"AHHHHH!!!"
"Let's congratulate Trainer Ash for defeating Trainer Ritchie and becoming the final competitor to advance into the Top 8!"
"And with that, all eight quarterfinalists of this League Conference have been decided!"
"Let's give our congratulations to these eight outstanding trainers!"
Amidst thunderous applause from the crowd, Ash walked down from the battlefield, overflowing with excitement.
Looking at Gary and Shinji, he shouted:
"I won! I won!"
"I made it into the Top 8 too!"
Seeing Ash's excitement, Shinji folded his arms and snorted.
"Hmph. We're both Master's disciples."
"If you couldn't even make the Top 8, that would be embarrassing."
Originally, Gary's personality wasn't all that different from Shinji's.
But ever since becoming Red's first and senior disciple, he had matured considerably.
"Well done, Ash."
"Now all three of us have advanced."
However, what Gary didn't expect was Ash suddenly looking at him with dissatisfaction.
"We became Master's disciples at almost the same time."
"I think I should be the senior brother instead!"
The moment Ash dared challenge his position as eldest disciple, Gary couldn't tolerate it any longer.
He looked at Ash with contempt.
"Almost the same time?"
"I joined a whole month earlier!"
"And even if it was only one minute earlier, I'd still be your senior brother!"
"You're really trying to overturn the hierarchy now?"
Ash shrugged carelessly.
"I don't care!"
"Anyone can be senior brother."
"Just not you."
Clearly, this wasn't about the title itself.
It was about Gary.
"Enough, both of you."
Just as the argument was escalating, Red finally arrived.
Looking at his three disciples, he couldn't help feeling emotional.
"It hasn't been easy."
"You've all fought your way step by step to reach this point."
"No matter what happens in the next matches, win or lose, you're all excellent disciples."
"Thank you, Master!"
Then Red turned toward Ash.
"But Gary became senior brother first."
"A day as senior brother means a lifetime as senior brother."
"You should still show him basic respect."
Ash scratched his head awkwardly.
"I don't actually want to steal his position."
"I've just been calling him Senior Brother for so long that I kind of want him to call me Senior Brother once too."
"Hahaha!"
"Fine."
"If you win, I'll let you be senior brother for one day."
Then Red suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right."
"Ash, are you still carrying that half Poké Ball?"
"Of course!"
Ash immediately turned around and dug through his backpack.
Soon, he produced half of a broken Poké Ball.
The moment Gary saw it, a long-forgotten memory resurfaced.
"Wait..."
"Isn't that the half Poké Ball we fished up when we were kids?"
"You actually still have it?"
"Huh?!"
"Don't tell me you've forgotten something this important!"
Ash immediately protested.
"We agreed back then!"
"When we grew up, we'd settle ownership of this Poké Ball through a Pokémon battle!"
Gary snorted.
"As if I'd forget."
"I'm just not crazy enough to carry it around everywhere like you."
At that moment, Red took out the other half.
Professor Oak had originally intended to deliver it personally.
But the moment he learned Agatha was on the Indigo Plateau, he'd immediately handed the task over to Red.
Red took Ash's half.
Then he joined the two pieces together.
The Poké Ball was battered and nearly worthless.
No one would even want it as scrap metal.
Yet for Ash and Gary, it represented far more than a Poké Ball.
It embodied years of rivalry stretching from childhood to the present day.
Its value had long since surpassed the object itself.
"Ahem."
"From this moment onward, I'm taking custody of this."
"Whoever wins gets the Poké Ball."
"And they'll also receive a special gift from their master."
"So, both of you—"
"Do your best."
Red's words were like dumping gasoline onto an already raging fire.
The rivalry immediately intensified.
"Ash."
"Did you forget that you already lost to me once at the Gym?"
"What are you talking about?!"
"If Charmeleon hadn't suddenly evolved, my Charmeleon would've defeated your Blastoise!"
"The winner would've been me!"
...
The two were practically ready to tear each other apart.
Meanwhile, Ritchie—the trainer Ash had just defeated—walked over.
The moment Red saw him, memories surfaced.
In the original anime, Ritchie had been the trainer who eliminated Ash from the League Conference.
The thing Red remembered most was Ritchie's Pikachu with the distinctive side-swept bangs.
And, of course, Ash standing alone on the Indigo Plateau after Charizard refused to obey him.
When Red had been younger, he genuinely believed anime protagonists always won.
That image of Ash standing by himself after the tournament ended had stayed with him for a long time.
But because Red had entered this world, things were completely different now.
Ash had learned type matchups.
With Charizard and Pikachu leading the charge, he'd defeated Ritchie without much trouble.
"Congratulations, Ash."
"I lost."
Ritchie looked somewhat emotional.
Yet there was more admiration than regret in his eyes.
"Your strength is really impressive."
Ash smiled.
"Not at all."
"Your strength is great too, Ritchie."
Clearly, Ash wasn't lacking emotional intelligence.
He had simply become accustomed to bickering with Gary.
As the two shook hands and made peace, Ritchie suddenly spotted Red nearby.
His eyes widened.
He practically flew across the area.
"You're Gym Leader Red, right?!"
"Oh my God!"
"I finally get to meet you in person!"
"Did you know I was on Shamouti Island during the battle against Team Rocket?"
"The way you commanded Mewtwo and turned the situation around was incredible!"
"It's just a shame I was too far away."
"And afterward I spent a month in the hospital, so I never got a chance to thank you personally."
Looking at Red with complete admiration, Ritchie pulled out a pen.
"Gym Leader Red!"
"Can I have your autograph?"
Even Red hadn't expected to encounter such a devoted fan.
Smiling, he replied:
"It was nothing."
As Red signed the autograph, Ash and Gary exchanged a glance.
Neither spoke.
Yet both could clearly see the same thing in the other's eyes.
A burning desire for victory.
Only Shinji remained standing nearby with folded arms.
My brother is about to challenge the Battle Frontier for the second time.
I need to become Champion too.
Then I'll catch up to him.
No—
I'll surpass him.
Meanwhile, Red simply smiled.
No matter who won or lost, one of his disciples would advance to the semifinals.
And more importantly—
He knew that regardless of the outcome, Gary would rediscover his original passion for being a trainer and complete his exclusive quest.
At the same time, Red began making plans.
It's about time Marshtomp evolved.
Then another thought occurred to him.
I cleared the one-versus-ten challenge and got double reward points.
I wonder if I can fleece the League one more time and exchange them for a high-tier resource to help Marshtomp evolve?
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