Chapter 38: Ash's Challenge
Three more days passed. Early this morning, Ryan, dressed in casual beach attire, was fishing by the sea. Charizard and the others were training with his tournament team. Lillie had also released her own Pokémon for training, allowing Charizard and the others to help teach her partners.
Charizard and the others reluctantly agreed to help train the Pokémon of Lillie, Ryan's girlfriend, and the training grounds became bustling with activity. Dragonair and Gyarados were swimming in the ocean. When they spotted wild Pokémon, they would battle and capture them if Ryan indicated they were suitable.
The Poké Balls were then placed in a nearby collection box, where they would be transported to the aquarium facility for later release to visitors. Lorelei had already returned to her Elite Four duties—after all, being one of the Elite Four meant she was constantly busy.
"Ryan, I've come to see you! Come and battle me!" a passionate voice called out.
Ryan turned around and saw Ash, Brock, and Misty approaching him. Ryan said with mild irritation, "Ash, you're really slow. I've been back for almost two weeks, and you're only showing up now."
"Hehe, I had all sorts of things to take care of," Ash said, scratching his head with an embarrassed smile.
"Um, excuse me. You're Ryan, right? Can visitors really catch any Pokémon here?" Misty asked, holding Togepi carefully.
"There are conditions," Ryan said, holding up two fingers. "First, you need enough money to pay for the Pokémon, and second, the Pokémon must be willing to go with you. Meet both conditions, and you can take the Pokémon."
"Excellent! As someone who aspires to become a Water Pokémon Master, I should be able to connect with Water-types easily." With that, she bid farewell to Ryan and headed toward the aquarium.
Ryan then said to Ash: "By the way, shouldn't you be doing intensive training? The Indigo League starts soon. If you don't use this time to train properly, you might get eliminated early."
"That's exactly why I came to challenge you," Ash said seriously. "Real battles are the best training!"
Ryan sighed in exasperation, "Don't battle me first—defeat Lillie first, then challenge me."
Lillie heard the commotion and came over, saying, "Hello, I'm Lillie. Are you Ash and Brock that Ryan mentioned? Want to battle me? I'm also entering the League tournament."
"Sure, I'd love to!" Ash said enthusiastically. "Let's battle! Pikachu, I'm counting on you!"
Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder, called out to Lillie a few times, and gestured for her to bring out her Pokémon. Lillie smiled and said, "I have an Electric-type too, but since Pikachu is your starter, I'll use Clefairy, come here!"
Clefairy heard this and trotted over, stopping in the middle of the field and staring at the Pikachu across from it. Brock walked over and said, "I'll act as referee then."
"Alright! I'll go first. Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash took the initiative, thinking to himself that this Clefairy seemed different from Brock's.
"Clefairy, Ice Beam," Lillie commanded.
Ever since he had started dating Lillie, Ryan hadn't held back in training her Pokémon. He had taught them numerous moves from his extensive repertoire. While not comprehensive, he had certainly expanded their movesets significantly.
Pikachu's Thunderbolt and Clefairy's Ice Beam collided mid-air, canceling each other out with a loud explosion. Ash immediately called out, "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"
"Clefairy, counter with your own Quick Attack," Lillie responded.
Pikachu charged forward quickly, colliding with Clefairy. But then, Clefairy's attack landed first, sending Pikachu flying. Small electric sparks danced across Clefairy's body—it had been paralyzed by Pikachu's static ability!
Ryan glanced back and saw this, knowing it was bad news. Status conditions always marked turning points in battles. Lillie, who had been evenly matched with Ash, was now in a precarious position.
Aware of the situation, Lillie frowned and said, "Clefairy, are you okay? Use Blizzard!"
"Perfect opening! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash saw Clefairy was paralyzed and immediately recognized his chance. He mercilessly attacked with a powerful electric assault.
Clefairy cried out in pain, clearly near its limit. "Pikachu, finish with Thunder!" Ash called out relentlessly.
The paralyzed Clefairy couldn't react in time, and Pikachu's Thunder attack knocked it unconscious.
"Clefairy is unable to battle! Pikachu wins, so the victor is Ash!" Brock announced.
"Clefairy!" Lillie called out in distress, picking up her fallen partner and beginning to tend to it. Ash said proudly, "So, Ryan, it's time to battle me now, right?"
"Mewtwo, give him some practice," Ryan said without even turning his head, continuing to fish.
"Hey, Ryan, you're looking down on me too much!" Ash said angrily.
Brock watched the approaching Mewtwo, his expression growing serious. "Be careful, Ash. That Pokémon isn't ordinary."
"Ash, you're still too inexperienced. You have tremendous potential, but it's undeveloped. Get past Mewtwo first. Use all six of your Pokémon, and talk to me after you've won," Ryan said calmly.
Ryan had learned from various sources that Ash was destined for greatness and would eventually become a formidable trainer. He believed in that potential, but he also knew that was still in the future. Right now, there was no reason to go easy on him.
"Fine! I'll defeat your Pokémon and show you what I can do!" Ash, now fired up, said defiantly. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu immediately launched a Thunderbolt at Mewtwo. Mewtwo casually waved its hand, redirecting the attack and sending it back toward Pikachu. Then, with a surge of psychic power, it lifted Pikachu and gently tossed it into the sea to cool down.
"Pikachu! Damn! What an incredible Pokémon!" Ash cried out anxiously, pulling out his Pokédex to scan it, but no information appeared.
"I can't believe you're that strong! Go, Pidgeot!" Ash said stubbornly, watching Pikachu emerge from the water.
But reality was harsh. Pidgeot couldn't withstand even one attack from Mewtwo, and the same fate befell Bulbasaur and Squirtle. Ash then pinned his hopes on Charizard, but just like in previous encounters, Charizard disobeyed orders and lazily lounged on the beach, basking in the sun with no interest in fighting.
Mewtwo shook its head dismissively, ignoring both Charizard and Ash, and returned to the training group to resume its own exercises. Ash fell to his knees, saying, "Am I really that weak?"
"Only by recognizing your weaknesses can you become strong," Ryan said, walking over to Ash. "I used to be just like you, only slightly better. I called it confidence, but it was actually arrogance. It was Champion Steven who opened my eyes and taught me there's always someone stronger. Ash, you have incredible potential—don't waste it. I'm still waiting for you to challenge me as a true rival on the path to becoming a Pokémon Master."
"Don't count on it! The title of Pokémon Master will be mine!" Ash instantly revived, speaking with renewed enthusiasm.
"Then make a promise with me," Ryan said, extending his right hand. "The title of Pokémon Master will be decided between us."
"You're on!" Ash declared.
Their hands clasped together, sealing their rivalry!
(End of Chapter)
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