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Ash, still speaking, was splashed in the face. He used his waist to sit up abruptly from the beach and looked at the culprit who had splashed him.
Misty made a face at Ash: "Pfft~~ Who told you to lie there all the time? It's boring to come to the beach and not play in the water!"
"Oh, you dare to splash me! Just you wait!"
"Come and catch me~~" Misty made another face, then turned around and wiggled her little butt, running away.
"Brock, give me the Water Gun!" Ash asked Brock, who was staring blankly at a group of bikini-clad older sisters nearby, for the Water Gun, then charged forward.
His physique and Misty's physique were incomparable. Soon, Ash caught up with Misty and directly pinned her down!
Misty was completely stunned. What was Ash going to do? Had he finally been unable to resist the desire in his body after seeing her in that sexy swimsuit? But this was outside, it was not allowed!
However, the next second, a light blue muzzle was aimed at Misty's forehead. Misty stared blankly at the muzzle, still not reacting, when a forceful stream of water hit her face, splashing her all over!
"Let's see how you'll escape now!" Ash said, frantically spraying Misty's face with the Water Gun in his hand.
Not far away, Xiao Chun watched this scene, her expression changing from surprise, astonishment, disbelief, to covering her mouth and snickering.
Ash seemed to be not much different from before, still so childish.
She had thought that after traveling for a while, he would become a bit more mature, but he was exactly the same as when he was ten years old.
"Ash!!!!!" After the initial rollercoaster of emotions, Misty wiped away the water droplets from her face and roared Ash's name like a Gyarados.
However, Ash, having done the deed, had already run far away, and even turned back to make faces at Misty.
This made Misty so angry that she was fuming. Misty grabbed the Water Gun to retaliate, but couldn't catch up with Ash... Happy times always pass quickly. The morning was over in a blink of an eye, and everyone's stomachs were rumbling with hunger.
So, everyone casually found a restaurant to eat. After eating, they went to find Professor Oak and Delia.
The two of them had said they would come to the Resort today, but they hadn't seen them on the beach at all. It was already afternoon, and the sun was scorching. Even with sun umbrellas and sunscreen, the two girls didn't really want to play.
If their skin got tanned, it would be a bit of a loss.
So, if they couldn't find Professor Oak and Delia, they would find a place to rest first, and then look for them when the sun had set a little.
This was the trouble with not having a fixed way to contact people. It was said that the Alliance was already developing mobile phones, which would become widely available soon, making communication much more convenient when out and about.
Another thirty minutes later... It was two in the afternoon, and both girls were clearly a bit listless.
"Ash, did Professor Oak really say they were coming today?"
"Yes, he said he left Pallet Town this morning and drove here. They should have arrived by now..." Ash scratched his head, also finding it a bit strange.
Didn't they come to the Resort to play on the beach? If they were looking inside the Resort, it would be harder to find them.
"Can't you use your Aura to find them? Your Aura should be able to cover a fifty-mile radius, right?"
"But I haven't recorded my mom's and Professor Oak's Aura..." Ash said, a little awkwardly.
He had gained Aura when he started his journey. How could he have recorded Delia's and Professor Oak's Aura at that time?
Aura was fine for detecting terrain, but for detecting humans... unless you could remember the other person's Aura, it was very difficult to distinguish their appearance just by detecting them.
After all, the perspective of Aura was quite eerie.
As Ash and the others were looking for people, they suddenly noticed many people jogging towards the right side of the beach. Just as everyone was a bit confused, a conversation reached Ash's ears.
"I heard someone is battling at the Battle Arena!"
"Yes, and it's a very young boy. It's said he's already won five consecutive battles. As long as he reaches ten consecutive wins, he can get a prize provided by Lampuruge Resort, which seems to be a very beautiful Orb."
"An Orb, that must be very valuable, but aren't ten consecutive wins a bit difficult?"
"Heh, otherwise, would the Resort offer such a valuable item as a prize? This is also a way to attract attention."
"Who is that boy, do you know him?"
"He seems quite famous, a rising star Trainer recently, named Gary. It's said that he's already obtained three Badges within a month of starting his journey, which is an incredible feat for a newcomer."
...
A rising star Trainer? Gary?
Hearing that name, Ash's expression instantly brightened. He knew Gary had come here and was about to challenge the Vermilion City Gym.
He had been wondering if he would meet Gary in Vermilion City, but he didn't expect to meet him at this Resort!
And Gary was also battling, and ten consecutive wins would get him some kind of Orb.
No matter what the reward was, seeing Gary show off was already unbearable for Ash, and what kind of "rising star" was getting three Badges?!
He was also a Trainer who got three Badges in a month of debut, why wasn't anyone talking about him?
Ash thought to himself, greeted everyone, and then rushed to the arena.
Before leaving, he told Misty and Xiao Chun to rest if they were tired. He absolutely couldn't miss this encounter with Gary's battle, so even if it was scorching hot, he had to go.
However, Ash had left, so how could Misty and Xiao Chun rest? And the former was also very curious about what kind of person this "Gary" that Ash always talked about was.
To be so remembered by a monster like Ash, he must also be a monster.
So, the group of four also followed Ash's footsteps and went to the arena together...
"Growlithe, Flamethrower!"
"Woof!" Searing flames erupted from Growlithe's mouth, directly roasting the Sandshrew opposite into a grilled mouse.
Gary stood with his arms crossed over his chest, a confident smile on his face: "Is this all you've got? These ten consecutive wins are too easy. I don't even need to fight the last match, just give me the prize directly."
"Gary, Gary is so great! Gary, Gary is so handsome!" A row of youthful and beautiful girls in cheerleader outfits behind Gary cheered him on.
Not far away, Professor Oak, wearing beach shorts and a floral beach shirt, covered his face, unable to bear the sight. Delia, wearing a swimsuit with a white long-sleeved jacket over it, covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
Gary's performance perfectly showcased the spirit of youth.
Although he was a bit arrogant, he had the strength to be arrogant. However, the reason Professor Oak couldn't bear to watch was the group of cheerleaders behind Gary.
He wondered how Gary could endure such embarrassing cheers shouted in public.
"There's one more person, who wants to challenge? Hurry up, I want my prize."
"I will!!" A figure leaped out from the crowd, did a 360-degree flip in the air, and then landed gracefully on the Trainer's seat opposite Gary.
This high-profile entrance made everyone unable to help but shift their gaze. Gary's mouth also twitched when he saw this.
The limelight he had worked so hard to get was instantly stolen by this new guy. Who was this B?
When Gary also focused his gaze on the newcomer, his expression instantly changed.
"Ash?!"
"That's right, it's me. Long time no see, Gary. I didn't expect you to be having Pokémon battles here. You didn't even tell me you were coming. Are you afraid I'd defeat you and steal your title as the strongest newcomer?"
Ash slowly stood up from his half-crouch, adjusted his hat with one hand, his face full of youthful exuberance!
On the way, he had thought of several high-profile ways to enter, how to completely overshadow Gary's limelight. In the end, Ash chose to use his outstanding physical prowess to perform a 360-degree aerial flip and land steadily upon entering.
This would definitely attract everyone's attention.
And the result was exactly as he had expected. Everyone's gaze in the arena was drawn to him. Now, he was the coolest guy in the whole place!
"Heh heh, since when did the clueless, good-for-nothing Ash dare to say such things? In the theoretical exams in Pallet Town, I completely crushed you. You only have your physical prowess to talk about."
In terms of verbal sparring, Gary was only stronger than Ash, not weaker. In their previous verbal battles in Pallet Town, Ash had never been able to retort Gary.
But times were different now. Under the influence of many great masters, not only had his verbal skills improved, but his strength and theoretical knowledge had also made rapid progress.
Even though he only had a month to develop, this month, compared to before, was definitely a complete transformation!
Little, little Gary, won't be an easy win?!
"Enough talk, I am your tenth opponent. What are the rules, one-on-one or multi-on-multi?" Ash raised his chin, speaking with an arrogant expression.
Facing Gary, his month of cultivation and manners went straight out the window. What cultivation? What manners? He didn't understand!
Thinking back to Gary's mocking behavior after defeating him, Ash now only had one word in his heart - get him!
Get him, damn it! Today, he would definitely beat Gary until he was looking for his teeth on the ground!
"Heh, it seems this month of travel has given you some inexplicable confidence. Well, let me tell you, your growth is nothing in the face of talent!"
Gary said, recalling Growlithe, then also arrogantly raised his chin and took out a new Poké Ball: "The battle rule is one-on-one. As the challenger, I will send out my Pokémon first. Ash, you will be the last stepping stone for my ten consecutive wins. Go, my darling!"
Gary gently kissed the Poké Ball, then threw it.
The Poké Ball drew a beautiful arc in mid-air, then a flash of light, and a dark blue turtle-like Pokémon appeared on the field.
A sturdy shell, small fangs, wing-like ears, and a wave-like tail - this was Squirtle's evolution, Wartortle!
Seeing this, Ash's eyes narrowed slightly: "Is your starter Pokémon Squirtle?"
Although Gary was arrogant in words, he would definitely not be careless when facing him. He would send out his strongest Pokémon to battle him, and this Wartortle was undoubtedly Gary's current ace.
Generally speaking, the ace would be one's starter Pokémon, especially when first starting a journey.
Because the starter Pokémon accompanies you for the longest time at the beginning, and you put the most effort into it.
And the bond between a Trainer and Pokémon can transcend the Pokémon's potential limits. Some Pokémon that are naturally slow to improve and have low ability potential can, under the influence of the bond with their Trainer, eventually surpass their limits and become top-tier Pokémon... The above statement refers to a very small number of exceptions.
After all, there are very few people in the world who can have such a strong bond with a Pokémon.
In short, for a Trainer like Gary who had just started his journey a month ago, the ace Pokémon was usually his starter Pokémon, just like Ash's current ace Pokémon was Pikachu.
No matter how Pikachu develops in the future, right now, he is Ash's undisputed ace!
Ash glanced at Wartortle's data.
Level, Advanced Peak, ability Torrent. All ability values except Speed and Attack were A, and the remaining two also had B potential.
Was Professor Oak giving him special treatment? A Pokémon with such potential was one in ten thousand in its entire species. How did Gary get to choose it?
But then again, his Pikachu was six A's. If anyone was getting special treatment, he seemed more like the one bringing it... "How about it? Are you intimidated by my Wartortle's heroic appearance? I'm not afraid to tell you, Wartortle is my starter Pokémon. Let's make this battle a showdown of starter Pokémon. Your starter Pokémon should be that roadside Dog at your feet, right?"
Gary looked at Pikachu, mocking him.
Pikachu: ???
"Pika? Pika Pika!!" Did I provoke you? Can you even talk!!
For Gary, whom he was meeting for the first time, Pikachu had neither good nor bad feelings, only knowing that Ash had a strong obsession with Gary.
But with that one taunt, Pikachu couldn't take it anymore.
Damn it, I originally wanted to fight you normally, but now I will attack in Partner Form!
Let's see who the roadside Dog is!
Ash's mouth also twitched when he heard what Pikachu said, and he looked at Gary with pity.
Dude, you're done for. A normal Pikachu might have a chance of winning against Wartortle, but in Partner Form... I don't know how you could possibly lose!