♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝔹𝕪 𝔻𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕪 (𝔸𝕞𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕘) ♛

Prologue 3: RIVALS

Prologue 3: Rivals

2 years had passed.

But not a single day distracted the boy from thinking about Serena.

In Oak's lab, Ash absent-mindedly fiddled with the silver locket she gave him.

An action he would find himself doing whenever he longs for her.

"Vaniville Town, huh?" Ash whispered into the wind.

The name of her residence being the only clue he had to finding her.

"Yo, Red! Stop fiddling with that and come here!" a shout from outside echoed into his ears.

Finding Gary in front of the lab's shed, Ash took a double take at what he was seeing.

Gary was armed with a rake whilst his Pokémon, an Eevee gifted to him by his grandfather's cousin during his vacation in Alola, covered its head with a small bucket.

"Nice getup, what's up?" Ash snarked.

"There's a wild Pokémon in there! What do you want me to do? Go in there bare-handed?!" Gary retorted.

In the past 2 years, Ash and Gary's rivalry got even fiercer as the former started winning more frequently and started being recognized by his grandfather, which made him incredibly jealous as he admired the professor since he was the legendary "First League Champion of Kanto".

Nevertheless, they were still good friends albeit a rift starting to form between them. Blue often acts as mediator whenever they fight.

Little did they know, this wild Pokémon will cause another crack in their relationship.

Peering into the shed, they found a wild Pikachu defiantly looking back at them, mostly Gary since he was armed.

"Get out, you damn mouse! Get!" Gary shouted whilst swinging the rake at the Pikachu. The electric mouse had enough of the boy's flailing and proceeded to unleash its [Thundershock].

"Green, move! Aghh!"

Ash managed to push Gary aside but not before getting the full brunt of the Pikachu's attack.

"Its ok... I won't hurt... you," Ash muttered in pain and began to reach out to pet the mouse's head.

"Pika?" the wild Pikachu squeaked inquisitively as the raven-haired boy approached it in pain.

The Pikachu knew even though it was weak now, its attack should be able to faint an adult human, let alone a child.

And yet, the boy persevered.

Numbing pain across his body.

And finally, he reached out.

Petting the electric mouse gently with a wincing grin.

With that small gesture of warm kindness, the Pikachu blacked out.

"Give it up, Red. It's not gonna trust you that easily. Gramps even told you."

The passing days after that encounter, the Pikachu was kept in a glass chamber, recuperating from its wounds courtesy of Oak.

During those days, Oak had informed the two boys as well as Blue that the electric mouse was abused by its former trainers.

Even after its abandonment, it was also not safe at the poor Pokémon's home.

The reason being that it carried the smell of humans.

Hearing this, Ash gritted his teeth and was determined to help the Pokémon.

Even if said Pokémon was feral and untrusting.

The raven-haired boy would never give up until it was over.

Seeing Ash stubbornly try to befriend the Pikachu disgusted Gary as he believed an untrusting Pokémon can never learn to trust again.

Yet, he felt an uncomfortable feeling in his heart when he saw Ash's determination and Pikachu's subtle attitude shift towards him.

A few days later, Pikachu escaped.

Ash started to run towards Viridian Forest to find it, only to be stopped by Gary.

"It's out of our hands now. Just give it up, Red. It's too dangerous." Gary said with an authoritative tone.

"Dangerous? I already know that. But that also means Pikachu is in danger as well! I can't sit here and act as if nothing happened!"

With that, Ash rushed headfirst into the forest, leaving a stunned Gary in his wake.

"That damn idiot..." Gary muttered under his breath.

A few hours later, Oak, Blue and Green were arduously searching for Ash to no result.

Rustling was heard from the bushes and a figure approached them.

A ragged-looking Ash smiled at his would-be rescuers, holding Pikachu in his arms.

"Hey guys, I'm back" Ash said with a tired smile before gesturing towards Blue.

"Pikachu, meet Blue. She's a friend."

"Pika?" Pikachu squeaked before also smiling at Blue, signalling for her to pet it.

"Hi, Pikachu! You're so cute," Blue said with some cooing, seemingly having forgotten her panic in searching for her friend.

'Impossible, there's no way such an aggressive Pokémon would be able to trust again...' Gary though in disbelief at what he was witnessing.

From that, Gary finally figured out the feeling welling within him since that day: Inferiority.

He was scared to admit that Ash had a strength unbeknownst to him.

HIM.

The genius grandson of Professor Samuel Oak.

"Oh yeah, Green."

"I don't think I've mentioned this to you but remember our essay in the past? About what we wanted to be in the future?" Ash asked Gary with a determined smile.

Gary nodded.

"Well, I'm gonna be a Pokémon Master! And Pikachu here is gonna be my ace!" Ash declared in a confident manner.

His thumb pointing to his heart.

"Told you not to copy me, Red." Gary said with a venomous tone.

"I'm not. This isn't just a challenge from me to you...," Ash said, ignoring his tone.

"It's also my promise to her."

Ash's thoughts drifting towards his treasured memory.

"You... You don't scare me, Red." Gary said with a dark smirk.

However, Gary knew he was only convincing himself. That he was not afraid of his friend, his rival.

...His enemy.

"Let's go, Pikachu! We're going to be very best!"

Prologue 3: Rivals

"Pika-pika!"