"You dare speak to our boss like that?!"
"Shut it! Go get my dad. Tell him someone's here to challenge for the Gem Badge!" Blitz snapped before his lackeys could rush in to teach Ash a lesson. Despite his usual arrogance, Blitz wasn't stupid. The look in Ash's eyes just now—he wasn't some average rookie trainer.
And that woman standing behind Ash… Blitz felt a strange sense of familiarity. He couldn't quite place her, but something told him: if you mess with this guy, you're going to regret it.
"What's your name?" Blitz asked, his tone sharp at first, but softening as he gestured for Ash to sit. His followers were shocked. Blitz, of all people, showing respect? When had they ever seen that before?
"Ash Ketchum," Ash replied coolly, taking a seat on the nearby couch as he waited for Blitz's father.
"You're the Ash Ketchum? From the Oak family?" Blitz's face twisted in surprise. Ash's recent feats had already caused a stir—his victories at the Rock and Cerulean Gyms were the talk of the region. And now he was here, going after the Gem Badge.
Just a few days earlier, Blitz had received orders from his father: If Ash Ketchum shows up, treat him with the utmost respect. Do not, under any circumstance, offend him. Blitz hadn't thought much of it at the time… until he read the file. Then he was floored.
Ash had already secured the Gem Badges from Pewter and Cerulean.
Within minutes, heavy footsteps echoed in from the hallway. A middle-aged man entered the room, stopping short when he saw Ash. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked Ash up and down, then nodded.
"As expected of the Ketchum family's rising star," said Lt. Surge. "Your strength is difficult to read."
In truth, Surge was stunned. He couldn't gauge Ash's power at all. And that meant only one of two things: either Ash had a method to suppress his aura—or his strength was higher than Surge's.
Given everything Surge had heard, he leaned toward the latter.
This kid's at least at the quasi-Champion level, Surge thought. And he's only fifteen… Makes all my years of effort feel like nothing.
"You already know why I'm here," Ash said, expression calm and composed. "Let's skip the formalities and get straight to it."
As the two were about to head to the battlefield, Surge suddenly noticed the woman next to Ash. His eyes widened.
"You're Cynthia—the Champion of Sinnoh!"
Blitz's face turned pale.
Now he remembered where he'd seen her before. It had been bothering him since the moment she stepped in. Of course—there were countless photos and news reports. No wonder she seemed familiar. A Champion had walked in right under his nose.
"Nice to meet you. But I'm not here today as Sinnoh's Champion," Cynthia said with grace. "I'm here as Ash's fiancée, traveling alongside him."
Everyone in the room froze.
Fiancée? Ash Ketchum… and Cynthia?!
If that news ever got out, half the male trainers in the world would have their hearts shattered. But what surprised them even more was that Ash didn't seem embarrassed or uncomfortable by Cynthia's claim.
Ash had long since come to terms with it. There was no point in trying to hide it anymore. It wasn't like he was the one getting the short end of the stick. And besides, the engagement didn't mean marriage right away—there was still time.
"This must be the chief breeder of the Ketchum family," Blitz said as they walked to the battlefield, nodding toward Brock. "Truly impressive—your family's talent knows no bounds."
Brock's status was also steadily rising. Most of the potions used these days were brewed by him. Though his skills were still a bit raw, they were rapidly improving—and it wouldn't be long before he surpassed veteran breeders who had been at it for decades.
"You flatter me. Next up is Brock of Pewter City!" Brock replied humbly in response to Lt. Surge's praise.
After reaching the battlefield, Cynthia and Brock moved to the viewing area behind Ash to watch the match. Naturally, the referee was Blitz—Lt. Surge's son.
Watching high-level battles was a learning opportunity, and Lt. Surge had no intention of denying that chance to his son.
"The match will be three-on-three. The challenger may switch Pokémon between rounds!" Blitz announced, raising the green and red flags. The green flag represented the challenger; the red, the Gym Leader.
"Let's go—Raichu!" Without hesitation, Lt. Surge threw out a Poké Ball. A powerful, well-trained Raichu appeared on the field. A Raichu that had reached King-level—such strength was extremely rare.
Pikachu's growth potential was notoriously hard to push. For most, evolving into Raichu and reaching quasi-elite level was already impressive. But this Raichu had surpassed that, proving the amount of effort Lt. Surge had poured into it.
"Rai~ Rai~!" Raichu glanced playfully at Pikachu on Ash's shoulder, paw raised slightly as if issuing a challenge. It seemed to remember its unevolved days, itching for a battle against a Pikachu.
"Go!" Ash chuckled at the provocation and gave Pikachu the signal.
"Pika!" Pikachu leapt down with a confident grin. As the first Champion of the Pikachu group, his pride ran deep.
A mechanical chime sounded in Ash's ear as he scanned Raichu with his Pokédex.
Name: Raichu
Level: King-Class
Ability: Lightning Rod
Type: Electric
Potential: B+
Ash narrowed his eyes slightly. The level was impressive, no doubt. But the absence of Static as its ability was unfortunate.
Static was rare among Electric-types, but extremely useful—it could inflict paralysis on contact. Ash's Pikachu, naturally, had it.
"Raichu, Thunderbolt!" Surge didn't waste any time.
He knew Ash's experience as a trainer far surpassed his own, and Pikachu's strength was clearly nothing to scoff at. All he could do now was press the attack early with his best plan.
"What?! Dad actually made the first move?" Blitz exclaimed in surprise. He had never seen his father take the initiative like this.
In most Gym battles, it was customary for the challenger to strike first, giving rookie trainers a chance to gain confidence. That Lt. Surge had broken that tradition meant only one thing—he saw Ash as a serious threat.
...
TN:
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