The sun drifted lower in the sky, painting the fields in orange and gold. The picnic was nearly finished—pie plates empty, lemonade gone, and a few rogue cookie crumbs claimed by passing Pidgey.
But the kids still had energy.
Too much.
"I'm bored," Ash announced, arms stretched behind his head as he flopped onto the grass.
"You're always bored," Gary said with a smirk. "Because your brain's too small to entertain itself."
"Oh yeah?" Ash shot back. "Then let's play a game! I bet I'll win."
Red, sitting beside a stick-drawn map in the dirt, looked up. "What game?"
Aiden glanced around. He knew what came next—not because he remembered it from before, but because it felt familiar.
"Let's play Pokémon League," he suggested quietly.
All eyes turned to him.
Daisy perked up. "Like pretend to be Trainers and Gym Leaders?"
"Exactly," he nodded. "One of us can be a Champion. The rest are Gym Leaders or wild Pokémon. We battle for badges. Winner gets to challenge the Champion."
Ash lit up like a Litwick.
"I call Champion!" he shouted, standing tall.
"Not a chance," Blue snapped. "You're the Champion of falling on your face."
"Rock-Paper-Scissors, then!" Ash challenged.
The twins squared off.
Red shook his head and sat beside Aiden. "They're both gonna cheat."
"I know," he grinned. "That's why I'm going to win."
⸻
Soon, roles were set.
• Ash won the Champion spot after four suspicious rounds of tie-breakers.
• Blue became the final Gym Leader.
• Red was a mysterious wild Pokémon with "Elite Four" status.
• Gary picked "Bug Catcher Gary" and wore leaves on his head.
• Daisy was a Fairy-type Gym Leader who demanded players bring her flowers to battle.
• Aiden started as a beginner Trainer… on a mission.
He had to collect all five "badges"—leaf tokens and flower petals—by battling everyone.
⸻
The field became a battlefield of imagination.
Blue summoned invisible Gyarados using sweeping arm motions. Daisy created "status conditions" by singing. Gary threw acorns like Poké Balls. Red didn't speak—he just "teleported" behind people using quick steps and poked them to "faint" them.
And Aiden?
He played it smart. Observed their "moves." Predicted them like he'd seen in every anime battle. He challenged Gary first, then Daisy, then Blue.
Red met him near the big oak tree.
"You figured out my 'teleport' trick," Red said.
"You always blink before you move," Aiden replied with a grin.
Red paused, then smiled slightly. "You're good."
They clashed with imaginary moves—Red using "Shadow Strike," Aiden countering with "Wind Slash."
When the pretend dust cleared, Red tapped his shoulder.
"You win."
⸻
Only Ash remained.
The Champion stood proudly on top of a picnic table, arms crossed like a caped hero.
"You made it all the way here?" Ash grinned. "Then let's have a real battle!"
They both crouched into ready stances.
"Three moves each!" Ash declared. "No mercy!"
"Fine by me," Aiden smirked.
They clashed like titans.
"Flame Burst!"
"Water Jet!"
"Hyper Dash!"
Everyone watched, cheering and laughing. In the end, Ash took a dramatic fall into a pile of picnic blankets.
"I… I lost?" he gasped.
Aiden stepped forward and helped him up. "You did great. But I'll be Champion someday too."
Ash grinned through the "defeat." "Then we'll battle again—one day. For real."
⸻
The sun finally dipped below the trees. The game ended. The wind grew cooler. The children returned to their parents, breathless and happy.
Delia brushed the dirt off Ash and Red's clothes, smiling despite herself. Aira wrapped Aiden in a warm towel. Rento packed up the last of the food.
And as they walked back toward Pallet Town, Aiden looked over his shoulder one last time.
The field was empty now. But in his heart, he could still hear their laughter.
One day, they'd all stand on real battlefields. Wearing badges and bearing legends.
But today?
They were just kids. Dreaming. Pretending.
And building the bonds that would change the world.