"Because I also want to see the outside world, and being by Ash's side is a good choice." Brock also admitted generously, saying there was nothing wrong with being by Ash's side, and he didn't think it was an insult to him.
Gary naturally noticed this, and the way he looked at Ash became a little different. Ash...had been approved by a Gym Leader!
"Okay, let me introduce you.
This is Misty, the younger sister of the Cerulean Gym Leader.
This is Brock, whom you already know.
He is the Pewter Gym Leader.
But now he has handed over the Gym Leader position
to his brother and is traveling with me."
Ash briefly introduced them to Gary.
"Cerulean Gym..." Gary glanced at Misty, even more disapprovingly.
"Hey! You!" Misty gritted her teeth and stared at Gary. Of course, she saw the disdain in Gary's eyes. She wouldn't allow anyone to insult her sisters or her Gym.
"Pika, Pika—!" Pikachu liked Misty very much. Although he knew Gary, he wasn't as close to him as Misty, so he glared at Gary angrily.
"Don't you..." But Gary stretched out his right hand, interrupting Misty, and then stared at Ash. "I thought we would meet again at the Indigo Plateau Conference, but I didn't expect to meet you here."
"What? You want to challenge me?" Ash was also displeased with Gary's haughty look. The main reason was naturally that Gary had offended Misty.
"Challenge?" Gary's demeanor changed, and after taking a deep look at Ash, he nodded slowly. "It's okay to say it's a challenge; after all, I lost to you back then."
"But sorry, I don't want to fight you right now." Ash didn't really want to refuse but was looking for an opportunity to vent Misty's anger.
"Just tell me if you have any conditions." Gary crossed his arms; months of experience had made him different from before. The arrogant attitude was only on the surface, but he had grown a lot inside.
"If you lose, apologize to Misty and the Cerulean Gym." Ash's real purpose was naturally this.
"Hmph." Gary sneered and agreed. "If I lose, it's okay for me to apologize, but what if you lose?"
"If I lose..." Ash opened his collar and pulled out a necklace with half a Poké Ball hanging on it. "If I lose, then this half of the Poké Ball is yours."
Gary took a deep look at Ash and Misty. To make him apologize to Misty, Ash was even using the Poké Ball, which symbolized victory or defeat, as a bet. There was something going on in their relationship.
But Gary didn't care about these things. Although he was in a hurry, if he could beat Ash and get this half of the Poké Ball here, it wasn't impossible!
"Then come on, let's go outside!" Gary took the lead and walked out of the camp. He couldn't wait to beat Ash and let him see his growth in the past few months!
"Ash...is this half Poké Ball?" Although Misty was very displeased with Gary, Gary's demeanor changed after seeing Ash's half Poké Ball, so she asked curiously. Brock also showed a curious look.
"It's a long story. This is a Poké Ball that we caught together when we were fishing when we were young. In order to fight for it, the Poké Ball split into two halves."
"Half is in Gary's hand, and the other half is this." Ash raised the necklace in his hand. "So we agreed that one day in the future, we would use this half of the Poké Ball as a bet, and the winning side would get the complete Poké Ball."
Misty and Brock didn't expect such an allusion to exist, and it felt a little strange, just like Gary's previous childish words. Ash and Gary seemed to be destined rivals.
The four left the camp and came to a remote place. There was no one around, but there was a large open space, which could be used as a venue for the two to fight.
"Let me be the referee." Brock stepped out consciously to be the referee between the two, and Gary nodded, having no objections. He trusted Brock, even though he was by Ash's side.
"What about the rules?" Ash asked Gary.
"In terms of rules..." Gary paused for a moment, looked at Pikachu at Ash's feet, and his eyes were fixed. To be honest, he really wanted to let his Squirtle, no, Wartortle, battle Pikachu again.
But he could see that Pikachu's current strength had reached the Bronze level, the same as his Wartortle. In this case, Wartortle would be at a disadvantage and wasn't suitable for the first battle. "So...
"Three against three, I also want to see if you've slacked off these past few months!" Although he said so, after seeing Pikachu's strength, Gary knew that Ash had also been getting stronger.
"I'll let you see it!" Ash showed an excited smile, as battling Gary was also what he wanted to do.
"The rules of the battle are three against three.
During the battle, both sides can replace the Pokémon in battle at will.
When one of the parties loses three Pokémon, the battle is over!"
Brock stood between the two and read out the rules, taking out a coin at the same time, letting the two call it.
Gary chose heads, and Ash naturally chose tails.
Brock tossed the coin and let it fall on the ground, splashing a little dust. The side with the number 43 on it was heads!
"Gary gets the first strike!"
"Then I won't be polite!" Although going first had certain disadvantages, it also had its advantages. Gary clenched his right fist, then took out a Poké Ball and threw it.
"Arcanine, I leave the first battle to you, bring me victory!"
The white light dissipated over the field, revealing Arcanine's figure. With a strong body, fluffy flaxen hair covering the face, neck, and abdomen, black stripes on the body, and a long tail, it was very heroic and majestic.
Arcanine
Attribute: Fire
Category: Legendary Pokémon
Ability: Intimidate or Flash Fire;
Hidden Ability: Justified
Intimidate: When a Pokémon with this Ability enters battle, it lowers the opponent's Attack stat.
Strength: Bronze
"Arcanine... It seems that you've got a very good companion during this time!" Ash's eyes lit up. He had also thought about capturing an Arcanine, but wild Arcanine were too rare, and only the Jenny family had many.
"Come on, let me see what Pokémon you've captured!" Gary put one hand on his hip. Arcanine was one of his absolute main forces now, and he was full of confidence in it.
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