Ash was still talking when a sudden splash hit him square in the face. He jerked upright from the beach, water dripping from his hair, and glared at the culprit.
Misty stuck out her tongue at him. "Pfft! Who told you to just lie there all day? It's boring to come to the beach and not play in the water!"
"Oh, you dare to splash me? Just you wait!"
"Come and catch me, then!" Misty made another face, turned around, and wiggled her hips playfully as she ran off.
"Brock, give me the Water Gun!" Ash yelled, grabbing for the toy in Brock's hand. Brock, too distracted by a group of bikini-clad older women nearby, handed it over without a second thought.
Ash charged forward. His physique and stamina were on a completely different level from Misty's. In no time, he caught up to her and tackled her into the sand.
Misty froze. Her eyes widened as her mind ran wild. What was Ash doing? Had he finally lost control of himself after seeing her in a swimsuit?
Before she could react, a light blue muzzle appeared right in front of her forehead. Misty blinked in confusion, then;
A powerful stream of water hit her face, soaking her from head to toe.
"Let's see how you escape now!" Ash laughed, relentlessly spraying Misty's face with the Water Gun.
Not far away, Chloe watched the scene unfold, her expression shifting from shock to disbelief to quiet laughter.
Ash really hadn't changed at all.
She had thought that after traveling for a while, he might have matured a little, but no. He was exactly the same as when he was eight.
"Ash!" Misty roared, her voice echoing like an enraged Gyarados. She wiped the water from her face, her eyes blazing.
But Ash had already bolted down the beach. He even turned back and made a funny face at her before running off again.
Misty fumed. She grabbed the Water Gun to chase after him, but he was too fast, leaving her sputtering in frustration.
The laughter of their friends mixed with the sound of the waves. Before long, the whole morning had flown by, and everyone's stomachs were rumbling.
They found a nearby restaurant for lunch. After eating, they decided to look for Professor Oak and Delia. Both had said they would come to the resort today, but they hadn't seen them on the beach at all.
Now the afternoon sun was blazing overhead. Even with umbrellas and sunscreen, the heat was unbearable. Misty and Chloe were already starting to wilt under the sun, their fair skin flushed pink.
If they got tanned, it would be a disaster.
So they agreed that if they couldn't find Professor Oak and Delia soon, they would find a shaded spot to rest and look again later when the sun wasn't as harsh.
It was troublesome not having a proper way to contact people. Word was that the Pokémon League was developing mobile phones, which would be available soon, making communication much easier during travel.
About thirty minutes later, it was two in the afternoon, and both girls looked tired and listless.
"Ash, are you sure Professor Oak said he was coming today?"
"Yeah," Ash replied, scratching his head. "He said he left Pallet Town this morning and drove here. They should've arrived by now."
Didn't they come to the resort to play on the beach? If they were exploring inside the resort, it would be harder to find them.
"Can't you use your Aura to find them? Your Aura should cover about fifty miles, right?" Koharu asked.
"But I never recorded my mom's or Professor Oak's Aura," Ash admitted awkwardly.
He had only gained his Aura powers after beginning his journey. Back then, how could he have thought to record Delia's or Professor Oak's Aura?
Aura was fine for detecting terrain or Pokémon, but identifying humans was difficult unless you had already memorized their unique Aura signature. Otherwise, you could only sense faint life energy, not detailed forms.
As the group discussed this, they suddenly noticed a crowd of people jogging toward the right side of the beach. Confused, they stopped to listen.
"I heard there's a battle going on at the Battle Arena!"
"Yeah, some young kid's already won five matches in a row! If he reaches ten straight wins, he'll win a special prize from the resort. Supposedly, it's a very beautiful Orb."
"An Orb? That must be valuable. But ten consecutive wins sound tough."
"Of course it's tough. Otherwise, would the resort offer something so rare? It's just a way to attract attention."
"Do you know who the kid is?"
"Apparently he's a famous up-and-coming Trainer named Gary. They say he's already earned three Gym Badges within a month of starting his journey. Pretty impressive for a rookie."
A rising star Trainer. Gary.
The moment Ash heard the name, his eyes lit up.
He already knew Gary had set off on his journey and was heading toward Vermilion City to challenge the Gym there. He had been wondering if they would run into each other, but he hadn't expected it to happen here at the resort.
And now Gary was battling again, racking up wins and showing off in public.
A prize? An Orb? Whatever. Just hearing Gary's name was enough to get on his nerves.
Three Gym Badges in a month? Big deal. He also had three Badges, so why was everyone calling Gary a "rising star" while no one mentioned him?
Ash clenched his fists. He greeted his friends quickly, then sprinted toward the direction of the crowd.
Before leaving, he told Misty and Chloe to rest if they were tired, but there was no way he could miss Gary's battle.
Misty sighed as she watched him go. "That boy never changes."
Still, curiosity won out. She wanted to see what kind of person this "Gary" was, the rival Ash spoke of so often and so passionately.
So, the four of them followed him to the arena.
"Growlithe, Flamethrower!"
"Woof!"
A burst of searing flame shot from Growlithe's mouth, engulfing the Sandshrew on the opposite side of the field. The fire blazed intensely, leaving the Sandshrew scorched.
Gary stood with his arms folded, a confident smile on his face. "Is that all you've got? Ten straight wins are too easy. I do not even need the last match. Just hand me the prize already."
"Gary, Gary is great! Gary, Gary is handsome!"
A row of pretty girls in cheerleader outfits chanted behind him, pom-poms flashing in the sun.
Not far away, Professor Oak, in beach shorts and a floral shirt, covered his face as if he could not bear to watch. Delia, in a swimsuit with a white long-sleeved cover-up, hid a small laugh behind her hand.
Gary's performance was the picture of youthful bravado. He was arrogant, yes, but he had the strength to back it up. Even so, what really made Professor Oak wince was that cheer squad trailing his grandson everywhere. He wondered how Gary could stand those embarrassing cheers in public.
"There is one more challenger. Who wants it? Hurry up. I want my prize."
"I will."
A figure burst from the crowd, spun in a full aerial flip, and landed neatly in the trainer's box opposite Gary.
Heads turned at once. Gary's mouth twitched. He had worked hard to steal the spotlight, and this showy newcomer had snatched it in a heartbeat. Who was this clown?
Then he got a clear look and his expression changed.
"Ash?!"
"That is right, it is me." Ash rose from his half-crouch, tipped his cap with one hand, and grinned. "Long time no see, Gary. I did not expect you to be battling here. You did not even tell me you were coming. What is wrong? Afraid I would beat you and steal your strongest-rookie title?"
On the way over, Ash had thought up several flashy entrances to outshine Gary. In the end, he went with what he did best: a crisp 360 flip and a clean landing. It worked. Every eye in the arena was on him. For this moment, he was the coolest person in the place.
"Heh. Since when did the clueless, good-for-nothing Ash start talking big?" Gary shot back. "I crushed you on the theory exams in Pallet Town. All you have ever had is raw athleticism."
In the old days, Gary would have flattened Ash in any war of words. But things had changed. Under the guidance of real experts, Ash's knowledge, strength, and even his tongue had sharpened. One month was short, but compared to before, he was a different person.
"Enough talk. I am your tenth opponent. What are the rules, one-on-one or multiple?" Ash lifted his chin, meeting Gary's stare. Whatever manners he had picked up over the past month evaporated in the face of this rival. He remembered Gary's old taunts and felt only one thing: get him.
"Looks like a month on the road gave you some strange confidence." Gary recalled Growlithe, then raised his own chin and drew a new Poké Ball. "One-on-one. I am the challenger, so I send first. Ash, you will be the last stepping stone to my ten straight wins. Go, my darling."
He kissed the Poké Ball and threw it. It arced through the air, burst open in a flash, and a dark blue, turtle-like Pokémon landed on the field.
A sturdy shell, small fangs, wing-like ears, and a wave-shaped tail. Squirtle's evolution, Wartortle.
Ash's eyes narrowed. "So your starter was Squirtle."
Gary might talk big, but he was never careless against Ash. He had sent his strongest partner to finish the streak, and this Wartortle was clearly his current ace.
Generally speaking, a Trainer's ace Pokémon is usually their starter, especially in the early stages of a journey.
The starter is the one that stays by the Trainer's side the longest, receiving the most care, training, and attention. Over time, that bond can push the Pokémon to surpass even its natural limits. There have been rare cases where Pokémon with low growth potential became top-tier simply through the strength of their connection with their Trainer.
However, those are exceptional cases. Very few Trainers in the world possess such a powerful bond.
In short, for a new Trainer like Gary, who had only been traveling for a month, his ace would almost certainly be his starter Pokémon—just as Pikachu was Ash's.
No matter how far Pikachu would grow in the future, right now, he was undeniably Ash's strongest partner.
Ash glanced at Wartortle's data.
Level: Advanced Peak.
Ability: Torrent.
Except for Speed and Attack, all its stats were rated A, and even those two had B potential.
Ash's brows twitched slightly. 'Was Professor Oak giving him special treatment?'
A Wartortle with that kind of potential was one in ten thousand among its species. How on earth had Gary managed to get it?
Then again… his own Pikachu had six A-rank stats. If anyone was being favored, it was probably him.
Gary smirked, seeing Ash's expression. "What's the matter? Intimidated by my Wartortle's heroic presence? Let me tell you, Wartortle's my starter Pokémon. How about we make this a showdown between starters? Your partner should be that little mutt at your feet, right?"
He tilted his chin toward Pikachu.
Pikachu blinked. "Pika?"
Then his ears twitched. "Pika pika!!"
For Pikachu, this was his first time meeting Gary. He didn't know much about him, but he knew one thing: Gary's words had just insulted his pride, and his Trainer's.
Fine then. He had planned to fight normally, but after that, there was no holding back.
Partner Form, activated!
Ash could almost hear the sparks snapping off Pikachu's tail. His mouth twitched, and he looked at Gary with an expression that could only be described as pity.
'You have no idea what you've just done, Gary.'
A normal Pikachu might have had an even match with Wartortle. But once Pikachu entered Partner Form… Ash honestly didn't know how Gary could possibly win.