"Gary, Gary, he's the best! Come on, Gary, Gary!"
Ash could hear the familiar chanting from up ahead as he approached Professor Oak's Laboratory.
It was the voices of Stephanie's sons, loudly cheering for none other than Gary.
"Gary… that guy…"
Ash thought to himself, feeling a mix of emotions.
While his memories of the animated version were fuzzy, this particular scene — Gary's cocky and flamboyant demeanor — was something he couldn't forget.
Gary was always arrogant, from the very first episode.
He had an entourage, people cheering for him, and with his slick attitude and being the grandson of Professor Oak, Gary always seemed like he was living a charmed life.
However, Ash couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for Gary.
In the future, Gary would give up being a trainer and pursue a career in research after the Silver Conference.
While it was an honorable path, it seemed like a waste of the talent and potential Gary had shown as a trainer.
"Yo ho, isn't this Ash?"
A voice snapped Ash out of his thoughts. Standing in front of him, coming out of the lab, was none other than Gary himself.
"Gary…"
Ash muttered, the corners of his mouth twitching. Gary was still his usual flashy self, unscathed by the humbling losses that would come later.
"I just got the last Pokémon. You're late, Ash! No more Pokémon left for you!"
Gary said with a smug grin, spinning a Poké Ball on his fingertip. His head held high, he looked at Ash, feeling triumphant for once.
"Whether there's a Pokémon for me or not isn't up to you…"
Ash said calmly, brushing past Gary and heading towards the lab. He wasn't in the mood for Gary's boasting and was more concerned with what awaited him inside.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Gary called after him, frowning.
"I'll be waiting right here. If you manage to get a Pokémon, battle me! This time, I'll make sure to beat you!"
"Yeah, you just wait…"
Ash waved dismissively without looking back.
Gary's face twisted in frustration as he watched Ash ascend the steps.
For years, Gary had been chasing after Ash, always falling short.
He had never won against him, not even once. The closest he had come was a tie, but even that wasn't enough for Gary to feel satisfied.
As he brooded, Gary's hand instinctively reached for the two necklaces around his neck.
One was purely for style, while the other held a half-damaged Poké Ball, hidden under his shirt — a reminder of his rivalry with Ash.
Meanwhile, Ash arrived at the entrance of Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Though he was familiar with the place, he still rang the doorbell out of respect. Moments later, the screen by the door lit up, revealing Professor Oak's face.
"Ash? You're here late today! Come in quickly…" Professor Oak said, opening the door remotely.
"Sorry to trouble you, Professor Oak,"
Ash said as he entered the lab. As soon as Professor Oak met him, the professor let out a sigh, his face slightly embarrassed.
"What's wrong, Professor?"
Ash asked, playing innocent even though he knew what the problem was.
"You're late, Ash," Professor Oak said, leading him towards the storage room.
"For the past few years, you've never been late, not once. What happened?"
Ash scratched his head, trying to look sheepish.
"I stayed up late watching the Elite Challenge last night and lost track of time…"
Professor Oak gave a knowing smile, though he seemed concerned.
"Well, you came too late this time…"
As they reached the storage room, Professor Oak sighed.
"The Alliance only provides me with three starter Pokémon for Pallet Town, as it's such a small place. Normally, three would be enough, but…"
"But what?"
Ash asked, though he already knew the answer. Still, he wanted to hear the full explanation, especially since he wasn't entirely sure who had taken the other two Pokémon besides Gary.
"Someone from the next town over came to claim one of the Pokémon,"
Professor Oak explained with a sigh.
"There was a mistake in their registration, and they couldn't get their starter there, so they came here instead."
Apparently, this neighboring town had its own batch of Rookie Trainers, but due to a registration error, one of them wasn't able to receive a Pokémon.
The Pokémon Center had called in the morning to ask for help, and although Professor Oak didn't have any obligation, the trainer had registered before Ash.
Since it wasn't queue-jumping, the Alliance had to give the last Pokémon to that trainer.
"Then… what about me?"
Ash was genuinely taken aback. He hadn't expected that an error from another town would leave him without a Pokémon.
"What am I supposed to do now?"
"Well, there is some compensation," Professor Oak said thoughtfully.
"If you're willing to wait six months, we'll have another batch of starter Pokémon, and the Alliance will offer compensation for the delay."
"Six months?!"
Ash exclaimed, his frustration evident. He couldn't wait half a year to start his journey. He needed to leave now.
"But there is one other option…" Professor Oak added, seeing Ash's desperation.
"I recently recovered a wild Pokémon, though it wasn't raised by the Alliance."
The professor hesitated, taking out a Poké Ball.
"It's a bit… wild. It's not as obedient as a trained starter, and since you didn't capture it yourself, it might not listen to you at first."
Professor Oak held the Poké Ball out to Ash.
"If you choose this Pokémon, it's yours. Plus, the Alliance will still compensate you for the inconvenience caused."
Ash's heart skipped a beat. He recognized the Poké Ball — it was Pikachu's. The fabled "Skin God" of the animated series. Without hesitation, Ash made his decision.
"It doesn't matter. I'll take it!"
Ash declared, reaching for the Poké Ball.
The thrill of adventure surged through him as he realized his journey was about to begin, Pikachu by his side.
_______________
Adios