Afternoon.
After a delicious lunch, Silas and Suzie headed over to the Pokémon Center.
"Nurse Joy." Silas walked up to the counter and handed over his Pokédex. "I'd like to draw for tomorrow's opponent."
"One moment, please." Nurse Joy took the Pokédex, slotted it into her computer, and began typing away. In moments, she handed it back with a professional smile. "Your match tomorrow will be on the water field, starting at 9 a.m., and your opponent is Gary Oak from Pallet Town!"
Gary?!
No way, talk about luck of the draw!
Silas blinked, then gave a helpless laugh. He hadn't expected to bump into Gary as early as the round of 128.
Lost in thought, Silas almost didn't hear Nurse Joy calling his name several times. It wasn't until Suzie nudged him that he snapped out of it and apologized with an embarrassed smile, "Sorry, I spaced out for a second."
"No problem at all!" Nurse Joy shook her head, still smiling warmly. "Please keep your Pokédex safe."
"Thank you." Silas took back his Pokédex and left with Suzie.
Once outside, Suzie shot Silas a worried look. "You okay, Silas?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Silas gave her a strange look, and then shrugged. "It's just a match. It's not like I have to kill him personally. If anything, I wanted to teach Gary a lesson—taking his fancy car on a 'Pokémon journey' isn't real training, it's just sightseeing."
His tone seemed casual, but Suzie could hear his disappointment between the words. She silently prayed Gary wouldn't get totally crushed tomorrow.
Just as Suzie was praying, Silas's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and waved the phone at Suzie, smirking, "Speak of the devil, right?"
"Gary?" Suzie guessed.
"Yeah." Silas nodded and picked up, "Hey."
"Bro." Gary's frustrated voice came through, heavy with gloom, "I'm at the Indigo Hotel, top VIP suite with Grandpa—can you come over?"
"Grandpa's here?" Silas raised an eyebrow.
"Don't ask me." Gary grumbled, then went on, sounding even more depressed, "After my match and the draw this morning, Grandpa dragged me over. Just come, okay?"
"Ten minutes."
...
Ten minutes later.
Indigo Hotel, VIP Suite #1!
As soon as he opened the door, Silas saw Professor Oak sitting inside with a very sullen Gary.
"Hey, Grandpa." *2
Silas and Suzie both greeted him, earning a gentle smile as Professor Oak motioned for them to sit. "Come on in, sit down! Are you hungry? Want me to get you something to eat?"
"No need." Silas politely turned down his grandpa's offer, then asked in confusion, "Why are you here? Didn't you say you wouldn't show until the finals?"
"Two reasons." Professor Oak's face turned serious. Then, turning to Gary, he sighed apologetically, "Gary, I want to tell you up front—your match with Silas tomorrow? I arranged it!"
"What?!" Gary's eyes nearly popped out. He blurted, "Why?! Why'd you set me up to face Big Bro?"
Silas narrowed his eyes. He'd thought it odd anyway—the League usually avoids matching strong rivals this early. Why meet Gary at top 128? But he wasn't as riled up; he trusted that Grandpa had a good reason for all this.
"To protect you!"
Just as expected, Professor Oak's next words made both Silas and Gary stiffen. He continued, "Because of some stuff going on this year, some of the contestants in the Indigo League are top Trainers from other regions and major families. These guys are ruthless, Gary. You're not ready. It's better for you to bow out now—otherwise something bad could happen!"
"What makes you so sure I can't handle it?" Gary shot back, unwilling to accept that.
"Elite Four! Champions!" Professor Oak didn't mince words, giving Gary a pointed look. "Making top 128 or 64 is one thing, but once you hit top 32, you're bound to run into Elite Four-level Trainers. Do you really think you're ready for that? And even if you could handle an Elite, could you hang with Champion-tier Trainers? Some families are so dead-set on winning that they handed Champion-level Pokémon to their candidates!"
Champion level!
Those two words hit Gary like a ton of bricks, draining the color from his face. He stammered, "N-no way. How can they allow Champion-tier Pokémon in a regular Indigo League?!"
"Because of Silas." Professor Oak sighed, exasperated. "The League old guard is desperate to stop your brother from winning the title. They put out a bounty—whoever takes this year's Indigo trophy gets rewarded with three Kanto guardian deities and a shot at the Champion seat!"
This made Gary and Suzie both gawk in shock. That was a prize big enough to make anyone go crazy—even Silas sucked in his breath.
After the shock, Gary slumped, lost. "I get it."
"Don't take it so hard." Professor Oak's voice softened. Gary was still his grandson, after all. "You're one of the best of your generation. If this year's lineup didn't have so many ringers, you could've faced Silas in the finals."
"Yeah…" Gary's smile was forced, his energy drained. He forced a laugh for Professor Oak and Silas, "Bro, Grandpa, you guys talk. I need to walk this off, okay?"
"Go ahead." Professor Oak nodded.
But as Gary was about to leave, Silas called after him. "Gary, we're brothers. I'm not gonna apologize. Like I always said—anything but girls and Pokémon, we can share. This time, just watch me take the Champion's trophy and I'll give it to you to use as a chamber pot!"
Crude, but for Gary it broke the spell; he paused—and faced Silas, "Bro, can you go all out against me tomorrow? I want to know just how big the gap between us is."
"Even if it crushes you?"
"Even if it crushes me!"
"Deal!"
...
Next morning.
8:30 a.m.!
Silas and Gary met outside the Indigo stadium.
Gary was nothing like the gloomy kid he'd been yesterday. He looked determined, every bit a soldier marching to the front—a real 'once more unto the breach' air about him. Silas couldn't help but laugh, "Are you going to battle me or off to your doom?"
"To my doom!" Gary shot back, putting on a tragic face. "You're gonna three–nothing me for sure. But if my Pokémon are gonna lose, I'll be damned if I lose my spirit as well!"
"…." Silas was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected Gary to be this much of a clown. He thought for a moment before solemnly muttering, "Good luck."
"I'll need it!" Gary replied, still playing it up.
He was about to continue when a familiar shout echoed: "Silas! Gary!"
The three of them—Suzie, Silas, Gary—turned to see Ash sprinting over, only to trip and faceplant right at their feet.
'Thud!'
The impact made all three wince instinctively, but Ash just bounced up without missing a beat, blurting, "Silas! Gary! You guys matched up for real?"
"Yup." Silas nodded, smiling. "Ran right into each other."
"Wow…" Ash's eyes bugged out, then he shot Gary a sympathetic look. "Gary, you may be full of yourself, but I've seen your skills—you're way better than top 128. Just bad luck running into your bro. Don't worry, I promise I'll do my best for both of us!"
"Scram!" Gary's face darkened instantly. Of all people, getting sympathy from his old childhood rival, Ash, was the worst. "Don't start feeling smug yet. Even if you make top sixty-four, you're not touching thirty-two! I'm just leaving a day earlier than you!"
"That's rich!" Ash shot back, proud as ever. "Yesterday's win was a total blowout. There's no way I'm bowing out that soon! Top eight, here I come!"
Top eight…
Gary just gave a wry smile. Silas was poker-faced, while Suzie tossed Ash a pitying glance—because tomorrow, Ash was bound to get knocked out as well. Professor Oak had already decided: anyone from Pallet Town beside Silas gets cut at top sixty-four, just to avoid a real disaster.
Soon enough, it was 8:50!
Gary took the field first, and as Silas was about to follow, Suzie pulled him aside with a hesitant question. "You're not planning to go easy… are you?"
"No." Silas shook his head, eyes steely with resolve. "Not only am I not going easy, I'm going all out this time!"
All out?!
Suzie's eyes widened. After all their time together, she knew just how deep Silas's power ran—a bottomless abyss, impossible for anyone else to touch. Not holding back was scary enough, but going all out was downright terrifying!
...
Water Field.
Just as the name suggests, this battlefield was mostly water, with only a few floating ice platforms breaking the surface.
After both brothers reached their platforms, the commentator bounded on stage—and to Silas's surprise, it was the same guy from yesterday. He grabbed the mic and bellowed: "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Indigo Plateau second round—on the Water Field!"
"Let me tell you, today's opening match is a special one!"
"First—both contestants in today's first Water Field match hail from right here in Kanto, from Pallet Town!"
"Second—their names: Silas Oak and Gary Oak!"
"Finally—they're twins, and both grandsons of none other than our very own Professor Oak!"
The commentator had the crowd whipped into a frenzy!
"Damn, can it get any better? The first match is a rivalry battle—and the grandsons of Professor Oak!"
"Yeah! And both earned their badges too—eight apiece. No wonder they're in Indigo League!"
"Hold up… Silas Oak—that's the guy who broke Lance's speed record yesterday, right? Kanto's Hope, Future Champion!"
Everyone was buzzing, and the commentator kept hyping it up.
"Folks! I'm sure plenty of you saw the grass field matches yesterday—Silas Oak's power is no joke! He's our rising star, maybe the next Champion! Not to mention, Gary's no slouch either! No, he's not as dazzling as his bro, but he still stomped his opponent three–nil yesterday!"
"So let's see what kind of fireworks these brothers can set off!"
Thanks to the commentator's antics, the crowd's excitement was through the roof—everyone shouting for the match to start. The refs came out, stood between the brothers, raised their flags, and called out, "Battle rules are three-on-three—both sides can freely switch Pokémon until one Trainer's Pokémon are all down. Clear?"
"Okay!" Silas and Gary both flashed a thumbs up.
"Then… let's battle!"
The instant both nodded, the ref gave a sharp wave and hustled from the stage.
Once the ref was gone, Silas and Gary each pulled out a Poké Ball or Master Ball.
"Blastoise!"
"Mewtwo!"
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