After the battle, Lt. Surge still couldn't figure out why Ash's Pikachu was so abnormal.
Why would it refuse to evolve?
But once he found out the kind of brutal training Pikachu had gone through, he finally understood everything!
There was no need for any further explanation just holding Pikachu was enough to reveal the truth.
The average Pikachu weighs about six kilograms.
But Ash's Pikachu weighed close to sixty kilograms!
When Lt. Surge lifted Pikachu up for the first time, he was completely dumbfounded.
And when he learned that the seemingly decorative bracelets and leg bands Pikachu wore were actually heavy weights, he almost screamed.
Good grief, you fought me while wearing those things?!
How big is the difference between us then?!
This is beyond outrageous!
"I'm truly… convinced!" Lt. Surge muttered, still reeling from the shock. "No, I should say I'm completely in awe of you!"
Ash laughed lightly. "Haha, that's not an exaggeration, Gym Leader Lt. Surge. But I do want to give you a suggestion."
"Go ahead," Lt. Surge said seriously.
He didn't dare take Ash's advice lightly.
As a veteran soldier, he respected true strength above all else.
Even though Ash still looked young, there was no denying he was a far stronger Trainer.
If this young man had something to say, it was worth listening to.
"Next time you face those rookie Trainers," Ash began, "could you use the Gym Trial Pokémon instead of your Raichu?"
"Think about it. The gap between you and them is way too large. You gain nothing from it. You win easily and grow arrogant, while the challengers lose and lose heart. They might even give up training altogether."
"What's the point of a Gym battle like that?"
"Instead, if you use lower-level Pokémon, you can teach them more, improve your own command precision, and actually fulfill your duty as a Gym Leader. Isn't that better?"
Ash's words made Lt. Surge pause and fall into deep thought.
After a moment of silence, he looked up at Ash, his expression filled with respect.
"I never thought I'd be taught two or three lessons in a single day by a kid like you," he admitted with a sigh. "In my entire life, I've never experienced anything like this."
"I'll take your advice, Ash." He nodded, then tilted his head curiously. "By the way, how long have you been traveling? You can't still be a rookie, right?"
Ash smiled. "The three of us have only been traveling for less than two months."
"What?!"
Lt. Surge was so shocked that he almost bit his tongue.
Less than two months?
In less than two months, this kid had trained a Pikachu strong enough to destroy his Elite-level Raichu?!
That was completely insane!
A normal rookie Trainer would be lucky to have a mid-level Pokémon after two months!
This wasn't training—this was cheating!
...
Although Lt. Surge was still in disbelief, the Gym challenge wasn't over yet.
Serena was next to take the stage.
Her battle was also one-on-one, but this time Lt. Surge used one of the Pokémon from the Gym's trial roster—Pokémon meant for beginner-level challengers.
Its strength was around the advanced elementary level, exactly where a new Trainer like Serena should be.
In the end, Serena won the match without much danger and earned her very first Gym Badge.
As she looked at the orange badge shining in her palm, an indescribable warmth spread through her chest.
It was joy, pride, and determination all mixed together.
This badge marked the beginning of her journey to catch up with Ash's footsteps.
"How does it feel?" Ash asked with a grin as he placed a hand on Serena's head, gently ruffling her light-brown hair. "You got your first badge on your own. Doesn't that make you excited?"
Serena wasn't wearing her red hat this time.
Maybe it was because she hadn't been able to keep it with her lately—or maybe, just maybe, she didn't mind letting Ash pat her head more easily.
Smiling brightly, she touched her messy hair and said happily, "Yeah! Challenging the Gym and winning a badge feels amazing! But… I don't know when I'll be able to challenge the Gym Leaders at their true strength like you do."
Ash chuckled softly. "Don't worry, Serena. That day won't be too far away."
...
After the Gym battles were over, Ash said he wanted to meet an old friend.
He took Misty and Serena to the southern part of Vermilion City.
There stood a recently built laboratory—its sign reading Sakuragi Laboratory.
The owner of this lab was Professor Sakuragi, one of Professor Oak's students, and a highly respected researcher in the Pokémon field.
He had published many academic papers and gained quite a name in the scientific community.
After his success, he established this laboratory in Vermilion City to focus on observing the ecology and behavior of Pokémon.
"…Ash, the person you're talking about—is it Professor Sakuragi?" Misty asked curiously as they stood before the laboratory's gate.
Though Professor Sakuragi's fame wasn't quite on the same level as Professor Oak's, he was still one of the most prominent names in Kanto.
Of course, Misty had heard of him.
Serena, on the other hand, only knew about him from Ash's brief introductions.
"That's half right," Ash replied with a mysterious smile. "Besides Professor Sakuragi, there's someone else. I met her at summer camp. Actually… she might have known me even earlier than you, Serena."
Serena froze.
She?!
In the Pokémon world, the words for "he" and "she" sounded completely different, so she had definitely heard it correctly.
Her heart skipped a beat.
To be honest, she hadn't felt much pressure when it came to Misty.
After all, she had met Ash long before Misty had joined them on their journey.
Even though years had passed since their first meeting, Serena still saw herself as Ash's oldest friend.
But now there was another girl who had known him even earlier?!
And she lived here, in Vermilion City?!
That wasn't far from Pallet Town at all.
If they had met during summer camps, then they must have seen each other several times!
Serena's heart filled with unease as she watched Ash step forward and knock on the laboratory door.
"Is anyone home?"
"Coming, coming! Who is it?"
A deep male voice came from inside, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.
Click.
The door opened, revealing a middle-aged man with glasses and a kind face Professor Cerisehimself.
(End of Chapter 49)
***
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