"Detective Eye."
It truly was a close battle.
Under Sam's Detective Eye, the strength of both Pikachu and Eevee became instantly clear in his mind.
Both Pokémon were Elite-level beginners.
The battle between Gary and Ash quickly attracted the attention of nearby beachgoers. Pokémon battles were nothing unusual, but a Pikachu versus Eevee matchup was rare enough to spark widespread curiosity.
Spectators gathered one after another, eager to see how this unique battle would unfold.
As more eyes turned toward the battlefield, Ash began to feel nervous.
"Hmph," Gary sneered when he noticed. "Ash, I didn't expect you to get nervous too. Don't worry—the battle will be over soon."
"Idiot!" Ash snapped back. "I'm not nervous—I'm just excited!"
To stop the two from continuing their argument, Professor Oak decisively announced the start of the match.
"Battle—begin!"
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
Ash opened with a powerful attack, exactly as he always did. His battle style hadn't changed at all.
Even Sam, who hadn't traveled with Ash for long, could see through this tactic easily. How could Gary, who had grown up alongside Ash, possibly fall for it?
"Eevee, Dig!"
Gary countered immediately.
Compared to Gary, Ash was still a step behind.
Pikachu's fully powered Thunderbolt didn't even graze Eevee. In the blink of an eye, Eevee vanished underground, completely disappearing from sight.
The balance of victory began to tilt toward Gary.
"Pikachu, watch out for attacks from underground!"
Ash had clearly grown since the start of his journey. Even in a disadvantageous situation, he remained calm and issued clear commands.
A Trainer's mental state directly affected their Pokémon. Under Ash's steady guidance, Pikachu quickly calmed down. Its ears twitched constantly as it focused on sensing Eevee's position beneath the sand.
—Behind you!
At the critical moment, Pikachu detected Eevee's location and narrowly avoided the sudden Dig attack.
Seeing Ash successfully evade Eevee's strike, Gary was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected the Ash he once thought foolish to improve so rapidly.
The contempt in his heart vanished.
Gary's expression turned serious.
This was a battle he had to win.
He always talked about challenging Sam, but if he couldn't even defeat Ash, he would become a complete joke.
Once Gary became serious, the battle instantly escalated.
Despite their small size, Pikachu and Eevee unleashed astonishing power. The intensity of their clash shocked everyone watching.
The spectators stared in disbelief.
They had never imagined that Pikachu and Eevee could fight at such a level.
Some people even began to think—
Maybe I should raise a Pikachu or Eevee too?
The outstanding performance of Ash's Pikachu and Gary's Eevee gave the crowd a dangerous illusion.
Fortunately, it was probably just a passing thought. After all, not every Pikachu was Pikachu, and not every Eevee could fight toe-to-toe with one.
"Let's decide this with the next move, Ash," Gary said.
"Yeah," Ash replied. "Let's finish it."
The battle had dragged on for quite some time. Both Pikachu and Eevee were panting heavily.
The next exchange would decide everything.
"Pikachu—Thunderbolt!"
"Eevee—Shadow Ball!"
Lightning and shadow collided head-on.
The moment Thunderbolt slammed into Shadow Ball, a violent explosion erupted, sending sand and dust flying and completely obscuring the battlefield.
For a few tense seconds, no one could see what had happened.
As the dust slowly settled, the result finally became clear.
"Both Pokémon are unable to battle!" Professor Oak announced.
"The match is a draw!"
"A draw…" Gary sighed, shaking his head as he accepted the result.
He recalled Eevee, gently speaking as he did so. "You did great, Eevee. Thank you."
Although he hadn't won, Gary didn't blame Eevee at all. He could tell that Eevee had fought with everything it had.
The reason it didn't win wasn't a lack of effort—it was because Ash had grown stronger.
A sense of urgency quietly took root in Gary's heart.
If he didn't work harder, Ash would catch up to him sooner or later.
"Are you okay, Pikachu?" Ash asked anxiously, holding his partner.
Under Ash's worried voice, Pikachu slowly opened its eyes.
"Pika…"
It seemed that Pikachu was simply exhausted rather than seriously injured.
After watching such an intense battle, hunger crept in without anyone noticing.
"There's grilled corn over there!!!"
Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.
In an instant, the spectators surged toward Brock's barbecue stall.
The grilled corn was cheap, fragrant, and delicious. Word spread quickly from person to person, and soon nearly all nearby tourists gathered around.
A long line formed in front of the stall as customers eagerly bought roasted corn.
For the three part-timers still working hard, this sudden popularity was an unexpected—but very welcome—surprise.
(Only one chapter today)
-----------Author---------------
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