"Return, Onix, you worked hard..." Shaking his head helplessly, Takeshi recalled his defeated Onix. "I've completely lost. Here is the Gray badge, please take it."
"Thank you." Ash took his first badge, his expression still slightly contemplative.
"You... is there anything else?" Takeshi noticed something was amiss and asked tentatively.
"Forgive my bluntness... I want to know, is Onix your strongest Pokémon?"
"Yes, it was a gift from my father when I was ten," Takeshi nodded. "It has always been my strongest ace."
"If I offend you, I apologize in advance..." Ash organized his words. "Your Onix, as the Gym Leader's ace Pokémon, seems to be a bit lacking in strength."
The first Gym battle, but the strength encountered was only the same as in the original story, which truly dashed Ash's expectations.
He had thought that even roadside battles in Kanto now required strategy, and Gym Leaders would be more outstanding. But the first battle outside was a flop... and it was the usually reliable Takeshi who flopped, which was really beyond Ash's expectations.
"I know my strength isn't satisfactory, but I can't help it..." Takeshi sighed helplessly. "My time is too occupied because I have to take care of my younger siblings..."
"I personally think there might be other reasons." Ash shook his head, refuting. "For example... you don't really Li Ke being a Gym Leader."
"What did you say?" Takeshi looked at Ash in astonishment... of course, his eyes couldn't widen.
"I noticed during the battle that all your Pokémon are well-bred but lack battle power... In other words, you've raised them well, but you've neglected to improve their combat abilities." Ash asked seriously, "If it's truly because of family burdens, why are you still able to fully invest in breeding?"
"This... alright, I admit it... I actually don't want to stay here at all! My dream is to become the world's number one Breeder!" After Ash said this, Takeshi finally admitted the dream he had always been too shy to voice.
But his spirits quickly drooped again: "But I can't leave here. I have many younger siblings to take care of, and my parents aren't around..."
"So, Ash... since you know all this, please take my dream and set off! I beg you!"
In the end, he even wanted to entrust his dream to Ash.
"I'm sorry, I can't agree to that." But Ash shook his head and refused. "Dreams must ultimately be pursued by oneself; no one can take your place. If you really want to leave, no one can stop you. I heard you have many younger siblings; are none of them capable of being independent? And your parents, why don't you bring them back? Such a large Gym and so many children, are you just letting them have children but not raise them?!"
"This..." Takeshi was momentarily embarrassed and didn't know what to say.
Speaking of his younger siblings, there were a few who could barely take care of themselves, such as his second younger brother, Jiro.
As for his parents, that was definitely Takeshi's unspoken difficulty.
"I don't know where Dad is; I haven't seen him in a long time." Takeshi sighed softly. "I don't even know if he's alive or dead..."
"So, I suggest you call the police~"
"Call... the police?" Takeshi was stunned again; he hadn't expected Ash to offer such a... trick.
"Give it a try; you might have an unexpected gain." Ash advised meaningfully.
Just kidding, how could a father Li Ke Takeshi's father, Flint, who abandoned his family and was irresponsible, just get off with a light, happy ending?
At the very least, Jenny should educate him thoroughly and help him reshape his family values!
How to put it, Ash was actually feeling a common hatred.
If it weren't for his own father's special status, calling the police might not even work, Ash would have called the police to arrest him a long time ago!
Never home, never caring about anything... and you think you're in the right?!
Of course, Ash's father still brought money home, which was a tiny bit better than Takeshi's father~
"Call the police... then I'll try it."
Takeshi was indeed very tempted by the suggestion of traveling, so he actually went to the Pewter Police Station to ask the little Gym Leader to find his father... "Ah, Jenny! You're as beautiful as ever! This humble one is Takeshi, the Gym Leader of Pewter City. Please, you must..."
Alright, after seeing Jenny, the police beauty and older sister type, Uncle Gang's previously serious demeanor suddenly collapsed.
"Mr. Takeshi, if you don't let go, I'll charge you with assaulting an officer." Jenny said coldly, reaching for the handcuffs on her waist.
"Please restrain yourself... you came to report your father missing, not to get yourself arrested!" Ash reminded him speechlessly from the side.
How could Uncle Gang seamlessly switch between being serious and being a pervert?
After a brief interlude, Takeshi finally managed to clearly describe his 'alleged father's disappearance' to Jenny.
"No problem, we'll open a case immediately and issue an arrest warrant!"
After hearing Takeshi's story, Jenny expressed deep sympathy, waved her hand, and went straight to the point.
Why issue a missing person's report? He should be handcuffed and brought back!
"Let's go back and wait for news. In the meantime, you can also prepare to leave and inform your younger siblings."
Receiving Ash's reminder, Takeshi also rushed back to the Pewter Gym first.
But to his surprise, he didn't have to wait long at all. Jenny actually brought his father, Flint, back with two assistants!
To prevent him from escaping, she even specially assigned a Growlithe to hang (bite) onto his leg~
"Dad?" Takeshi couldn't help but be stunned. "How did you get caught so quickly... no, come home?"
"We received a report from an anonymous enthusiastic citizen saying this person was in Pewter City, so we dispatched officers and apprehended him." Jenny explained to Takeshi, then began to sternly lecture Flint. "Your family drama needs to stop now! As a man, to neglect your family and let your children take care of another group of even younger children, have your Growlithe eaten all your sense of responsibility?!"
"Yes... I truly know I was wrong! Takeshi, and the children... I'm sorry!"
After being reprimanded by Jenny, and now seeing the complex gazes of Takeshi and the other children, Flint finally had a sudden change of heart, sobbing as he declared that he would definitely turn over a new leaf and fulfill his fatherly responsibilities.
Seeing his old father being so cooperative, Takeshi conveniently handed over the family matters to him, even pulling out his special notebook and starting to brief Flint on the series of tasks to be done daily.
"Jiro needs... Saburo needs... Yoji still has to... Goro must..."
"Stop... please stop! Takeshi, please don't read anymore~"
"Anyway, the family is entrusted to you, and please don't think about running away again, Dad!"
Takeshi seriously instructed his father, then sincerely looked at Ash: "Ash, you are a very amazing Trainer. Can I travel with you?"
"I couldn't ask for more~" Ash naturally went along with it.
Thus, a new... uh, rather, the original companion was ACQUIRED!
"But it's strange, who helped report it?" Before leaving, Takeshi was still a bit puzzled.
"Didn't Jenny say? It was an enthusiastic citizen~" Ash smiled mysteriously.
Without anyone seeing, a transparent Porygon quietly returned to him...