Ash wiped sweat from his brow, grinning. "Natsume-sensei, I won!"
Natsume stared at the soot-covered Ash and gulped.
Sure, Ash was used to being zapped by Pikachu...
But tanking a Thunderbolt head-on was still visually staggering.
"I struggled so hard..." Natsume-sensei muttered. "And this guy just... rushes in bare-handed?"
"Ahem!" Lt. Surge coughed, dusting himself off with forced laughter. "Not bad, rookie! Beating me at 30% strength!"
Ash scratched his head.
He'd been wondering why no-holds-barred battles felt so natural.
"So Lt. Surge was going easy on me..." Ash clenched his fists, eyes blazing. "Pikachu, we've gotta train harder!"
"Pika! ψ(｀ー｀)ψ"*
Natsume side-eyed Lt. Surge—now frantically signaling him with sweat dripping down his temple.
The two-meter-tall muscle mountain looked... traumatized.
Natsume blinked.
Wait—
Aside from being Ash's first Gym victory...
Was Lt. Surge also the first no-holds-barred opponent Ash steamrolled?
Lt. Surge... how embarrassing.
"But..."
Natsume's gaze lingered on Ash's exhilarated face.
A cold drop slid down his own forehead.
"Did I... just unleash something terrifying?"
Legends said Ho-Oh revived the Legendary Beasts.
In The Power of Us, Ho-Oh revived Ash.
Therefore: Ash, post-revival, was a new Pokémon species.
Natsume: "Huh... makes sense."
Tony and Visquez exchanged glances—suddenly enlightened.
So THAT'S why the Captain lost twice today...
He was holding back to guide the newcomers!
"Captain, I understand your noble sacrifice now!" Tony sniffled.
"Hahaha, right? Your Captain's pretty cool!"
Lt. Surge rubbed his head, laughing, then coughed into his fist. "But... since they've proven themselves, they've earned their Badges."
He nodded to Visquez.
She returned with a tray bearing two sunflower-shaped Orange Badges.
"I get one too?" Ash pointed at himself. "But I already have this Badge."
"Can't have too many Badges." Lt. Surge shrugged, nostalgia flashing in his eyes. "Hell, pawn 'em in emergencies..."
Pawn Badges?!
Do Gym Leaders really struggle that much...?
Wait—he had a pile of Tokyo Badges at home...
"Why didn't I think of that?" Natsume mused.
But new Badges? No thanks.
"Keep mine. Give both to Ash."
"Huh? But Natsume-sensei, aren't you entering the League?" Ash asked.
Natsume's eye twitched.
Slander. Pure slander.
Lt. Surge scratched his head. Is the Mentor hinting he wants something else...?
"Got it!" He smacked his forehead. "Tony! Fetch my treasure!"
Tony paled. "Captain, even THAT?!"
"Move it!"
A foreboding chill crept up Natsume's spine.
Tony returned with a brick-sized yellow box.
Natsume stared.
[Electirizer: A box brimming with electric energy. Beloved by Electric-types. (Misuse = fried family.)]
"Uh... it's for evolving Electabuzz." Lt. Surge tossed the box. "Mostly drained, but works as a backup generator."
"You sure this won't explode at home?"
"Pfft, no way! I tested it myself!"
"Oh, and this..." He pulled out a yellow TM. "'Charge Beam.' Your Pokémon learns this, no more power banks!"
He ruffled Ash's hair. "You get one too, kid!"
"Thanks, but... can you not? I won't grow taller."
"Hahaha, exactly the point!"
Ash: "?"
Natsume rubbed his chin.
Gengar had mastered Thunderbolt in the Trainer Academy's Thunder Room...
But Charge Beam seemed more practical.
Wild camping? Just have Gengar zap your phone.
And the Electirizer would help Gengar learn it faster.
"I'll take these."
He tossed the Electirizer to Gengar.
"Gengar~" It pocketed the device in its shadow.
"Then I'll take the Badge and TM!" Ash said.
Lt. Surge crossed his arms, satisfied.
Seeing Natsume still refuse the Badge, he sighed.
Fine. Ash can hold onto an extra. Mentor can claim it later.
As Lt. Surge pondered, Natsume flashed his phone.
"Hey, wanna join our group chat?"
Lt. Surge's stoic face cracked. "Huh?"
...
[Ding! New Member 'S.S. Aqua Captain' Joined!]
"Pfft, that name!" Ash snorted.
"It's marketing, brat! Gotta appeal to clients!" Lt. Surge snapped.
Natsume's soul trembled.
Holy hell. Even Lt. Surge's a wage slave like Brock!
Red: "Yo, Surge!"
"Uh..." Lt. Surge's fingers froze.
R-RED?!
Sabrina: "You lost?"
She's here too?! He typed furiously: "It was a close match! I went easy!"
Gold: "Heya, Uncle Surge! Let's game next time!"
"Uncle?!"
Lt. Surge's eye twitched at the memory of Johto's spiky-haired menace.
Just wait. I'm sailing to Johto to whoop your ass.
The chat took Lt. Surge's arrival in stride.
If even Sabrina (ex-Team Rocket Executive) was here...
And hadn't Lt. Surge saved Gold and Silver from Pryce's ice?
No villains, just perspectives—that was the charm of Special Edition antagonists.
Erika: "Wait... is this all Kanto Gym Leaders now?"
Brock: "Nah. Still missing Mr. Blaine."
Yellow: "Eh? Σ(っ°Д°;)っ I thought Natsume-sensei added him already!"
Natsume facepalmed.
Crap! Got distracted evolving Arcanine and forgot to recruit him!
"No worries. I've got Blaine's contact."
Red grinned: "I'll invite him!"
Lt. Surge: "..."
Gym Leaders. Elite Four. Champions.
This chat's scarier than Team Rocket's HQ.
Natsume stared blankly at the sky.
All Kanto Gym Leaders... almost collected?
Isn't this supposed to be a 'journey of growth'...?
Why does it feel like I'm playing Pokémon Master instead?
...
With Vermilion Gym wrapped up, Natsume's biggest prize was the Insulated Gloves.
As he turned to leave, Lt. Surge called out:
"Ash! One last thing!"
Ash glanced at Natsume.
"Go ahead," Natsume said, flexing his new gloves. "I'll wait outside."
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