
"What are you doing, hurry up and open your eyes, Galvantula!"
"Solar Beam!"
Bulbasaur fired a point-blank beam of light energy from his bulb right at Galvantula's face. The spider was launched away to the other side of the gym and embedded into the wall.
Lt. Surge whistled at the outcome. "That got my blood tingling. Yeah, that one shocked me to the core!"
"Return, Bulbasaur, take a good rest." Bulbasaur returned to his Poke Ball. "It's time, Pikachu!"
"A Pikachu? That mouse can't overcome my last Pokemon." Lt. Surge threw his Poke Ball and out came a Raichu. "Against its evolved form, common sense dictates the weaker specimen is outmatched."
"My Pikachu is unlike any other! He can totally defeat the final evolved form of his species!" Ash argued back.
"Maybe if that Raichu were a baby, but evolution grants a Pokemon immense power in many ways. Now I won't discredit Pokemon in stages before their final evolved form, some people like 'em just the way they are and that's fine. But you know better as a Trainer who aims to win the Pokemon League how hard this'll be." Lt. Surge lectured him.
"Then we'll smash apart that common sense!" Ash fiercely replied and turned his cap around.
"Interesting! Then let us see how you'll grasp victory!" Lt. Surge said no more and wanted to witness Ash's actions to decide if he can turn his words into reality. "Raichu, Iron Tail!"
Raichu did a flip and slammed its tail to the ground, breaking apart the floor and producing tremors. Pikachu sweatdropped from the impact he dodged at the last second, wary of the power Raichu possessed.
The two mouses clashed with Thunderbolt and they evenly matched each other's output.
"Hmm? Now that's strange to see. That Pikachu can't actually be as strong as my Raichu, not when his Trainer is still a rookie. Knock Off!"
Raichu whipped its tail to slam it on Pikachu, smacking away the Light Ball from his possession.
"Makes sense. You compensated for his low power with a Pikachu's treasured item. What will you do now?" Lt. Surge threw the question at him.
"We'll make 'em see some stars! Quick Attack!"
"Stay on your toes, Raichu!"
Pikachu zipped around Raichu in blinding speeds while the opposing Pokemon unsuccessfully tried to hit the smaller mouse with its tail.
"So your strategy is speed versus power. Catch him, Raichu!"
Raichu was going for a leap but fell flat on its belly when roots sprouted from the floor and wrapped around its ankles. Pikachu assaulted the prone Raichu with a series of punches, kicks, and whips of his tail with the added speed of Quick Attack.
"In terms of speed and technique, your Pikachu is superior. But Raichu will overpower that with raw power! Thunder!"
Raichu unleashed a powerful mass of electricity in all directions, tearing apart the earth and shattering the glass windows of the gym. After the dust cleared, Pikachu revealed himself having survived the attack by standing on his tail embedded inside the earth.
"Grounding! You insulated the electricity through his tail to the ground! What superb quick thinking!" Lt. Surge unreservedly praised.
"Double-Edge!"
Pikachu burst out with all of his strength, body glowing yellow, and slammed against Raichu. That was enough to knock out Raichu and earn him and Ash the final victory.
"All right! You did it again, buddy!" Ash cheered loudly and Pikachu jumped ecstatically.
"Very well played, Ash." Lt. Surge called him by his name for the first time. He clapped his hands to congratulate the young boy. "You truly electrified me with your awesome Pokemon you've raised. This Thunder Badge goes to you."
Ash graciously received the Badge. "I've got the Thunder Badge!" He clipped it to the inside of his jacket with the rest of his Badges.
"All of my expectations for you were surpassed by the way you battled. Considering the Pokemon you used out of context, it's unbelievable that I actually lost!" Lt. Surge jollily chuckled.
"Well it is believable, you lost to the future Pokemon Master!" Ash pointed his thumb to himself proudly. "My Pikachu and I didn't get along very well at the beginning. But I was able to enter his heart bit by bit and build a bond. I learned many things about him, like how he refuses to evolve. I decided then to respect his choice and never think twice about making him evolve. Despite that, we both believe that in the future we'll stand at the top of the world!"
"Heh, then this loss makes a lot more sense. To lose to the future Pokemon Master…all right, I won't forget this day!" Lt. Surge scratched his hair, closed his eyes, and smiled.
"What an intense battle that was." Misty said with a soft smile.
"Yeah, Ash is continuing to grow stronger every day." Brock added, proud of his friend's victory.
"So this is how Ash battles…his raw, unpolished talent has me looking forward to the day we'll fight. I can already see he'll become one of my fiercest competitors to look out for." Cynthia whispered to herself, growing more interested and this led to her deciding to keep her eye on Ash's progress as a Trainer from this day forward.
"From here I'll take my leave. Things will be busy for me. If there's a chance, I'll be there to watch your performance at the Indigo League Conference." Cynthia professed to Ash.
"Wow…you'll be watching me at the League. I'm kinda overwhelmed." Ash said with an awestruck tone.
"You leave an unforgettable impression. That makes me want to cheer for you. Aside from that, I feel a bit guilty taking this manual away from you. Here's my phone number to keep in touch with each other." Cynthia wrote her phone number on a notepad and ripped the paper off to hand it to Ash.
"Thanks, but I don't own a phone."
"That's too bad…I can send my translation progress to Professor Oak for him to relay it to you, but that leaves me dissatisfied at not being the one to personally give it to you." Cynthia held a finger to her chin while having a troubled expression.
"Guess we'll let luck decide when we'll see each other again. Take care, Cynthia."
"And good luck to you, Ash." Cynthia said to him with a wave.
Afterword:
I've been brainstorming what Ash's Paldean Pokemon he would catch or evolve be. Here's my list.
Lokix
Armarouge
Ceruledge
Scovillain
Flamigo
Cetitan
Annihilape
Klawf
Koraidon/Miraidon
That's a lot of Fire-type and Fighting-types, but Ash had three Flying-types in his Kalos team so it's fair. He doesn't have the Paldea starters since he's moved away from getting new starters during the Journey series and that leaves a lot of room for new Pokemon to be on his team. What are your thoughts?
Next chapter we get to see Arven, Penny, and Nemono at the St. Anne.
Sammy-1000:
I confirmed Cynthia in a previous chapter to be in the harem, but Giselle isn't someone I had any plans for. She had focus to recreate that gag about how she's the sole female character Ash had a crush on explicitly seen in the anime. When the heroines are reminded of this fact, it'll annoy them greatly.
RKF22:
Nah, he isn't gonna learn much from this event.
Wissper0:
That's for me to find out the longer I write.
UltimateCCC:
There's only Mina from Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee who'll make an appearance in Vermillion City. Sorry to the other characters that won't show up.
Da Lone Ranger:
Yeah, it's like a harem anime/manga/light novel series.
thanhmacu:
Oh we'll get to Mewtwo eventually and him and Ash reaching a state where they can reach a rapport for Mega Evolution.
Please leave a review or PM me for questions. They really help motivate me to write.