As for Cilan, he stood proudly next to Kiawe, unharmed and seemingly calm despite the intense battle just moments ago.
"Good work, Cilan," Ash Ketchum said with a satisfied nod. He held out the Poké Ball, returning Cilan in a flash of red light before turning to the stunned brother and sister nearby.
The two siblings stared blankly at the battlefield, their eyes wide in disbelief. Feraligatr lay defeated, its body bruised and battered, with scratches all over its thick, blue hide. Its breathing was shallow, and it winced with every movement.
"H-How could this be? Isn't this supposed to be… staged?" the girl whispered, her face pale, voice trembling as if trying to convince herself that this was all some kind of elaborate show.
The boy beside her didn't answer. He had collapsed to his knees, frozen in place, overwhelmed by guilt. Feraligatr's eyes, full of pain and resentment, locked onto him. The sight alone was enough to crush his spirit.
"You can't blame me for this," Ash said, walking toward them. His tone was calm but firm. "I already gave you a warning. You're the one who refused to admit defeat."
Ash reached down, picked up the girl's number card from the ground, and exchanged it with the boy's. Then, without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and transferred the battle prize money to his own account.
Neither of them moved to stop him. The boy simply sat there, staring at his injured partner in silent remorse.
Once the transaction was complete, Ash handed the phone back and gave the boy a light push. "Hey, are you going to just sit there and watch it die? If you care at all about Feraligatr, get it to the Pokémon Center. I even left you 10,000 Pokédollars out of generosity. No need to thank me too much."
With that, Ash turned and walked away at a brisk pace, not wanting to stick around for any questions—especially ones about how Cilan had used Thunder, Rock Throw, and a devastating finishing move that looked an awful lot like Hyper Beam.
As he rounded a corner, Ash took out Pikka's Poké Ball and spoke softly.
"Pikka, what's going on with you? You went all-out on Feraligatr back there. And why'd you use Thunder of all moves? That's supposed to be off-limits. If someone finds out, we're screwed. Luckily, your genius trainer talked his way out of it."
Mew's familiar voice echoed telepathically in Ash's mind. "I'm sorry, Master. That Feraligatr was unusually tough. I transformed into several Pokémon and kept attacking, but it wouldn't stay down. In the end, I had no choice but to use Thunder, Rock Throw, and even Hyper Beam to bring it down."
Ash's brows raised. "Seriously? That strong?"
He glanced over his shoulder. The boy had already returned Feraligatr to its Poké Ball and was running toward the Pokémon Center with his sister supporting him.
Pikka's voice echoed again. "Yes. That Feraligatr has real potential—maybe even on its way to becoming a demigod Pokémon. Its willpower is incredible. But its trainer... he's weak. I just hope he doesn't ruin it."
Ash nodded thoughtfully, then shook off the thought with a grin. "Alright, alright. You must be exhausted after a fight like that. Let's go get something to eat. You pick the place."
Pikka didn't even hesitate. "Beef noodles and beef patties! Lots of them!"
Ash chuckled and rubbed the Poké Ball fondly. "Deal. But make sure to stay hidden, okay? If anyone recognizes you as Mew, we're toast."
A moment later, Pikka materialized in midair, spinning joyfully before settling on Ash's shoulder. "Master, let's gooo!"
Ash smiled and made his way to a nearby diner. For the next hour, the two of them feasted—Ash enjoying a steaming bowl of noodles while Pikka devoured an outrageous number of beef patties with childlike glee.
As they left the restaurant, Ash glanced down at the number card on his hand. The large red 2 was flashing. Ten minutes earlier, it had begun to glow, signaling that his match at the Flying-type gym was about to begin.
According to the yellow-haired guy at the gym entrance, he had thirty minutes to arrive once the number activated. With ten minutes already gone, Ash quickened his pace—twenty minutes was more than enough to make it on time.
On the way, Ash turned to Pikka. "Alright, time for some disguise work. Transform into Pikachu and ride on my shoulder. We don't want anyone recognizing you."
Pikka nodded, spun in midair, and transformed into an ordinary-looking Pikachu in a flash of pink energy, landing neatly on Ash's shoulder. The disguise was flawless.
Ash gave a final nod of approval. "Perfect. And remember—this is a Flying-type gym. Electric types have the upper hand, but let's not show off too much. We don't want the gym leader or anyone else getting suspicious."
Low profile before high power—that was Ash's motto ever since discovering Pikka's true identity as Mew.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the gym.
The same yellow-haired man from before stood by the entrance. His brows furrowed as he looked at Ash's card. "Wait a second... Didn't you have number 21?"
Ash said nothing, only offered a sly smile. The man stared for a moment, then nodded as if realizing the implications. Clearly, Ash had bested whoever originally had number 2 in the park battles.
"Alright, go on in. The gym leader is waiting," the yellow-haired man said, stepping aside.
Ash walked into the gym confidently. The battlefield inside was a spacious square, illuminated by sunlight from overhead skylights. A young man with short, messy blue hair stood at the far end of the field, barely keeping his eyes open.
Ash recognized him from the Pokédex database. This was Falkner, the Flying-type gym leader of Violet City.
Falkner looked tired—probably from battling trainers nonstop over the past two days—but when Ash stepped up to the platform, he stood straighter and prepared himself.
"I'm Falkner, leader of this gym. Let's start the challenge," he said with minimal formality.
Ash, equally casual, nodded and signaled Pikachu—well, Pikka in disguise—to jump into the arena.
"Pika!"
Pikka flipped off Ash's shoulder, landing on the field with cheeks crackling with electricity.
Falkner wasted no time. "Pidgeotto, Gust!"
"Bibi!" cried the Pidgeotto as it flapped its wings furiously, summoning a powerful whirlwind.
Ash pointed. "Pikachu, Dig!"
"Pika!"
With electricity still sparking around her cheeks, Pikka dug rapidly into the ground and disappeared. The twister swept across the arena, but Pikachu had already taken shelter below.
Falkner raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of interest surfacing on his otherwise exhausted face. "Interesting... Not many Pikachu know Dig."
"Pidgeotto, fly lower and use Wing Attack the moment it comes up!" he called.
Pidgeotto obeyed, gliding just over the hole's entrance, wings spread wide in anticipation.
Ash smirked. That was exactly what he was waiting for.
"Pikachu, Discharge!"
"Pika—CHUUU!"
Electricity exploded from the hole like a lightning storm. The widespread Discharge engulfed the low-flying Pidgeotto instantly. It squawked in pain, body trembling as the surge overwhelmed it.
Seconds later, the dazed Pidgeotto crashed to the ground, wings twitching. Though not unconscious, it was barely holding on.
"Pidgeotto, return," Falkner said calmly, recalling his Pokémon in a beam of red light. "You win. The Zephyr Badge is yours."
Ash blinked. "Wait, that's it?"
"Yep," Falkner said, pulling a badge case from his pocket. "Come over and get it."
Still puzzled, Ash walked over and accepted the badge. "Don't gym leaders usually have more than one Pokémon?"
Falkner chuckled and pulled five Poké Balls from his belt. "Sure. But for official battles, challengers only need to defeat my Pidgey and Pidgeotto. The others—Beautifly, Skarmory, and my stronger Pidgeotto—aren't meant for early challengers."
He tossed the Poké Balls, releasing all five Pokémon. They circled overhead, their wings flapping in the light breeze.
"Your Pikachu showed more than enough strength. Discharge and Dig? That's more than what I'd expect from most trainers who come through here."
Ash accepted the compliment and pocketed the badge.
Just then, the yellow-haired man from earlier came rushing into the gym, breathless and wide-eyed.
"Gym Leader! Suicune has been spotted—Route 32! It's battling someone!"
Falkner's tired expression transformed in an instant. "Suicune?! Are you sure?"
"Yes, confirmed! It's real!"
Falkner's fatigue evaporated. "I have to go. Sorry, kid, but—"
Before he could finish his sentence, he turned toward Ash—only to find that Ash was no longer standing there.
Instead, Ash was already at the gym doors, clutching Pikachu in his arms as he sprinted like a man possessed.
He bolted out of the building, excitement lighting up his eyes like someone who had just won the lottery.
Suicune. A legendary Pokémon. A trace of the north wind.
And Ash Ketchum wasn't going to miss it for the world.
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