"A challenger from the Sinnoh region—Reis—has arrived!"
Hearing this, Red paused.
"Wait… who? Reis?"
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"Ever since Ash started traveling, it feels like the timeline is shifting… more and more familiar faces are showing up."
At the entrance of Songzao Gym—
A young man stood there, soaked from the rain.
Red looked at the spirited youth in front of him—
Then noticed another boy beside him, also drenched.
Reis scratched his head awkwardly.
"Could I get a towel? My younger brother's soaked…"
Red 's gaze shifted to the purple-haired boy.
His expression turned slightly surprised.
"Kid… your name wouldn't happen to be Paul, would it?"
"What's it to you?"
Paul replied coldly.
That arrogant attitude—
Was even worse than Gary's back then.
Red didn't react much—
But the others were already annoyed.
"Show some respect to my Master!"
Ash and Gary both stepped forward, glaring at Paul.
Paul glared right back.
Seeing this—
A faint smile appeared on Red 's lips.
After half a month of training—
Not only did he need to assess his own strength—
His two disciples also needed a proper match.
And competition—
Was always the best catalyst for growth.
Especially with an outsider involved.
Just then—
The system's mechanical voice sounded.
[Ding~ Hidden mission triggered : Rivalry Battle]
[Objective: Have Gary and Ash defeat Paul]
[Reward: 10 System Points]
Red 's eyes lit up.
"With these 10 points… Larvitar can reach perfect potential!"
Watching the three of them about to fight—
Reis hurriedly stepped forward, trying to pull Paul back.
"Sorry about this—"
But Red stopped him.
"It's fine."
"If they're getting along so well, why not settle it with a Pokémon battle?"
At those words—
Ash, Gary, and Paul all lit up.
Reis facepalmed.
"Wasn't he just supposed to observe…?"
Red smiled.
"They're kids. Let them battle—it's the fastest way to settle things."
"…Sorry for the trouble."
"Just call me Red ."
"…Alright, Gym Leader Red ."
And just like that—
This rivalry, which should have happened years later—
Began early.
On the battlefield—
Before Reis could even speak—
Ash and Gary were already arguing.
"Move! We agreed today's challenger is mine!"
"He's not even a Gym challenger! I should go first!"
Xiaowen shook her head helplessly.
"Why am I even working in the same Gym as these two…"
Red chuckled.
"You're the senior disciple—be a bit more patient with your juniors."
"Since when did I agree to be your disciple?!"
Red ignored her and stepped forward.
"Enough. Stop arguing."
"As the Gym side, the challenger chooses the opponent."
"Master is right."
Ash and Gary both nodded obediently.
Gary stepped forward confidently.
"You're Paul, right? Let me tell you—this guy next to me is weak. Beating him means nothing."
Ash immediately exploded.
"That's not true! I'm stronger!"
"You just got lucky beating me twice!"
"Paul—choose me!"
Paul looked at them with disdain.
If he followed his instincts—
He actually disliked Ash more.
But—
In his philosophy—
You challenge the strongest.
Without hesitation—
He made his choice.
"I'll battle Gary."
Gary pumped his fist in excitement.
Ash, meanwhile, looked like a defeated rooster and walked off to prepare the field.
"Songzao Gym has four battlefield types," Red explained.
"Swamp, Volcano, Ice Field, and Rocky Terrain."
"Oh? Interesting."
Paul chose quickly.
"Rocky Terrain."
The battlefield shifted—
Becoming a barren, rock-filled landscape.
"Let's do 1v1," Gary suggested.
After a brief moment of thought—
He chose not to use Wartortle.
"Go—Eevee!"
A cute Eevee appeared on the field.
[Pokémon: Eevee ♀]
[Level: 24]
[Talent: High]
[Moves: Helping Hand, Tackle, Shadow Ball, Dig…]
Paul responded immediately.
"Go—Skorupi!"
[Pokémon: Skorupi]
[Level: 22]
[Talent: High]
[Moves: Poison Red , Fire Red , Pin Missile, Poison Sting, Bug Bite…]
The two Pokémon were evenly matched—
No type advantage.
This battle—
Would depend entirely on the trainers.
Seeing Skorupi—
Red became interested.
In the anime—
Paul was one of the strongest rivals.
Cold, pragmatic, and efficiency-driven—
His strength was undeniable.
Especially his Drapion—
Which had swept through multiple opponents, even outperforming his Electivire and Torterra.
Now—
Red was curious—
How this battle would unfold.
"Eevee—Swift!"
Gary opened with a probing attack.
"Skorupi, use Poison Sting to block it!"
Paul responded calmly.
The first exchange ended—
And the real battle began.
"Skorupi, charge in—use Bug Bite!"
"Eevee, fall back and keep using Swift to pressure!"
Clearly—
Fighting Skorupi up close wasn't a good idea.
But under Paul's command—
Skorupi charged straight through the barrage—
Closing the distance instantly!
The battle—
Had fully ignited.
◇ You can read 60+ chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/ElaraVance1
✨ Bonus Chapter Goals ✨
10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter