This is also why there are so many Gym Leaders, but few have the strength to reach Gym Level, with the Elite Four and Champions being even rarer, as scarce as phoenix feathers.
Ash's words also caused Lt. Surge to fall into deep thought. Compared to simple level increases, enhancing Ability Values is much harder.
Without leveling up, it's hard to say how much training it takes to enhance all six-dimensional abilities. This undoubtedly increases the difficulty of training Pokemon, but the greater the difficulty, the greater the reward.
The boy in front of him is a great example.
He took out his Raichu by sheer force with a level lower by a whole tier... Is this the enhancement brought by Ability Value?
"I understand, I'll pay attention to this in the future. Typically, we Gym Leaders give challengers advice, but it's flipped today. Just who exactly are you?"
"Just a Trainer from Pallet Town," Ash grinned, showing his white teeth.
"Haha, really lost to you..."
"And one more thing, Uncle Lt. Surge, about those newbie trainers you defeated... I don't know why you hit them so hard, but doing that to Pokemon is wrong." Ash's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression.
"You're a Gym Trainer, supposed to be a role model and guide for challengers, but what you're doing isn't any different from crushing their Trainer careers. They are Gym Leaders of Cerulean and Pewter Gyms; I've learned a lot from them. In my view, they are the real Gym Trainers."
Ash stepped aside, pointing to Misty and Brock standing by.
Not to mention Brock, but Misty, whose strength is actually far below Lt. Surge's, and her strongest Pokemon is only at Elite Peak, but this doesn't stop her from being a qualified and excellent Gym Leader.
Ash is very fortunate that when he first set out, he met these two Gym Leaders.
He's even more thankful for meeting Misty on that small road in Pallet Town, starting their journey together...
---
Once again, Ash's words plunged Lt. Surge into contemplation. If earlier Ash was teaching him how to train Pokemon, then now Ash was teaching him how to be a person.
He is ex-military, became the Vermilion Gym Leader through exams after discharge. Initially, he wasn't so harsh on newbies, just rather serious and strict.
After all, he was a soldier.
But as time went on, battling became more irritable, attracting a bunch of run-of-the-mill challengers, bringing Pidgey or Rattata for battle.
Such challenges are extremely boring and made Lt. Surge feel like challengers don't really respect him.
In reality, it was just a personal feeling of Lt. Surge, but once that thought arises, it becomes deeply rooted.
Finally, Lt. Surge became how he is today, being harsh on the weak challengers and conducting serious battles with more competent challengers only.
His thinking was to frighten those weak challengers into steering clear, cementing his reputation so there aren't any such challengers in the future; thus, avoiding the dull and insulting feeling of battling against Pokemon like Pidgey and Rattata.
However, this approach ultimately harmed both the challengers' Pokemon and spirits to the utmost, for newbie trainers, this might be their first Gym battle since debut.
Then to be crushed mercilessly, told to go train for two more years; such blows to a young trainer's confidence are very serious.
If Lt. Surge wasn't a Gym Leader, at most it might just be a moral issue, but he is a Gym Leader!
This is already a problem of professional ethics.
Now, Ash's words suddenly awakened Lt. Surge; this is not the battlefield anymore, and the trainers challenging aren't wartime enemies.
His duty as a Gym Leader isn't to crush opponents so they never stand again, possibly quitting as Trainers, but rather to instruct and correct those trainers' mistakes, this is what a qualified Gym Leader should do.
With that thought, Lt. Surge solemnly bowed to Ash once more.
"Thank you, Ash. If it weren't for you, I don't know how long I'd continue making mistakes."
From a little boy to a young man to Ash, this change in title within less than half an hour proves Ash's evolving status in Lt. Surge's eyes.
"This is proof of my defeat, the Orange Badge; please accept it." After bowing, Lt. Surge took out the Vermilion Gym badge and handed it to Ash, who accepted it without hesitation.
"I got the Orange Badge!"
"Pika Pikachu!"
"Lalu Lalu~~"
Ash performed his signature badge-receiving pose, gazed excitedly at the Orange Badge for a while before pinning it onto his jacket. Now he has obtained three badges, and just over a month has passed.
With five months remaining to collect five more badges, the task shouldn't be too difficult.
Watching Ash put the badge away, Lt. Surge couldn't help but ask, "Ash, how did you train this Pikachu? Even if my Raichu's Ability Value isn't well developed, it shouldn't be at a disadvantage facing an Elite level opponent?"