The silence lasted for about three seconds.
Then, a loud and abrupt clap broke the silence.
It was Lt. Surge.
The astonishment and stiffness on the tall Gym Leader's face melted away like ice and snow.
In its place was a complex but genuine smile.
He could play the game.
And he could certainly afford to lose.
He wasn't the type to be overly concerned with saving face.
As a Gym Leader, if an unexpected stroke of genius appeared during his assessment... wasn't that a good thing?
Lt. Surge clapped forcefully, his resounding laughter following suit: "Hahahaha! Good! Beautifully done, boy!"
His applause was like a signal, instantly igniting the dead-silent audience.
Whoosh—!
Murmurs, gasps of amazement, and finally, a wave of enthusiastic and heartfelt cheers and applause swept through the entire battlefield like a tidal wave.
Those trainers who had been watching with sympathy or scrutiny were now all showing expressions of shock and admiration.
They had witnessed a classic battle of the weak overcoming the strong, a comeback that demonstrated wisdom, tactics, and execution to the highest degree.
Lt. Surge strode across the field. First, he walked over to his Raichu, recalled it with a Poké Ball, and said in a low voice:
"You worked hard, buddy. We underestimated him."
Afterward.
Lt. Surge walked directly toward Ash.
He extended his broad hand.
Ash calmly reached out and shook it firmly.
"An incredible strategy, kid." Lt. Surge shook Ash's hand vigorously, his eyes full of appreciation.
"You had me completely figured out from start to finish!"
He let go, placed his hands on his hips, and declared loudly, "I, Lt. Surge, am a man of my word!"
"You've proven your strength, not with brute force, but with this!"
Lt. Surge tapped his own temple with a finger. "And you had the guts to face me head-on!"
With that, he pulled an orange-colored badge from the pocket of his camouflage pants and solemnly presented it to Ash.
"This is what you deserve, the Orange Badge of the Vermilion Gym!"
Ash looked at the badge, which glinted with a metallic luster under the lights. He took a deep breath, reached out to accept it, and clenched it tightly in his palm. "Thank you, Mr. Surge."
[Vermilion Gym - Orange Badge]
[Effect: Trainer's Electric-type affinity slightly increased (energy perception/resistance), basic physical fitness slightly enhanced.]
"Don't thank me. You earned this with your own skill." Lt. Surge grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth. His smile was as wild as ever, but it held a newfound seriousness.
"Boy, I have high hopes for you."
"Take my badge and go make a name for yourself at the Indigo League!"
His tone shifted, and a fierce fighting spirit ignited in his eyes. "When you've won the Indigo League championship and have enough confidence... remember to come back and find me in Vermilion City."
"Then, we'll have a real, no-holds-barred battle with our main teams!"
He patted his solid chest.
"I'll show you the true power of me and my partners!"
"Not this assessment-level stuff from today!"
Lt. Surge certainly had his strengths and weaknesses, but he definitely didn't have such an obvious flaw.
For Lt. Surge at his full potential.
Speed was not a weakness.
Ash could feel the sincerity and anticipation in the other man's words—it was a form of recognition and an invitation to a fellow strong trainer.
He looked up, his gaze clear and resolute, without a hint of cowardice. "Alright."
"Mr. Surge, if I get the chance, I will definitely come back for another battle."
Ash felt that Lt. Surge was actually a decent guy in person.
Although his personality was rough, he knew how to accept a loss.
Even though Ash had embarrassed him with his words earlier, Lt. Surge didn't seem to mind at all.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu also jumped back onto Ash's shoulder, a faint spark flashing from its cheeks, as if echoing this promise for the future.
"Hahahaha! Then I'll be waiting!" Lt. Surge laughed heartily and clapped Ash's shoulder hard again.
"Go on, boy!"
"Take your victory and your badge!"
"The other challengers are still waiting!" Though he said that, Lt. Surge himself had no intention of continuing the assessments.
The upcoming Gym matches would be handed over to the other Gym Trainers.
The League has requirements for a Gym's pass rate; it can't be too high or too low.
So, the next wave of challengers would be in for a happy time.
Lt. Surge usually didn't pay much attention to this rule, since it wasn't a big deal.
But now that he had lost a bet.
He would definitely have to enforce it for a short while.
Ash turned and, amidst the still-enthusiastic applause and gazes, walked towards his waiting friends.
Misty's face was flushed with excitement.
Brock gave him a look of approval.
A.J. was even more thrilled, clenching his fists as hope rekindled in his eyes.
And just like that, it was all over.
—
"Hahahaha~"
Lt. Surge laughed all the way.
He arrived at his room.
Opening the communicator, Lt. Surge directly contacted Giovanni.
"What can I do for you?" Giovanni's tone was calm, as if he had anticipated everything.
"Boss, that kid you saw is really something else," Lt. Surge said directly. "He came to the Gym today."
"What's your impression?" Giovanni's hand paused for a moment.
He knew very well that if Lt. Surge said someone was good, it meant they were genuinely good.
"For a rookie trainer's level, he's very talented... Boss, you might have some competition with him in the future~~" Lt. Surge's muscular body fell back into his iron chair.
"You think that highly of him?" Now this truly caught Giovanni's attention.
"He reminds me of Leon..." Lt. Surge mentioned another name.
Leon.
Also considered the most talented trainer in the entire Pokémon League.
Although he's a battle maniac, he's actually quite good-natured.
"...That Pikachu's tail was dragging on the ground the moment it entered the field... I thought it was just preparing to tank my electric attacks with its Lightning Rod ability."
"...For a Pikachu, that's a very normal tactic."
"But it turned out the Lightning Rod ability was just a feint to lure me in."
"His real-winning tactic was Dig."
"While its tail was touching the ground, it was continuously releasing power to loosen the soil and rock, preparing to use Dig to dodge Raichu's full-power attack and counterattack."
"He really has a tactical mind."
"Even if he doesn't develop well in the future, he should at least reach the level of a Gym Leader."
After speaking, Lt. Surge waited for Giovanni's decision.
Ash has a lot of potential, but that potential hasn't been realized yet, so it can't affect the League's situation.
"That's high praise... In that case, let's see if we can get him to join us," Giovanni said.
This time, he was taking it very seriously.
"The kid's too young. We'll talk about it when he's a bit older... For now, let me host him while he's in Vermilion City~" As the Vermilion Gym Leader, Lt. Surge was very wealthy and wielded great power.
The key point was: he thought highly of Ash and had no intention of rushing his development.
"What do you plan to do?" Giovanni's face finally appeared on the communicator screen.
"I'll invite him to join the Vermilion City Pokémon Club first."
Lt. Surge's figure faded into the darkness.
____
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