Chapter 042: Xiaolan's Contempt!
"Hey, hey~ Ash, Gary... you four sure talk big. Don't think you can ignore us just because you're being loud."
Xiaolan puffed her cheeks, stepping forward from the crowd with mock annoyance.
"It's impossible for the top three in this summer camp to belong to you boys, because first, second, and third place have already been claimed—by us!"
"Right, Shauna? Serena~?" Xiaolan raised her fist high, full of energy and unwillingness to lose.
"Of course! I can't wait to get Bulbasaur!" said the excitable Shauna, her Kalosian accent seeping through as she beamed with anticipation. Like her anime counterpart in Pokémon XY, Shauna here retained that same spirited charm.
Next to her, Serena then known as Ser Lena remained quiet and reserved. The shy girl with honey-blonde hair clutched her skirt, hesitant to speak. Her face turned slightly red, and even after several seconds, she couldn't piece together a complete sentence.
Ash, watching this, couldn't help but sigh. In his past life, he remembered how drastically Serena had changed in just a few years. The timid girl who once hesitated to make eye contact would, by age ten in the manga and anime, become a confident, fashion-forward Trainer with a flair for performance battling and showcases.
It was often said that "girls change at eighteen," but Serena seemed to have changed at ten. From the bashful child who couldn't speak up, she would grow into a graceful and bold Trainer who even dared to kiss Ash publicly in Pokémon XYZ's final episode an unforgettable moment in fan memory.
Yet the most incredible part was this: even after years of not seeing each other, Serena had recognized Ash immediately when she saw him on a television broadcast in the Kalos region. That recognition wasn't born out of coincidence—it was rooted in the shared experiences of this very summer camp.
Back in the present, Ash muttered, "We weren't the first to start boasting." He shifted his gaze from Serena to the group of summer camp students who had just stepped off the transport shuttle a red card gleamed on the chest of one boy, denoting that he was a top-performing student from another Kanto city.
"That guy was the first to talk big." Ash pointed discreetly toward the boy, directing the attention of Gary, Trevor, and Tierno to him.
Over the past two days, Ash had spent most of his time at Professor Oak's Laboratory. Between playing with the newly hatched Macy Object Pichu—his strange, mysterious partner and engaging with various Pokémon in the lab's large backyard, Ash hadn't had much time for anything else.
But he hadn't been idle. He studied every night using Professor Oak's old desktop computer, pulling up data from both the Kanto and Kalos Pokémon databases. He memorized matchups, studied regional Pokémon habitats, and even reviewed Gym Leader battle footage from past Indigo League and Lumiose Conference matches.
Initially, Ash had thought to spend more time bonding with Serena, as Professor Oak had suggested that connections made at summer camp often bloomed into strong rivalries or friendships in the future.
But between training, theory, and his own awkwardness around girls, that idea had quietly been shelved.
Whether it was the emotionally oblivious Ash from Pallet Town in the anime, or his past-life self who had transmigrated into this world with full memories intact, neither had ever been the kind to simper or follow girls around like lovesick puppies.
Now, with both personalities fused into one determined six-year-old, Ash was more focused than ever. Not just on becoming a Trainer, but on becoming the Trainer the true protagonist.
And for that… there could be no distractions.
Playing with a little Stephanie is not as fun as playing with Pokémon!
"Is that the student who issued the card from Red? Is he a boy or a girl?" Xiaolan asked, her expression puzzled as she looked in the direction Ash had pointed. She was seeing Xiaohao for the first time.
"Uh~" Ash's lips twitched at Xiaolan's comment. He had to suppress the urge to complain, but as a girl, Xiaolan's remark had landed an undeniable blow. It was just one of those things only a girl could point out so bluntly.
"Judging by the voice, it should be a boy," Ash replied, trying to offer some clarification.
"Oh!! But it's really strange. Why does he wear a red hairpin on his head? It looks weird. Do all the boys in the city like to dress up like that?" Xiaolan continued, clearly intrigued by the odd accessory.
"Plus, he's got the nerve to boast that he's already claimed first place in this Pokémon summer camp. That arrogant, smug attitude he's even more annoying than Gary!" Xiaolan added with a scowl.
Gary, who had been eyeing Xiaohao as well, couldn't help but feel a little defensive at her words. He smirked and leaned back, pretending to be nonchalant, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of irritation.
"Xiaolan, you little troublemaker! Who says I'm annoying? After all, it's my efforts that keep you in line!" Gary replied, pretending to be upset.
"Ah!! My mistake~ Garygiegie, you're the best!"
"Garygiegie, you're the most handsome..."
"Garygiegie, you're the best..." Xiaolan chirped playfully, her voice light and sweet as she showered Gary with praise.
"Scattering flowers!!!" She jumped around Gary energetically, making over-the-top gestures of admiration.
Gary couldn't help but roll his eyes, letting out a dramatic hum of annoyance. He folded his arms and refused to give her the satisfaction of a response.
In Pallet Town, there were plenty of kids around Gary's age, but the friends who really earned his respect were Ash and Xiaolan. Born on the same day, the same year, and the same month, Gary and Ash shared a special bond, with their mothers Delia and Mieko being sisters. This made Ash and Gary like brothers, though their dynamic was often complicated by friendly rivalry.
Xiaolan, born just one day later than the two boys, was treated like a younger sister by both. As such, Gary had always allowed her to tease him without holding a grudge. But now, her comment had made him glance back at the boy with the red card a member of the Kanto group who had just arrived—and an odd sense of distaste filled him.
"This guy thinks he can compete with me for the first place? It's like a Rattata jumping into the pond he doesn't know how deep it is," Gary sneered, his posture proud and his eyes full of disdain.
"Hey!! Gary, how did you come up with that analogy? I remember your grandfather, Professor Oak, is all about Chuanliu, right? Isn't that a form of poetry from the Neon Kingdom?" Xiaolan teased, referring to Gary's famous grandfather, Professor Oak.
Gary, slightly caught off guard, raised an eyebrow and shot her a playful glare. "It's just that you talk too much. One minute you're calling me 'Garygiegie,' and now you're back to calling me 'Gary.' Make up your mind, fickle girl," he shot back, clearly amused despite himself.
"People are fickle~!" Xiaolan chirped cheerfully.
"Garygiegie, you're the most handsome..."
"Garygiegie, you're the best..."
"Garygiegie, you're the best..."
Xiaolan skipped around Gary, continuing her playful chants, thoroughly entertained by her antics.
"Heh~ woman, I don't like you anymore," Gary muttered, crossing his arms and turning away in a mock display of indifference.
But even as he tried to act aloof, Ash couldn't help but smile at the sight. He was well-versed in the original story, and while he knew that in the future, Gary would become a confident, talented rival, the Gary that Ash knew now—his childhood friend was still a little rough around the edges.
Ash remembered how Gary had first been introduced at the age of 10. Back then, Gary had appeared on the scene with a flashy sports car, surrounded by admirers who cheered for him like Xiaolan had just done. "Gary Gary, you're the most handsome... Gary Gary, you're the best..." It had been a very different vibe, but Ash couldn't help but feel a little concerned.
This time, Ash had traveled into the past, determined to change things. He couldn't bear to see Gary waste his potential, treating his journey like some kind of vacation filled with distractions. As Professor Oak's grandson and Ash's closest rival, Gary had a legacy to live up toand Ash was going to make sure Gary did it the right way. No time for girls, no time for distractions. The only thing Gary needed was to throw the best Poké Balls and train to be the greatest.
Women, as Ash knew all too well, would only slow him down.
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