[Lance: I knew it—Black Ash would never give up his Primeape. You could already tell from what happened with Butterfree. Unless it's absolutely necessary, he never parts with his Pokémon.]
[Bruno: Of course. To him, his Pokémon are family. Actually, White Ash's the same way… he's just not as sharp as Black Ash.]
[Cynthia: If Black Ash keeps growing like this, could he become an Elite Four member within a year?]
[Drake: One year? That's… not likely. You and I both know what it means to be Elite Four.]
[Lucian: Exactly. Most of us may specialize in one type, but a ten-year-old kid, even a talented one, isn't just going to waltz in and beat an Elite Four member.]
[Caitlin: Hmph. Even if you gave Black Ash a whole year, I still wouldn't lose to him. His Pikachu's strong, sure—but it's not unstoppable. And he only has one like that.]
Aside from Pikachu, all of Black Ash's other Pokémon were caught after he began traveling. And as for Pikachu's true power—they'd all seen it for themselves when he faced that gigantic Dragonite. That one full-power Thunderbolt had been truly terrifying. But still—not enough to shake the status of an Elite Four member.
In fact, all of them had privately imagined what would happen in a one-on-one match between Pikachu and themselves. Their collective conclusion? They would win. That was the confidence of an Elite Four. So when Cynthia speculated that Black Ash could reach their level in a single year, the rest immediately objected.
What a joke—did she think the Elite Four were as common as cabbages? Becoming one within a year? Keep dreaming. If Ash had six Pokémon as strong as Pikachu, maybe then it could be considered. But with just one Pikachu? Forget it.
[Leon: Don't be so sure. Talented people grow faster than you expect. Honestly, I'd love to battle our world's Ash someday—after he learns from Black Ash's mindset and discipline.]
[Ash: One day, Mr. Leon! I'll make it happen!]
In the Black World—
After winning the P1 Grand Prix, Ash and his friends continued their journey toward Fuchsia City. On the way, they came across a pitch-black, power-starved town and helped restore its electricity. During the incident, Ash caught himself a Muk. Just as they were nearing Fuchsia Gym, they encountered a construction convoy. From the workers, they learned that a dam project had been completely halted—the site was overrun by Diglett, and none of the hired Trainers could do anything about it. They'd already spent a fortune hiring local Trainers to clear them out, but the Diglett were too persistent. Ash was still thinking it over when a familiar arrogant voice rang out from behind them.
"Hmph! A bunch of Diglett? Leave it to me! No need for any other trai—trai—Ash!? What are you doing here!?" The voice faltered mid-sentence as its owner spotted Ash's amused face. The speaker froze, stammering. "Gary. Long time no see. You're still as full of yourself as ever." That's right—the newcomer was Gary Oak! But this version of Gary was very different from the one from White Ash's world.
No fancy sports car. No entourage of fangirls. Just a simple travel pack slung over his shoulder, dressed casually like a normal Trainer. Instead of snapping back, Gary just gave a small snort. "What a coincidence. You're still as… driven as ever, huh." He glanced over Ash carefully, and for a brief moment, a flicker of resignation passed through his eyes. 'He's still carrying that thing, huh? Great. Like he ever lets anyone relax.' Ash grinned. "Driven? I just call it healthy training. What about you? Didn't your family have a car? Why aren't you driving?" Gary pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh.
"Heh. Would I dare? Someone once said, 'Traveling on foot lets you grow stronger and see the true beauty of the journey.' If I showed up in a car, you'd never let me hear the end of it." As he spoke, Gary's face twitched slightly, as if recalling a particularly painful memory. He'd once been a carefree young heir—until he got stuck with this overachieving childhood friend.
Ash had been relentless since childhood. Studying under Professor Oak, caring for Pokémon, training his body daily—not one moment wasted. Gary had once tried to keep up. He lasted less than a day. Those brutal, non-human training routines? Absolutely impossible. He had to admit it—some people were just born monsters.
Ash's physical endurance alone was already inhuman, so Gary could only compete in other areas. But no matter what he did, his immature self could never catch up to that strangely mature boy. He'd grown up under Ash's shadow, and by the time their journeys began, that shadow still loomed large. Originally, Gary had planned to travel in style—driving his sports car, surrounded by his girlfriends from Pallet Town.
But the thought of Ash came creeping into his head—and with a deep sigh, he ditched the car and the girls, choosing instead to walk. Every time he imagined Ash out there training, while he himself lounged in comfort, guilt gnawed at him. In short—Ash, you absolute menace!
[Professor Oak: I never imagined my proud, cocky grandson could be grinded into submission like this in another world!]
[Gary: That's supposed to be me!? No way! I gave up my car!? My girlfriends!? Traveled on foot!? NO! IMPOSSIBLE!]
Of course, no one was more horrified than Gary himself. In his own world, he'd always been one step ahead of Ash—and now, in another reality, he was the one living in fear of being outworked. Even giving up luxury for "self-improvement"! He'd only realized the true value of walking after losing at the Indigo Conference. But this version of him? He started walking from the very beginning! For someone as proud as Gary, that was almost unthinkable.
PS :
Caitlin is a powerful Psychic-type Trainer and a member of the Unova Elite Four. She previously was a Frontier Brain in the Sinnoh and Johto regions, known for having her butler Darach battle in her place due to her own volatile psychic powers and explosive temper.
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