[Caitlin: But seriously, the Black-World Gary looks so much more pleasant to the eye.]
[Sabrina: He's still proud, but at least he's not oozing that gaudy, show-off vibe anymore.]
[Korrina: I agree! Honestly, how did the Gary in our world get so many girlfriends anyway?]
[Gary: Excuse me! Because I'm brilliant, obviously! Do you have any idea how much being Professor Oak's grandson is worth?!]
[Cynthia: Oh? By that logic, shouldn't Ash—who's both the Hero of the Rainbow and the Aura Guardian—be even more attractive? Those titles beat "grandson of Professor Oak" any day.]
[Gary: …] Damn it—was this woman really the Champion of Sinnoh? Why did her words sting so much!?
[Ash: I agree, Black-World Gary's way easier to like! Sure, Black Ash said he's cocky, but honestly, he can't even act cocky in front of Black Ash!]
[Ash: Someday, I wish I could be that cool in front of Gary…]
[Gary: Dream on!!]
In the Black World—
Ash briefly introduced Gary to Brock and Misty. "This is Gary, my childhood friend from Pallet Town… also the guy I've traumatized through sheer hard work." Gary's mouth twitched—but he didn't deny it. He had been traumatized. Who studies and trains every waking hour at six years old!? Ash was a menace! After some small talk, Ash learned that Gary had come here to help drive away the Diglett that were disrupting the dam construction. Since Gary was here, Ash figured he might as well lend a hand. But when all the Trainers the contractor had hired gathered together—and released their Pokémon— nothing happened. Not a single Pokémon came out.
Ash frowned and used his Aura to communicate with one of the Diglett. Moments later, he understood. The Diglett weren't causing trouble for fun—they were protecting the local ecosystem. If the humans built the dam, every wild Pokémon living here would lose its home. Ash immediately explained this to the foreman and led him to see where the other Pokémon lived. After witnessing it for himself, the foreman finally relented and decided to cancel the dam project.
With the contract dissolved, Ash and Gary went their separate ways. Gary had already collected six Gym Badges, but not Fuchsia City's. He warned Ash before leaving, "The Fuchsia Gym's Leader—Koga—isn't your average Gym Leader. Be careful, Ash. He's on a whole different level." Ash silently committed the warning to memory. Then the group pressed on toward Fuchsia City.
Just before they arrived, Team Rocket appeared again—now boasting upgraded Pokémon! Koffing had evolved into Weezing, Ekans into Arbok— but still, they were instantly vaporized by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Ash sighed.
"These three never give up, huh? Their stamina must be off the charts—after all those blasts, they're still in one piece." No one had an answer for him.
The next day, the trio finally reached Fuchsia City. Unlike other cities, there were no tall modern buildings here—only clusters of old-fashioned wooden and thatched houses, each looking almost identical. After wandering around for a while, they finally located the Fuchsia Gym. At first, Koga's younger sister, Aya, pretended to be the Gym Leader. But before long, the real Koga appeared, scolded Aya, and officially challenged Ash. When they took their positions, Koga threw out his Pokémon— a Venonat.
Ash's expression shifted slightly. "Gym Leader Koga, that's… not your main Pokémon, is it?" "Oh? You're well-informed, young man," Koga said calmly. "You're right—this isn't my ace. But it's not weak either. It's close to evolving. For a rookie Trainer like you, this level of opponent should be just right." In other words—he was holding back out of generosity. Misty and Brock exchanged uneasy looks. According to the info they'd received from Gary— Koga was no ordinary Gym Leader.
He was a candidate for the Johto Elite Four. Ash wasn't just facing a strong opponent—he was up against someone already standing near the top of the Trainer world! Did he really think he could push such a man to fight seriously? Ash said nothing. Instead, he gave Pikachu a single nod. Pikachu leapt forward—and calmly began removing the metal rings from his wrists, ankles, and tail.
CLANG! The weights—adding up to eighty pounds (nearly forty kilos)—hit the ground with a thunderous crash, shaking the entire Gym. Koga's confident smile froze. Wait… those were weights? How heavy were they!? At least forty kilos, maybe more! He'd made a Pikachu train with forty kilos of resistance? Was the boy insane—or was he? Ash smiled faintly. "So, Koga… can we take this a little more seriously now?" Koga took a slow, steadying breath, forcing down his shock.
"It seems I underestimated you, young man. In that case… this place won't hold our battle. Let's take it outside—to the courtyard, where we can fight without restraint." He was right. A standard Gym structure would crumble in seconds under an Elite-level clash. Ash retrieved the weights and followed Koga outside. Once there, both Trainers took their stances. Aya, Misty, and Brock moved far back—a single stray attack from this level of battle could flatten them. Ash flexed his wrists and said, "Gym Leader Koga, I only have Pikachu ready to battle right now. Let's make this one-on-one—a decisive match." Koga nodded. "Fine. Win or lose, you'll earn the Soul Badge. But know this—my Pokémon are all Poison-types. If I go all out, I can't promise to hold back." Ash grinned. "Okay then! Pikachu, I choose you!" "Pika—CHU!!" Pikachu crouched low, electricity crackling around his body. This was a high-tier match—and he was about to put on a show.
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