"Ash, stop running already!"
Misty panted heavily as they finally reached the Pokémon Center.
"Why were you running so fast?"
It almost looked like Ash had been chased by a wild Pokémon.
"Does it have something to do with that noise we heard earlier?" Brock asked thoughtfully.
Then he suddenly guessed something outrageous.
"Could Gary be taking revenge on the Viridian Gym?"
The moment he said it, even he felt speechless.
"…Probably not," Ash said.
"I just felt like something strange was going on at the Viridian Gym. Better to avoid getting dragged into trouble."
Gary is probably hiding somewhere right now, questioning his life…
Meanwhile, Ash had already obtained the ticket to the Pokémon League.
Inside the Pokémon Center, they soon spotted Gary sitting alone near the dining area.
He looked miserable.
No appetite.
No spirit.
Completely dejected.
When he saw Ash, a hint of life returned to his eyes.
"So?"
Gary asked.
"Did you lose?"
"Well, with your strength, losing is normal."
"If you did lose, I'll take you to challenge other Gyms."
"If you can't even get eight badges, how are you supposed to enter the Indigo Plateau Conference?"
Although his tone was teasing, there was still a trace of concern hidden in Gary's words.
"Oh? Master Gary actually cares about whether I can enter the Indigo Conference?" Ash teased.
After all, Ash had managed to win the badge thanks partly to Gary.
When Giovanni tried to send out Mewtwo, it had already begun resisting control.
That was why Giovanni ended up using Machamp as his third Pokémon instead.
"W-who said I care about you, idiot?" Gary waved his hands dismissively.
"I just don't want you missing the Indigo Conference."
"If I can't defeat you there, that would be way too boring."
Pfft—
Ash, Misty, and Brock couldn't help laughing.
"What are you laughing at?"
Gary looked completely confused.
There was nothing wrong with what he said.
"Ash already got the Earth Badge," Misty said with a smile, covering her mouth.
The moment those words came out—
Gary froze.
Ash… defeated Giovanni?
That couldn't be possible.
That terrifying third Pokémon had crushed him completely.
And Ash beat it?
Gary couldn't believe it.
"Are you messing with me?" he said.
"All the badges are here."
Ash calmly took out his badge case.
He had already expected Gary wouldn't believe him.
When the case opened—
Gary saw the green, plant-shaped Earth Badge inside.
He rubbed his eyes.
"I didn't encounter the Pokémon you mentioned," Ash said casually, sipping his tea.
"Giovanni's third Pokémon was Machamp."
Gary thought back carefully.
Maybe…
It really was because he had been too arrogant.
Tch…
Ash actually managed to show me up this time.
"Don't rush," Ash added.
"There's also a badge you don't have."
He pointed to the golden badge in the case.
"Hmph. If I wanted that badge, I could get it anytime," Gary said.
"Some middle-aged guy just stopped me from entering."
Ash nearly laughed.
If you had gone in, you probably would've turned into a doll…
But he decided not to rub salt into Gary's wound.
Fortunately, Gary treated them to a big meal.
Although he kept mocking Ash on the surface, seeing his childhood rival finally collect all eight badges secretly made him happy.
At that moment—
[Ding! Mission Complete: Defeat Giovanni as a Gym Leader and obtain the Earth Badge.]
Rewards Granted:
Master Ball ×1
Mewtwo Mega Stone X
Medium Rare Candy ×5
Potential Enhancement Candy
Receiving the system rewards put Ash in an incredibly good mood.
He ate with great enthusiasm.
"Getting eight badges isn't that big of a deal," Gary muttered.
"Why are you so happy?"
Ash ignored him.
Defeating Giovanni's Viridian Gym was practically a jackpot.
At first Giovanni had approached the battle casually.
He had been distracted by Mewtwo and never took Ash seriously.
By the time he realized Ash's true strength—
It was already too late.
Ash had already secured victory.
Now Ash had:
Collected all eight badges
Earned entry into the Indigo Plateau Conference
Shown off in front of Gary
And most importantly…
Received incredible system rewards.
A legendary Master Ball.
And Mewtwo's Mega Stone X.
Maybe I should just have a nice chat with Mewtwo…
And while chatting, it somehow ends up inside the Master Ball.
"By the way," Gary suddenly said.
"My grandpa knows we're in Viridian City."
"He asked us to go back to Pallet Town."
"He said he has something to give us."
"Sure, I should head home too," Ash replied.
Then he quietly poked Misty's slender waist.
Misty clenched her teeth.
This idiot… touching me in front of everyone…
Meanwhile, Gary and Brock had started chatting.
They had gotten to know each other during the Gym battle.
…
After lunch, Ash and the others headed back to Pallet Town.
Brock went with Gary to visit Professor Oak.
Earlier, Ash had already called his mother, Delia, telling her he would bring a friend home.
Delia was extremely happy.
She had long known about the relationship between Ash and Misty.
Ever since they left Blue Lagoon City, Ash hadn't seen his mom for quite a while.
Truthfully—
He missed her too.
But this time was special.
He was bringing his girlfriend home.
His mother would definitely be thrilled.
Back then, she had already noticed that Misty liked Ash and even tried to help push the relationship forward.
Delia had always worried about her dense son.
Gary had grown up surrounded by girls—
But Ash only cared about Pokémon.
Now things were different.
Traveling together, growing together, experiencing so many adventures—
It was only natural that their bond had deepened.
"Ash… should we buy more gifts for your mom?" Misty asked nervously.
She had even changed her hairstyle and picked a more lively outfit to appear more gentle and feminine.
Now that they had confirmed their relationship—
She was suddenly about to meet his parent.
Her mind was a complete mess.
She hadn't prepared at all.
"It's enough," Ash said reassuringly.
"Trust me—my mom will like you."
"When we talk on the phone, she always asks about you."
Ash carried a large bag full of gifts.
Most of them had been bought with Misty's money.
After all, this was the first time she was meeting Delia as Ash's girlfriend.
She wanted to make a good impression.
"Hmph."
Misty puffed her cheeks slightly and crossed her arms.
Her face showed a hint of proud embarrassment.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
complete fic (all chapters ) are already up on Patreon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789
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