A Battle Challenge to Ash

As Gary chatted with his grandfather, Professor Oak, about some of his experiences in the Sinnoh Region, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside. Before long, the laboratory doors were pushed open.

"I swear, Ash, you're as reckless as ever!" Gary did not even need to look to know who had just violently shoved open the laboratory doors. Other than Ash—the hot-blooded fool who loved Pokémon but was utterly impulsive—who else could it be?

"I heard from Tracey that you'd come back from the Sinnoh Region, so I came over to see you."

After hearing Gary's words, Ash immediately gave his reason.

"Forget it. Since you came to pay a visit to me, I won't hold it against you." Having grown up with this airhead, Gary knew Ash's personality well and did not say anything more.

"Heh heh." Ash knew his behavior just now had been rude, so he simply tried to brush it off with an awkward laugh.

Gary could only sigh helplessly at his childhood friend and did not continue pressing the matter.

Then, Gary changed the subject.

"I heard from Grandpa that you're going to travel through the Hoenn Region?"

"That's right. I want to visit Harrison's hometown and challenge the Hoenn League's Alliance Conference while I'm at it." The moment the Alliance Conference was mentioned, Ash's eyes lit up with excitement.

Seeing the fervent expression on Ash's face, Gary merely shook his head helplessly.

"By the way, Gary, are you going to the Hoenn Region too?" After his burst of excitement, Ash did not forget the main reason he had come looking for Gary.

That was right. Ash had come to find Gary this time mainly to invite him to travel to the Hoenn Region together and challenge the Alliance Conference there.

"You mean Hoenn's Ever Grande Conference?" Gary stroked his chin. "I was already planning to go!"

"That's great!" Hearing that his rival was also going to the Hoenn Region made Ash extremely excited.

"Then let's go to the Hoenn Region together tomorrow!" After saying that, Ash looked at Gary, who was sitting on the sofa, and extended the invitation.

"I'd better not. I just got back from the Sinnoh Region, so I need to rest for a few days." The thought of heading for the Hoenn Region tomorrow made Gary refuse without hesitation.

He did not have the physique of a Super Pallet Towner like Ash. He could not endure the exhaustion brought on by long-term travel.

"You should go by yourself. I need to rest for a while first."

"Okay." Seeing Gary refuse, Ash immediately lost his spirit and looked completely dejected.

"But after you head to the Hoenn Region, would you mind having a Pokémon battle with me?" Seeing Ash's disappointed expression, Gary issued him a battle challenge.

"A Pokémon battle? Of course!" Ash never refused a Pokémon battle.

"But why do you want to battle me, Gary?" Ash was quite curious about why Gary wanted to battle him, though he also had a guess. "Could it be because you lost to me at the Silver Conference and can't accept it?"

"You were just lucky, that's all." Ash constantly using the Silver Conference to needle him made Gary rather indignant.

"So you really can't accept it!" Seeing Gary's unwilling expression, Ash immediately confirmed his guess.

"Are you coming or not?" Gary had no interest in listening to Ash tease him. He was ready to teach this overly proud guy a lesson.

"I'm coming! Why wouldn't I?"

And so, amid their exchange, the battle between Gary and Ash began.

"Then I'll be the referee!" Tracey, who had arrived with Ash, stepped forward to take on the role of referee.

"Then we'll leave it to you."

Thus, Gary and the others headed to the backyard, found a spacious area, and began their match.

"This will be a battle between Gary and Ash. Each side may use three Pokémon. The battle will end once all three Pokémon on one side are Unable to Battle."

Following the rules they had agreed upon beforehand, Tracey announced them to the two of them.

"Then for the first battle, I choose you, Pikachu!"

Just as Gary had expected, Ash sent out Pikachu as his first Pokémon.

At Ash's call, Pikachu immediately leaped down from his shoulder and landed in the open space.

Pokémon: Pikachu

Type: Electric

Ability: Static

Gender: Male

Level: Level 63

Potential: ???

Moves: Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Thunder Shock, Double Team, Agility, Quick Attack, Discharge, Thunder, Electro Ball...

"Good grief, even its potential can't be assessed. No wonder it's called Pika-God." Gary revealed a surprised expression when the system was unable to determine Pikachu's true potential.

"Then I choose you, Metagross. Go make your Debut Match!"

But they were still in the middle of a battle, so Gary quickly suppressed his surprise. He took out a Poké Ball and released the Shiny Metagross he had only recently caught.

The moment Gary's differently colored Shiny Metagross appeared, everyone present stared in astonishment.

"That's... a Shiny Metagross!" At that moment, Professor Oak and Tracey had exactly the same reaction.

"That Gary, keeping it from his own grandfather too." Professor Oak was somewhat displeased that Gary had not mentioned catching a Shiny Metagross before.

However, there was always one exception, and that person was Ash. After all, he did not know Metagross was even a kind of Pokémon.

"What's wrong with them?" Ash found Professor Oak and the others' reactions quite strange.

"And what kind of Pokémon is that? Why isn't my Pokédex showing anything?"

Ash looked at the Pokédex, which displayed it as an unknown Pokémon, with a puzzled expression.

"That's because your Pokédex only contains data on Pokémon from the Kanto Region and Johto Region. Metagross is a Pokémon from the Hoenn Region, so it can't display anything at all."

Gary was speechless at Ash's lack of knowledge. He lightly slapped his forehead and explained helplessly.

"So that's how it is!" Only after hearing Gary's explanation did Ash suddenly understand.

"Looks like Ash really needs to broaden his knowledge!" Even Tracey was helpless over Ash's lack of knowledge.

"Pikachu!" Having ended up with a Trainer like this, Pikachu could only spread his paws and cry out helplessly.

"Alright, let's continue the battle!"

Seeing the conversation drifting further and further off topic, Gary pulled it back on track.

"Then we'll make the first move, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"

Once the match began, Ash was the first to attack.

A golden current shot into the air and sped straight toward Gary's Shiny Metagross.

"Metagross, Meteor Mash!"

Under Gary's command, Shiny Metagross used Meteor Mash, swinging its fist wrapped in white energy fiercely at the incoming Thunderbolt.

Relying on its own strength, Shiny Metagross split the incoming Thunderbolt cleanly down the middle.

"That's amazing!" Ash's face filled with surprise when he saw Shiny Metagross split apart the Thunderbolt.

"Metagross, Iron Defense!"

Unlike Ash, who was still amazed, Gary had already begun directing his side.