A familiar voice. A familiar way of referring to himself.
Grey looked up and realized his opponent was Gary.
"Your Pokémon's fought a lot of matches. Its stamina must be on its last legs, right?"
Gary strode up on his own, studying the Blaziken that wasn't even throwing sparks. The more he looked, the more confident he felt.
"Gary! What are you doing here?!"
Off to the side, Ash's ears twitched; he picked up Gary's self-analysis at once.
He shouted and shouldered through the crowd.
"Well, if it isn't Ash. Didn't think I'd run into you here."
Facing Ash, Gary slipped into a haughty smirk.
"But you're just a Caterpie crawling behind yours truly."
"Gary, you jerk!"
Hooked by the taunt, Ash flushed red on the spot.
"I'm gonna duke it out with you for three hundred rounds!"
"Hahaha, you?" Gary spread his hands, not taking Ash seriously at all. "Forget it. Why don't you watch me claim the ten-win streak like a boss."
He turned back and gave Grey a once-over.
"I don't know who you are, but you should know my name."
He lifted a Poké Ball, lips quirking. "I'm Gary from Pallet Town. Those ten wins? I'm taking them."
"..."
Grey rubbed his brow. Hard to believe even after a little "re-education," Gary was still this flamboyant.
Something felt… missing, though—
"Go, my sweetie!"
Gary bowed, kissed the Poké Ball, and tossed it to the field.
"Arrooo!"
A majestic orange hound landed steady, its pride bare in its eyes.
It fixed that cutting gaze on Blaziken. Its throat rumbled—and a threatening bark burst out!
Ability: Intimidate.
Blue light flickered over Blaziken—its Attack fell.
Grey glanced at his "cheat" readout, saw the other side wasn't that strong, and didn't worry.
Full of confidence, Gary pointed at Blaziken. "Good! Arcanine, use Extreme Speed!"
"Arrooo!"
Arcanine's silhouette vanished. The crowd caught only streaks of white flashing past, with no clue where it actually was.
"Blaziken—show it the real 'Extreme Speed.'"
Grey's voice was light.
"Chah!"
Flames jetted from Blaziken's wrists, smoke rolling off.
In an instant, a red sheen like an energy film wrapped around its body.
Gary's eyes widened.
He'd thought Blaziken looked spent, so he'd ordered Arcanine to end it fast.
But now…
That Blaziken still had plenty in the tank?!
Boom!!!
Blaziken sprang like a shell from a cannon, bursting with power and blinking in and out across the stage.
To the crowd, it was a crimson meteor, carving arc after arc through the air.
Heat blasted across the floor; the air itself warped in its wake.
"Arr—roo?!"
Even Arcanine, mid–Extreme Speed, was rattled by Blaziken's pace.
Clang!
A spike of pain lanced through Arcanine's midsection the next heartbeat.
It turned—only to catch the fading afterimage Blaziken left behind.
As for Blaziken?
It was gone the instant after it struck.
"Aroo..."
The hits kept stacking; injuries piled up across Arcanine's frame.
"Arcanine!"
Gary's composure cracked.
He glanced at Grey again—and a strange sense of déjà vu clicked.
"Alright. Let's wrap this up."
Snap—
Grey flicked his fingers.
"Chah!"
Wreathed in red fire, Blaziken flashed in. In the instant it arrived, it drove a full-power kick straight into Arcanine's waist!
Fsshh—!
Sparks burst. Arcanine flipped through the air, then hit the floor in a heap.
"..."
Gary fell silent.
He'd thought the win was in the bag—only to run into a brick wall.
"Not bad, but you're still a ways off," Grey said, recalling Blaziken. He gave Gary that parting note, then turned to go claim his prize.
"Hey, I've got a question—mind if I ask?"
Gary called after him.
"You want to know why Blaziken was faster than Arcanine, right?" Grey replied.
Gary nodded. "Yeah."
"It's pretty clear you don't know Blaziken all that well," Grey said, rolling Blaziken's Poké Ball in his palm. "Mine has Speed Boost. Once it's in a fight, its Speed climbs over time."
That was all it took.
The light went on for Gary.
Grey's Blaziken had been on the field nonstop, basically fighting without a break.
Its Speed was already capped out.
Grey had just been sandbagging in earlier matches, making it look like Blaziken was a candle in the wind.
"I learned something. Thanks."
Beaten, Gary dropped the "young master" act for once.
"You're welcome," Grey said with a small nod.
"Gary! By the way, what are you doing here?"
Ash popped out of the crowd.
"Blue told me to come. Didn't let me bring my girlfriends, though." Gary jammed a hand in his pocket, flicked his hair, then shot back, "What about you, Ash? Why are you here?"
"Some folks on the street handed us tickets, so we hopped aboard." Ash grinned. "Hey, how are Red and Blue these days? You in touch with them?"
Hearing that, Grey paused and tilted an ear their way.
"Hey, hey—nosy about other people's family business, are we?" Green leaned in on tiptoe at Grey's ear with a sly whisper.
"Just getting the tea. Normal," Grey murmured, then kept listening to the Pallet Town boys.
"No. Blue said they went to Mt. Silver—something about a League reading," Gary sighed, helpless.
"Last time we talked, he told me to ride the S.S. Anne, said it'd broaden my horizons."
Even as he said it, a trace of confusion crossed Gary's face.
Normally, his big bro hated him taking "luxury" transport like this.
He wouldn't even let Gary keep the sports car—made him have a Machamp tow it home.
But this time he wired money himself and told Gary to ride the S.S. Anne.
"Got it," Ash said, nodding—then smirked.
He pulled out his phone to play a recording he'd made earlier.
But the screen showed nothing but empty bars.
"Huh? No service at sea?"
"Mm?"
Grey checked his own phone at that. Sure enough—no signal.
"I'm going to the deck to take a look," he said. He'd grab his reward, then head topside to check reception.
"Then Riolu and I are going back for seconds," Green chirped, and they split up for now.
…
Prize in hand, Grey headed for the deck.
On the way, he fell into step with a long-dress stunner who was also heading topside.
A quick glance:
Black jacket over a purple long dress, long legs in black tights, and a generous, snow-white curve that her mask couldn't distract from.
Catching Grey's look, the single-ponytail beauty nodded a greeting.
Grey smiled back.
They walked side by side for a bit.
Just before they stepped out onto the deck, a whisper came at Grey's ear.
"You are… Gym Leader Grey, aren't you?"
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