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Misty also didn't know what Delia was thinking now. Maybe she wouldn't ever know if something happened to her. As she glanced at Ash and Gary standing by the coast, they appeared to be at odds with each other.
"They don't seem to get along well, and that Gary looks like he's always on top."
"Huh?" Misty's words pulled Delia out of her thoughts. She looked over at the two boys on the shore and then smiled fondly.
"You'd be surprised. Actually, Gary is the shyest person in the world, and he's one of Ash's best friends."
"Ah?? Really? I couldn't tell!" Misty was a bit shocked. She hadn't seen any hint of shyness in Gary, nor did she sense such a strong bond between them.
Delia just smiled knowingly and didn't reply. Seeing all those girls surrounding Gary, some might think, "Shy? Are you kidding?"
Though Delia usually seemed innocent, she knew a lot more than she let on. After all, what could a ten-year-old boy do with a bunch of girls hanging around him?
Ash understood that no matter how mature some kids in this world acted, they were still physically children. For Gary, having those girls around was more about boosting his confidence. If they followed him, it was because they were drawn to his personality.
"Their relationship looks rough, doesn't it? But they're actually friends and rivals. They might bicker in person, but they'd never speak badly about each other behind their backs.
"And if anyone else dared to say something negative, they'd be the first to defend each other." Delia glanced at the two boys again, knowing their rivalry only existed on the surface. Deep down, they were very good friends.
"I see!" Misty nodded slightly in understanding. Come to think of it, she'd heard Ash talk about Gary before, but he had never said anything bad about him.
If they truly didn't get along, surely Ash would have thrown in a few complaints when Gary came up in conversation.
"Come on, you! Let's settle this! Let's see who can swim faster!" By this point, the argument on the shore had heated up. Gary, unable to hold back, challenged Ash, who calmly responded, pointing towards the beach.
"Alright! But don't blame me when you lose badly. Pikachu, you stay here for a bit." Ash wasn't fazed at all. Besides training his Pokémon during his journey, he also made sure to train himself. He gave Pikachu, perched on his shoulder, a quick gesture.
"Pika pika!"
Pikachu nodded knowingly and jumped down to the ground.
Ash had always trained alongside his Pokémon. For a Trainer to keep up with their Pokémon, they needed to grow stronger too—just like Trainers such as Ariana, whose own abilities matched the strength of their Pokémon.
The two boys agreed to compete, and soon they walked to the beach to start warming up. Immediately, the six girls following Gary lined up to cheer him on.
"Gary! Go, Gary! Gary! Gary, you're the best!"
Ash couldn't help but feel a bit speechless. The scene reminded him of a basketball player from a neighboring town.
"You two want to race? I'll be the referee!" Suddenly, a voice called out. Professor Oak, who had been sunbathing nearby, walked over with a smile.
"Okay!"
"Please, Grandpa!" the two boys responded in unison and began preparing for their race after finishing their warm-up.
Ash, Delia, and the others nearby noticed the excitement, all eagerly watching the contest unfold between Ash and Gary.
"Ready, go!!"
**Thump!**
The moment the signal was given, both boys launched into the water like torpedoes. The race between the two quickly drew the attention of many onlookers, especially Gary's cheerleading squad.
Once in the water, Ash and Gary surfaced almost immediately, their arms flailing as they powered through the waves. At first, they appeared evenly matched in speed.
"Not bad!" Ash thought to himself, a bit surprised. He assumed that, since Gary usually traveled by car, his physical fitness might not be great.
"Hmph! I can't lose to you, Ash!" Gary shot back, clearly determined.
"Then you're in for a disappointment." Ash smirked and suddenly surged ahead. He hadn't been swimming at full speed before. Ash had always been physically strong, and he was even fitter now than in the anime. While Gary was still in good shape despite all his traveling, he simply didn't train his body as much as Ash did.
"What?!" Gary exclaimed, caught off guard by Ash's sudden acceleration. Although he was proud, he always gave his all in any competition. But he hadn't expected Ash to get serious. Frustrated, Gary pushed himself harder, but no matter what he did, Ash continued to pull ahead. Gary, usually calm, was growing more anxious.
The more impatient he became, the more the gap between them widened. He could never quite close the two- to three-body-length distance. Misty, seeing Ash take the lead, was thrilled and started cheering loudly for him.
**Boom!!!**
"!!!"
Just as Ash and Gary were about 100 meters out, a loud noise erupted from the coast, followed by a piercing roar. Both boys stopped swimming instinctively, turning to look back at the shore. A thick cloud of smoke was rising from the beach, and people were fleeing in panic.
"Is that... Gyarados?" Gary asked with a frown, squinting at the smoky figure.
"No, it's a fake Gyarados!" Ash corrected. Gary took a closer look and noticed wheels beneath the Gyarados, confirming that it was man-made.
"What's going on?!" Gary said, confused.
"Let's head back!" Ash called out, not wasting any time as he started swimming back toward the shore.
"Hey! What about the race, you coward!" Gary shouted, still fixated on the competition. But with Ash already swimming back, he reluctantly followed, eager to figure out what was happening.