"Gary———!" The girls from Gary's support club wailed in unison. Their idol had just lost, and to Ash, no less—a hard pill for them to swallow.
"As expected of Ash…" The residents of Pallet Town nodded slightly, murmuring among themselves.
Over the years, they had witnessed the ongoing rivalry between Ash and Gary, and they were not entirely surprised by this outcome.
Ash had often bested Gary, and though the battle had been close, his talent had once again shone through.
"This time... I lost," Gary muttered, though disappointment flickered across his face.
He accepted the defeat gracefully, knowing it was only a matter of time before he could challenge Ash again.
He wasn't one to deny or make excuses. His determination was clear—next time, he would win.
"This wasn't a fair fight…" Ash said, glancing at Gary as Pikachu returned to his shoulder. He shook his head slightly, as if the victory felt incomplete.
"What do you mean?" Gary raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"Pikachu isn't a Pokémon trained by the League," Ash explained.
"Professor Oak recently found him, and it seems like Pikachu's been surviving in the wild for quite some time…"
Ash ran his hand over Pikachu's head, and Pikachu nuzzled into his touch with a soft, contented purr.
"A wild Pokémon, huh…" Gary mused, thinking it over. After a moment, he shook his head firmly. "No… it was still a fair fight."
Pikachu's instincts, honed in the wild, had given him an edge, and Gary understood that.
But Squirtle, on the other hand, had its own advantages—being formally trained and taught more refined moves.
Gary hadn't fully capitalized on Squirtle's strengths, and that was where the battle had gone wrong.
In the end, it wasn't about who had the stronger Pokémon; Gary simply hadn't brought out Squirtle's full potential.
"Even though I lost this time," Gary said, turning his back to Ash, "the next time we battle, I'll be the one who wins!"
"No way! I'll win next time too!" Ash fired back, just as determined. He could never picture himself losing to Gary.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu echoed Ash's sentiment, letting out a confident cry of its own.
Gary, silent and resolute, walked toward the lab to heal his Squirtle. Despite the bitterness of defeat, it had only fueled his competitive fire.
He didn't know when their next battle would be, but he was sure of one thing—he would not lose to Ash again.
As Gary left, the members of his support club lingered, torn between following him and glaring at Ash.
Despite their frustration, they couldn't bring themselves to direct any anger toward Pikachu, whose cuteness seemed to soften the blow.
"Ash! Keep it up! We know you'll become a great Trainer!"
The townspeople who had gathered for the battle began to disperse, offering Ash words of encouragement as they headed home.
"I will! I won't let anyone down!"
Ash called after them, grinning.
His goals, however, stretched far beyond becoming a great Trainer—he wanted to reach heights no one had ever reached and see the magnificent views waiting at the top.
As the crowd thinned, Ash was about to head home to pack his things when he spotted a familiar figure waving at him. A gentle smile on her face, his mother, Delia, stood among the remaining onlookers, holding a green backpack.
"Mom?" Ash hurried over, surprised to see her. "Shouldn't you be working?"
"I was supposed to be," Delia replied with a warm smile, "but when my boss heard it was your big day, they let me leave early."
She looked up at Pikachu perched on Ash's shoulder, her eyes soft with affection.
"Oh, Mom! This is Pikachu, my new friend!" Ash quickly introduced Pikachu, holding him out to Delia.
"Pika, pika!" Pikachu waved a tiny paw in greeting.
"Hello, Pikachu," Delia said, gently stroking Pikachu's head. Pikachu didn't resist, instead leaning into her touch and letting out a comfortable chirp.
"I brought your backpack," Delia added, holding it up.
"I've packed your clothes and lunch, and there's some food and water in here for the road…" She unzipped the bag, showing Ash the contents inside.
"This is… a space backpack?!" Ash gasped, astonished. He couldn't believe how many items fit inside the compact bag.
Delia nodded with a smile.
"Yes, I thought it would come in handy on your journey."
Ash's eyes widened. Space backpacks were a recent development and incredibly expensive.
A backpack like this, capable of holding a cubic meter of supplies, cost 40,000 pokes—an amount that would take Delia two years of hard work at the ranch to save up for.
"Mom… how did you…?"
Delia simply smiled, not offering any explanation. Ash knew the sacrifices his mother had made for him, and this was just one more reminder of how much she had given.
"Thank you, Mom," Ash said quietly, taking the backpack from her.
It wasn't just gratitude in his words, but a deep sense of responsibility. He knew that a simple thank you could never fully express what he felt, but right now, it was all he had.
"Take care of yourself out there," Delia said, her voice soft and full of love.
"Make lots of friends, don't be too reckless, and if you run into trouble, try to avoid it if you can…"
Ash listened, feeling a pang of sadness at the thought of leaving home. His mother's words weren't a nuisance; they only made the upcoming journey feel even more real.
"Oh, by the way, Mom!" Ash remembered the League subsidy and quickly explained the good news to her.
"Really? That's wonderful!" Delia's face lit up with relief.
She hadn't told Ash, but buying the space backpack had nearly depleted her savings. Now, with the promise of a subsidy, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
_______________
Adios