Chapter 245: Viridian Gym
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
Leaving the waters of Cinnabar Island, Ash and his friends stood on solid ground once more, but Ash's mood was a bit down.
"It's okay, Ash. You were just... released."
"Once Articuno gets tired of playing, it'll come back."
Brock and Misty patted his shoulder, likely trying to comfort him.
To be honest, with Ash's current Strength, it was still too early for him to handle a Legendary Pokémon, but his future looked promising.
"The harder you work, the luckier you get!"
Ash quickly pulled himself together, pumping his fists and shouting a rousing cry to the heavens.
The mighty can fall and the weak can rise! Don't underestimate anyone!
He now had a burning desire to become stronger, to become a powerful Trainer worthy of Articuno. With this thought, he flipped out his Pokédex and declared, full of fighting spirit:
"Pokédex, I need to get stronger right now! Tell me where the last Gym is, immediately!"
He had already obtained seven Badges. With only one left, he could officially cross the threshold of the Pokémon League Conference and battle countless masters. His Strength would naturally skyrocket as a result.
Battling was the best training.
"Beep-beep. Searching for the nearest Gym... Search successful! Time elapsed: 103 seconds. This has surpassed 3% of all Pokédexes in the Kanto Region. What an outstanding performance!" the Pokédex chimed.
Ash: "?"
"Beep-beep. The nearest Gym is the Viridian Gym, to the northwest," the Pokédex provided the answer.
Hearing this, Ash frowned and couldn't help but shake the Pokédex. He had been to Viridian City before, and it certainly hadn't mentioned a Gym there at the time.
"Beep-beep. Challengers of the Viridian Gym must possess a minimum of seven Badges to be eligible. Therefore, it is not my problem, nor is it the Viridian Gym's problem. So, the question is, whose problem is it?"
The Pokédex, with its slick tongue, instantly shattered Ash's confidence.
Ash: "..."
But looking at it from another angle, it also meant that in just a few short months, he had transformed from a Rookie into a powerful Trainer with seven Badges. A sense of pride and ambition swelled in Ash's heart.
"It's decided! Next target, the Viridian Gym!"
Ash threw his arm in the air, signaling his two companions to keep up with him.
"Shouldn't we think about this? There are plenty of other Gyms in the Kanto Region..."
"The Viridian Gym... I heard it's secretly controlled by Team Rocket, and the Gym Leader is that legendary Giovanni..."
Brock and Misty were getting cold feet. This was not a Gym to be trifled with.
Rumor had it that many Trainers had entered it over the past few years, only to never be seen again.
"Giovanni?"
Ash's tone faltered for a moment. He was no longer a Rookie; he was naturally aware that Giovanni was the true big boss behind Team Rocket—a ruthless man with a formidable reputation.
But his expression immediately turned cold, and his tone became hostile and incredibly arrogant.
"Hmph, I've been itching to go kick his ass! For the last Gym, I'm going right for him!"
Although Team Rocket was a powerful organization, with several core executives possessing terrifying Strength comparable to an Elite Four member, he had encountered them a few times and never managed to gain the upper hand.
This meant that the hidden masters and the big boss, Giovanni, were likely even more terrifying.
"Whatever, it doesn't matter."
Ash laughed freely. With Brother Red covering his back, it wouldn't be a big problem. His courage was boundless.
If he really couldn't win, he could just send out Red's team of Pokémon. Even his grandmother could command them and string Giovanni up for a beating, making him kneel and call Ash his boss.
"Oh, I won't be interfering with the Viridian Gym this time. I don't care if you die in there."
Red's voice suddenly cut in from within his soul, interrupting Ash's fantasizing.
It seemed that with him as a backer, the current Ash was starting to get carried away again.
Articuno had just left, and he had just sworn to increase his own Strength, yet now his first reaction when faced with a problem wasn't what *he* should do, but rather thinking about the backup he had?
That kind of thinking was unacceptable.
Battling is the fastest way to increase one's Strength. That statement was correct, but it came with a prerequisite.
A battle with no way out!
Right now, Ash's Strength was lacking when compared to the top, but more than enough against the bottom. He really needed to temper his mentality with a battle where there was no retreat, to break through this layer of shackles.
"I'm going into seclusion to contemplate for half a month. You can play by yourself during that time. If you die, I'll just take over your body."
Red spoke coldly, completely cutting off Ash's escape route, then asked again:
"So, are you still going to challenge the Viridian Gym?"
Ash: "..."
His expression instantly dimmed. He knew that if he really excluded Brother Red, he probably couldn't even beat a single core executive, let alone the stronger enemies beyond, and especially not Giovanni.
It was only then that Ash came to his senses. It seemed that ever since he had Brother Red backing him up, he'd been in a lawless state, daring to charge at anyone without a single worry about the consequences of failure.
And once that layer of protection was stripped away, the fears of the past rushed back in, almost swallowing him whole.
Ash couldn't help but take several steps back.
With Red, his experiences and knowledge had seemed to grow richer, he faced more powerful opponents, and his Strength had rapidly increased.
But in exchange, what was once his greatest asset...
His courage.
...had also unintentionally diminished a great deal.
"Are you still going to challenge the Viridian Gym...?"
Red's question struck Ash's heart like a great bell, plunging him into a dilemma...
"I am Ash from Pallet Town, the man who will become a Pokémon Master! The Viridian Gym... I will conquer it with my own Strength!"
Ash suddenly threw his head back and roared at the sky, using the immense volume to bolster his own courage. He was answering Red's question, and also responding to his own heart.
He had to reclaim the courage he hadn't used in so long!
Courage did not mean being fearless, nor did it mean being brainless. He even changed his goal from "taking on Giovanni" to "conquering the Gym." If he relied only on his own Strength, it was impossible to take down Giovanni right now.
Time to lie low for a bit.
"Heh..."
Red listened to Ash's chuunibyou answer with considerable satisfaction. Although it was a bit cringey, he finally revealed a smile.
This guy's personality was too impulsive; he needed to be knocked down a peg or two every once in a while.
"What? Brother Red, were you joking?"
Feeling the man in his soul revert to his usual emotional tone, Ash couldn't help but ask.
"Of course I was joking. I don't need to go into seclusion right now," Red said. Before Ash could be happy for more than a few seconds, Red reminded him again:
"But I truly will not get involved with the Viridian Gym this time. I won't interfere even if you die. It's all up to you."
"I understand. This time, just watch me work."
There wasn't a trace of disappointment in Ash's eyes. Instead, a sharp glint lit up within them, and his body trembled with excitement. The Pikachu beside him sensed his emotions and unleashed a massive Thunderbolt into the sky, instantly zapping a passing Pidgeotto and knocking it out.
"The last Badge... the Viridian Gym..."
Ash clenched his fists tightly. His boyish face now held a trace of maturity.
***
Meanwhile, in a certain office.
This was a subsidiary organization of the Kanto Pokémon League. A frail-looking man who looked like a handyman was working diligently.
As the lunch break approached, he finally took a temporary rest, his back aching. His expression was withered, looking completely drained.
He began to eat his lunch. There were many other low-level workers around, using the break to chat and complain.
"Sigh, this is exhausting. Working for the League is just not a job for humans."
"You've got it good. When I was working for Team Rocket, I was on a 996 grind."
"You've got it good. I worked for the neighboring Team Galactic for three years, and it was a 24/7 grind for all three years. On top of that, that moron of a leader would come out every morning to feed us empty promises. It was disgusting."
"Sigh, it's a tough world out there. It's better to just hunker down in a legitimate, official organization..."
(end of chapter)