"Beautiful! Ash's Kingler has achieved a feat by sweeping three opponents in a row, successfully taking the first match victory!"
"Alright!" Ash exclaimed, happily scooping Kingler into a big hug.
This was the first time Ash had used Kingler in battle, but because Professor Oak had raised it exceptionally well, Ash easily secured his first victory with its help.
"Not bad at all, Ash," Misty praised him without hesitation.
"Hehehe, it was a piece of cake," Ash said, rubbing his nose with a smug grin.
"Ash, your second match is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. You can rest tomorrow," Brock added.
The Indigo Plateau Conference utilized a single-elimination format with head-to-head duels. Losing meant being cut from the tournament immediately, so the early schedule was relatively relaxed, with contestants only needing to battle once every two days. Later on, the schedule would likely shift to one match per day.
Between rounds, the Pokémon would have plenty of rest time to ensure they weren't fatigued for the next battle.
"Rest? Now is no time for rest!" Ash's eyes didn't lose focus despite the easy win. "I'm going to keep training!"
"Ash, proper rest is also very important."
"Don't worry, I know. I'm not some rookie Trainer."
As they talked, they began leaving the stadium and happened upon the smiling trio of Aomori, Sabrina, and Latias.
"Aomori-san! And Sabrina and Latias too!" Ash called out in pleasant surprise. "Did you come specifically to see my match?"
"We did. We just watched your battle; it was very well done." Aomori gave him a thumbs up.
Sabrina nodded in approval. "That Kingler is quite impressive."
"Mhm! It was a thrilling fight!" Latias said, clapping her small hands.
"Hehehe, it was nothing special. It ended before I even had to get serious," Ash said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
Misty chimed in from the side, "I'm just glad you're okay, Aomori-san. I was worried since you hadn't come back for so long. Were you looking for Sabrina last time?"
"Yes. Sabrina ran into a bit of trouble and asked me to handle it. The problem is resolved now," Aomori replied.
"That's wonderful."
"Since it's rare for everyone to be together, please allow me to prepare a grand feast for everyone." Brock initially wanted to flirt with Sabrina, but remembering she was a high-tier psychic, he immediately lost his nerve.
"Sounds great!" Everyone agreed in unison.
And so, they all headed to Ash's house.
"Oh my, this handsome young man must be the Aomori-san that Ash is always talking about." Delia, Ash's mother, put a hand to her cheek as soon as she saw Aomori, appearing a bit enchanted.
"Hello, I'm Aomori. Might this young and beautiful lady be Ash's older sister?" Aomori asked, feigning ignorance.
"Oh, stop it! You're such a flatterer. I'm not that young or beautiful. I'm actually Ash's mother. You can just call me Delia."
"You're really Ash's mother? To be honest, I can't tell at all."
"Hahaha, Aomori-san really knows how to charm a lady." Delia, beaming with joy, invited Aomori inside, and they chatted happily the whole way.
Latias followed closely behind.
"I didn't expect it. Mr. Aomori usually acts so indifferent toward girls; turns out he likes this type," Misty muttered, as if she had suddenly realized something.
"Hmm, a mature and gentle older sister type is indeed nice, but a young girl's youthful energy is also irresistible. Therefore, I choose both!" Brock slowly clenched his hands, as if grabbing everything into his palms.
"Hey, don't stand there blocking the way. Get inside." Sabrina's voice sounded slightly ominous from behind, scaring Misty and Brock into jumping to the side.
Watching Sabrina walk in, Misty recalled their first meeting with her. She swallowed hard and whispered, "It feels like Sabrina is angry. I'm terrified she'll turn us into dolls if we say the wrong thing."
"Even an angry Sabrina is wonderful, though she's the 'look but don't touch' type," Brock sighed.
"What have you two been talking about? I don't get it at all," Ash wondered, bringing up the rear.
"You're too young, Ash. We'll tell you when you're older."
"Hmph, I don't care about getting older. Let's just go in."
"Right."
…
After a lovely evening at Ash's house, they took Aomori to visit Professor Oak's Laboratory the next day.
Like Delia, Professor Oak recognized Aomori instantly. "You must be the Aomori Ash is always mentioning. You certainly are a handsome and capable-looking young man."
"Hello, Professor Oak. I'm Aomori. I've admired your work for a long time," Aomori said respectfully.
"Haha, the honor is mine." Professor Oak chuckled, then turned to Ash. "I saw your match yesterday. You performed well. Keep it up and don't get lazy, okay?"
"Of course!" Ash shouted, pumping his fist.
"I wondered who was being so loud. It's just you, Ash," Gary said with a yawn as he walked out of a nearby room, glancing at Ash.
"Gary! You jerk!" Seeing his rival made Ash's temper flare. He deliberately pulled back his vest to show off his badges and smirked. "I happen to have an Earth Badge that someone couldn't get. Are you jealous?"
"Confound it, Ash! How many times are you going to brag about that?" Gary huffed. "You just got lucky because you didn't run into that guy. There's nothing to be proud of."
"Regardless, I have it and you don't. That's the gap between us," Ash gloated.
"You...! Do you dare to have a battle with me right now?!"
"Bring it on! I'm not afraid of you!"
"Alright, you two. We have guests here. Chill out," Professor Oak said helplessly. "Save your battling for the Indigo Plateau Conference. For now, your mission is to take down your next opponents."
"I know, I know. It's Gary's fault for always picking a fight."
"It's because you always have such a punchable face, Ash." Gary suddenly pointed at Aomori, who was enjoying the drama. "Since Ash is too scared to fight me, I'll challenge you instead. Let's see if you're as strong as Ash says you are."
"You want to challenge Aomori-san? You're just asking for a beating," Ash said angrily.
"Gary, Aomori is a guest. Don't be rude," Professor Oak said with an apologetic smile to Aomori. "He's just a kid, he doesn't know any better. My apologies."
"It's fine. I quite enjoy battling too," Aomori said, waving it off. "But fighting Gary alone feels like I'm picking on him. Why don't you join in too, Ash? The two of you can team up against me. How about it?"
"No way!" Gary immediately refused. "If Ash is there, I'll lose a match I should have won."
"I should be the one saying that!" Ash snapped back.
"You? Didn't someone here never win a single time against me?"
"I haven't won yet, but you can't win either!"
Seeing them about to argue again, Professor Oak intervened. "Just do as Aomori says. Consider it a training exercise."
After a lot of persuading, the Professor managed to get the two of them to agree to cooperate against Aomori.
The group moved to the clearing in front of the lab. Professor Oak acted as the referee and announced the start of the match: "This is a tag-team battle between Ash and Gary against Aomori. Both sides will use three Pokémon. The match ends when all Pokémon on one side are unable to battle. Trainers, please send out your first Pokémon!"
"Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash pointed forward, and the Pikachu on his shoulder immediately jumped onto the field.
"Pika!"
"Then I'll send you out, Arcanine!" Gary kissed his Poké Ball before tossing it.
"Awoo!" A majestic Arcanine appeared on the field.
"Pikachu and Arcanine?" Aomori took a Poké Ball from his pocket and opened it. "I'm counting on you, Garchomp!"
"Chomp!" A dragon-like Pokémon let out a roar. Most of its body was blue, with a red underbelly extending to its lower jaw. Its lithe, perfectly curved body was displayed before everyone.
"That's a Pokémon I've never seen before." Gary immediately pulled out his Pokédex, only to be told there was no data. "Gramps, what is this?"
"That must be a rare Pokémon from the Sinnoh region. I haven't recorded their data into the Pokédex yet." Professor Oak didn't hide his surprise. "It's called Garchomp. It's an uncommon Pokémon. To catch one like this... how impressive."
"Professor Oak truly is a fountain of knowledge. You're exactly right," Aomori said, clapping.
"The Sinnoh region?"
"Garchomp?"
Both Ash and Gary felt a strange sensation in their hearts.
"There are so many more Pokémon in other parts of the world waiting for me to catch them... I want to go traveling!" A brilliant light shone in Ash's eyes.
"Yeah. I want to see more Pokémon too," Gary added, surprisingly not disagreeing.
Professor Oak nodded. "Young people should aim high. Every person and Pokémon you meet on a journey, every event you experience, will become the nourishment for your growth. So, after the conference, step out into a new journey. You will find just how vast and wonderful the world is."
His words had everyone present nodding in agreement.
Ash's eyes sparkled as he waved to Misty and Brock. "Once the conference is over, let's go on another journey together!"
"You bet!"
"Focus on the battle first, Ash you dummy," Gary said with a smile.
"I don't need you to tell me! I'm already ready. Right, Pikachu?"
"Pika!"
"Alright, go Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.
"Pika-chuuuu!"
The golden electricity lit up the sky, shining as brightly as their youth.
In the end, Aomori secured an unquestionable victory, but Ash and Gary gained a great deal from the experience.
Afterward, they continued to win their respective matches, eventually reaching the stage of the fourth round.
"Now, Muk! Use Body Slam!"
Muk used its massive body to pin down the small Bellsprout. No matter how much it attacked, it couldn't hurt Muk's soft body. It eventually fainted in frustration.
"Bellsprout is unable to battle! The winner is Ash from Pallet Town!"
"Yes! I won!" Ash jumped for joy.
"Phew, that was close. I thought he was going to lose for a second," Misty said, still feeling the lingering fear.
"Yeah, that Bellsprout with the martial arts was really strong. Ash was too overconfident; if he had used Charizard, it would have been an easier win." Brock also let out a sigh of relief.
The previous match had been a real emotional rollercoaster, but luckily, Ash had won in the end.
"The important part is the next match. I wonder if Gary won," Aomori, who was sitting nearby, reminded them.
"Gary should be fine, right?"
"I wouldn't be so sure."
But the actual events slapped Aomori in the face. Gary, using all of his trump cards, defeated a powerful opponent and successfully made it into the Top 16. Then, he defeated his next opponent to reach the Top 8, where he would compete against Ash for a ticket to the next round.
"I've finally been waiting for this day, Ash! Let's settle this once and for all!" Gary said, pointing at Ash.
"Gary, I'm not going to lose," Ash replied, meeting Gary's gaze without flinching.
Their eyes locked, and sparks flew between them.
…
The next day, a high-spirited Ash headed to the stadium, where he met an equally sharp Gary.
The two didn't speak. They prepared for the battle in silence. Words were empty now; any beliefs they wanted to convey would be delivered through the battle itself.
"We are currently at the second match of the Top 8 in the Indigo Plateau Conference! It's Ash from Pallet Town versus Gary, also from Pallet Town! What kind of sparks will fly between these two hometown rivals? Please stay tuned!"
"Unlike the previous matches, the Top 8 contestants will use six Pokémon in a full battle. Now, let's see which Pokémon the two contestants will send out first!"
"Caterpie, I choose you!" Ash tossed his Poké Ball, sending out a small, bright green insect.
"Unbelievable! Ash has sent out a Caterpie! Caterpie is a common, weak Pokémon found everywhere. Could this one have something extraordinary about it? Or is Ash throwing the match?"
Across the field, Gary frowned. He knew how much Ash wanted to beat him, so throwing the match was impossible. There was only one truth, that Caterpie was special!
He decided to stick to a solid strategy and sent out Arcanine, which had a type advantage.
"Gary has sent out the majestic Arcanine! Standing before Caterpie, it shows off its unparalleled strength. Facing such a disadvantageous start, how will Ash respond?"
"Hmph. Arcanine, huh? Just as I predicted." Ash smirked and spoke to Caterpie, "Go, Caterpie! Show them the results of all your hard work!"
"Eee!" Caterpie looked back at Aomori sitting on the sidelines, its expression full of determination.
It was going to win this battle beautifully!