Facing Lt. Surge's taunts, Ash, already a little angry, shot back, "First, I'm Ten years old! Second, why are you looking down on my Pikachu?!"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu, who had been insulted for not even evolving yet, was even more furious. He hadn't even entered battle and was already being underestimated. Totally unacceptable!
"Heh, a Pokémon that hasn't even evolved? If that's not a kid, then what is?" Lt. Surge sneered. "And besides Pikachu, you're carrying around a baby Pokémon too. Gym battles aren't child's play. I've crushed plenty of rookies like you. If you don't want to get hurt, you'd better leave now, got it?"
His words also revealed his identity.
He was Lt. Surge, the Gym Leader of Vermilion City Gym!
Now, to be fair, Lt. Surge was harsh, but he always made things clear before a battle. If the challenger still insisted on fighting, he wouldn't hold back in the least.
Even so, Ash couldn't accept that kind of arrogance.
Every Gym he'd challenged so far, whether Misty's or Brock's, had given him the impression of what a real Gym Leader should be. But this man in front of him? He didn't seem like a leader at all, more like a fighter desperate for thrills.
What he wanted wasn't a fair Gym battle, but just a fight that satisfied himself.
"Whether a Pokémon evolves or not isn't how you judge its strength… I'm Ash, a Trainer from Pallet Town! And I challenge Lt. Surge, Gym Leader of Vermilion City!" Ash declared, taking a bold step forward.
Win or lose, he couldn't let his spirit falter. If his opponent wanted to keep calling him a kid, then the best counterattack was to stand tall as a challenger and declare war head-on!
Hearing Ash's words, Lt. Surge's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He clenched his huge fists, a grin tugging at his lips. "Heh… interesting. You're a little different from the rest. Come on in."
With that, Lt. Surge turned and walked deeper into the Gym.
Misty, still shaken, trailed nervously behind Ash. Surge's overbearing presence just now had rattled her badly. The thought of being grabbed by such a towering man sent goosebumps across her skin. Thankfully, Ash had stepped up to shield her.
As they entered, the dim Gym suddenly lit up. The battlefield stretched out before them, standard layout, but scarred with burn marks and scorch trails that looked all too fresh.
Standing tall in the arena, Lt. Surge looked down at Ash. "So, kid, how long have you been on the road, and how many badges you got?"
"One month. Two badges."
"Two in a month? Ha! Must've been from some third-rate Gyms." Surge's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Can't imagine what kind of Gym would hand out badges to some rookie who hasn't even been training for a month. Gyms these days are pathetic, handing out badges just to fill quotas."
The implication was obvious: if Ash had two badges already, then Brock's and Misty's Gyms were nothing but third-rate.
"Why, that!" Brock's already tanned face darkened further. No Gym Leader would stay calm hearing their own Gym mocked like that, especially right in front of them!
Misty nearly exploded too, her lips twitching with rage as she fought back the urge to curse. But Ash, anticipating her reaction, quickly pulled her back. "Don't lose your cool, Misty. Let him run his mouth a bit longer. He'll find out soon enough which Gym is really 'third-rate.'"
With that, Ash strode onto the battlefield and said coldly, "Enough talk. What level of challenge are you giving me?"
"First, show me proof of your debut and those two badges," Lt. Surge demanded.
Ash immediately pulled out his Pokédex, flipped it open to his Trainer profile, and held it up. The Pokédex clearly displayed his start date as a Trainer. For Trainers without a Pokédex, the Pokémon League issued a debut certificate along with their first Pokémon.
This rule wasn't just for record-keeping, it let Gym Leaders fairly set the difficulty of a battle. After all, plenty of people in the world tried to cheat the system, claiming they were "new" just to get easier Gym matches.
But if they were caught lying? They'd be blacklisted across every Gym, and every future challenge would be set to the highest difficulty, no exceptions.
With official proof, almost no one dared fake their debut.
Lt. Surge checked Ash's profile and the two badges clipped inside his case. His expression tightened slightly. After a pause, he finally said, "Hmph. So it's true. You've only been on the road a month, but you already have two badges. Fine. I'll put you down for a medium-difficulty battle."
He cracked a grin. "If you can't even pass that, then you never should've gotten a badge in the first place."
"Highest difficulty."
Lt. Surge blinked. "What?"
"I said I want to challenge the highest difficulty!" Ash declared, his voice echoing across the Gym. "Isn't your strongest Pokémon Raichu? Then do you dare, let your Raichu fight my Pikachu one-on-one?!"
Normally, Gym matches were at least two-on-two or more. That way, a challenger's skill could be tested through switching, match-ups, and tactical variety.
Even Misty's earlier one-on-three battle had been the Gym Leader's choice, balancing the fight based on the challenger's strength.
Ash's request, then, wasn't actually the official "highest difficulty." If it were, he'd have to face two or more of Lt. Surge's toughest Pokémon. Instead, he was twisting the challenge rules: by provoking Surge into a one-on-one, Ash forced him to use only Raichu against Pikachu.
He knew that if Surge used two Pokémon, Pikachu probably couldn't win. But in a one-on-one, Pikachu had a fighting chance.
Lt. Surge stared at him as though Ash had just declared he could punch a Gyarados into orbit. His smirk widened. "Kid… do you even know what level my Raichu is?"
"Of course."
"And you still dare to say that? You're telling me you're gonna beat my Professional Level Raichu with a Pikachu? Kid, there's a limit to how much you can look down on people!" Lt. Surge barked out a laugh. If Ash had tried to bluff with another Pokémon, Surge might've suspected a hidden strategy. But this? Sending out a Pikachu that hadn't even evolved? It was insanity.
He had already sized Pikachu up with a Gym Leader's eye: Advanced Level, sure, but definitely nowhere near Elite.
And Ash was seriously challenging his Professional Level Raichu head-on? That wasn't a battle, that was suicide.
Ash met his gaze without flinching. "Just answer the question, will you fight or not? If you're too scared for a one-on-one, then fine, we can do medium difficulty."
"Scared?" Lt. Surge's grin turned into a dangerous smirk. "Kid, you've got guts. You've actually managed to get my blood pumping. But remember this, I hope you're still running your mouth when your Pikachu is getting ground into the floor."
He laughed, already imagining the battle: Raichu hammering Pikachu into the dirt while Ash sobbed on the sidelines.
Nearby, two Gym trainers, Surge's subordinates, were whispering and chuckling at the exchange. Countless challengers had been flattened by their Leader, but none had ever forced him to bring out Raichu.
This kid was really asking for it.
Finally, both sides took their positions on the battlefield. The lights burned bright above them, illuminating every scar scorched into the floor.
Lt. Surge lifted his arm and barked the command.
"Go, RAICHU!"
Lt. Surge was the first to send out his Pokémon. With a crackle of light, the Poké Ball burst open, and a hulking, orange-brown mouse hit the field.
"Raiiii-chu!"
Compared to Pikachu, Raichu was nearly twice the size, bulkier and heavier. Its appearance didn't carry the same cuteness Pikachu had, but there was no denying it looked stronger, its long tail crackled with sparks, humming with power.
Ash's eyes flicked to his Pokédex readout.
Pokémon: Raichu
Level: Professional (Beginner)
Ability: Static
Stats: Speed-E. All other stats-D.
Ash nearly choked. 'What kind of training makes a Pokémon's stats this bad?'
That's right, bad. Pathetic, even.
Pokémon training wasn't just about pushing levels. Developing their stats, their speed, strength, stamina, was equally important. That's why behind every great Trainer, there was usually a Breeder: someone who raised Pokémon to maximize their potential at every stage.
Raise only levels, and even a Champion-class Pokémon might lose to an Elite raised with real care.
And this Raichu? A Professional-level Pokémon with stats that looked like a rookie's. Ash had never seen anything like it.
Lt. Surge smirked. "Well? Intimidated already? You've only been at this a month. Bet you've never even seen a Professional-level Pokémon before. Look at the aura Raichu's giving off, your Pikachu's already trembling."
Trembling? Ash glanced at Pikachu by his side. Pikachu was shaking, yes, but not in fear. His tail lashed the floor, sparks snapping from his cheeks. He was itching to launch himself at Raichu.
Ash grinned. "You're wrong. I've never seen a Professional-level before… but I have seen Legendary level. And your Raichu's got nothing on that."
Lt. Surge: "???"
'Legendary level? What kind of nonsense is this kid spewing? What's next, you've had coffee with Arceus? Tch. He's just trying to mess with me.'
Ash crouched down and placed his cap firmly on Pikachu's head. "It's decided. Pikachu, let's show them our strength. Evolution isn't everything, we'll find our own way to be stronger."
Brock and Misty froze at the sight. The hat.
They remembered all too well: when Pikachu put on Ash's cap in battle, his strength shot up like night and day. It wasn't just a symbol, it was like flipping a hidden switch.
And now Ash was starting this fight with the hat on. That meant from the very beginning, Pikachu was going all out.
"Hahaha!" Lt. Surge's booming laugh filled the Gym. "What is this? Your baby Pokémon needs accessories? Don't tell me you think a hat can block Raichu moves!"
"Pika-pika-PIKA!!!" Pikachu's cheeks sparked wildly.
In a flash, Pikachu dashed onto the battlefield, lightning coursing through his fur. His paws dug into the ground, and his eyes blazed with battle fire.
"Words won't decide who's stronger," Ash shouted, sweeping his arm forward. "Pikachu, we're striking first! Use Electric Acceleration! "
"Pika-chuuu!!"
Pikachu dropped low, then launched forward in a golden blur. Electricity surged across the floor, warping the air with static.
Before Raichu even had time to react;
WHAM!
A sharp impact slammed into Raichu's stomach. Sparks exploded across the battlefield as Raichu's eyes bulged.
The hulking Electric-type let out a strangled cry as Pikachu's lightning-charged tackle launched him backward like a cannonball.
"Rai...chu!!!"
Raichu smashed into the floor, tumbling and rolling.
The speed of Pikachu's dash was sharper than even Quick Attack. With his current boosted stats, and the extra edge from wearing Ash's cap, he moved so fast that Raichu couldn't even see his shadow.
Lt. Surge's grin instantly vanished. "What the?! What kind of move was that? "
On the battlefield, Raichu tumbled hard across the floor, sparks flying from his cheeks. Surge rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
That burst of speed… it was like fighting an Elite.
'What happened in those few seconds?'
"Excellent, Pikachu! Don't let up, use Surging Surf!" Ash's voice rang out, sharp and confident.
The speed boost from Electric Acceleration was blistering, but the damage to Raichu was negligible. They were both Electric types, and Electric Acceleration itself did not hit hard.
But Surging Surf was different.
Pikachu took a deep breath, then stomped hard. A ribbon of water burst up beneath his paws, swelling in seconds into a towering wave!
Lt. Surge: !!!
Gym staff: !!!
Brock & Misty: !!!
No way, what was this?! Was that really a move Pikachu could use?!
"Is that Surf? Can Pikachu even learn Surf? Is your Pikachu legal?!"
Lt. Surge wore the look of a man who had just seen a ghost. First that invisible lightning burst, and now a move like Surf. What kind of Pokémon was this? There was no way this was a normal Pikachu.
Out on the field, Pikachu rode the rising wave, flooding it with the electricity crackling inside his body. Golden lightning flashed through the deep blue surge, a storm of light threading the water.
Surf is Water-type at its core, but charged with Electric-type power. If it hit, it could even cause paralysis.
Pikachu rode the golden-blue crest and slammed it down at Raichu, who had just struggled to his feet, eyes wide with terror.
"Raichu, use Protect!!"
"Rai!!"
Raichu threw up Protect the moment the order landed, but Surge was still a heartbeat late. Before the barrier could fully form, the massive wave crashed down on Raichu with crushing force.
The giant waters heaved and rolled, power surging so hard it seemed to shake the whole Gym.
"SPLASH!!"
Raichu's figure vanished beneath the churning wave.
...
Stones Plzz
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