Chapter 10: Through Viridian Forest, Destination– Pewter City
"Go, Cubone!"
"Squirtle, I choose you!"
The fiery shouts of two boys echoed through a clearing deep within Viridian Forest. Ash and the young ronin, Otoshi, were locked in an intense battle.
A pudgy kid dressed in makeshift armor reluctantly acted as the referee.
It wasn't that he didn't want to battle—he simply couldn't. He had already been beaten to the ground in turn by both Otoshi and Ash earlier. Now, he was undergoing a full-blown existential crisis…
Compared to him, Ash and Otoshi both possessed far more plentiful battle experience—especially for someone who had once been a "rookie" in eight different Pokémon Leagues.
"Cubone, use Bone Club!" Otoshi swung his wooden practice blade, calling his commands with bold, sweeping motions.
"Cu–baone!"
Cubone raised its bone weapon and accelerated forward, bringing it down toward Squirtle in a powerful overhead strike.
"Squirtle, withdraw!" Ash didn't panic. One-sided offense always creates openings. And… well, let's just say he had learned this the hard way more times than he cared to admit.
Squirtle instantly tucked inside its shell.
A sharp whack rang out as the bone club struck Squirtle's sturdy shell.
And Squirtle's shell was anything but ordinary.
Not only that—an aura of red light rose from it, signaling Squirtle's Defense had increased!
"Squirtle, now it's our turn! Tackle!" Ash did not immediately order Water Gun—because the timing wasn't right yet.
"Squirtle!"
Squirtle shot out its limbs, kicked off the ground with explosive force, and rocketed straight toward Cubone.
"Cubone, dodge it quickly!" Zaisan reacted in panic.
But Squirtle's sudden acceleration had already brought it face-to-face with its opponent. Dodging was near impossible now!
A defense-into-counterattack wasn't Ash's favorite battle rhythm, but speaking from the experience of… well, a Master-level trainer—this was the most reliable method.
Bam!
Squirtle slammed into Cubone directly. A fierce elbow strike sent Cubone flying across the ground, carving a long skid mark before it staggered upright.
"Now! Squirtle—Bubble!" Ash continued applying controlled pressure. His timing was impeccable.
…
In the shadowed depths of the forest, two silhouettes quietly observed the battle with great interest.
"Well?" The red-hatted young man turned to the man beside him, visibly excited.
"Mm. The Pokémon themselves are still a little inexperienced, but the boy's command style is very refined. Honestly, he's better than you were at his age."
The muscular, narrow-eyed man crossed his arms and teased him lightly.
"Heh. That's exactly why I said he has talent!" The red-clad youth's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"So, you're looking for a rival?" the narrow-eyed man chuckled.
"Hahaha… you could say that."
Lowering his cap brim, the youth spoke calmly: "A battle without a worthy opponent—there's no thrill at all. You know that feeling."
"Overwhelming talent eventually becomes one's own enemy…"
The narrow-eyed man sighed, a hint of melancholy on his face.
…
"Defend with Bone Club!"
Back in the clearing, Zaisan regained his composure.
Cubone spun its weapon rapidly, knocking down every one of Squirtle's bubbles.
Ash only smiled slightly.
"Perfect. I've figured out your defensive rhythm."
"Squirtle—Tackle!"
"Squirtle!"
Squirtle slapped its shiny bald head confidently, then charged again with incredible speed.
"Focus Energy!" Zaisan shifted stances, mimicking a swordsman preparing to draw his blade. Cubone placed its bone behind its back, mirroring the pose.
A puff of white air burst from Cubone's nose.
A thin glow wrapped slowly around its body—it was gathering power.
"Change tactics—Rapid Spin!"
Ash suddenly altered strategy.
Squirtle immediately withdrew into its shell again, spinning its entire shell at high speed as it hurled itself at the opponent like a living cannonball.
"Bone Club!" Zaisan shouted.
"Cu—baone!"
Cubone swung its weapon with all its might, generating a strong gust of wind.
Clang!
The strike knocked Squirtle off trajectory, sending it shooting up into the sky.
But midair, Squirtle abruptly stopped spinning.
Arms and legs shot out.
And Squirtle dove straight down at Cubone, claws outstretched!
"Whoa! That Squirtle is strong!" the pudgy referee yelped.
In the forest shadows, the narrow-eyed man nodded with admiration.
Such high friendship.
Squirtle not only responded instantly to commands, but even adapted its own combat decisions.
No doubt—it trusted its trainer deeply.
"I didn't misjudge him… But he still has a long way to go."
The red-clothed youth stepped back and mounted his Charizard.
"You're leaving? Not meeting him yet?" the narrow-eyed man asked with a smile.
"It's not time."
With that, Charizard took off—transforming into a dark silhouette mid-air—and soared toward Mt. Silver…
…
Back in the clearing—
Cubone was pinned flat on the ground by Squirtle, both arms immobilized. It stared up in panic.
Ash gave Squirtle an awkward look.
That pose… honestly, it looked way too much like a wall-slam…
"But—I've got you now."
Ash glanced at the bone club that had been knocked aside.
Disarmed. Let's see you block this.
"Squirtle—Water Gun, point-blank!"
"Squirtle! (*｀ω´)ﾉ—Pshhh!"
A powerful stream blasted Cubone directly in the face.
"(≧口≦)!! Cu—bo—! gulp gulp—thud…"
The Ground-type Pokémon shrieked, swallowed several mouthfuls of water, and fainted instantly…
"Ash wins! Otoshi loses!"
The pudgy referee immediately raised his hand.
"Darn it! My training is still not enough!"
Otoshi smacked the pudgy kid on the butt with his wooden sword, then recalled Cubone.
"Ow!! Why are you hitting me? He's the one who beat you!"
The pudgy boy hopped up clutching his rear.
"Did you have a problem with that?"
Otoshi glared at him.
"N–no problem…"
Tears of humiliation streamed down the boy's face. If he weren't hopelessly outmatched, he would never tolerate this treatment…
Ash patted Squirtle's smooth little head—soft and springy to the touch—then recalled it and shook hands with Otoshi.
Such was the etiquette of street battles: win or lose, shake hands afterward, and leave the field as friends.
"Ash, what are your plans now?" Otoshi asked.
"I'm heading to Pewter City to start my Gym Challenge." Ash answered directly.
"Pewter City, huh? Brock is really strong. You confident?" Otoshi grinned.
"A Gym match isn't a fight to the death. As long as I go with the right attitude and ask sincerely for guidance, I'm sure he won't give me a hard time."
Ash smirked.
Unlike street matches, Gym Leaders in this world were specialists—masters of their chosen types.
Battling them was the fastest way for beginners to grow, because Gym Leaders were responsible for teaching challengers real combat knowledge.
As long as you showed respect, enthusiasm, and improvement—even losing could still earn you a badge if you met the Gym Leader's standards.
Ash once believed defeating a Gym Leader meant conquering their Gym.
But as he grew stronger, he realized Gym Leaders rarely used their main Pokémon in official Gym battles.
Only when challengers returned for rematches—already holding the badge—did they learn what real intensity meant.
"You don't conquer the Gym.
You earn the Gym Leader's acknowledgment."
It took Ash many years to truly understand that.
"Then this is where we part." Otoshi shook Ash's hand again and bumped fists.
"I plan to train a bit longer. Once I'm confident enough, I'll challenge a Gym too!"
"Yeah. See you at Indigo Plateau." Ash said solemnly.
"See you at Indigo Plateau."
Otoshi patted his chest firmly, equally serious.
They waved farewell.
The pudgy samurai boy tearfully waved at Ash, then was promptly dragged into the forest by Otoshi…
Ash took a deep breath, looked toward the forest path. Following this road, he'd soon exit the woods.
Thinking of the man who had once taken care of him for years, Ash murmured softly:
"Brock… must be a really gentle guy."
Hidden in the forest, the man flushed bright red.
"W–what's with this kid… Why say something so embarrassingly sincere…"
To be continued…