Although they had obtained their Pokémon during the same period—and although the Pokémon in their hands all possessed exceptionally high innate potential—Gary Oak didn't have nearly as many responsibilities as Ash Ketchum, leaving him with far more time for daily training.
By all logic, Gary's rate of improvement should have been faster than Ash's.
But Gary didn't have a system.
Even as Professor Oak's grandson—and even though Ash often shared training advice with him—Gary simply couldn't match Ash's efficiency when it came to grinding levels in the wild, learning new moves, and raising move proficiency.
Without the Ascension Trainer System, the speed gap was unavoidable.
At present, Ash's Pikachu, Frogadier, and Pidgeotto had all reached Advanced Tier.
Meanwhile, Gary's strongest Pokémon, Wartortle, was only LV.19.
To raise a Pokémon to that level in just over a month after receiving a starter already made Gary a bona fide genius among ordinary Trainers.
But compared to Ash…
The gap was still enormous.
Ever since Ash brought Gary to the Viridian City Arena three days ago, the two of them had been coming every afternoon to battle.
However, Gary's individual strength was still lacking. When he entered alone, he lost far more often than he won.
As a result, Ash frequently teamed up with him.
The feeling was just like duo-queueing in a game back in a previous life.
At this point, coming to the arena meant Ash carrying Gary.
Gary mainly used the opportunity to farm experience—acting as a frontline damage sponge or providing support from the side, essentially playing a full-time assist role for Ash.
Even so, the experience Wartortle and Eevee gained from these matches was still far faster than grinding in the wild.
"Same plan as always," Ash said as he stepped up to the registration counter with Pikachu in his arms, handing over his identity crystal card.
"We'll each register for a match to warm up first. After that, we'll team up."
"OK~ OK~"
Gary nodded, giving Eevee an affectionate pat.
This wasn't their first time teaming up at the city arena—
their coordination was already second nature.
Both of them signed up for '1·2' Double Battles, which had become their standard choice.
The arena's Double Battles were divided into two formats:
1·2 Mode — one Trainer commands two Pokémon in battle2·1 Mode — two Trainers team up, each commanding one Pokémon
Neither mode was inherently easier or harder.
In 1·2 Mode, both Pokémon belonged to the same Trainer, resulting in higher natural synergy—but the mental load on the Trainer was much heavier.
In 2·1 Mode, each Trainer commanded only one Pokémon, reducing individual pressure—but demanding far tighter coordination between Trainers and Pokémon.
When Ash and Gary teamed up, they always chose 2·1 Mode.
When warming up solo, like now, they chose 1·2 Mode.
After registering, both of them headed to the Player Waiting Lounge of Sub-Arena No. 9, Pokémon in their arms.
The first time Ash ever competed here, he had been placed in Sub-Arena No. 10, the lowest tier.
As his results improved, his placement gradually rose.
If Ash entered singles, he could now be assigned to Sub-Arena No. 5.
But since he usually brought Gary along for doubles, their combined results weren't as impressive—so they were almost always placed in Sub-Arena No. 9.
Ash had no complaints.
He certainly didn't think Gary was holding him back.
As the saying goes: If one day you prosper, don't forget the ones who were there before.
Back when Ash hadn't even obtained Pokémon yet, it was Gary who had helped look after him.
And besides—
to Ash, the difference between Sub-Arena No. 5 and No. 9 wasn't that significant anyway.
At most, the Trainers in No. 9 were a bit weaker, a bit more hot-tempered, and much louder with trash talk.
But in Ash's eyes?
They were all just experience packs.
After waiting a short while in the lounge, the staff finally called Gary's name.
"Go get 'em, Gary," Ash said with a grin, nudging him with his elbow.
"I'm looking forward to your performance."
"OK~!"
"The Swift you helped Eevee learn a few days ago—I've trained it to Skilled already," Gary said proudly, stroking Eevee's head.
"Just watch—I'll show you the results in a moment."
After exchanging a few words of encouragement, Gary left the waiting lounge and headed toward the entrance tunnel.
Ash withdrew his gaze and turned toward the massive wall-mounted screen inside the lounge.
The broadcast had already switched to Gary's match.
"Ladies and gentlemen—"
"Up next is a 1·2 Double Battle! Competing in the tenth match are Trainer Fukuoka and his opponent, Gary Oak!"
"Fukuoka is a regular in Sub-Arena No. 9. His Ekans + Sandshrew combo has always been formidable—many opponents have been completely toyed with by their Dig tactics."
"And today's challenger, Gary Oak, needs no introduction—Professor Oak's grandson from Pallet Town, and Ash Ketchum's regular doubles partner."
"Moreover, as the top five finisher at the recent Pokémon Summer Camp, and a genius Trainer who—like Ash—received Pokémon ownership rights at the age of six, Gary Oak is no weakling either."
"What kind of match will these two deliver today? Let's find out!"
With access to official arena data, the commentator knew the background of every registered Trainer—strong or weak.
Thanks to the introduction, the audience now had a basic understanding of both competitors.
As the commentary ended, Gary and Fukuoka officially stepped onto the battlefield.
"Kid, you'd better surrender now!"
"Otherwise, when you lose and start crying later, don't blame Uncle for bullying you!"
As a veteran of Sub-Arena No. 9, Fukuoka launched into mockery the moment they met.
"Just like Ash said," Gary muttered, shaking his head.
"The weaker ones really do love trash talk."
"Hah! Let's see if you're still this cocky after the match!" Fukuoka cracked his neck and sneered.
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T/N:
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