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With Pikachu going all out, he is now capable of fighting even Professional Level Pokémon, and the other Pokémon are also steadily improving.
Ralts is even close to evolving.
Based on Ralts' usual performance, she is not far from evolving, and her level is already at the peak of Normal. It's estimated that as soon as she crosses this threshold, she will evolve into Kirlia.
By then, the little one won't be able to sit on his shoulder every day, and thinking about it, he feels a little reluctant.
But Ralts can't possibly stay in this form forever. Not to mention whether Ash would want her to, Ralts herself wouldn't. She's been influenced by Ash and thinks about dominating battlefields every day!
Squirtle's level hasn't changed, but Bulbasaur and Charmander have each advanced one level, with one at the peak of Normal and the other at high Normal.
The former had already been at high Normal for some time, so after joining Ash's team and improving nutrition and training methods, his level was able to rise by one tier in a short period.
But Charmander is different... He just recently moved from beginner to mid-Normal! He actually gained another level in just four days. This speed of improvement even amazed Brock.
The last Pokémon whose improvement speed surprised him so much was Ralts.
As an experienced Gym Leader, he had seen countless Pokémon, but such abnormal Pokémon, in his impression, were only the two on Ash's team.
Not only are their species rare, but their talents are also top-notch... Can this really be described as luck? Is it luck, or destiny?
Besides Charmander, Pidgeotto's level also increased by one, reaching mid-Advanced. However, Pidgeotto is similar to Bulbasaur; he had already accumulated a lot of time at early Advanced, so his level increase was a matter of course.
These are Ash's improvements during this period. He has finally arrived in Vermilion City, ready to challenge his third Gym.
Having traveled a long distance to reach Vermilion City, Ash originally wanted to challenge the Gym he had been longing for immediately, as they arrived in Vermilion City on the afternoon of the third day, which was still relatively early.
But Brock suggested they go to the Pokémon Center to rest first and gather information about Vermilion City. He didn't know much about the Vermilion City Gym, only that its Gym Leader seemed to be a retired soldier, so he probably wouldn't be an easy opponent.
Ash heard this and felt there was some truth to it, so he first went to the Pokémon Center in Vermilion City. On one hand, he let his Pokémon rest, and on the other, he also washed up. Getting lost along the way meant they rarely had a chance to bathe.
Ash and Brock were fine, but Misty couldn't stand it at all. Her normally fragrant body had become smelly. What girl could tolerate that?
Her ability to endure for so many days had already exceeded the average person's tolerance.
After washing up, the three of them—Ash, Brock, and Misty—returned to the Pokémon Center's lobby.
"It's a bit strange, Ash. Have you noticed that there are far more injured Pokémon here than in other places?" Brock looked around the Pokémon Center and then asked Ash, somewhat puzzled.
Ash also looked around, a similar puzzled expression on his face: "Yeah, the number of injured Pokémon here is almost equal to the total number of injured Pokémon I've seen in all the Pokémon Centers combined."
"These were all done by the Vermilion City Gym Leader." A soft voice emanated, and everyone looked in its direction, discovering that the speaker was Nurse Joy.
Brock's face flushed slightly as he looked at Nurse Joy. The thoughts he had been pondering about why the surrounding Pokémon were in such a state instantly flew a thousand miles away.
He had no resistance to older sisters. (Image file: jpg).
"The Vermilion City Gym Leader? Don't Gym Leaders usually battle challengers with the purpose of testing them? Even if they defeat a challenger's Pokémon, they usually wouldn't be so ruthless." Misty said, her brows slightly furrowed.
The extent of the Pokémon's injuries ranged from light to severe, some even completely bandaged, while their Trainers held them, looking sad and disheartened.
If all these injuries were caused by the Gym Leader, then that would be going too far.
"The Vermilion City Gym Leader is named Lt Surge. He is a retired soldier, so he is basically merciless towards challengers. This is his demeanor from when he was in the army, and now he brings this demeanor to Gym challengers."
"When facing challengers, he usually raises the difficulty by one level. Battles that were initially beginner become intermediate, and intermediate become advanced... He calls this approach a test for Trainers, believing that only by overcoming such tests can they become Elite or Champion-level Trainers in the future," Joy said with a sigh.
"That's too much! Isn't that forcibly putting challengers under an excessive amount of pressure?!" Ash said indignantly.
If, back when he faced Brock, the opponent had given him intermediate difficulty, he probably wouldn't have gotten his first badge.
Intermediate difficulty Pokémon are at least at the peak of Advanced, or even Elite Level. How could a rookie Trainer like him possibly win?
This is simply an impossible challenge. If he doesn't want to give out badges, he should just say so. Why torment challengers like this?
"There's nothing to be done. The difficulty of a Gym challenge is chosen by the Gym Leader themselves. If you don't agree, you can choose not to challenge. After all, challenging isn't mandatory. If you're unwilling to challenge at the difficulty set by the Gym Leader, you can choose to go to other Gyms. Perhaps the Vermilion City Gym Leader just wants to use this method to make challengers retreat in the face of difficulty..."
Brock, having sobered up from his infatuation, began to analyze calmly.
"But why would he do that?" Ash expressed his confusion. Isn't a Gym Leader's duty to help challengers learn more, improve, and lay a foundation for future League competitions?
Why would a Gym want challengers to retreat in the face of difficulty? Don't they care about their Gym's performance metrics?
"Perhaps... he doesn't want to battle weak challengers? If he establishes a bad reputation, then only strong Trainers will come, allowing him to have exhilarating battles," Nurse Joy speculated.
This is related to Lt Surge's identity as a retired soldier. In the military, there's no room for mercy; if you're not trained to death, you train to death. So, after retiring and becoming a Gym Leader, Lt Surge simply doesn't know what mercy means.
If it weren't for League regulations, he wouldn't even set beginner or intermediate levels; challengers would face him with full power!
"This is troublesome then... Ash, do you still want to challenge?" Misty asked Ash, looking somewhat worried.
She originally thought the difficulty here would be similar to the Celadon Gym, but based on the opponent's personality, Ash's challenge would definitely far exceed the Celadon Gym. This battle might very well be Ash's first defeat, and if not handled well, it might even affect Ash's confidence.
"...I'm going! I'm going to teach that guy a lesson! Not because he's harsh on challengers or anything, but because he would do such things to Pokémon! Even in battle, causing injuries of that severity is just too much! That's definitely intentional!" Ash said, looking at the Pokémon Center full of injured Pokémon, his eyes firm and his voice resolute.
Ash's love for Pokémon cannot be said to be unmatched, but it is definitely among the top in the world. He is the kind of person who, when his Pokémon are in danger, will first let them leave and then stay behind to cover their retreat.
The life of a Pokémon is greater than his own life.
He is also very protective of his own Pokémon. When training is hard, he trains with them, even more than them. After training, he uses his learned basic massage techniques to help everyone relax.
He also regularly researches, along with Brock, the food flavors his Pokémon like, what ingredients to use, and how to prepare them so that his Pokémon can enjoy delicious food while also absorbing sufficient nutrients... So Ash cannot stand people who treat Pokémon badly, whether it's abandoning them or severely injuring them to the point of near death... it's all the same!
In fact, the latter is even more detestable.
Lt Surge's actions undoubtedly ignited Ash's anger. His challenge to Lt Surge this time is not only to teach him a lesson but also to make sure he stops doing such things in the future.
Although he doesn't know if he can succeed, he must act first! If he doesn't try, how will he know if he can do it?
If he succeeds, at least future challengers to the Vermilion City Gym won't have to suffer the same pain as the Trainers currently in the Pokémon Center.
"This opponent won't hold back, and might even strike hard. Ash, are you sure?" Brock also frowned, asking with a hint of worry.
Most Gym Leaders, even if they see Ash has two badges, would likely still choose a beginner difficulty for the battle after learning he's only been traveling for just over a month.
But this Vermilion Gym Leader doesn't play by the rules... Brock knows the level of Ash's Pokémon. If the Vermilion City Gym Leader chooses an intermediate challenge difficulty, Ash should still have a good chance of winning.
However, if the opponent chooses the highest difficulty challenge for Ash... the current Ash would still find it too difficult to cope with.
"Hmm... Nurse Joy, do you know what Lt Surge's strongest Pokémon is?" Ash nodded firmly, then turned to Joy and asked.
"His strongest Pokémon... should be Raichu, I suppose. It's said to be the Pokémon that has been with him ever since he joined the army, and its strength seems to be at the Professional Level."
"Professional Level... I understand. Thank you, Nurse Joy. Let's go, Brock, Misty." Ash said, leading Pikachu and Ralts out of the Pokémon Center's door.
Misty and Brock exchanged glances, then could only helplessly follow Ash out. Misty had even made up her mind that if the opponent dared to strike Ash's Pokémon hard, she would intervene in the battle to stop them!
Given Ash's love for Pokémon, if his Pokémon ended up looking like those in the Pokémon Center, he would probably cry.
On the way to the Vermilion City Gym, Ash walked in front, with Misty and Brock close behind. But what the two didn't see was that Ash was currently closing his eyes... [Newbie Ash:Big guys, please help me, I need help from the big shots. If I go all out with Pikachu right now, can I beat a Professional Level Raichu?]
A few seconds later.
[Tactician Ash: If you give me that Aura fusion and partner form stuff, it's 99% in my favor. I have 99 ways to take him down.]
[Newbie Ash: ...What about me?]
[Tactician Ash: As for you... it depends on who you're fighting. Is the opponent an Elite? What specific level of Professional is it?]
[Newbie Ash: No, it's Lt Surge, the Vermilion City Gym Leader. Professional Level... I don't know yet.]
[Tactician Ash: Oh, it's Uncle Lt Surge. Then as long as his Raichu isn't at the high Professional Level, you should have a seventy percent or higher chance of winning. He doesn't have much brains, so if you apply what I taught you well, it's basically impossible to lose. If you lose, don't say I taught you.]
[Newbie Ash: cough cough, even if I win, I wouldn't dare say you taught me. Well, I'm going.]
...After less than a minute of communication in the chat, Ash opened his eyes, which were filled with confidence.
Since even Tactician Ash said he had a seventy percent chance of winning, it meant his current strength was definitely enough to contend with Lt Surge.
Tactician Ash's estimates are always conservative, never exaggerated. If he says seventy percent, it's actually at least eighty percent.
Although the Lt Surge of other worlds cannot be compared to this world's, Tactician Ash's words still gave him some confidence.
That's right, if he's going to make the opponent submit, he has to take down their strongest Pokémon!
So Ash's goal this time is Lt Surge's strongest Pokémon—Raichu!
The trio arrived at the front of the Vermilion City Gym.
After Ash stated he was there to challenge the Gym, the Vermilion City Gym's doors opened.
Inside, a muscular, burly, yellow-haired man looked at Ash and his two companions with a frivolous expression.
"Yo, are you the challengers? Heh heh, this challenger is quite cute, aren't they~"
Saying this, the big man's gaze fell on Misty, who was beside Ash.
Then he lunged towards Misty, as if wanting to greet her with a hug.
Misty was startled and took a step back, but couldn't evade the embrace, as the man's size was almost equivalent to two Mistys.
Just then, Ash stepped in front of Misty, raising his hand and pressing it against the man's chest. The big man was instantly unable to advance an inch.
Seeing this, a look of confusion appeared on the big man's face. He looked at Ash's slender, unmuscled arm, full of questions.
How did this skinny arm manage to hold him back with one hand?
Ash's palm vibrated slightly, and the tall man instantly stumbled back more than ten steps, increasing the distance between himself and Ash.
At this moment, the big man's face was filled with disbelief.
What kind of strength did this guy have, to be able to push him back so far with one hand?
With those small arms and legs, was that even reasonable?
"Please don't harass my friend, and also, I am the one challenging the Gym," Ash said coldly.
He already had a bad impression of the Vermilion City Gym, and then upon entering, someone even harassed Misty, making his impression even worse. What kind of people are these!
The big man was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Hahaha, little boy, are you joking? You brought a Pikachu to challenge? This is a Gym, not a children's playground!"