"We should get freshened up a bit," Misty said, rolling her shoulders lightly. "After all, there are still a few hours left before the match."
"Mm," Yellow agreed immediately. "I want to clean up at the Pokémon Center too." Ash nodded without hesitation. Despite his excitement about the upcoming battle, he also wanted to wash up and take a short break.
More importantly, he needed to make a call. "Yeah, that's a good plan," Ash said. "I'll call Mom too. She must be worried about me." Misty smiled faintly at that and silently tagged him as a caring son. At the same time, it made her pause.
'I should also call home,' she thought to herself.
The Pokémon Center was surprisingly quiet when they walked in.
That, Ash guessed, was entirely thanks to the match scheduled for tonight. Most trainers were already crowding around the Viridian Gym. Only a handful remained here—some resting silently, others talking in low voices.
Almost all of them looked around Ash's age or younger. Behind the counter stood not one, but three Nurse Joys. Ash froze for a second. Looking at their identical appearances, he felt oddly speechless.
"Welcome!" one of them greeted warmly.
Ash returned the smile and handed over Riolu's and Pidgeotto's Poké Balls. Pikachu hopped down from his shoulder and landed on the counter with a soft tap. "Please check them up," Ash said politely.
"Of course," Nurse Joy replied in a calm, practised tone. "Please scan your Pokédex here." Ash did so. The screen lit up, confirming his Pokédex ID and the ownership of the Pokémon registered under his name.
"Alright, everything is confirmed," Nurse Joy said. "Thank you for your understanding."
Once that was done, Ash didn't linger. He walked straight toward the telecom station and initiated a call. The screen flickered.
"Oh! Ash—" Professor Oak's face appeared almost immediately. He seemed to be in his lab, with various notes and tools spread across the table in front of him. "Professor Oak," Ash said. "I've reached Viridian City safely. Also… the egg hatched earlier than expected."
Oak straightened a little. "Oh?"
"I got Riolu. From the Sinnoh region," Ash continued, sending over the Pokédex data.
Oak studied the screen thoughtfully, fingers tapping lightly on the table.
"Interesting… the Aura Pokémon, Riolu. I suppose your ability played a role in that." Oak didn't need much explanation. Being both a renowned professor and a former champion-level trainer, he connected the dots easily.
"Yeah," Ash nodded. "That's probably it."
Oak smiled.
"Well, you helped me too, Ash," he said. "If you need anything, just say it." Ash didn't hesitate.
"You mentioned before that I could get a starter from another region," he said. "So… how about now? Could you arrange a Frogadier from the Kalos region?" For the first time in the call, Oak paused.
"Hmm…" He adjusted his glasses. "There is one I could arrange. But I'll warn you—it's troublesome." Ash's grin widened instantly. Oak remembered it well. A unique Froakie that refused to listen to its trainer. Even his old friend in Kalos had struggled with it.
Instead of being discouraged, Ash looked almost excited.
"Old Gramps," Ash said confidently, "you know I've got talent for this. Let me try. I'll make it shine." For Ash, ever since reincarnating into this world, his luck had felt almost unreal. Oak studied his face for a few seconds, then laughed softly.
"Alright," he said. "I'll handle it. You can receive it through transfer tomorrow morning."
"Alright!" Ash replied, grin still firmly in place. The call ended. Ash lowered his hand, feeling a quiet thrill settle in his chest—not loud, not explosive, but steady.
"Mom, I've already reached Viridian City." The moment the call connected, Ash saw her face on the screen. Delia looked calm at first glance, smiling gently—but to Ash's eyes, sharpened by experience far beyond his age, the worry was obvious.
She hid it well. Too well.
"I'm glad," she said warmly. "You're doing much better than your dad ever did at your age."
She mentioned his father lightly, as she always did—never explaining who he was, never giving details. And Ash never asked. Not because he didn't care, but because he already had what mattered most to him.
His mother.
"I'm going to be a Pokémon Master, you know," Ash said, flashing that familiar, confident smile.
The one that always put Delia at ease.
She laughed softly. "I know. Just… be careful, alright?" After a few more reassuring words, the call ended. Ash felt lighter.
Once his mother was at ease, his mind could finally rest.
Not long after, room assignments were settled. Ash ended up in the third room down the hall, right after Misty's and Yellow's. He hadn't even needed to ask—he ran into Misty near the counter while she was picking something up, and things naturally fell into place.
A quick shower later, Ash lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a moment. His body felt tired—but his mind was sharp. Thinking about Giovanni's match washed the fatigue away, leaving behind a quiet excitement.
Before long, he got up and headed back out.
At the counter, Nurse Joy returned his Pokémon.
Pikachu immediately leapt onto his right shoulder. Riolu climbed up onto his left without hesitation, gripping firmly. Pidgeotto fluttered up and perched proudly on his head. The sight drew a few amused looks from nearby trainers.
When Ash met up with Misty and Yellow, both of them burst out laughing. "Seriously?" Misty said, barely holding it together.
"They wanted to watch too," Ash explained, trying—and failing—to sound serious. "It's good motivation. A small goal." Misty nodded, though she was still laughing.
Pidgeotto soon hopped down and settled on Misty's shoulder instead. During their travels, he had grown comfortable with her—especially after helping guide them through a shortcut across a wooded area near the city.
Riolu stayed right where he was.
Pikachu, meanwhile, jumped into Yellow's arms without warning, earning a soft laugh from her. He was especially fond of her—thanks in no small part to her Viridian essence. Ash had assumed the gym battle would take place inside the main building.
He was wrong.
On the left side of the Viridian Gym stood a compact stadium, built seamlessly into the structure itself. The field inside was clearly modular, with mechanisms lining the edges.
"Giovanni has fourteen different terrains here," Misty explained as they took their seats. "They can change randomly." Ash raised an eyebrow.
"For normal challengers, he doesn't use this field," she continued. "But today's challenger is strong. So he's taking it seriously." Still—not seriously enough.
"He didn't bring his professional lineup," Misty added. Ash clicked his tongue inwardly. 'So even this isn't his best.' Misty went on.
"It's said that if you defeat Giovanni's initial lineup of two Pokémon, he gives you a gift. If he likes you, he'll invite you to challenge his full team—for better rewards." It sounded less like a gym challenge and more like an invitation.
An invitation only the worthy received. Walking further inside, Ash took in the stadium fully. The field was pristine, its mechanisms humming quietly beneath the surface.
His gaze shifted to the challenger. The trainer didn't look old. Black hair, calm eyes, posture steady. He stood facing the opposite side of the field, waiting.
On that side—Giovanni.
The man was speaking on the phone, completely relaxed, as if this were nothing more than a scheduled meeting. When Ash observed him closely, he couldn't deny it. Giovanni looked refined.
Composed - Powerful.
If Ash hadn't known better, he would never have guessed this man was the leader of Team Rocket. Ash didn't flinch.
He hated Team Rocket—not out of blind justice, but for clear reasons. They endangered people he cared about. They threatened the balance of the world he had come to love. And because of his father's work against organisations like them, they were a danger to Delia. That alone was enough.
To Ash, organisations that harmed Pokémon and disrupted ecology on a large scale were nothing but pests. And one day—he would challenge them. For now, he leaned back slightly, eyes sharp, fully focused on the battlefield.
"It will be a best of four."
The umpire's voice echoed clearly through the stadium. "Challengers may send out four Pokémon. Gym Leader Giovanni will battle with only two. The match will begin shortly." A ripple went through the crowd.
Before the umpire could step back, Giovanni moved forward calmly. He raised a hand, stopping him, and reached toward the suitcase held by the butler standing silently at his side. With practised ease, he took out a Poké Ball, weighing it lightly in his palm. "I'll use two," Giovanni said evenly. "That will be enough."
The referee straightened immediately. "Yes. I understand."
Respect was evident in his tone as he stepped back and raised his flag. Ash's gaze flicked toward the challenger.
The black-haired trainer's jaw tightened. For a brief moment, irritation flashed through his eyes—but he suppressed it quickly, breathing out slowly as he steadied himself.
'Good,' Ash thought. 'Don't let anger cloud your moves. An angry trainer is easy to read.' Giovanni didn't waste another second.
"Come out, Rhyhorn."
The Poké Ball opened with a sharp flash of red light. A heavy body slammed onto the battlefield, shaking the ground beneath it. Rhyhorn snorted loudly, its thick hide glistening under the stadium lights as it scraped the ground with its hooves.
Rock and Ground-type. A solid Pokémon—but with obvious weaknesses. The challenger didn't hesitate. "Come out, Blastoise!"
Another flash. Water surged outward as Blastoise appeared, its massive frame steady and imposing. The twin cannons on its shell rotated slightly, locking onto Rhyhorn with unmistakable battle intent.
A murmur passed through the audience.
Ash narrowed his eyes slightly. 'A classic answer,' he judged. 'Type advantage, power, and durability.'
"Good," Giovanni said, nodding once.
He didn't look impressed—but he didn't look disappointed either. Blastoise was clearly well-trained. Its posture was firm, weight evenly balanced, and cannons already primed.
The referee raised his hand.
"Battle—begin!"
"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" the challenger called out immediately. It was the obvious move—and the correct one.
Blastoise's cannons flared. A roaring torrent of pressurised water blasted forward, tearing across the field with overwhelming force, aimed straight at Rhyhorn's centre mass. Many trainers would have panicked.
Giovanni didn't even blink.
"Stone Edge." His voice was calm, almost casual—like he was giving directions rather than issuing a battle command.
Rhyhorn roared and stomped hard. Jagged pillars of stone erupted violently from the ground in front of it, shooting upward at sharp angles. The Hydro Pump smashed into the stone edges, exploding into a spray of water and debris, the impact echoing throughout the stadium.
Ash leaned forward slightly.
'No hesitation. No defensive panic.'
'He's controlling the tempo from the first move.' Across the field, the challenger's eyes sharpened. This wasn't going to be a simple type-advantage victory. And he knew of it. After all, he still remembers his loss from a few months ago.
And Giovanni—
Giovanni—hadn't even started getting serious yet.