Viridian Gym.
"Impossible!"
Ash's rival, Gary Oak, who also hailed from Pallet Town, stared at the scene before him in disbelief, falling dejectedly to his knees.
"What kind of Pokémon is that? It's playing with my Arcanine, Rhydon, and Blastoise like they're nothing."
"Apologies. It seems you won't be getting this Earth Badge today." On the elevated platform opposite him, a middle-aged man with a crew cut sat comfortably on a sofa, a glass of red wine in his hand.
"Curse it! I lost this challenge," Gary said, looking at the armored Pokémon standing before him with gritted teeth. "Just you wait. I'll be back to challenge you again."
With that, Gary recalled his Pokémon and left the Viridian Gym, followed by his group of cheerleaders.
"No matter how many times you come, the result will be the same. Because I possess the strongest Pokémon in the world," Giovanni laughed. "Isn't that right, Mewtwo?"
Beneath the heavy helmet, Mewtwo's eyes lit up like two powerful lanterns, but it offered no reply.
…
Meanwhile, Aomori, Ash, and the others had arrived in Viridian City, heading toward the Gym.
"Man, this brings back memories. We're finally back in Viridian City," Ash remarked, taking in the familiar sights.
"Yeah. Look, Ash, the Pokémon Center has been completely rebuilt," Misty said, pointing toward the prominent building in the distance.
"It really has!" After walking a bit further, Ash spotted a familiar location and shouted in surprise, "Aomori-san, look over there! That's where we first met. Back then, I was just a rookie trainer who had just teamed up with Pikachu. That was the very first Pokémon battle of my life."
"Is that so?" Aomori said with a smile. "You had a lot of drive back then. You didn't seem like a first-timer at all; you did quite well."
"Hehe, it was nothing," Ash said, rubbing his nose bashfully.
"And Pikachu was great too."
"Pika!"
As they chatted and laughed along the way, they drew closer to the Viridian Gym. Suddenly, Ash pointed to a large group of people ahead and shouted, "Is that... Gary?!"
"Oh, it's Ash," Gary greeted him listlessly, clearly not yet recovered from his crushing defeat.
The girls surrounding him swooned. "Even when he's down, Gary is so handsome!"
Seeing Gary surrounded by his fan club, Ash shook his head. "Gary, don't tell me you lost your challenge at the Viridian Gym? I told you, women only hinder our progress. Looks like you haven't learned your lesson."
"..." Misty let out a dry huff, her expression unreadable.
"I think you're just a case of sour grapes. A temporary setback means nothing; I'll win it back sooner or later," Gary said, waving his hand nonchalantly. "What about you, Ash? Have you even collected eight badges? Don't tell me you don't even have the qualifications to enter the Indigo Plateau Conference."
"Hmph, open your eyes and look!" Ash confidently pulled back his vest, revealing the badges pinned to the lining. "See? I've already collected seven. I just need to win here at the Viridian Gym, and I'm in."
"Heh, as expected of a loser." Gary pulled out a case and opened it for Ash to see. "I've already secured ten badges. I've had the qualification for a long time."
"What?!" Ash's eyes widened in disbelief. "I worked so hard just to get seven! How did you get ten?"
"That's the difference between first place and last place." Gary closed the case. "A word of advice: while there's still time, go find another Gym to challenge. You'll never succeed at the Viridian Gym."
With that, Gary waved and walked away with his girlfriends without looking back.
"Dammit!" Ash said indignantly. "Gary beat me to it again."
"Isn't that normal? You've always been one step behind Gary; you should be used to it by now," Misty added, twisting the knife.
"After the battle with Ho-Oh, I'm not the same person I used to be," Ash said confidently. "Gary only stayed ahead because of his head start. He won't have the chance anymore."
"Yes, yes, my 'Rainbow Hero' lord. Are you ready to challenge the Viridian Gym?"
"I've been ready!"
"Ash, don't be careless. If Gary lost here, the Gym Leader must be incredibly tough," Brock reminded him.
"Since we're here, it wouldn't be like Ash not to try," Aomori said. "Relax. We still have time. Even if you fail today, there's always tomorrow."
"Aomori-san is right. But I won't fail," Ash said, his fighting spirit soaring. "I've even challenged Ho-Oh! I'm not going to let a Gym stand in my way. Let's go, Pikachu!"
"Pika!"
With Pikachu at his side, Ash marched toward the Viridian Gym with his head held high.
Brock, trailing behind, sighed. "I feel like Ash has been a bit overconfident lately."
Misty shrugged. "Isn't that just his style? Once he hits a wall, he'll realize where he actually stands."
"You two should have more faith in him. As he said, Ash has truly changed." Aomori, who observed Ash constantly, knew better than anyone how much he had improved. If Mewtwo didn't interfere and Pikachu didn't hold back, winning the Earth Badge was a very real possibility.
Besides, Aomori thought, the current substitute Gym Leaders are likely those three bumbling fools, and perhaps the 'Rocket Boss' himself.
"If Aomori-san says so, then I guess we'll just have to wait and see his performance," Misty said.
"Ash always does the unexpected; he surprises people when they least expect it. Maybe this time will be the same," Brock said with a smile.
"Hey! What are you guys gossiping about? Hurry up!" Ash shouted from ahead, waving them over.
The architectural style of the Viridian Gym resembled ancient Rome, with two burly men in armor guarding the entrance. From the outside, the Gym didn't look particularly large.
Ash approached the door and stated his business: "I'm Ash from Pallet Town, and I'm here to challenge the Viridian Gym!"
The guards glanced at Ash and the others behind him, then pushed the doors open, letting them inside. Beyond the gates lay the battlefield. Ash walked to the challenger's position and waited for the Gym Leader.
While the others stood back, Aomori silently activated his Mind's Eye, covertly scanning the premises.
As expected, there's a whole world beneath the surface.
Villainous organizations always seemed to love digging tunnels, and Team Rocket was no exception. However, this base wasn't particularly large; there was likely a much bigger primary base elsewhere in Viridian City.
True to his expectations, Aomori's scan caught a glimpse of Mewtwo. But before he could get a clear look, his Mind's Eye was forcibly disrupted by a surge of powerful psychic energy.
Mewtwo?
Being discovered wasn't surprising to Aomori, but Mewtwo's immediate counter-invasion did catch him off guard.
Before he could react, that domineering psychic force attempted to infiltrate Aomori's mind. Aomori blocked the vast majority of it but allowed a tiny sliver to pass through.
A cold, detached voice echoed in his mind: "Who are you?"
"My name is Aomori. I am a human."
"Human? Does a being with the same qualities as me exist among humans?"
"The world is vast. You are not the only unique existence."
"Is that so?" Mewtwo's tone was laced with doubt.
"It's true." A ghost of a smile appeared on Aomori's lips. "Tell me... do you want to know the meaning of your existence? Do you want to truly live?"
While Aomori was busy with his "Talk-no-Jutsu," Ash finally met the Gym Leader of Viridian Gym, Giovanni.
"I'm Ash from Pallet Town! Please battle me for the Earth Badge!" Ash said, unable to contain his excitement.
"Oh? Another one from Pallet Town. The young man from earlier was as well. No matter," Giovanni said dismissively. "If you want the badge, prove your strength to me."
"No problem! I'll definitely defeat you!"
"Impressive. You certainly have energy."
On the sidelines, Misty hugged Togepi tightly, looking nervous. "It's starting."
"Look, it's the Boss!"
The Team Rocket trio were peering through a skylight, observing the field.
"Since the Boss is handling this personally, that kid is a goner."
"Goes without saying! The Boss is invincible!"
They even pulled out small fans, ready to cheer for their leader.
After the referee announced the rules, Giovanni sent out his first Pokémon.
"You're up first, Nidoking."
"ROAR!" A massive beast covered in purple scales appeared on the field. Its ferocious aura made several people present shudder.
"That Nidoking has been trained exceptionally well. It's a powerful Pokémon," Brock said, his face grim.
"It looks so fierce... not like a pet at all. It looks even meaner than a wild one," Misty said, worrying for Ash. "I hope he doesn't get swept three-to-zero."
"This is where the fun begins." Ash showed no hint of fear. He looked at Pikachu and said, "I'm counting on you for the first round, Pikachu!"
"Pika!" Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder, staring down Nidoking without a trace of intimidation.
"I knew it," Misty said, facepalming. "Using Pikachu against a Nidoking? What is Ash thinking?"
"Actually, Pikachu is agile. If he uses Iron Tail, he has a high chance of winning," Brock countered.
"Really?" Misty lowered her hand, appearing slightly relieved.
"A Pikachu, eh? Hmph." Giovanni didn't react much, calmly giving his command, "Nidoking, use Horn Attack."
"ROAR!" Nidoking growled, lowered its head to aim its sharp horn at Pikachu, and charged forward.
"Pikachu, dodge it! Then find an opening for Iron Tail!" Ash commanded calmly.
"Pika!" Pikachu moved with agility, nimbly dodging the attack. He leaped behind Nidoking, his long tail glowing with a white light as he slammed it down toward the beast.
Thump!
"Iron Tail landed!" Ash and the others began to smile, but the expression soon froze on their faces.
Despite being hit, Nidoking managed to whip its own tail around, swatting Pikachu away. They had traded blows, but in an exchange of damage, Pikachu was clearly at a disadvantage.
"This Nidoking has too much combat experience. Even without a command, it can seize an opening. Pikachu is in trouble," Brock noted.
"Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash asked anxiously.
"Pika!" Pikachu rolled a few times on the ground but stood back up, his spirit undiminished.
"Good." Ash breathed a sigh of relief. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack! Look for an opening around Nidoking, but watch out for that tail!"
"Pika!" Pikachu became a blur of yellow light, darting around Nidoking's flanks and making the large Pokémon's eyes dizzy.
Giovanni took a sip of his wine and said unhurriedly, "Nidoking, use Earthquake."
Nidoking's eyes flashed as it raised its foot and slammed it into the ground. A powerful tremor radiated toward Pikachu, who immediately lost his balance and tumbled.
"Now, Hyper Beam!"
Nidoking opened its maw, condensing a massive amount of energy into a straight beam of light directed at the fallen Pikachu.
"Oh no! Pikachu can't dodge!" Misty screamed.
"We win! The Boss is going to win!" The Team Rocket trio prepared to celebrate.
At that exact moment, Ash roared: "Pikachu, use 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt!" (Wait, Thunderbolt!)
"PIKA-CHUUUU!" Pikachu squeezed his eyes shut and curled his body, erupting with his full electrical output.
Thunder roared as the lightning collided with the Hyper Beam, causing a massive explosion. A thick shroud of smoke enveloped Pikachu's side of the field.
"That's it! Thunderbolt might not affect Nidoking directly, but it can block the Hyper Beam! Great job, Ash!" Brock cheered.
Having successfully blocked the strike, Ash didn't retreat; he went on the offensive. "Pikachu, be brave! Use the smoke as cover and use Iron Tail again!"
"Nidoking, watch for the attack."
A dark shadow flew out of the smoke. Nidoking looked up immediately, only to realize it was just a rock. The real Pikachu burst through the mist from below, his steel-hard tail swinging upward and striking Nidoking squarely on the chin, sending the beast flying backward to crash heavily onto the ground.
"Beautiful!" Even Misty jumped up this time. "Pikachu is amazing! But how did he understand what Ash meant?"
"Perhaps that is the bond between them," Brock said with a smile.
"Not bad." Giovanni nodded approvingly. "You've trained your Pikachu well. However, the battle is not over yet."
Nidoking stood back up, its eyes glowing red with rage.
"Fine by me! My Pikachu is just getting started!" Ash threw his arm out. "Go, Pikachu!"
"You as well, Nidoking." Giovanni sat up slightly straighter and issued his command.
On the battlefield, the massive beast and the small Pokémon collided once more, both giving their all for victory.
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